Foot Foot/Arch: Posterior Tibial Tendinitis (PTT)

[marieltha]

I do miss my regular long walks @Macknit , but I think @Jockette has the right idea of letting the feet and the knees dictate scope and pace.
Love your tea concoction also, Jockette. Sounds like a wonderful, natural anti-inflammation blend. I will try that. My grandmother always had us add a little apple cider vinegar to something/anything if we felt a cold/flu coming on. Decades later, I read Edgar Cayce say that this restores your alkaline balance (high acidity supposedly leaves the body vulnerable to germs?)
I grew up in an Irish-
English family drinking lots of strong black tea with milk. Never liked milk, still don’t, but my parents wouldn’t let me drink it without it.
Switched to green teas, herbal teas, and tisanes after living in a mostly Asian culture and then a French. I feel better drinking these although occasionally indulge in a decent black tea, but with soy milk.
My two current favorite teas are milk thistle since I take Tylenol (paramecetol/acetaminophen), and it supposedly is good for the liver.
My other I get from chineseteaculture.com and is their arthritis pain relief loose herbal blend of (All Organic) Saffron, Evening Primrose, Lemongrass, & Lemon Balm. Seems to help me.
And I love teapots!

 

[Jockette]

Another thought about my tea concoction is that pants are slightly less irritating to my knee. Maybe it’s also helping in that area?

 

[Macknit]

@Jockette and @marieltha now I have to try these teas!

I do enjoy tea, so I'm going to have to experiment and see if the inflammation factor decreases! This is one fun experiment!

 

[Jockette]

I have not been much of a tea drinker in years, but was willing to give this a chance. It was an adjustment, and I do need to eat something with it (it’s not exactly delicious) but I’ve come to like it. It has replaced my first cup of morning coffee. And, get this—-coffee is tasting a bit dull since I’ve been drinking this tea! Amazing!

 

[marieltha]

You inspired me to brew my arthritis pain relief tea last night. Both the foot and the knee feel better today, but that could be the OS’s injections kicking in. I hope so. The spot on the foot where the needle went in is still sore, but not bruised, and the rest of the foot feels better.
That tea is supposed to help back pain also; I am usually stiff in the lower back in the am, and wasn’t today...?
Tonight I’m going to add the turmeric & cider vinegar, Jockette. I don’t use honey—it awakens the sugar gods in me. I have a milk thistle tea bag by Celestial Seasonings called “Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride” LOL that has a sweet taste, but no sugar, so I’ll toss one of those in to improve the taste.

 

[Jockette]

I’ll have to look for that sugar cookie tea! Where did you buy yours?

 

[marieltha]

@Jockette , I bought it in a grocery store. Publix, I think. Celestial Seasonings is a pretty inexpensive line of teas. They bring out some good blends like this around the holidays. They have a website, and you can also buy it on Amazon. Natural food stores usually carry their herbals.
I like their Bengal Spice herbal, too. I love to brew tea, but sometimes you just want to stick a tea bag in a cup.
website: shop.celestialseasonings.com

 

[marieltha]

Added the turmeric to arthritis pain tea w milk thistle. Decided to add the new one at a time.
LOL. Sneakers are looser this morning, @Jockette & @Macknit

 

[Macknit]

I have been taking turmeric capsules for a few years now, at the same time as my omega-3s it's supposed to absorb better with the fats (a friend mentioned, I haven't done a lot of research though!?)

I have a few areas that are always sore from arthritis, but I haven't cut out sugar completely. (as you mentioned in your PKR thread @marieltha) I definitely need to consider that option too! (It's a bit rough this time of year !!) I'll be looking for your updates, to see if you've noticed a difference!

 

[marieltha]

My 2019 was full of surprises, especially the torn rotator cuff surgery in the middle of the foot injury and knee surgeries But I also won first place in an online birding photography contest—I am not a photographer— so maybe there’s some balance in the universe.

The year ended in an unanticipated way also: On the very last day of the year, I was cautiously walking around my yard, ecstatic to actually be out there walking, albeit slowly and with the inner right knee hurting and the ever-present left foot posterior tibial tendon pain hurting, when the front of that foot (metatarsal area?) seemed to just relax.

Something has changed in that foot. It isn’t totally pain free, but that constant “stepping on a razor blade” pain has subsided.

Several guesses: Back in the Brooks Addiction Motion Control Walking shoe; not wearing the very cushioned, but very hard arch, custom Rx orthotics; the recent (Dec9)cortisone injection finally kicked in ; the “hanging on by a thread” tendon tore more and or self-released; the spinal and hip alignment by a chiropractor 2 days prior helped the foot; pool walking instead of a treadmill; all of the above; none of the above.
Any thoughts @Jamie and @Jockette ?

 

[Jockette]

But I also won first place in an online birding photography contest

I love this, Congratulations!

I don’t know what helped your foot, you have a lot of options there, but the main thing is that it feels better!!

 

[marieltha]

Thanks.

I love your beautiful new avatar, @Jockette !

I am certainly delighted to have it feel better. I know you know how exasperating constant foot pain can be.

 

[Jockette]

I love your beautiful new avatar, @Jockette !

I am certainly delighted to have it feel better. I know you know how exasperating constant foot pain can be.

Thanks!

And yes, my foot is exasperating, but it’s a tad better these days. It’s tolerating a sneaker for short periods of time.

 

[Jamie]

I couldn't begin to say what might have led to the improvement. It could be a combination of all the things you mentioned. You'll just have to see where it goes. Do continue to be careful with it, though. Don't get wild and crazy with your activity or exercise.

 

[marieltha]

Thanks @Jamie
I think that, as you say, all the things that are helping to reduce the inflammation in the foot are why it feels less painful, rather than a physical change to the tendon.
Good feedback too, as always, about not overdoing.

 

[marieltha]

Saw the OS and he confirms no radical changes in the foot. No worsening. Arch still holding. Wearing the motion control shoes (no additions!) and gradually increasing the activity are keeping the inflammation down.

 

[marieltha]

Update Feb 24, 2020
The foot md made a change in the orthotics. He asked me to ask the chiro (they know each other), who had requested a hiatus from the orthotics and any shoe changes while he was balancing the spine and hips, to redo the gait analysis with the altered orthotics in, and see if he would agree that it improves the gait and allow me to resume my very, very gradual one-hour a day at home daily living breaking in of the orthotics.
Chiro agreed. I did a month of that. Definitely walking better. Now I’m wearing the orthotics 70 to 75 minutes a day. Still tolerating them. And the chiro’s adjustments are holding. I have progressed from 3 days to 5 days to a week to 2 weeks and now 3.5 weeks. I see him again soon.
Chiro also suggested I add abduction and adduction on the seated machine in the gym (supports the back) a few times a week. Those exercises have improved my gait as well.
Still walking in the pool in deep water every other day.
Gradually increasing my walking outdoors on the alternate days.
Doing core stretches and exercises most days.
Added more foot stretches and exercises (fixflatfeet.com in my case/opinion gives very good directions for doing these).
This is improvement.
Using @luvcats very funny and apt phrasing, I do not find myself “questioning my life choices” —or, at least, doing that less often.

 

[Jamie]

Good update. This is progress.

 

[marieltha]

I haven't posted here about my left foot PTT injury in quite awhile. It affects my gait, but the bunion needs to be repaired first and then the arch. Neither is happening during the pandemic.
In the meantime, my OS prescribed a custom Rx carbon fiber strut, called a Noodle, lol. I cannot believe how much better my gait is! I am now walking almost normally, gor 1 to 2 miles a day!
It even helps the plantar fasciitis! If you search The Noodle it should go to Kinetic Energy in Tampa, Florida. Their carbon fiber is supposedly more reactive/springy than others.

 

[marieltha]

I haven't visited here for awhile, came back to check on a couple of folks I found myself thinking of, and thought I should add a note to my own thread, as well.
Last year, I had foot tendon repair surgery: Tibial Tendon Repair, Right foot, July 26, 2021) and that was more difficult than the knees or shoulder because of the long period of non-weightbearing required. It healed well, but I'm continuing to rebuild both stamina and strength in that foot and leg.
This year, 2022, I'm enjoying not having ANY
surgeries (knocking on wood, fingers crossed, & saying Hail Mary's) and focused on not getting Covid, so am masked and avoid people indoors and am quite happy to continue doing both; my husband and I have not had it either, nor do we want to. Ditto on the knock on wood, fingers crossed, and Hail Mary's.
My knees and shoulder feel fine. No pain. I no longer need the Noodle on the left foot. The left foot PTT is still torn and still slightly attached, but I wear NB1540v3 motion control shoes with custom orthotics, do the exercises in the Foot Fix book, seldom have pain, except occasional bunion issues, and so have put any thought of foot surgeries on hold.
I am still walking most days, both on land, and in the pool.
Glad Bonesmarties are still here.