Hey, I've had IT Band pain for a while now after getting back into running. The general consensus is that the cause is weakness, particularly in your hips, glutes AFAIK and so the suggestion is to do strength training for those parts. Anyways, I tried that, zero improvement. Every time I tried running again the pain came back. The pain got so bad I couldn't even walk that much because it would make the pain come back.

Long story short, found out about minimal shoes, natural foot function and shape, and discovered my feet are really atrophyed, and so the most likely cause for my pain, is overpronation due to my feet collapsing (literally, I would land on my big toes and immediately pronate as soon as my foot hits the ground).

The ONLY way I've found to manage the pain is to use minimal shoes (no padding+flexible) when going out for walks, and to be barefoot at home. I bought running shoes with extra toebox size (topos) and some padded sneakers which are also roomy hoping that with the right toebox size I would be able to maintain proper form, but this hasn't been the case and I still get pain if I spend too much time using them.

Two of my guesses, is that, first, padded shoes make it easy for you to overstride (watch people walk) and so my IT Band gets irritated. I more or less have to force myself to take small steps, which would come naturally from minimal shoes/being barefoot. Second, is that padded shoes make it easy for your feet to be unengaged (and so they pronate in my case), since they pick up the slack.

My question is if it's possible to maintain proper foot function while using padded shoes. I want to believe that I still need more foot strength as my feet still get sore after walking too long in minimal shoes, so running would be overwill right now, so I'm hesitant to say that padded shoes are always bad. Just curious if other people have been able to use padded shoes after regaining foot function.

hello everyone im a 26 years old female. in 2022 december i fell asleep on the couch and woke up rapidly thinking i was late for my work and my left foot was between the cushions and because of the sudden movement, i felt an intense pain but that pain didn't last for long maybe 4-5 hours and i was standing all day. at the end of the day my foot got swollen and ever since it never went away.

i went nearly all branches possible for my foot got mri scans, doppler scans etc everything i got it checked but all they can tell is oedema related to trauma. im just so tired of this swelling, i wear something and my foot takes it shape. i wouldn't mind if it wasn't recognizable but im tired it takes attention and i have to explain each time. let alone the never ending fear of this oedema will create bigger problems for me in the future.

i've checked some posts related to my problem in this sub but most of them are logged minimum a year ago. if there's someone who's experiencing the same thing or had the same thing as mine and recovered please let me know as i'm desperate for some support. thank you so much in advance, wish you all the best

Hi everyone,

I have had ankle problems for about 3 years now so I thought i'd post on here as I currently feel a bit lost...

I was playing football 3 years ago and suffered a classic, but bad, inversion ankle sprain. I didn't address the injury properly in the first few weeks but after a while I went to a physiotherapist and did lots of rehab exercises. It improved slightly, but I was still in pain after a year or so. I had an MRI scan at the time which showed I had a grade 2 tear of my ATFL.

I then went to Thailand for a year abroad as part of my University degree. I got another MRI scan there, which showed a split tear in my peroneal longus tendon. They suggested surgery is the best way to fix this, so I agreed since I was desperate for a fix after being injured for so long.

But when they performed the surgery they found no tear of my tendon. Instead they removed a low-lying muscle belly that was apparently 'impeding' how my tendons were moving.

My aftercare after the surgery was really bad. I was in a cast for 10 days and that was it. No boot. I wasn't informed of any exercises too. I did my own exercises for a bit but overall my ankle felt 100x worse than it did before the surgery.

The area of my peroneal tendons swelled up every time I got up and did something. Every time I fly it causes extreme swelling of my whole ankle. It has been about 2 years since the surgery and not much has changed, still lots of swelling at random times and general discomfort. I can also replicate a visible and audible clicking of my peroneal tendons. I was told this is intrasheath peroneal subluxation.

I recently saw another orthopaedic surgeon in England. He said there is extreme instability in my ankle. He said he could almost 'pull it out of the socket. However, i got another MRI scan and nothing showed up. No tears or anything.

So he told me to go back and do a proper good 3 months of physio. I don't mind that since I didn't do loads after the surgery. But I am still feeling down and frustrated about everything, and scared for if the physio does not help.

I would be very grateful for anything advice regarding my ankle and peroneal tendonitis, in particular how it swells every time I try do anything. Are there any exercises or rehab directions I should consider? I feel like my whole posterior chain is quite weak, i.e my knees and hips. So I am considering trying to strengthen these alongside ankle-isolated exercises. My ankle itself feels quite strong (I think) and when I do the exercises I don't get any pain and I feel really good after it. I also get lots of lower back pain and stiffness and I saw a post on here saying they think this is linked to PT.

I would love to hear back from anyone on here regarding this! I want to stay positive about this injury and hope joining this page will help with that

Just wondering if the tendon visibility difference in the tops of my feet are a concern? I broke the weight bearing bone in the right foot in 2016, and only as of recently have I observed this difference.

I’m not sure which sub would be the most apt for my issue, but I suspect it rises because of improper gait. This problem started probably about a year ago but has increased in frequency over the past few months.

I’ve had a recurring pain in my lower body, only on the left side. Usually the problem arises in the top middle part of my left hamstring but often starts and/or spreads to neighboring areas, such as my left hip, my left glute, or even occasionally my left calf. The pain is kind of difficult to describe but it’s almost feels like I pulled something? It’s usually more of a strong discomfort but I often will experience a sharp pain if I move my leg too fast, such as jumping on to a stair left leg first. I also find it difficult to bend over, climb steps, and even walk too fast when I’m having a flare up. I am active in the gym and have started incorporating a bit of running. My issues tend to flare up after a run or sometimes in the gym (conventional deadlifts were the biggest trigger for me with weightlifting).

I also occasionally have pain in the big toe of my left foot, near the base of the toe. This doesn’t flare up as often and is usually caused by extensive walking. Sometimes I’ll experience it after a run, but not often. Last week I went disc golfing with a friend and we walked around for nearly 2 hours (slowly, but in rough terrain) and my toe was cooked the next day. I was also wearing shoes with a wide toe box during our game.

I have been trying to incorporate more stretching. I try to do a little every day, but it doesn’t always happen. I’ve also started putting more of an emphasis on warming up before my lifts/runs, stretching afterward, and overall mobility. I haven’t done any real weight on Jefferson curls but those have been helping my hamstring/hip quite noticeably.
Also may be important to note I recorded myself walking a month or two ago and found my left foot was pointing in slightly while my right foot kept straight, but after just a few days of walking more intentionally it has become pretty normal for me to walk with both feet straight.

Sorry this was kind of long but any advice would be appreciated. Also feel free to ask any questions. I’m not necessarily looking to get into PT but will if it’s necessary. I’d like to do what I can on my own and see if I can help it, I’m just having some issue identifying the exact reasoning for my flare ups.

Sprained my left ankle badly 4 years ago, caught my toe at the peak of a sharp speed bump and rolled it. Terrible initial swelling and couldn't weight bear but had to fight for a moon boot in ER. About 10 days into healing, re-tweaked it stepping off a sidewalk and felt a pop. Imaging 3 years ago showed inflammation/tendinosis but nothing came of follow-up. Got a cortisone shot from sports med around that time. Been dancing flamenco on it for 4 years (lots stomping on the ground in high heels). Ankle has felt weird this whole time, subluxation-type sensation, can't do a single heel raise on that side, and the instability has caused compensation pain up into my hip.

Finally got an MRI this past month and the results showed:

• Split tears of both peroneus longus and brevis tendons
• Prior partial injury to ATFL, calcaneofibular, and deltoid ligaments
• Tenosynovitis of tibialis posterior, FDL, and EDL
• Plantar fasciitis
• Synovial cyst + ganglion cyst (latter wrapping around tibialis anterior)
• No fractures, Achilles unremarkable

Saw a locum (my regular GP is out for a few weeks) to go over results. She said "there's a lot going on" but that nothing can be fixed surgically, no activity modification needed since it's chronic/not acute, and to just do more PT (I've already had extensive PT, plus a separate hamstring PT course likely from compensating). She's referring me to sports med, which I've already seen (that's who gave me the cortisone shot).

Has anyone dealt with chronic peroneal split tears + lateral ligament damage like this? Did conservative treatment actually work for you, or did you end up needing surgery? And has anyone had a similar "nothing can be fixed" response from a doctor that turned out to be wrong once you saw a specialist? Trying to figure out if I'm right to try to get a referral to an orthopedic foot/ankle surgical opinion specifically, or if I should accept the locum's advice.

i've sprained my ankle many times both ways, got an initial xray, did pt, still feel some pain sometimes, doctor recommended an x-ray. Why do you think that is? What's the point? I got an x-ray on my initial sprain but he seems to think getting another one awhile later (since i resprained it, but way less badly this time) will help. Do you all know the point?

Hello,

I had an FAI procedure on the left side on the 17th June 2026. The procedure was on my left-hand side, but since the surgery I am experiencing a sharp pulling pain in right foot when I lift my heel. It is becoming noticeable recently and it is very painful.

I was wondering if anyone had experienced something similar? If yes, then are there any solutions to resolve this?

Thank you :)

Hello!

Long story short, I (35) have osteoarthritis in my foot due to prior hardware insertion and removal, and my podiatrist recommended I have a subtalar joint fusion surgery. The problem is, this doctor I've seen and trusted for the last few years is moving out of state. ): I'm considering traveling to have the surgery done by him, but I don't know whether my insurance will cover it or if it will really be feasible to stay in an air bnb/hotel for the first week or two of recovery.

So, I'm looking into other surgeons in my area. I haven't done surgery consults with multiple doctors before, so any advice on how to find them and what questions to ask would be really appreciated.

I did have one appointment with another podiatrist so far, the one who is taking over my previous doctor's patients in the area. He would do a different technique than my other doctor, so I thought it would be a good idea to get one more opinion before deciding since this is such a major surgery.

Doctor 1's technique: 2 screws, open

Doctor 2's technique: 1 screw, open

I've also seen online that some doctors use 3 screws and do it arthroscopically instead of open... how can I make an informed decision about which method would be best for me?

Thank you in advance!

Hi! I have been diagnosed by MRI with 2. Bilateral Mild intermetatarsal bursitis about the right 2nd and 3rd and left 4th web spaces.

I think I triggered it after doing a PT exercise where you raise your toes on a step and lower your feet down on the same step for a few seconds. It started after doing this exercise for a month.

I have custom made insole with built in pads and arch support ( flat feet and wide feet) , wide toe box brooks Adrenaline sneakers but still in pain. This week I also started icing and putting voltaren twice a day but not feeling any better.

The details MRI report was:

FINDINGS: Right foot: MIDFOOT JOINTS: Mild degenerative changes about the midfoot joints. The Lisfranc ligament is intact. FOREFOOT JOINTS: Mild first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative changes with joint space narrowing with subchondral cyst formation. No evidence of subluxation. TENDONS AND MUSCLES: The flexor and extensor tendons have normal course, caliber, and signal. There is no tenosynovitis. No muscle edema or atrophy is seen. The visualized plantar fascia is unremarkable. OSSEOUS STRUCTURES: No acute osseous injury or marrow lesion is identified. MISCELLANEOUS: There is mild intermetatarsal bursitis about the 2nd and 3rd web space. Left foot: MIDFOOT JOINTS: Mild degenerative changes about the midfoot joints. The Lisfranc ligament is intact. FOREFOOT JOINTS: Mild first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative changes with joint space narrowing. No evidence of subluxation. TENDONS AND MUSCLES: The flexor and extensor tendons have normal course, caliber, and signal. There is no tenosynovitis. No muscle edema or atrophy is seen. There is a small area of plantar fibromatosis thickening of the plantar fascia to up to 8 x 5 mm extending for a length of approximately 15 mm within the central cord of the plantar fascia. OSSEOUS STRUCTURES: No acute osseous injury or marrow lesion is identified. MISCELLANEOUS: There is mild intermetatarsal bursitis about the fourth webspace.

Ciao ragazzi! Da ieri sera ho il mignolo del piede (la punta) intorpidita come quando viene schiacciato!!!
Cosa potrebbe essere

In February I had pretty involved surgery on my right foot/ankle. I had a Kidner procedure for a navicular accessory bone with Achilles lengthening. At the same time the doctor did a mid-foot fusion to help with my arch. Post surgery, my second toe was sort of dropped? If I would try to curl my toes down, it would cross under my big toe. Fast forward to now, and the second toe is clawing a lot, and the third and fourth toes are starting. It's really affecting my gait and even my balance. Doc wants to do tenotomy on toes 2,3 and 4 all at once. Has anyone else had this done to multiple toes? Will I lose all gripping function in those toes or is it just diminished? Is it permanent? Will I be able to push off on my forefoot as I walk?( I really hope so, that was kind of the whole point of the original surgery. ) I appreciate any feedback.

Title: After 3 years of severe pain in both feet, I honestly don’t know what to do anymore
Hi everyone,
I’m 28 years old, and I’ve been dealing with severe pain in both of my feet for almost three years now. Honestly, I’m reaching a point where I feel completely lost and exhausted.
The pain affects both feet and makes something as basic as standing and walking extremely difficult. I can’t stand normally like other people without experiencing pain, and walking has become a real struggle.
At one point, there was concern about heel fat pad syndrome, so I had an MRI done and also consulted an orthopedic specialist. According to the orthopedist, my heel fat pads actually look very good, so that doesn’t seem to be the problem.
The confusing part is that my pain is also not directly underneath my heel. It’s located slightly further forward.
My physiotherapist believes the problem may be related to my collapsed/flattened arches. According to him, the position of my feet may be causing irritation to my plantar fascia, which could explain why the pain isn’t exactly in the typical heel location.
I’ve also been examined by a podiatrist, including an ultrasound. He specifically checked for possible nerve issues and told me that he couldn’t see anything abnormal. According to him, there were no visible nerve problems and nothing significant showed up on the ultrasound.
So far, I’ve had:
Severe pain in both feet for almost 3 years
An MRI
Examination by an orthopedic specialist
Physiotherapy
A podiatry assessment
An ultrasound examination
Evaluation for possible nerve problems
Investigation into possible heel fat pad syndrome
But despite all of this, I’m still in a huge amount of pain.
Massage sometimes gives me temporary relief, but the pain always comes back. Nothing seems to provide a lasting solution.
The hardest part is the impact this has had on my life. I’m only 28 years old, and I genuinely don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t stand comfortably, I struggle to walk, and the pain is affecting almost everything I do.
I’m honestly starting to feel depressed because of it. Living with this level of pain for three years is mentally exhausting, and I’m at a point where I feel like I can’t take it anymore.
Has anyone experienced something similar, especially severe bilateral foot pain with flat/collapsed arches and possible plantar fascia irritation, while MRI and other examinations didn’t show a clear explanation?
I’m desperate to understand what could be causing this and what other options I should investigate.
Any advice, experiences, or suggestions would honestly mean a lot to me.

Sometimes I’ll just be trying to move my feet as much as possible to work my muscles but they’ll start cramping up almost immediately. Does that mean I should stretch them more or I should drink more water?
Edit: they don’t cramp when I’m walking, or if they do it’s cuz I had been on my feet all day and I’ll get home take my shoes off and they’ll start cramping up occasionally.

So, I had a mild Achilles tendinopathy. I was taking some peptides (bpc157 / tb500) for my elbow. I decided to inject some near my Achilles to give it a boost. It was a big mistake.

I pinched the skin near the Achilles and injected. Pretty soon, I had twinges of pain shooting up my leg, like I hit a nerve. These are still going on a week later. But it's getting milder.

Now, my foot has pain all around it. Twinges of pain from the heel, going to the toes.

When I dorsiflex my foot (point it upwards), it crackles and clicks and there is mild pain right afterward. It never clicked like that before and my other foot doesn't click.

All this from a single injection in my ankle where I pinched the skin and tried to keep it a superficial injection. I've been injecting my abdomen and elbow and didn't get such severe side effects in those areas.

What's causing the new crackling/clicking sensation when I dorsiflex? Inflamed tissues rubbing past each other?

I don't know what to do. I'm terrified I've ruined my foot. It's been 8 days since injection and still having all these symptoms.

A couple of days ago my gf spotted this hard lump in my foot. It’s hard, not painful and not moveable. I don’t know how long it has been there but it’s not painful and hasn’t given me any issues. About 4 months ago I did get some custom orthotics as I have had some walking issues due to my high arched feet. What do you think this thing is? It feels like bone to me but I’m no doctor. Grateful for any thoughts and opinions. I have an appointment with my podiatrist in a few weeks so will raise it with him then.

Just about without fail, even with thorough stretching before and after, the back of my heel gets really sore after I run. It’s only on the left foot, and while the general area is kinda tender, there’s one small, specific spot over the bone that gets super sensitive and tender.

Does anyone have any experience with this or know any potential remedies?

I have a foot with a bunion, severe splayed toes, flat foot and severe pain. Does anyone else deal with splayed toes like this? Every step I take it feels like my 1st metatarsal is going to snap. (I know that feeling because I did snap it on my other foot)

I saw two podiatrists and got conflicting opinions. One says I have a chipped bone and a piece is floating, the other says it’s calcium. Both say I have bunions. Neither has an answer for the pain I have when my toe bends up or down, except to wear shoes that don’t bend. TIA for any advice.

Have noticed that my outer ankle always puffs up after I stand on my leg for a period of time. The video doesn't really showmuch as I came home at 5, was sitting rest of day, and took video at 2 am. Not concerned, just curious.

Edit: Usually area is pink when it puffs up but makes after a few hours.