Foot nerve pain

Hi

I have been dealing with foot pain/burning/tingling for 2-3 months now. I am not sure if this is tms / structural. About 8 months ago, I transitioned to minimal shoes / vibrams with no cushion. I used to do a lot of running/hiking prior to the transition. But during the transition, I stuck to walking/hiking in vibrams. About 3-4 months ago, i noticed some tingling in my feet and that led me in a general panic/anxiety mode where I thought I had MS/ALS and tortured myself to no avail reading all the internet forums. I did see a neurologist a couple of months ago and she ruled out any diseases (though there was no EMG).

Since then, I thought my minimalist shoes were the problem and switched back to regular shoes. I also started noticing some weird paraesthesias as some parts of the sole would feel weird when I am walking barefoot in the house.

Since I have transitioned to regular shoes, I noticed more of the burning pain especially when I am in shoes. There are a couple of spots where I get the tingling feeling and that has not moved and there are other spots where I feel like the burning pain is moving around.

Sometimes, it feels like structural because, i can elicit the tingling when I press certain parts of the foot and may be there is a nerve entrapment. Some other times, it feels tms because the burning pain especially moves around.

I have generally been very anxious since all these started and not able to focus on other things. My hiking/running has been on hold for a few months now.

I did go see a podiatrist, who thinks my feet look fine. I am at my wits end as to what this could be. I have been reading about tms and part of me thinks, all the anxiousness could have set off what was probably a minor irritant into something bigger. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

In general, I am a worrier and always worry about what could go wrong in any situation. That is something I am trying to change through meditation/reading etc.

 

Hello there,

All the symptoms you describe sound very much like TMS. You've been cleared by doctors, admit to being a 'worrier', and the symptoms have your attention - textbook TMS.

Maybe try one of the free programs on this website, either the SEP or Alan's program.

Good luck!

 

Hi runner,

You can read my story, which was foot pain for several years, which might help you. I think you're on the right track looking at TMS as the source of your problems. Good luck!
Andy B

 

I had that 32 years ago and it was so painful as it felt like I had rocks on the pads of my feet. I also had muscle twitching in both legs just weird sensations. It started 7 weeks after i delivered a baby and I thought it was from the spinal. No one could figure it out including Mayo. And yes they looked for things like MS/ALS etc. I even had a spinal tap and every test came back normal. This was b4 I knew of anything called TMS. I am sure that is what it was. It went away after a year. I went back to work and just stayed focused on my family. I stopped fearing it because it never got worse. It helped to have someone to talk to who kept telling me I was going to get better. as you will too. There is a story you can listen to on Curable.com (lauraseago) and Aaron about feet pain I think that sounds just like you....

 

Your post was timely as I was trying to transition to minimal/barefoot in general (not running) after years of orthotics and stiffer shoes resulted in more pain. Initially it was great but a couple of weeks in I got terrible metatarsalgia. The surgeries created a Morton's toe so not sure if it's a legit structual problem since that's more likely with a short first toe, or TMS. I feel terrible in any shoes, orthotics, AND barefoot. Nothing feels good now. I have all the symptoms you mentioned. The minimal/barefoot forums are mostly healthy runners and "it's just transition pain" is a script for them and they are a bit cult like and need to believe barefoot is best and issues seem to get swept aside, so not much help there either. I've had pain I am sure was TMS and was able to get rid of or minimize it with the techniques...but not everything is TMS and that makes it often impossible to get anywhere if you can't get a positive diagnosis. The whole "You have to believe it's TMS" sounds nice...but since I DO have structural issues I don't know how I am supposed to honestly tell or believe that down deep.

 

Where is this story?

My problem is not all pain is caused by TMS. If damage is occurring...inflammation on joints/nerves etc thats going to send pain signals and those aren't TMS. I can't know which case is happening (maybe both). TMS pain can go away with such thinking techniques as above...damaging pain isn't going away but pain not going away doesn't mean it IS damaging pain. I tend to be a knowledge cure or nothing it seems (and knowledge from reading several sources DID help rid me of other pains that I was positive were not damage based as that wasn't possible in those cases)...I cant get any traction or improvement with the other techniques. workbooks, programs etc. All the pain I have right now has a feasible structural cause so I can't just "believe" it's not as much as I would love to be able to. I've never been able to do faith or chosen belief. I have to believe it. I also cannot trust doctors anymore to say whether something is or isn't structural as they got so much wrong before. TMS started this life ruining experience and it was misdiagnosed as needing surgery. I hadn't heard of TMS yet. Could have stopped all this if I had known because there was nothing actually damaged before. Every time I take a step I feel the pain and I can't just decide it's TMS or not fear it...it hurts terribly and can't just be ignored.

 

Go see a TMS doctor.....many people who saw Sarno had surgery. One gal in the success stories with feet pain healed and she had surgery & suffered for years. If it's in both feet it is most likely TMS. When you have surgery the pain should dissipate not linger and turn into a chronic issue. You and me too have to resolve the doubt & fear to move forward. It's hard but I've done it b4 and will do it again. You will heal !

 

Can you link to the specific person you meant? I looked through the foot pain success stories and didn't see any post surgical people. Also what is the story from Aaron you referred to above? Sadly I can't visit a TMS doc due to cost and distance. I know I have TMS...but I have legit damage too and I don't know how even they can tell for sure which the pain is coming from. This isn't like a disc in my back where everyone has abnormalities on MRIs etc and there is no real correlation to the pain.

 

Can't believe I'm a SUCCESS story - Feet pain 15 years 90% gone!! She had surgery I believe.
Discussion in 'Success Stories Subforum' started by WantToBelieve, Sep 28, 2017.

The other one: https://www.curablehealth.com/podcast (Like Mind, Like Body Podcast)- Look for story about Aaron.

 

Thanks for the Aaron story. It was good to hear that.

My issue has been if I press certain areas below the ankle outside of the foot I can recreate the tingling feeling which leads me to believe that there is some entrapment. In any case I have read some stories here which suggest that nerve entrapments could be Tms too.

My pain is not unbearable right now but I went through a period of crazy anxiety when I thought these symptoms were related to some nervous disease and tortured myself. My fear of what might happen is much higher than what is happening to me right now. That is what I am trying to change now.

 

So what do you do when you have to press on those areas by walking? I am not choosing to pay attention. It's pain occurring with use that I can't simply ignore. I've tried saying to myself it doesn't matter and doing things anyway but it doesn't work.

 

I am not an expert, nor a doctor. I would suggest you read Dr. Sarno's books and also SteveO's (GPD) to get a handle on your condition Re: TMS. I would also suggest going to find a TMS doctor and maybe counseling .You seem focused on your physical symptoms and yes it's hard not to be. For me I just get as active as I can, journal, pray, & meditate. There are some TMS groups on FB that may help you too. People used to walk into Sarno's office complaining of symptoms and he would say there is nothing wrong with you, do an examination and then send folks to his classes. There are a lot of great TMS doctors in the US. Dr. Schubiner (Detroit); Stracks (Chicago) Raushbaum (NY) that do the same. There is a full list in this forum. If anyone else has suggestions for HAD please jump in.

 

I'm not new to TMS and have read most of the books and lurked in most of the forums for a long time. I've had great success in some areas of pain and can shut them off with a thought. I've talked to several of the practicioners on the phone. Journalling and meditating doesn't help me in my experience. Just applying the basic thinking I learn from the knowledge gained about how TMS works has helped but isn't for this. I can't afford to visit Schubiner et all in person as I am broke due to all the losses years of surgery has caused and barely hanging on in all regards....though I have spoken to them and I don't see a visit would change much. I can't afford the therapists even remotely and again my experience with that has not been helpful.

That's my sticking point as I just hear the same thing repeated that mostly haven't worked, which then starts to delve into "you are doing it wrong" or "you don't really want to heal" or "you just have to believe" sort of stuff (I recently read an old post referring to Steve O's book with a list of "signs" people aren't ready or willing to heal and I found most of them unfair and victim blaming honestly. I don't know if it's people depserately trying to convince themselves of things (understandable human nature) or if it's different personalities and cultures and personal circumstances resulting in an innocent lack of understanding...but I've seen the same patterns in many "communities".

I need to find another angle since thus far TMS knowledge has been the only effective strategy for me but not for this problem. When you are an edge or difficult case in people tend to exhaust those common tips then either go silent, say sorry, or bomb you with more Tolle books or esoteric things out of desperation, find a survivor bias story of someone who got better (though when you read the details of those stories it's not always as good as the title's imply) etc...and sadly sometimes even start attacking people in order to preserve their own hope (not common here). I don't hate myself...I don't blame myself...I am not unwilling or unwanting of healing. I've been told all those things at some point by someone and I know they aren't true. I've just done the stuff, repeatedly, and it mostly hasn't worked. I've spoken to a few others like me and they just give up and stop visiting forums for the same reasons as they feel hopeless. I was even told recently feeling hopeless was my CHOICE and thus I was responsible for the effects, which I find terribly uncaring and unfair but again I understand why people do it and it's not malicious...it's self preservation.

I dip back in to look again for something I may have missed and always end up disappointed again because there is always a catch. In TMS treatment the catch is "you have to believe it" which isn't something I can CHOOSE to do...I have to actually believe. I believe my back isn't damaged and the pains that happen are easily correlated with rage/stress/etc. My feet ARE damaged and while that rage/stress/etc can exacerbate that pain I also can't believe for sure that's the primary cause and walking is miserable no matter how much I say to my child brain "everything is cool, i appreciate you trying to help but there isn't anything wrong with my feet" etc. I've done all the stuff I can do here alone...workooks and exercise. There doesn't seem to be anything left and I can't survive as things are since they keep deteriorating and I've tried everything from "just living not giving a shit" as best as possible to spending full time working on the pain. I've not read a single story of someone as damaged as me who has recovered. The stories I see of recovery to are those with no actual structural issues or issues far more easy to adapt around than mine. Hard to find hope in that. Again I HAVE recovered from certain issues and know TMS is legit...I'm not saying it isn't. Even right now I am burning with flared up TMS pain in that area and I will be able to shut down/reduce that part when I stop writing this stuff and do some breathing exercises. But the primary pain remains regardless. My problem is I have reached a problem I can't solve with any tactic I can find, and it's a life ruining one.

 

The doctors I have seen over the years have always gotten it wrong. They misdiagnosed me and caused this pain and rage and loss. The ones I have seen since are either more of the same suggesting more surgery, or those saying how bad things went for me and they are sorry but there isn't any solution but try to manage pain...and here is your multi-hundred dollar bill. I don't work because I lost my career. I don't have money because I lost my career, was denied assistance repeatedly, have been abandoned by everyone, and more of the same happens. My problem isn't too much time to think...it's too much pain and no resources to exist in this capitalist world. Throughout all this I am still here and for the moment still fighting but people just add more on and then repeat the same stuff that's neve worked or exhibit the same behaviors that make things worse. I don't have any more money to try and buy the privilege of a life. This is obviously one of my most massive rage creators. I am very self aware and not trying not to get better or whatever else people devolve to...I just can't keep my head above water. Even through all this I can still shut down my back pain with TMS principles. I just can't get it to work on the primary my feet where all the surgery was done. I've just been screwed over repeatedly...it's a fact...and I can't get anything but sympathy (appreciated but ultimately unhelpful) or blame...never any actual improvement or assistance and I don't see any other way to survive without said improvement or assistance. Talking about it just flares the TMS pains and ultimately results in me being more depressed when I see no answers, but the desperation circle leads me back to it as there is nothing else.

 

I believe you can heal.....because people like SteveO who suffered for 30 years did. Like I said I had feet pain in the past and it just faded after almost 15 months. That story I sent you...that gal had numerous surgeries and healed. She still has some kind of device in her heel I think. They messed her up royal. Your pain obviously is real. But like Steve did he got up and ran everyday and played golf. He spelled words backwards to take his mind off it. He focused on areas of his body that did not hurt. Courage is fear holding on one more minute...Gen. GS Patton

 

Steve didn't have post surgical damage and deformity. He was classic "nothing physically wrong" TMS. I have recovered from the parts of me that are clearly that. The lady you linked to, yes she has been though it, she also doesn't have damage and deformity to the plantar surface of her foot. The part you cannot work around. I'm not arguing...I appreciate you and your efforts I truly do. I am just explaining the differences and how conditions aren't the same in specific examples. I have seen tons of stories of recovery and I have shared many of those types of recovery. I'm not dismissing those or what a change it makes. I am saying you cannot compare apples to oranges. If I could find someone with the same fruit as me who recovered...it would be a little more hope to cling to. I use coping skills like you said SteveO does all the time but you cannot cope 24.7 there isn't enough energy for it and you have to do basic life needs as well. Im exhausted and without resources.

To be clear I am also not arguing my pain IS or ISN'T TMS. I probably repeat such things a lot as I am defensive from years of blame from all sorts of people even other victims so it's something I probably overdo the explanations for. I dont know how to KNOW if this is TMS the way I do for my obviously not stuctural pains. I can't choose and decide belief like some people are able to. I'd love to be proven wrong, to find a tactic, to heal. I don't want to not survive. I just cannot find the path that works and I am so far down in every possible hole in practical life that just a small imrprovement isn't enough. I need a major one to free up that energy for trying to dig up.

 

I agree

 

I can totally agree and relate to your issues

 

I know this is an old reply but I was wondering what happened. My plantar fasciitis had gotten SO much better after learning about TMS but, after wearing natural/minimalist shoes, my feet are killing me. I’m back to not being able to stand and barely walk. I don’t want to go back to shoes with stiff soles because I’ll never strengthen my plantar fascia and will always have flat feet. I can’t figure out if this is TMS or if I’m doing something wrong.