Throbbing pain in middle-inner arch of foot

Hi Bill,

Not sure you're still checking this site. I had the same symptoms as you… And after almost a year of looking into this it turned out to be peroneal tendonitis which became so bad that it pulled a small bone in my foot out of place.  I knew it all along that it did not quite match Morton's neuroma or plantar fasciitis  and when I finally received the diagnosis of peroneal tendinitis and looked up the symptoms I knew that was the culprit all along.  The pain in the arch of my foot became so bad I had to buy an air cast and after a while even that hurt .  My saving grace was finding a podiatrist who knew about the bone and simply moved it back into place ( good thing she did not tell me she was going to do that beforehand  because it was fairly painful).  I followed up with more physiotherapy but this time on my tendon and then the bottom of my foot could finally withstand some light massage. If I don't go for regular massage the problem starts creeping up again, so obviously tendon/leg massage is a viable treatment and solution for me.  Hopefully you've already found some relief....if you haven't you have nothing to lose to try massage therapy.

 As a follow-up to my last post… None of this showed up on my ultrasounds or x-rays .  Ironically a year and a half later I'm finally getting my MRI next month… And I will still go because the throbbing is starting up again... Probably because I haven't gone for a massage in a while.  It will be interesting to see if an MRI finds anything… Or if it's far enough along in the healing process that it won't register...

So I've been to one MRI last week for my foot and now another one today for my ankle. I don't suspect they'll find much as most of the problem seems overwith. But I'm going through with them anyways, just in case. To clarify for Bill...the bone that was out of place is called the cuboid bone. It was such a slight displacement that it did not show up on any tests - well, it may have shown up but nobody picked up on it. The only reason the podiatrist new how to treat it was from experience. She did not even look at any of my tests...she simply asked a bunch of questions while manipulating my foot .and voila!  She is the only podiatrist I have ever seen, so I'm not sure how you find one with enough experience -- maybe by referral. I live in Ottawa Canada...where are you? My massage therapist is part of a bigger office owned by an osteopath. That osteopath practitioner pretty much saved my career about 8 years ago when 'regular' doctors told me I'd never walk normally again....he knew exactly what I had (symphisis pubis dysfunction) and within 8 weeks I was training for another marathon. So the massage is just intense massage (yes, it hurts) along my peroneal tendon and then lightly along bottom of foot. I don't know if there's a specific name for it, but I'll ask next time I'm there. The throbbing still happens, fewer and farther in between now, but usually when I've been standing in my kitchen for awhile on the tile floor without wearing my crocs. I found a pair of runners that work for me but have only used them on the indoor treadmill - I'm a little worried about going outside on uneven surfaces..but I am going to try once the weather lets up a little bit. Before the podiatrist found the problem, I was clueing into something I read on my xrays & ultrasounds - os peroneum. They didn't say anything was wrong with it, but I twigged onto it because it was mentioned in both the xrays and the ultrasounds.  I became convinced that this had something to do with my problem. It sort of was, although I think it might have been the smaller bone beside it, called the os cuboid. I didn't get any paperwork from the podiatrist so can't refer to it. Check all the wording on your xrays & ultrasounds carefully and then google the latin stuff :-) 

Check out this website: http://www.foot-pain-explored.com/causes-of-foot-pain.html ...They don't say much about peroneal tendonitis causing foot arch pain but I can attest to the fact that it does. Once that bone is out of place even by half a millimetre it can wreak havoc.  I'll keep you posted once I get MRI results back...

I've had kind od pain in both feet since I was 35. Now 65 and have "managed" the pain all this time. I have generalised OA eg knees feet and sciatica not a lot of fun. Had mid foot fusion in February and still have some pain but am optomistic for a good outcome however I won't have right foot dome until I'm sure it was worth it. You are young so don't leave it as long as me you've a long life ahead. I worked as a nurse front 18 years old and retired last year front health visiting. I wanted to complete my career. In hindsight I should have had the surgery sooner. Be prepared for a lengthy recovery, on one foot for at least 6 weeks. Good luck.

I've been told I have pf, but so does a lot of others. And that I have bulging disc and arthritis. And Heart Disease.

This has helped me tremendously... I am having the worst pain in the arch of my left foot and it has purplish bruising... If I even try to touch it it hurts... I don't know if it's cause I wear sandals 95% of the time or go shoeless all together. I am in so much pain... Just frustrated

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Glad to have found this thread! I have been having this same pain in my arch for a few months now (was working ten+hour days standing on a cement floor) and so much exacerbates the pain and swelling, especially working out. One other thing I have found myself having is charlie horse/muscle spasms in the muscle/tendon running from the big toe to the heel...sometimes so, so bad that I can not undo them. What I have found that worked for myself is wearing Dansko shoes--great arch support while at the same time taking the weight bearing off the arch by supporting other parts of the foot. I had thought maybe my arch was collapsing, for lack of any other ideas as I have not yet been to a doctor for it. However, some shoes with good arch support caused more pain rather than helping. So I just googled my symptoms and this thread came up about fifth. Very helpful, Kyle's info as well, so will work to that end. I also believe that I have a neuroma on the same foot, and between the last two toes. Am I reading correctly that your two issues are also on the same foot?

 

Very interested to follow this thread and see if this is what I also have. Plantar fasciitis did not seem to effectively describe or encompass the discomfort I have been feeling as that pain truly begins at the front of the heel and progresses up into the big toe, for me. 

 

I'm glad unfortunately to have found this thread(sucks to hear so many ppl in pain). I have been dealing with very very similar problems and doctors and specialists have not give an answer at all yet. I've been to the emergency room a few times, urgent care and primary doctor many many times since this started April 2016. I've been to pediatrist, orthopedic surgeon, neurologists, pain clinic... ER dismissed it as a sprained ankle. Primary doc took some blood work and saw elevated uric acid levels and was treated for gout with no relief. Went to orthopedic and they said it's probably a Nortons neuroma and was treated same day with alcohol/Novacaine shots. The initial injection definitely hit a part of my foot that was in severe pain. It helped for a day or 2 but still had severe pain. I had an ultrasound test to check blood flow to legs and found the leg w. Foot pain has 80% blood flow compared to my arms due to mild peripheral arterial disease. Cardiovascular surgeon said this wasn't the cause of foot pain and swelling. I've had pretty bad pitting edema in my ankles and shins since this started.

The pain is so unbelievably terrible, it feels like having holes drilled into bottom of foot and nerves and tendons being pulled on and torn. It sort of feels like chewing on frozen tin foil on metal filling's and broken teeth, but in different parts of my foot instead of the mouth. Mainly the middle of my foot, between big toe and one next to it. Then also between middle toe and the smaller toe next to that, deep inside my foot. Then also have swelling and severe pain on inside of ankle and arch of my foot.

I have been on Norco 10/325 for a few months and have to take large doses to be able to force myself through a day of work. Doctors say they feel uncomfortable prescribing anything stronger and there are no more options. The pain is a constant aching throbbing pain with pressure between toe bones in middle of my foot. Then have these horrible bursts of what feel like spasms of the worst pain imaginable. After a few days on my feet my ankle feels sprained and next morning feels like my foot has been smashed flat with a sledge hammer making it IMPOSSIBLE to walk or even crawl to the bathroom. This lasts a day or 2 then the cycle repeats.

Next week I have and emg test to see if there's problems with peripheral nerves or base nerves. The pain clinic has said the treatment will most likely be shots in the spine, where I have heard many ppl get releif from anywhere from a few days to a month, with the risk of being paralyzed.

So far 3 xrays, an mri, and ultrasound come up with nothing. Meds I've tried are colchacine and high levels of prednisone (for gout) several nsaids, neurontin, lyrica (no help) tramadol (worthless) valium for muscle spasms (helped sleep through the night) Norco (has helped the most to fight through the pain, sharp pain becomes dull for first few days on feet, then have to take higher doses as pain increases) have no idea what it is or why this started overnight a few months back.

Sorry for the long read, desperately looking for answers.