Foot Arthritis - how to remove/reduce the pain?

Ibuprofen is the drug of choice - I have been reading up on it because I have arthritis in my feet.  What you need to do is take the ibuprofen BEFORE the exercise that causes the pain not after.  It reduces the inflammation thus reducing the pain rather than just stopping the pain.  works well in combo with paracetomol.  Its been really good for me.  I can only walk about 5 miles without serious pain unmedicated.  Take 400mg ibuprofen before the walk 10 miles and no real pain

Other things you could try are ibuprofen gel rubbed on and lignocaine patches.  I have not seen much success with either but some folk swear by them

Acupuncture might be worth a shot as well.  the only "treatment" of the woo woo type that actually seems to do some good

the x ray lady said acupuncture might work. 

Ibuleve doesn't seem to do anything.

The foot hurts pretty much all the time from when I first put my foot down in the morning.  I guess I could try ibuprofen again,  does the effect build up over time?

hitting the limits of what I know  I think so  certainly be worth trying taking them regularly for a week and see

Slather your foot in ibuleve 10%. Don't be shy with it (there aren't that many molecules in the tube to be honest). Ibuprofen is absorbed well through the skin. Tablets work systemically, and that includes the stomach, where it shuts down bicarbonate production. Apply well before exercise. Take a tablet to top it up once going. The effects don't really build up because ibuprofen is eliminated by the body relatively rapidly.

See a rheumatologist, might need something harder. In fact if the pain does go away with an NSAID like ibuprofen, that's a signal that it's an inflammatory process, and hence merits further investigation.

Volterol gel on affected areas instead of ibuprofen gel ?

Drugs. As suggested anti-inflammatories. See your GP or rheumatologist.

Turns out it was volterol I used.  I have just put some on again to see if it works this time.

I think I have tried Ibuleve before but got Volterol as I was at the GSK office so it was cheap.

I will be going to the gp and whatever specialist he can recommend but thought I would try STW first.

Naproxen, not great for you and your stomach, and prescription needed, but it works for me.

I do wish someone would develop a real life bacta tank.

Nick, embrace the ache mucker............  ;o)

Fenbid gel on prescription here, mated with paracetamol and ibuprofen.  and cold water in a tub in the garden which i get in after a ride. cold seems to work too, heat has the adverse reaction.

Drugs. As suggested anti-inflammatories. See your GP or rheumatologist.

I'm on prescription Etoricoxib for my arthritic foot. Ibuprofen doesn't touch the sides but this stuff has helped a lot.

Tried putting your foot/feet in cold water? Works wonders for me

NB. Regarding rheumatologists, try to get it moving early! From referral in 2021 to my appointment was 12 months. I was due a 2/3 month checkup, which is next week, after 8 months. So chat to the GP sooner rather than later!

Cold water does offer temporary relief, so does a soak in the hydrotherapy pool (hottub) at the end of the day.
The Volterol has had no noticeable effect since I applied it about an hour ago.
Ibuprofen doesn't seem to touch it.
I was on 8 hourly naproxen and dihydrocodeine and then 8 hourly tramadol and temazepam for 5 years. Killed the pain but left me like a zombie. I guess I could try naproxen on its own buty I will wait until I discuss that with the specialist as I have a ****ed liver.
I will add Fenbid gel and Etoricoxib to my list of things to ask about.
I am in the lucky position that work pays for private health so hopefully I won't need to wait too long to see them I am happy to share any hints or tips they give with you fellow sufferers.

Thanks for the advice so far. Anyone tried / know about Kratom? I have been told that as a low dose bitter tea infusion it can be quite effective but that came from a weird beard who I wouldn't rely on for facts.

I don't know about the liver and naproxen, but it's usually taken with omaprazole to protect your stomach.

if you are after acupuncture Chinese surgery on hill lane is well regarded.  worked for my wife.  however dis not work for me and hurt like buggery.  worth a try....

My stomach is normally fine, the Drs were quite surprised that the cocktail of drugs they were giving me had little in the way of side effects, other than slowing my thoughts and removing my will to live.

I will check out acupuncture after talking to the specialist and might try the one you recommend after that.

At the moment I am trying to get as many recommendations from peoples experiences as possible so I can discuss them all in one visit so acupuncture is on the list.

I’ve that NSAIDS (Ibuprofen etc) can be bad for heart health. Better check it out before taking em regularly.
For me (arthritic thumbs stopped me riding) Krill oil from LLS works wonders. 2 a day. They recommend 3. Not costly to try. Works pretty fast and if you stop the pain returns sharpish. So I reckon it works.

Kratom

I had never heard of it so had a look at various stuff on the web.  No way would I take it with what we know about it at the moment

Remember if you look up any drug you get lists of side effects

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitragyna_speciosa

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-kratom/

Oops. Just to be clear no pain and can ride as well as ever if I keep up the krill oil.

What about one of those foot spa things ?

Fill with water, place feet in it, plug into the mains.

Mudfish - I also have it in my thumbs.  Twisties rather than levers helped my hugely

dyna ti

Nooooooooooooo

remember who you are talking too - what could possibly go wrong 🙂

I don’t know about the liver and naproxen, but it’s usually taken with omaprazole to protect your stomach.

That’s what I’m on for the osteoarthritis in my knee, and it’s now proving beneficial for the same issue in my right thumb and wrist, which is causing carpal tunnel problems, so lucky I’m only needing the one prescription. I do also have Zapain prescribed, but tbh, as that’s codine and paracetamol, I’m happier with the Naproxen - one in the morning and one at night. The way things are going, my left wrist will be causing issues in the not too distant future, and for the same reason, so Naproxen will be serving multiple purposes.

I take a fish oil capsule each morning already. Is Krill Oil much different/better?
The footspa things tend to send vibrations through the foot and ankle. That is a VERY unpleasant sensation for me.

TJ - I did a quick google on Kratom and it seems that apart from killing you, there might be some benefits. The trouble is that there has been little medical research so nothing is confirmed in terms of how well it works, what doses, side effects etc. Also the questionable legality means you have no quality control on supply. I won't be going that route based on what I have seen but I just wondered if anyone had actual experience. Here is an intersting clip about it :

Krill Oil - the difference is superfishoil

naproxen, but it’s usually taken with omaprazole to protect your stomach

I have been using Naproxen with an Omaprazole when my hip is bad, but it still screws my stomach

Fellow Naproxen addict/abuser here.

Came back from Greece with several packets where it's available over the counter and at half the UK prescription charge. Worth baring in mind when abroad.

Once upon a time duty free was a bottle of Kouros and a litre of Absolut, now it's packs of anti inflammatory 😞

https://carnivore.diet/category/success-stories/arthritis-and-joint-health/

WorldClassAccident
Free Member
I take a fish oil capsule each morning already. Is Krill Oil much different/better?

I say yes. It seems so to me. I tried fermented cod liver oil (said by some to be the very best fish oil) didn’t affect the arthritic thumbsxlioe krill does.

Krill quality is very variable and some sources environmentally suspect. LLS say theirs is env friendly.

Why not try it? I take 2 a day but started with 3, you should feel the effects within 12 days.

This code should give you a discount.
https://www.lovelifesupplements.co.uk/pages/_go_?ref=6741:125901&discount=E392CAF8520

Some arthritis is auto immune as I understand it. Auto immune issues can be excaberated by lectins.

I cleaned up my diet removing most lectins (no grains/gluten last 6 years). Worth looking into. Start with Chris Kresser and Chris Masterjohn and the “Paleo template”.
Paul and Shou Ching Jaminet’s “Perfect Health Diet” book chimed with me and I follow that, it leans towards Paleo.

Hope you get some non damaging pain relief. After 6 months on 25 tablets a day (Amitriptyline and Gabapentin, Naproxen, Paracetamol, oral morphine) I know how those can mess you up for years afterwards.

Fellow Naproxen addict/abuser here.

Came back from Greece with several packets where it’s available over the counter and at half the UK prescription charge. Worth baring in mind when abroad.

Or move to Scotland, free prescriptions 😁

I do wonder if mine could be helped by going gluten free. My brother is ceoliac and has been much better since being diagnosed and going gluten free. I've never tested positive for it but I am definitely wheat if not gluten intolerant. I do limit it, and have cut it out from time to time entirely, but I only feel the benefit in my stomach and bowels, not knees,hips and wrists.

fish oils and dietary changes made zero difference to me

Before getting my knee replaced reducing the shock load into the limb has a massive effect. Sorbothane worked for me, I used heel pads as they work in any shoes, you might find full length insoles more useful.
Maintaining flexibility also helped (particularly in the calves in my case).
Shoe soles with a rocker shape can make a big difference by reducing the range of movement in the foot/ankle joints while still allowing a fairly normal gait.

[i]Some arthritis is auto immune as I understand it. Auto immune issues can be excaberated by lectins.[/i] - Mine is post-traumatic, so basically Osteoarthritis but with snapping my foot off as the cause.

Krill better be A LOT better
Cod Liver Oil 90x500mg = £3.40
vs
Krill Oil 60x500mg = £29.99

Cork inserts in the shoes to reduce impact with a raised heel to improve support and reduce strain on the painful front of foot.

fish oils and dietary changes made zero difference to me

I am currently in week 4 of a gluten free diet (it's an auto immune issue in my case) and can't see that it's made much difference. I do feel a bit better generally though, as it's pushed me into eating lighter, healthier lunches!

Will give krill oil a try next. Hadn't heard of it before, but frankly I'm willing to try anything.  A dairy free diet is on the list to try, too.

Borax is showing good results for dealing with arthritis pain.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5289089/

https://www.fullhealthsecrets.com/the-borax-conspiracy-how-the-arthritis-cure-has-been-stopped/

A week working from home with no cycling - bike in for repair - and applying lots of Voltorol has reduced the pain. Unfortunately sitting on my arse and doing nothing for the rest of my life is not a sustainable state of affairs.

I have a nasty feeling that it is the cycling that is aggravating it. Even on a gravel bike, all of the vibration is taken through the front of the foot with the next moving joint being my knee. I might look for some full-sus socks.

Borax study is for rheumatoid arthritis rather than osteo but I will read it properly in the morning. Thanks

You could try flats and running shoes for some cushion and softness on the bike? I know it breaks every road and MTB 'rule', but atleast you could hopefully enjoy a pootle to a cafe or something?

I have a nasty feeling that it is the cycling that is aggravating it. Even on a gravel bike, all of the vibration is taken through the front of the foot with the next moving joint being my knee.

would having the pedal under your instep rather than the ball of the foot help?

Some of this may not be completely relevant to you, but hopefully will be of some help

I had a motorbike accident many years ago in which a car pulled out and smashed my left foot up, basically it was a toss up as to whether they amputated it or not, luckily for me they went with it. It's never been a pretty sight to be honest and my tarsals/metatarsals have been fused since I was 18 (40 odd years ago). So I have limited movement, nerve damage and other associated problems with my physiology as well as knowing when its going to rain and other random side effects.

I've never been 'pain free', but I have learnt how to manage it, I ride on the road, race xc to a good level and ride enduro. In my experience one of the key things is footwear, this makes a massive difference, for me I need a wide fit shoe and often customise (cut bits out/build up footbeds) also taping and padding parts of my foot, this has been trial and error but has been worthwhile. My road/xc shoes have boa adjusters and are quite soft, this helps as I can 'dial in' the fit across my foot, useful for contouring to shape of my foot and relieving pressure when the pain starts to get too much.

Check your cleat position too, this can effect pressure and load and so may make a difference. Maybe look at conformable footbeds too?

I also have built up a good relationship with a local physio, although I have limited movement the treatment has encouraged blood flow and does help to a degree.

When it gets colder make sure your feet are well insulated, not just winter but autumn and spring too try and avoid your feet getting wet.

Warm baths help and I have noticed Kratom works for me too

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5289089/
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Interesting paper, but treatment was on a background of Enbrel (an anti-TNF already widely used for RA). Looking at the baseline values, there is an imbalance in baseline inflammation; high-sensitivity CRP shows that placebo was lower than sodium borate which was lower than calcium borate. ESR - another marker of inflammation called eosinophil sedimentation rate was also notably higher in the calcium group. Hence it is perfectly possible, under the null hypothesis, that regression to the mean CRP and ESR in all groups would change the primary endpoint of the trial - the overall differences in DAS-28 disease activity score were very modest compared with placebo, none were significantly different between treatments, but all fell from baseline (including placebo - hence regression to the mean which we see often in RA trials). Conclusion is that 1) study was too small to see any difference against a background of active Enbrel therapy and 2) had there been a significant difference, the trial would have been published in a more prestigious journal like ACR Arthritis and Rheumatology.

20 years spent looking for new therapies for RA means I've seen and designed a lot of these trials 😉

 

skellnonch - You have my sympathies. Despite the different approaches, we seem to have had very similar outcomes with the yes/no to amputation initially followed by ongoing pain and inconvenience. I don't get weather forecasting with my foot modification though.

I found that soft shoes when cycling made things worse as the foot tried to flex more. I think moving the cleat further back towards the heal, or riding flats and trying to relearn where to position my foot might help. The trouble I have with flats is that I have no sense of where my foot/leg is below the knee to I have to keep looking down to make sure it is properly on the pedal.

Hot baths / hydrotherapy bath* / hot tub does help for me too. It also relaxes off the rest of the leg and lower back which stiffen as they try to cope with the twonked leg.

skellnonch - messaged you

“would having the pedal under your instep rather than the ball of the foot help?”

I do that. The “James Wilson / Catalyst pedal position. You soon get used to it. I use Kona WahWah composites - wider and easier to ride with the foot occasionally poorly positioned.

My left foot is a bit disconnected from the brain too (spine injury), I can’t tell where my foot is properly.
I’ve marked the inner edge of my sole using a white paint marker so I can look down and adjust. It’s starting to feel natural after 10 months riding that way.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/30/florida-woman-kratom-damages-judgment