stabbing pain in middle outside of foot...please help!

[lk65]

Since June of 2012, I have been dealing with a terrible, stabbing pain that is very localized to the middle outside of my left foot...right at the boney point where the peroneal brevis tendon would insert at the 5th metatarsal. In August 2012, I saw a podiatrist who quickly diagnosed me (after standard x-rays were taken) with tendonitis of the peroneal brevis tendon and ordered up a round of physical therapy. I wasn't keen on PT (have not had much success with it in the past), so I took a "wait and see" approach. By the end of October, the pain was nearly unbearable. It hurt to walk, bear weight, even just sitting on my couch or at my desk at work, would bring on sudden "lightning bolt" jolts of stabbing pain to that area. I finally agreed to try the PT. I went 2x a week for 6 weeks, and when all was said and done, I came out of therapy in worse pain than when I went in. They had me doing lots of calf strengthening/stretching, ankle stabilization exercises (my ankle has never bothered me), as well as manual tissue massage and Graston. My pain level did not improve. In January 2013, I went to see a sports medicine doctor. He too, took x-rays and put me in a walking boot for 4 weeks. Initially, the boot seemed to help, but by the 4th week of wearing it, it actually was starting to cause even more pain. He ordered an MRI which I had done on Feb. 27, 2013. The results were basically "unremarkable", with the exception of some thickening of the peroneal brevis tendon. He gave me a script for Mobic and ordered up more PT (which I have not done because I fear it will be a waste of time & money based on my last experience).

I'm at my wit's end with this foot pain. It's disrupting my life to the point where all I think about is how much my foot hurts...it's depressing! After doing some research and being directed to this forum, I believe that I may have some kind of nerve pain (sural nerve) issue, seeing as that nerve runs right along the exact location where I am feeling this intense, stabbing, hot-knife-plunging-into-my-foot type of pain. Problem is...I don't know how to get this condition accurately diagnosed. Do I go back to a podiatrist? Do I tell him/her what I think the issue is? Or do I let them do their job and hope they can figure it out? Been there, done that already...so I'm a bit reluctant at this point. Please help!!!

LK - 47yo active female (avid cyclist and gym rat)