Successful Plantar Plate Tear Treatment?

[Hisgirl]

14 months ago, I somehow tore a ligament under my second toe. I've had constant pain since then. Saw a podiatrist, got an MRI, saw a top foot surgeon, had a cortisone shot and now tape my toe in place but it's still SO painful.

The foot surgeon said the surgery for this isn't really successful. This doctor is globally recognized and his credentials are a mile long so I'm deeply frustrated.

Had anyone dealt with this and gotten relief? If so, how?

 

[LuvOrlando]

You have my compassion, it is very tough when something is wrong with the foot. I have a lot of foot pain from arthritis where random tendons, ligaments and such act up and can be crippling for a while. The one you mention has been a problem along with other individual spots My feet are particularly troublesome because the force of impact that sets off inflammation is impossible to avoid so it's a big help to find cushioned shoes that flex, I avoid flat and inflexible shoes of any kind such as uggs because the toe and foot muscles needed to be used to move them wreck me. I'd suggest getting crutches from Amazon and use them as much as you can as it heals even if only inside the house, when a Dr finally game me crutches I was shocked how much it helped my body heal, didn't know I could just buy them and find how to fit online until after a $$$ urgent care visit. I'd say get rid of compression socks, they seem to make foot stuff a whole lot worse. The right snugness is everything, too much and it hurts and not enough and it hurts so it takes patience, I have gone though so much money on shoes I ended up donating that I learned to try on at the store and then wear in the house a few days to test. I'd ditch shoes that do not sit well on the foot without using the toe muscles so no uggs, clogs, slings, flip flops or anything like that and I favor lace up like sneakers, and Clarks comfy boots that zip & when a flare is very bad I have bought a pair of Easy Spirit cloud sneakers for strictly inside. I can't walk around barefoot anymore which I actually love to do, and discovered that wool slippers such as Haflinger help a ton with absorbing impact.

 

[CGB]

I have the same issue, but it's much improved. I originally taped my toes also, but it just didn't seem to help and they still hurt. I found these relatively affordable inserts on Amazon and have worn them for 18 months (normally in some Asics sneakers). I rarely have any pain from my tear anymore, and that's with averaging 7,000-10,000 steps a day. (I only feel pain if I go shoeless most of the day on my hardwood floors.) The inserts are leather and hard, but there is a pad under the toe joints which supports and spreads out your toes which helps. There's lots of in-depth reviews for them which helped me when I decided to order: https://www.amazon.com/Emsold-Ultra...076MS1W4D/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

[lovin'fl]

I am also having foot/toe pain. Been going on a while. I see a podiatrist. First visit was right heels pain. Got shot in heel and it lasted a while. Then hurt again. Got another shot and has been pretty much good since. I try to do the stretches and started to wear slippers inside (whole house is tile floor, in FL).

Then tops of my feet started swelling and hurting. Came and went. By the time I went to foot DR, he didn't see any issue and just reiterated the stretches and wearing shoes all the time and icing and taking ibuprofen...etc.

End of Sept and my feet started really hurting. Got to point where I was unable to walk. Went to foot DR, xray didn't really show anything but he saw the swelling and I nearly jumped off the table when he pressed on my feet. So he sent me home and told me same old stuff to do and had me come back like 2 weeks later. Had blood test for Lupus and arthritis but both were normal.

Still was bad when I came back, on my left foot particularly. He put me in boot on that foot and sent me to have MRI. MRI showed stress fractures in a couple metatarsal bones and 1 head (joint) was flattened. He said to wear boot for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks it was still mildly hurting so he said to continue. He called it some condition that ladies who wear high heels get...I NEVER wear any kind of heels. I live in flip flops (well, I did...now I live in crocs and sketchers sneakers). Think it's called Mortons Neuroma.

He also said to do the hot salt soak/ice cold soak alternating thing and take ibuprofen. Well, I am on BP meds and shouldn't take much ibuprofen. But am now taking a dose a day. Things were feeling better and we had to go north for Xmas. I didn't wear the boot and we were walking a bit. For 17 days. Now my feet are back to square 1 and I can barely walk on the left foot. I don't understand.

The foot dr said next step is nerve block shot in foot. How does that help broken bones heal? And I am terrified of a nerve anything as I have trigeminal neuralgia (nerve pain in side of face). Don't want any kind of nerve pain in my foot as he puts that shot in...no way. He said the step after is removing something in the foot. I don't know. Maybe I need to find a new foot dr or an orthopedic maybe.

 

[lovin'fl]

Also, on shoes...I agree with above. The flat or stiff ones kill me. Like flip flops and burkenstocks. Any shoe that smooshes the toes together also hurt, like sperrys and Toms. I bought crocs for around the house. They are OK. Wish they were even more foamy. And I got a good supportive sketcher sneaker. My girls told me to get Hokas but I saw some iffy reviews and they are ALOT of money to not end up being good. The boot helps but then my left foot hurts more from taking the blunt of weight and the shin under the boot gets a huge sore knot from rubbing. Oh, and, just got the bill for the boot....$250. Eeek.

 

[lovin'fl]

Also agree with finding right socks. I had been wearing the Bombas compression like socks. They are so tight and I think that hurts my condition. So now I am trying all the socks I have. I prefer no socks but now that I am wearing sneakers and crocs all the time, I have to wear socks.

I do have really comfy Easy Spirit sandals I may try today, no socks. See how they feel. I also have the wool clogs like mentioned above, but they are LLBean. I just dug those out and they feel nice on my feet. They are clogs but have a small rim around the heel to hold in place. So I don't think i will use my toes to hold like I did with flip flops and burks.