Old 05-20-2011, 02:34 AM
  #8  
thequiltmama
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,455
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hi, yes I spend $130 every 6 months on orthopedic shoes. I have done all that the doc has asked of me but now it is only tolerable instead of severe pain. I am worried that it may have been too long and I have nerve damage now. Hope not :( Thanks for the advice. I am going to see the doc in June again to see what we can do next. :)
Originally Posted by Prism99
If it's similar to carpal tunnel, then what is happening is that there is inflammation and swelling of the tunnel through which the nerve goes. If you can reduce the inflammation, you can get rid of the pain. If permanent scarring has taken place then it may not be possible to reduce the inflammation and swelling.

A hand doctor told me I needed to have surgery for severe carpal tunnel in my right hand. I hadn't actually had symptoms for too many months, so I decided to see if I could reduce the inflammation instead. Here's what I did, although not sure how much of it applies to your tarsal tunnel problem.

I bought a brace at Walmart (the one the doctor's office gave me was next to worthless) and wore it every night, plus as much of the day as I could. The purpose of the brace is to keep the limb in a neutral position so to minimize pressure on the nerve. I assume there is a brace like this available for the foot, but I don't know for sure.

Some of my problem was related to bad ergonomics combined with a lot of typing at the computer, so I re-jigged the whole computer setter to make it more ergonomic and cut my typing in half. I always wore my brace when typing. (Not sure if you could wear a brace while walking.)

I added a lot of citrus bioflavanoids to my day -- mostly in supplement form. Got the strongest ones I could find and took two in the am and two in the pm. Citrus bioflavanoids are supposed to help, although I don't know the mechanism.

I took aspirin and other anti-inflammatories regularly during the day (but not overdoing). Aspirin reduces inflammation, and that is what you want to do in order to relieve pressure on the nerve.

Here is a website I found on tarsal tunnel syndrome:
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/foot...rsaltunnel.htm

Edit: It looks as if tarsal tunnel may be aggravated by bad footwear. I would go to a shoe shop that specializes in high-quality shoes for older people (can't remember the name of the chain where we are), find a salesperson who has a lot of experience, and ask for their advice in choosing a pair of shoes that might help your problem.
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