Foot / Ankle :: Nerve Pain In Heel/toe After Ankle Surgery
Jun 28, 2013
I had ankle surgery to repair my medial malleolus back on May 8. It was fairly routine--just 2 screws. I was in a cast for a week, then was put into a boot but told to treat it like a cast--NO weight bearing for 7 weeks, keep the boot on 24/7 unless in the bathtub. I followed directions religiously.
I did notice that when I pressed on certain areas of the foot, I would feel a sharp pain. This occurred in the heel (from the bottom), toes (again, from the bottom, primarily the foot pad below the pinky, second, and 4th toes). When I asked the doctor about this, he said (around week 5) that it was just because I hadn't been using the foot.
The problem persisted, and this week, week 7, I was cleared to start partial weight-bearing--walking in the boot while taking approximately 1/2 the weight off my foot via the crutches. I don't have ankle pain to speak of (or at least, not often and only if I overdo it), but I have terrible shooting pains in my heel and toes as I step. It's OK if I take most of the weight on the crutches, but as soon as I go to more than just a little weight on the boot, the pain starts.
This week I also started PT and the therapist told me this is nerve pain--not uncommon after surgery (don't know why the doctor couldn't have told me this, but OK). I couldn't get much of an idea from her how long this will persist or if there is anything I can do about it.
I'm doing my ankle and leg exercises (those are mostly non-weightbearing at this point) and they are going great. The ankle is clearly healing well. But I don't see how I can progress to full weight bearing (supposed to try that next week!) when much more than a little pressure on the foot results in this nerve pain!
Help! Does anyone have experience with this? Is there anything I can do to speed things along? I need to return to my second job (barefoot hoof trimming for horses--how I broke the ankle!) ASAP and I'm fearful this will slow my progress to a crawl! The doctor is useless.
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Okay, here again, asking if anyone who has had heel pain after pttd surgery has had any solutions to heel pain problems. Prior to surgery and the osteotomy, I never had the least issue with my feel. Now it feels like there is a rock under my heel in the middle, and I walk on the outside edge of my foot, with my toes scrunched tightly to the ground. Very unnatural. And the surgeon who did my procedure can't think of any reason why I am having this issue, and recommended that I go for a second opinion with someone else. Sooo...... For those of you who might have had this issue, any solutions? Did it go away by itself in time?
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Has anyone dealt with foreign object removal from their heel?
If so, has your heel been able to heal to 100%?
Are you dealing with any problematic scar tissue on your heel?
How long did it take to resolve for you?
I'm eager to get back to deadlifts and squats at the gym and hoping someone can share a positive recovery story.
Here's what happened:
July 5, 2015, I stepped on shard of glass - I was told by a doctor there was no glass in my heel - I was given a tetanus shot, antibiotics and sent on my way. I pushed through the discomfort for several weeks - finally I requested an x-ray, which showed glass in my heel.
August 5, 2015 - the first surgery - unsuccessful - about an hour into surgery in ER (under local anesthetic), the surgeon said he didn't feel comfortable continuing, as he couldn't quite locate the glass and didn't feel comfortable going deeper. He was able to refer me to an orthopedic surgeon.
August 10, 2015 - the second surgery - successful - the orthopedic surgeon said retrieving the glass was very difficult -he was "mucking around for a while" and "it was like finding a needle in a haystack."
I was given painkillers and antibiotics and instructions not to change the bandaging or take off the tensor bandage for the first 3 days. The first night was horrendous in terms of pain - my pain tolerance is pretty high - how I would describe the pain would be, an extreme burning sensation on the top of my foot (like my skin was being peeled off and then lit on fire) - I was going to go back into ER, but as soon as I got up, the rush of blood into my foot relieved the pain. So for that night, and basically the first 2-3 days, I just kept standing up every 1-2 hours to allow blood-flow into my foot. I ended up loosening the tensor bandage after two days.
August 20, 2015 - stitches removed - unfortunately I had an infection, so I was given a 7 day course of antibiotics.
Sept. 11, 2015 - follow-up appt. - incision still not 'together' and some leakage - I was told a minor infection was still present and given a 10 day course of antibiotics.
Currently...
I'm still on crutches - my heel is still tender and the skin is still somewhat open on the surface (was told it will heal from inside out) - I can't stand normally - I have some pins and needles under my foot near my toes - the skin around the heel is very tight and ankle mobility is reduced - ankle feels very weak (probably from not walking).
I'm now seeing the surgeon more consistently to have the healing monitored more closely.
I haven't been given a time-frame of when I'll be 'normal' and be able to resume my life before the injury.
As you can tell, I'm eager to get back to being mobile and living actively.
I'm just looking to hear from someone who has dealt with something similar, so I can keep positive and start thinking of time-frames for myself.
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My uncle had surgery 1 week ago for braking both heels after falling of a roof and he's been in a lot of pain (we all know that) but he's been in bed all day, showering, doing #1/2 all in bed cause he says the doctor said he couldn't even use a wheelchair to go to the bathroom?? I mean is not a back injury/surgery why he's not allowed to even use a wheelchair? I know they advise him to sit/lay on bed with legs up but... can't sit down with legs up for a while? or use a wheelchair (with legs up) to go the bathroom/move around a bit?
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I broke my heel 54 days ago, felling down from 2nd floor. I am really nervous & worried about... Doctor told me you need to keep cast for 60 days (or 8 weeks) 2 weeks ago I had 2nd x-ray, it was 40th day of fracture... I smoke, as you know it makes bone recovery period longer....On my X-ray heel didn't look like recovered....bones were darker color, fracture place still lighter, but doctor said its fine & you can put weight on that foot and come back after 2 weeks, we will take off cast and put on some kinda fixing boot. However, neither 2 weeks ago, not now I can put weight on it. It hurts so bad....I don't know what to do, do what doctor says, or listen my pain? I want to know if its normal to feel such bad pain whilst doctor say your bone is okay? and how come it's okay, if on my X-ray even I can see its not okay.
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I am currently 8 weeks post op from a very extensive flat foot reconstructive surgery . I was excited to start partial weight bearing this week starting w 25 percent in a boot.
My problem is I have sharp pains coming from the bottom of my heel which I am thinking may be from the screws from the calcaneal osteotomy. This is making it very difficult to put any pressure on my foot when weight bearing ?
Has anyone experienced this ? Did it go away on its own? Was there anything that helped this . I am afraid I will not be able to proceed the wt bearing with this continued heel pain.
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I will be having PTT surgery(calcaneal osteotomy, lateral lengthening, gastroc recession, tendon transfer) next week and am wondering about your experience with the nerve blocks, in my case a popliteal nerve block. The research from my OS's office shows 13% have residual nerve pain following the block. Most of the posts here show that patients are very happy they had a nerve block for their surgery. Has anyone had residual pain from one?
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It is my right foot only. Heel pain, and basically all of my foot. I wear inserts plus an extra heel cushion. I been to the foot doctor and gave me a antibiotic and he recommended icing and heating and stretching bottom of foot. Any other suggestions?
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I sustained a calcaneus heel fracture on 1/10/2015 in a mountain biking accident. I fell off a ledge and tried to catch my fall with my foot. Landed on concrete and twisted my ankle in the process. I had surgery on 1/21/15 and have two screws in my heel and a plate and two screws on the side of my ankle. Two weeks after surgery (four days ago), I lost my balance and fell forward and caught my fall with the ball of my foot (I was in a boot). My foot is so stiff that it will not lay flat on the ground. My heel started hurting a few hours afterwards and the next day. It felt better Wednesday and i did some stretches to my foot. Now it is hurting again today. I wonder if anyone else has had this experience? Do you think it is a stiff tendon (plantar fasciitis) that I just pulled or do you think I could have done damage to my heel? I didn't land on my heel, but I feel a dull ache at the bottom of it now.
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I have been dealing with pain in my feet for several years which has gotten progressively worse. The past 6 months or so have been so bad that 3 months ago my doctor prescribed Gabapentin which helped significantly for a brief few weeks, but I am at the highest levels now and there is a new pain in my right ankle that will just not go away. I am weaning off of the Gabapentin so that I can try Lyrica. I am being scheduled for a nerve conduction test to try and determine what is wrong exactly. I am not diabetic. I believe it is from too many years of standing/walking on concrete (I'm a caterer/chef) without proper foot support. My doctor seems to support this opinion, she does not seem to have any answers. Just had blood work done, I am in excellent health otherwise! Am so worried that I'll be unable to continue working. Pain is relentless. Cannot live on pain pills, just do not want to go down that road! Anyone out there have experience with this sort of problem? How about Lyrica?
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It has been quite a while since I have been on here. I had surgery on Mar 14 to repair a tendon and release the nerve that runs on the top of my foot. I have had severe nerve pain since the surgery. I could only get so far in rehab - because of the severe nerve pain. I had a cortisone shot about five weeks ago - it was somewhat helpful. I can finally let a sheet rest on the top of my foot.
However, it is my right foot. It is extremely painful to drive - and basically impossible for me to be able to drive more than 25 miles without pulling over to alleviate the pain from the nerve. I still cannot wear anything more than sandals as I cannot let anything touch the top of my foot. Now mind you, it has improved some. It used to be the entire top of my foot. Now it is mainly the toes and about 3 inches up from my toes - it is so severe it has put me in tears more than once. I have been living with some friends of mine - about 25 miles from where I work. The problem is that I own a house about 52 miles from work - one way. There is no way I can drive that far - and don't think that will get better anytime soon.
I see my surgeon again on 8/16/13. I am willing to try another cortisone shot - but someone else has strongly recommended I cut the nerve to alleviate the pain. If he cuts the nerve - I will not have any feeling on the top of my foot for the rest of my life. I have asked him if I would be able to drive, etc....and he commented that cutting the nerve might actually make driving/pain worse?
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I am 7 and a half weeks post op after a Lapidus & an Akin procedure. I was in cast until last week and have managed a tennis type shoe and a sandal on so far.
The swelling has been bad as expected with full weight bearing, but the real pain is in the ball of my foot and my big toe does not lie flat, but rather sits elevated. I think the ball of the foot under the big toe is swollen so that may be the cause? I can only walk for a few minutes properly before the pain becomes too much and I am limping and walking on the outside of my operated foot. I can usually cope with pain so know this must be fairly severe.
I am doing my toe bending exercises and think that already the range of motion is not too bad.
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I am 7 1/2 weeks post of from Flat Foot Surgery and the outside area of foot from where my incision ends from the double calcaneal osteotomy up to my little toe the soft tissue is halfway numb and very painful. Has anyone else experienced this and if so how long did it last.
I am not sure how long it takes the soft tissue to heal to a point where it does not hurt when you are not walking. Or is what I am feeling nerve pain. I started PT this week and am PWB. My doctor thinks I will be in a shoe in 3 weeks and I don't know at this rate how that could be possible. I am icing a majority of the day for sure after I do my PT exercises.
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I'm a 38 year old with ankle and foot problems all my life. I was born with flat feet and I was always spraining my ankles. I acquired PTTD/Flat Foot on my left about a year ago and finally was diagnosed by an orthopedic foot and ankle expert. He recommended surgery and after a second opinion I decided I might as well get this taken care of so that I can go back to a normal life of walking through the streets of Europe.
I had my surgery about 2.5 weeks ago and I wanted to lend advice to those about to take on this crazy surgery. Firstly, the morning of surgery when the anesthesiologist was performing the nerve block it hurt like hell and made me even more panicked about the surgery. The relaxing medication they gave me did nothing to settle my nerves. I woke up from surgery a few hours later and I could feel all sorts of shocking pains coming from my foot. I asked if I should be feeling all the pain and they said that the nerve block failed. The anesthesiologist was busy for another hour and so I writhed in pain (crying hysterically) for the hour and vomited multiple times due to the extra anesthetic they gave me due to the failed nerve block.
Once the new anesthesiologist came she figured out that my nerve split into two and the other guy had not seen this split. After she was finished it was completely numb and I was worn out. I was sent home. Over the next day I vomited profusely, found out that I cannot breath when I take Oxycontin, I lost balance and fell on my foot and I was taking anything I could get my hands on for constipation. I finally found the foul tasting milk of magnesia and I can now go to the bathroom every few days.
My pain was managed by a morphine twice a day while in the splint, but now that I am in the cast my heel is killing me especially at night and the dr gave me hydrocodone which didn't touch the pain last night. Is it normal to have more pain at this point?
When will I be fairly pain free and when will I be able to leave the house? I live in Santa Barbara and i have an ocean view so I should not be complaining but i am feeling pretty horrid and ready to get out. When I think about leaving I worry about falling again and having my throbbing leg down.
Am I alone in all of this? Many experiences I have been reading say that after 5 days everything was hunky dory.
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I've been reading older messages regarding this topic because i have been having this problem since my surgery in September 2013! Doctor has no idea why i'm still in pain and my physio therapies don't get nowhere. So i'm a lot desperate! Can anyone help me, pls? Is it sesamoiditis? Is it tendonitis? Who has experienced any of these and can advise me what to do?
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Today the PT had me try a heel raise standing just on my operated foot and I could barely do anything. When I do both feet together it goes pretty well. Just curious to know how long it took others of you to reach that point where your foot & calf were strong enough to do it just on that one foot.
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Right, so i fell from a stairs which is at least 5-6 foot high and i have no idea how i landed on my heel first but i probably did as it's the only place where it hurts. I Can move my foot, rotate it and bend it and everything but i can't bear weight. The pain is not really in the middle of the heel but more to the left (Right foot). I can walk but i limp and i usually use the right side of my foot to bear weight and the part where it hurts is elevated a little so it looks kinda funny. Did i fractured my heel bone or is this just a sprain? It doesn't hurt when i'm resting, slightly pressing it but it hurts when i try walking using my heel. It has been more than 48 hours and I don't see any noticeable bruising or swelling as well.
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I know NWB means you're not allowed to touch the ground, but that is nearly impossible for me when I'm driving or sitting on the toilet
I'm 6'0 tall and my legs will hit the ground sometimes! I had a lapidus bunionectomy which is surgery on the first metatarsal, so I'm thinking maybe it's ok if I rest my heel or side of my foot to the ground every once in awhile? Does anyone else on NWB do this? If not, then how do you manage driving or goto the bathroom? Also has anyone ever had any complications from using your heel/side of foot a little bit?
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Any posters suffering from a heel spur. Any home remedies to offer? they are quiet painful and prohibits me from doing a lot.
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After having surgery on both the 4th and 5th metatarsal with plates and screws holding everything I have pain on the ball of my foot. I haven't yet started walking, I've been in no weight bearing. It's been three weeks and a half since surgery and the bottom of my foot really hurts when pressed upon. After almost a month this doesn't seem normal. Should I be worried. I will ask the doctor about this on my next visit when he pulls out the k wire.
The ball of my foot hurts also when I do toe exercise such as curling in and out.
Each visit to the doctor he tells me not to walk and put put weight on my foot. I tell him each time that I can't if I wanted to as it hurts to barely try.
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I recently had surgery on my ankle for a fractured fibula and torn ligament. Prior to surgery, my surgeon told me that he would have another doctor (pain doctor) administer a nerve block once I was under general anesthesia. The pain doctor met with me prior to the operation and advised that the nerve block would last anywhere from 15-24 hours. Unfortunately, the nerve block did not work correctly at all and I was in immense pain for a few hours post-op until I was given strong pain meds. I questioned my surgeon (because the pain doctor left after administering the nerve block) who said the nerve block must have worn off by the time the surgery ended (a couple hours tops), but from what I've researched it's not possible. Plus, I began to notice that the middle of my thigh was completely numb in the middle of the night. This numbness lasted approximately 24 hours.
My question is: Where should the pain doctor have administered the nerve block. I woke up with a bandaid in the area of my groin and was told this is where the nerve block was given (under ultrasound). However, I've read that for an ankle procedure, the block should have been given just above the knee to be effective. Does anyone have any knowledge on this subject?
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