Foot pain from a clutch pedal
Discussion
Last year i started commuting in a pair of soft leather soled shoes to work each day - over the next few weeks i started limping on my left foot and i eventually clicked it was my stiff clutch/shoes(they werent new, just new to driving) so went back to my old ones...
Roll on 12 months and it is still there, aching in the ball of my foot around the middle toe. I have worn a metatarsal pad for weeks, worn diff shoes, had acupuncture, had a scan (which confirmed NO neuroma in any of the toes). Only visible sign is the middle toe is now at a angle, not straight, pointing towards my little toe. No swelling
Any thoughts on what it is? It begins to hurt alot when running so is stops me running. Final step is change my car to a auto but i dont really want a auto and no guarantee it will resolve....
Roll on 12 months and it is still there, aching in the ball of my foot around the middle toe. I have worn a metatarsal pad for weeks, worn diff shoes, had acupuncture, had a scan (which confirmed NO neuroma in any of the toes). Only visible sign is the middle toe is now at a angle, not straight, pointing towards my little toe. No swelling
Any thoughts on what it is? It begins to hurt alot when running so is stops me running. Final step is change my car to a auto but i dont really want a auto and no guarantee it will resolve....
bexVN said:
I assume they have discussed whether a steroid injection into the area could be tried or not?
yes, but i am only 40 (and v active). I have read that success is often temporary and can have damaging effects too (one of the pods i saw, 1st thing she said was avoid at all costs)Would you say the underneath part of your foot is chubbier than the other foot? or has it ever been the case?
it sounds like your knuckle joint has become unstable if your toe is pointing sideways now, this can sometime be due to overload of the area, or an inflammatory process that is or had been active around the joint or possibly between the joints.
Did you have an ultrasound scan that showed no neuroma, ultrasound is a good imaging modality for issues in this area, but no imaging techniques are infallible.
Sometimes a steroid injection can help with this, its isn't a last resort, but it is a reasonable treatment option. In fact with cases of activity related discomfort they are very helpful, even more so when no neuroma is seen on scan, but clinical signs suggest this diagnosis.
One of the challenges with this is determining whether the pain is coming from within the joint or outside the joint. It is sometimes helpful to have a bit of local anaesthetic injected into either the joint or between the joints, if the pain goes away it indicates where the problem is (if part of the foot goes numb but you still have pain, it is not that part causing the pain) and so follow up with steroid may be indicated.
If you are still having problems despite this and the mal positioned toe is causing you problems having the toe straightened surgically may be the next option.
it sounds like your knuckle joint has become unstable if your toe is pointing sideways now, this can sometime be due to overload of the area, or an inflammatory process that is or had been active around the joint or possibly between the joints.
Did you have an ultrasound scan that showed no neuroma, ultrasound is a good imaging modality for issues in this area, but no imaging techniques are infallible.
Sometimes a steroid injection can help with this, its isn't a last resort, but it is a reasonable treatment option. In fact with cases of activity related discomfort they are very helpful, even more so when no neuroma is seen on scan, but clinical signs suggest this diagnosis.
One of the challenges with this is determining whether the pain is coming from within the joint or outside the joint. It is sometimes helpful to have a bit of local anaesthetic injected into either the joint or between the joints, if the pain goes away it indicates where the problem is (if part of the foot goes numb but you still have pain, it is not that part causing the pain) and so follow up with steroid may be indicated.
If you are still having problems despite this and the mal positioned toe is causing you problems having the toe straightened surgically may be the next option.
Would you say the underneath part of your foot is chubbier than the other foot? or has it ever been the case?
it sounds like your knuckle joint has become unstable if your toe is pointing sideways now, this can sometime be due to overload of the area, or an inflammatory process that is or had been active around the joint or possibly between the joints.
Did you have an ultrasound scan that showed no neuroma, ultrasound is a good imaging modality for issues in this area, but no imaging techniques are infallible.
Sometimes a steroid injection can help with this, its isn't a last resort, but it is a reasonable treatment option. In fact with cases of activity related discomfort they are very helpful, even more so when no neuroma is seen on scan, but clinical signs suggest this diagnosis.
One of the challenges with this is determining whether the pain is coming from within the joint or outside the joint. It is sometimes helpful to have a bit of local anaesthetic injected into either the joint or between the joints, if the pain goes away it indicates where the problem is (if part of the foot goes numb but you still have pain, it is not that part causing the pain) and so follow up with steroid may be indicated.
If you are still having problems despite this and the mal positioned toe is causing you problems having the toe straightened surgically may be the next option.
it sounds like your knuckle joint has become unstable if your toe is pointing sideways now, this can sometime be due to overload of the area, or an inflammatory process that is or had been active around the joint or possibly between the joints.
Did you have an ultrasound scan that showed no neuroma, ultrasound is a good imaging modality for issues in this area, but no imaging techniques are infallible.
Sometimes a steroid injection can help with this, its isn't a last resort, but it is a reasonable treatment option. In fact with cases of activity related discomfort they are very helpful, even more so when no neuroma is seen on scan, but clinical signs suggest this diagnosis.
One of the challenges with this is determining whether the pain is coming from within the joint or outside the joint. It is sometimes helpful to have a bit of local anaesthetic injected into either the joint or between the joints, if the pain goes away it indicates where the problem is (if part of the foot goes numb but you still have pain, it is not that part causing the pain) and so follow up with steroid may be indicated.
If you are still having problems despite this and the mal positioned toe is causing you problems having the toe straightened surgically may be the next option.
If your commute has a lot of stop/start in traffic then it might be worth considering an automatic.
I remember Ryan Giggs suffered hamstring injurys due to the clutch on different sports cars. I think he was advised to drive an auto and his injurys cleared up.
Sounds drastic but if it is causing a limp and discomfort then it is worth looking into.
Thanks for the replies all, just been checking out some chavvy pedals on ebay!!!
the doc has now referred me to a orthopedic surgeon. Not very keen on this and would prefer some other options first. I cant pinpoint where the actual pain is coming from - all i know is it aches in the middle of the foot when i run or drive(sometimes). I have some vibram 5 fingers minimalist shoes and am increasing the walking mileage in these as i dont have any problems walking on soft surfaces like grass.
sawman said:
Would you say the underneath part of your foot is chubbier than the other foot? or has it ever been the case?......
If you are still having problems despite this and the mal positioned toe is causing you problems having the toe straightened surgically may be the next option.
No swelling under foot tbh. There was swelling between 2nd/3rd toe but has gone fown now, this is where i assume the mal positioned 3rd toe comes from... is this called capsulitis?If you are still having problems despite this and the mal positioned toe is causing you problems having the toe straightened surgically may be the next option.
the doc has now referred me to a orthopedic surgeon. Not very keen on this and would prefer some other options first. I cant pinpoint where the actual pain is coming from - all i know is it aches in the middle of the foot when i run or drive(sometimes). I have some vibram 5 fingers minimalist shoes and am increasing the walking mileage in these as i dont have any problems walking on soft surfaces like grass.
Yes the mal positioned toe is a consequence on the caplsulitis for the most part. sequence of events is usually:
1 pain,
2 swelling
3 change in position
4 swelling settles toe still misplaced.
Once the toe has shifted you have 2 choices, live with it or get surgery.
The trick with all this is figuring out what started the ball rolling - this needs to be addressed if poss, otherwise you may get more similar issues. There pics of steven tyler on the web the other week - he has crossed over toes too - do you share any of his lifestyle choices
Just out of interest did you get the 5 fingers before or after this started? Do you have any tightness of calf or hamstrings?
1 pain,
2 swelling
3 change in position
4 swelling settles toe still misplaced.
Once the toe has shifted you have 2 choices, live with it or get surgery.
The trick with all this is figuring out what started the ball rolling - this needs to be addressed if poss, otherwise you may get more similar issues. There pics of steven tyler on the web the other week - he has crossed over toes too - do you share any of his lifestyle choices
Just out of interest did you get the 5 fingers before or after this started? Do you have any tightness of calf or hamstrings?
sawman said:
Once the toe has shifted you have 2 choices, live with it or get surgery.
The trick with all this is figuring out what started the ball rolling - this needs to be addressed if poss, otherwise you may get more similar issues. There pics of steven tyler on the web the other week - he has crossed over toes too - do you share any of his lifestyle choices
Just out of interest did you get the 5 fingers before or after this started? Do you have any tightness of calf or hamstrings?
I am 100% it was soft shoes on the clutch caused it. So as you say, ive removed the shoes but its still not gone... Maybe time for a auto The trick with all this is figuring out what started the ball rolling - this needs to be addressed if poss, otherwise you may get more similar issues. There pics of steven tyler on the web the other week - he has crossed over toes too - do you share any of his lifestyle choices
Just out of interest did you get the 5 fingers before or after this started? Do you have any tightness of calf or hamstrings?
I bought the VFF actually for tight ham/calf on the other leg! But used them very little tbh. I walk in them now as i am very much a believer that 1/2 million years of evolution is put at risk by sedate life + shoes leading to weak feet/incorrect mechanics. Did 2 miles friday, mainly on grass as they are quite hard on tarmac
Last qu (and many thanks for advise) - is surgery quite successful/low risk in straightening toes? and is how many weeks non weight bearing necessary after?
cheeky_chops said:
I am 100% it was soft shoes on the clutch caused it. So as you say, ive removed the shoes but its still not gone... Maybe time for a auto
I bought the VFF actually for tight ham/calf on the other leg! But used them very little tbh. I walk in them now as i am very much a believer that 1/2 million years of evolution is put at risk by sedate life + shoes leading to weak feet/incorrect mechanics. Did 2 miles friday, mainly on grass as they are quite hard on tarmac
Last qu (and many thanks for advise) - is surgery quite successful/low risk in straightening toes? and is how many weeks non weight bearing necessary after?
With regards the minimalist shoes - I have seen a lot of forefoot overload when walking and particularly running on a treadmill with these (not just five fingers) which can be one of the things causing your problem. because there is pretty much no height under the heel, they demand a lot of flexibility from the muscles on the backs of the legs (Calf and Hams to name but two) compared to traditional trainers. Any inflexibility you had in these areas will be more apparent when using a minimalist shoe and so you need to work extra hard of flexibility in these muscle groups. I bought the VFF actually for tight ham/calf on the other leg! But used them very little tbh. I walk in them now as i am very much a believer that 1/2 million years of evolution is put at risk by sedate life + shoes leading to weak feet/incorrect mechanics. Did 2 miles friday, mainly on grass as they are quite hard on tarmac
Last qu (and many thanks for advise) - is surgery quite successful/low risk in straightening toes? and is how many weeks non weight bearing necessary after?
I would be surprised if your foot pain is only due to your clutch pedal, looking at things dynamically your foot will suffer much higher loading when walking than driving (actual load and frequency of load). The root cause of the problem really needs to be determined to predict how effective surgery to correct deformity may be.
I have seen many folks do well with surgery to correct these problems, there are a few options dependent on the originating factor, but typically you will be looking at a 6-8 week recovery, with the first couple of weeks more or less non weightbearing (dependent on procedure)
Thanks Simon (decided to look at your profile and job!)
I was walking on v uneven ground the other week in my VFF and could def feel the limits of flexibility - i am v conscious of overdoing it. I do alot of stretching and some yoga to assist. One thing they have helped with is a tight plantar - i always used to get foot cramps swimming and just walking in them a few times each week has virtually eradicated it.... Jesus i sound like a wreck, 20 years working behind a desk takes it toll!
I was walking on v uneven ground the other week in my VFF and could def feel the limits of flexibility - i am v conscious of overdoing it. I do alot of stretching and some yoga to assist. One thing they have helped with is a tight plantar - i always used to get foot cramps swimming and just walking in them a few times each week has virtually eradicated it.... Jesus i sound like a wreck, 20 years working behind a desk takes it toll!
BenM77 said:
If your commute has a lot of stop/start in traffic then it might be worth considering an automatic.
I remember Ryan Giggs suffered hamstring injurys due to the clutch on different sports cars. I think he was advised to drive an auto and his injurys cleared up.
Sounds drastic but if it is causing a limp and discomfort then it is worth looking into.
I had similar problems with my left leg, which started with the heavy clutch on my TVR. It was suggested that it was a wonky hip due to three broken vertebrae some 25 years before. I remember Ryan Giggs suffered hamstring injurys due to the clutch on different sports cars. I think he was advised to drive an auto and his injurys cleared up.
Sounds drastic but if it is causing a limp and discomfort then it is worth looking into.
Physio had only temporary effect - but good, a chiropractor made the condition worse and also cost me £385. What cured it, and still continues to do so, is a set of exercises done three times a week and automatic gearboxes on both my cars.
I prefer manual boxes but I prefer to get to sleep without lots of pills better.
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