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abnormal gait for almost 11 months now

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by Unregistered, Oct 29, 2009.

  1. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest


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    In early December of last year my right foot suddenly wasn't able to walk normally and I was walking with my weight on the outside of the foot. I had an MRI in February, which was read as not showing any fractures or anything. At this point I could force my foot to walk normally but after 5-10 steps would get numbness and tingling from the top of the foot up through the tibial region, sort of feeling like shin splints. The foot would then lock up and I couldn't flex or extend the foot anymore and would have to rest the foot before I could move it again and go through the same cycle if I didn't walk on the outside of the foot.

    My initial thought was that I had a stress fracture, but the MRI didn't confirm that. My next suspicion was an anterior tarsal tunnel syndrome. In mid-October I had done a half-marathon (walking) and my right shoe was tied too tight and I had pain for that the last 6-7 miles but didn't loosen for fear of blisters (to think back then I was worried about a blister). I posed the TTS question to the podiatrist I had been seeing and he never returned my call. (this podiatrist said he didn't have to see me walk, could tell by the way I was standing I needed orthotics). The next podiatrist said to just tie my shoelaces differently. At this point I hadn't been able to walk normally for 3 months.

    Since then I've seen another podiatrist, 3 neurologists, and had nerve conduction studies, which they say were normal but from what I can gather is 50% of the time with TTS. I'm going nuts, still can't walk, and it's getting worse. One of the neurologists said I had dystonia, there was no cause, no cure, here's a brochure, have a nice day. I've asked my latest podiatrist for a referral to someone to rule out TTS, as there are other, better tests for this diagnosis than the NCS but so far nothing. I would like to rule out TTS before I go the rest of my life not being able to walk but don't know where to go. All the web sites that talk about TTS are podiatry web sites but I've seen 4 and none of them seem to know the other tests. Can anyone give me any advice on who to see. I'm in eastern Washington and am willing to go to Seattle (or anywhere). I've already spent over $9,000 on this and wouldn't mind if I was getting helped but it's just getting worse.

    There is no pain in my foot when trying to walk. I get pain in my hips and knees from not being able to walk correctly. I don't believe it is dystonia because there aren't any involuntary muscle contractions and at the beginning I could walk normally but got the numbness and the locking up. I think it's just degrading to the point that my foot is reacting to whatever damage I did that isn't getting fixed. Leading up to this was the half-marathon with the too-tight shoelaces (up to this time I was walking 3-4 half-marathons a year and walking at least 4 miles a day every day) and I kicked to death my fertilizer spreader at the end of October. My foot felt different in early november and then in December on one day during a walk was when all of a sudden I had to walk completely on the outside of the foot. Another reason I think I injured something but no one can figure out what.

    Any help would be appreciated.
     
  2. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    Let's see . . .
    - A year ago you suddenly were unable to walk normally and could only walk on the outside of the foot.
    - The first thing you had was an MRI because YOU suspected a stress fracture.
    - Then YOU suspected an anterior nerve entrapment (anterior TTS is a total misnomer as it doesn't involve the tarsal tunnel).
    - Then, with things getting no better with your walking, you entered a walking marathon
    - Then you saw a podiatrist for being unable to walk normally who refused to watch you walk
    - Then you called your podiatrist to ask about TTS and he never called back and you apparently dropped the issue
    - Then you saw a podiatrist who told you that the treatment was not to tie your shoe laces so tightly.
    - Then you saw THREE neurologists and all you mention they did was give you nerve conduction studies . . . which were normal.
    - Then you say you were diagnosed with dystonia, though you have not mentioned a single symptom consistent with that diagnosis.
    - Then you wait until the last paragraph to state that you have no pain in the foot but pain in the hips and knees
    - Then you kicked your fertilizer spreader
    - Then, suddenly during a walk, out of the blue, you AGAIN could only walk on the side of your foot.

    I would suggest that something else might be going on here which is possibly not in the realm of podiatry.
     
  3. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    What are you talking about? The walking half-marathon was before this all happened. The kicking of the fertilizer spreader was before this all happened. Those were in October of 2008. In November of 2008 I noticed that my right foot felt "different" while walking. In December of 2008 was when during a walk I could only walk if I walked on the outside of the foot. In January of 2009 I went to an urgent care. They said I had plantar fasciitis and sent me to a podiatrist. The podiatrist agreed with me that it wasn't plantar fasciitis but didn't watch me walk in my shoes outside, which was my main problem. At that time walking in bare feet was fine. She gave me calf stretching exercises and arch supports and said to come back in 2 months if I wasn't better. After 3 weeks I knew something was seriously wrong and went back and asked for diagnostic studies. She set up the MRI. The MRI supposedly didn't show anything. She went on maternity leave by the time the MRI results were back so I saw her partner. He's the one that said I didn't have to show him how I walk. He could tell by my standing that I needed orthotics. Two other podiatrists since then have agreed with me that he was nuts.

    I haven't walked anywhere since December of 2008 except to hobble around to do errands and to walk the 50 feet to get the mail. I can't walk. At all. If I have to walk a long distance I walk backwards because that's easier.

    The first neurologist I saw was in late April and I thought it was to get nerve conduction studies and an EMG. He did lab work and sent me to physical therapy for 4 weeks. The physical therapist, not having a diagnosis, did lots of joint mobilizations and forced me to walk on a treadmill in my bare feet, which at the time I could still do pretty well. He also put me on the treadmill in shoes, which I couldn't do except abnormally. I saw another neurologist while I was waiting for the NCS/EMG, and without doing an exam said I didn't have TTS because that's overdiagnosed and instead I probably had dystonia. I finally had the nerve conduction studies in June. They said they were normal but, like I said initially, they are 50% of the time in TTS. I don't buy that it's dystonia related to nothing, just occurring out of the blue, because something happened to the foot during that last walk in December of 2008 that put the final dagger in whatever I had done to the foot in the first place in October of 2008. I'm just trying to figure out what I did and how to fix it.

    I'm not saying I have TTS, but I would like to have it ruled out with actual testing before I have to go the rest of my life without being able to walk. So what I would like help with is finding someone to rule out TTS. The 3 podiatrists I've seen don't know how to test for it, neither do the neurologists, evidently. Is an orthopedist a better choice?
     
  4. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    Look . . I'm not going to get into an argument with you, but I have some advice.

    1. Be diligent in picking a quality doctor, and then stop doctor-jumping in mid-stream ("I saw another neurologist while I was waiting for the NCS/EMG,")

    2. When you see your next doctor, prepare yourself by getting the essential facts of your story in clear chronological order, without all the caveats, asides and seques. Tell your complete story in one statement and don't then go back and add new and completely different details as you have done here . . such as bringing up plantar fasciitis. I have decades of experience listening to patients and whether or not YOU think you've been clear, your dissertation was simply too difficult for me to follow in anything resembling a straight line.

    3. Stop searching for a doctor who will confirm or rule out YOUR diagnosis.

    4. Realize that no one on a forum where an actual examination is impossible can do a better job for you than properly selected doctors who can examine you.

    5. Refrain from argument with me as to my views, as I have said what I am going to say.
     
  5. JPworcester

    JPworcester New Member

    Your post was quite long so i only skimmed it so i may have missed what's wrong. I just wanted to mention that my gait was all out of wack. i saw a podiatrist for hallux limitus and flat feet and he looked at my gait and it was totally off. hooked me up with a great physical therapist and did work on my flexibility and core strenghtenning (it's a lot of work). one thing that was HUGE was this TRIGGER POINT kit. Got rid of months of back pain in a few days. it may help with shin splints. AGAIN I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG AND I WOULD LISTEN TO THE DOCTORS, just sharing my experience. also, if your orthotics were from a scan, another option is getting them casted. Especially if you have flat pronated feet. that helped me.

    like the post before said, get a good doctor and stick with their routine. my doctor works with atheletes and is an iron man triathlete. He understands body mechanics and such.
     
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