Sesamoiditis/tendonitis in Foot

[CHRISTINE]

Hi,

Wondering if anyone w/lymphedema of legs has developed sesamoiditis in foot. I have mild lymphedema in both legs, have received/continue treatment w/PT & wear open toe full thigh stocking (30-40 compression). Started to develop foot tenderness that gradually worsened about 6 months after completing tx. & wearing stockings. I'm very active & had been walking 4-5 miles about 4/5x wk. I know that sesamoiditis is often an overuse injury, however I didn't experience this prior to developing lymphedema & can't help wondering if stockings or lymphedema are causing the problems. I've iced foot after working out to reduce inflamation & wear sports orthotics in my running shoes but continue to have pain.

Have become very frustrated & discouraged as exercise is primary coping strategy for me. Ready to give up. Anyone with similar experience, ideas, suggestions or strategies?

Christine

[Theresa]

Hi Christine,
Sounds like you are a very active person, so I wonder if the overuse/repetative stress you are experiencing secondary to sesamoiditis (an -"itis" indicates inflamation") might be due to some sort of bone/ joint misallignment while wearing walking shoes, garments, and orthotics. In other words, I wonder if it's environmental. Do the seams of your garments rub against boney prominences of your feet in your walking shoes? Do you have orthotics, by the way? Have you seen a podiatrist who can assess the fit of your shoes with orthotics, compression garments and socks in place? Might be worth a look-see. Inflamation typically agrivates LY. Lots of factors to consider here, but my intuition tells me you might check on the fit of your shoes with these components first to rule them out/ adjust for optinal fit.

All the best ;-)
Theresa

PS. See http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=334&topcategory=...
for more about the ortho indications and your itis)

"Sesamoids act like pulleys. They provide a smooth surface over which the tendons slide, thus increasing the ability of the tendons to transmit muscle forces. The sesamoids in the forefoot also assist with weightbearing and help elevate the bones of the great toe. Like other bones, sesamoids can break (fracture). Additionally, the tendons surrounding the sesamoids can become irritated or inflamed. This is called sesamoiditis and is a form of tendinitis. It is common among ballet dancers, runners and baseball catchers..........................................

[Caledonia]

Definitely check that you REALLY have enough room in your shoes and sneakers to accomodate the swelling and stockings. I used to "cheat" sometimes and buy shoes that felt okay in the store but were not really big enough. Then cramped toe and etc. caused additional foot problems which I am still dealing with. Custom orthotics often help but they are super expensive and the insurance companies usually don't reinburse.

[evelyn alvir]

Dear All,

I am copying hereunder, my letter to Mr. Mark Knight of Biohorizon Medical, Inc., for your interest and info:

February 15, 2007

Mr. Mark Knight
President
Biohorizon Medical, Inc.
1970 East Grand Avenue
Suite 370
El Segundo, CA. 90245

Dear Mr. Knight:

You were so kind as to give me a call some time ago when I left a message with Guillermo at your office inquiring about the Workshop in New York. I have since heard from Ann Angel of Rian Corporation that the scheduled workshop was postponed to end of May.

I am a suffering right leg lymphedema patient, with a very fibrotic foot. Daily (except Sundays) manual lymph drainage and brutal bandaging has been administered to me for six months now. I have considerably sized down my leg except for my foot. I have anxiously been reading and researching your newly FDA approved laser therapy. The thousands if not millions of LE sufferers would be profoundly grateful for something like laser treatment that would relieve us. I also sent emails all around (lymphedema forums and co-patients) asking as to who might be already giving this type of treatment here in the East Coast. If it is long in waiting I would consider flying to El Segundo to be treated.

Kindly inform me about a clinic, hospital or doctor who has your laser machine in New York or environ, including Canada. As for your end-of-May workshop, my lymphedema therapist, an acupuncturist, my internist and a friend rehab doctor are all interested in attending this workshop. If you wish, I can give their names to you for your health professional list.

Thank you so much for the attention you can give me.

Gratefully yours,

Evelyn Alvir
78-20 Springfield Blvd.
Oakland Gardens, NY 11364

[CHRISTINE]

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses. I've been working with a podiatrist for about 8 months now who is great and also has an understanding of lymphedema. She was actually the one who diagnosed the sesamoiditis. Together we've been working on strategies to see what works. I have both sports orthotics & orthotics for my regular shoes. I'm pretty sure it's not a fit issue. I went to a runners shop for my running shoes to ensure a good fit and do the same for regular shoes. I wear the stockings, appropriate socks, orthotics etc. when getting fitted. I'm hoping that since I haven't been able to run/walk outside during winter that my foot has been getting a good rest, more time to heal & I'll be able to work out again as the weather begins to warm up. I suspect that the lymphedema, neuropathy & any inherent muscular skeletal issues that I have are contributing factors & the stockings are just exacerbating things. I've experimented with not wearing stockings which I know is not good & definitely not the answer or a long term strategy. I feel so very fortunate to have so many resources to avail myself of including this site since I know others are not so fortunate but have become so frustrated, discouraged & depressed non the less. I'm scheduling an appointment with my PT to see if she's got any ideas.

Thanks so much for listening and for all the suggestions!

Christine