is there a foot doctor in the house?

chrispsmith83
chrispsmith83 Posts: 67
edited March 2013 in Road general
I am suffering from a baffling problem and I wondered if anyone else has ever come across.

2 weeks ago I was on my turbo trainer (due to the bad weather ive been on it alot recently) Training session ended and everything was ok. Once I woke up in the morning my middle toe had swollen up which I found was a bit odd, then a few days later a sharp pain in one spot, at the tip underneath. It is only painful when I stand on it. if i keep my foot off the floor there is no pain. I have visited the doctor who thinks i could have an infection in there and have been taking anti biotics. However i have yet to notice and change and the pain has been the same for 10 days now.

This is obviously frustrating as i can't ride the bike and havent for 2 weeks now.

I wondered if anyone has had any thing like this before?

Comments

  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Could be several things really.

    Do you mean the tip of the toe or the tip of the nail? Either way sounds like you might have bashed your toe in your cycle shoes whilst on the turbo & the swelling came up over night.

    Either way simple rest is what you need, could be that you might have if enough force done more that just damaged the soft tissue i.e. broken/fractured toe is pretty common & often overlooked.

    If it were an infection after 14 days of antibiotics would have expected to see some improvement & unless the infection was caused by a cut etc at the time of riding its pretty coincidental that it occurred the day after a training session.

    By the way not a doctor but am a trained medic.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • chrispsmith83
    chrispsmith83 Posts: 67
    it's on the tip on the bottom part, the bit that touches the floor first.

    i thought it was odd that it would be after the training. I forgot to mention that the pain i get is like i have a bit of gravel stuck inside my toe. I get the same sensation as you would if you had a stone in your shoe
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    It is very easy to do minor damage to your toes, cycle shoes tend to be pretty solid and the toe box Vs toe is quite easy to achieve if your doing a hard effort & you might not notice straight away. Though if you had a straight break you'd have to be pretty badass to not notice.

    But I have fractured & done nerve damage to mine without knowing at the time only finding out the following day. No offence to your GP but it is often not an area they will be experts in (not that I am either) but standard of painkillers/anti-inflamatory pills plenty of rest and possibly antibiotics are pretty standard responses to most medical ailments these days.

    You perhaps need to get it seem by a specialist. Google, yellow pages, club recommendation might be your best bet but for £20 or thereabouts at least you will know for sure.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • anglezarke77
    anglezarke77 Posts: 6
    Get youself to a podiatrist. A thorough clinical assessment is the only way to diagnose the problem and what to do about it. It's difficult to advise on description alone.
  • Gabbo
    Gabbo Posts: 864
    anglezarke77 wrote:
    Get youself to a podiatrist. A thorough clinical assessment is the only way to diagnose the problem and what to do about it. It's difficult to advise on description alone.

    This.

    Even though there is inflammation, we'd need to find the route cause to prevent it from being a recurring problem. A podiatrist would work wonders. Just so you know, with most private practises, you'll have to undergo an initial assessment for probably 30-60 minutes and would cost you between £30-£60

    It isn't cheap, but a podiatrist would certainly be your best bet. No harm in waiting for the swelling to subside and reattempt exercising on the turbo again, just to rule out whether it is a biomechanical issue or an infection.

    Inflammation of course is a necessary process in removing unwanted toxins and foreign particles from the site. However, inflammation is always excessive so try icing it for 6 minutes.

    Best of luck
  • chrispsmith83
    chrispsmith83 Posts: 67
    Thanks guys, Im going to see if I can get an appointment early next week. Turns out there is a practice just up the road from me.

    I never realised how frustrating an injury can be, especially as I can see the weather getting slightly better
  • MartinB2444
    MartinB2444 Posts: 266
    If there is any redness on the tip of your toe associated with superficial soreness and hypersensitivity then it is likely to be a chillblain. Have a look here http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Chilblains.htm

    -1 to all the suggestions that you fork out a load of dosh. If the chillblain suggestion doesn't stack up then see your doctor again. I expect that he/she gave you a time frame for it to settle down and advice to come back if it wasn't improving. Podiatry is freely available on the NHS. GPs know the limits of their expertise and should be good at directing you to the most appropriate local service if necessary, and the service is free!
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    MartinB2444 wrote:
    If there is any redness on the tip of your toe associated with superficial soreness and hypersensitivity then it is likely to be a chillblain. Have a look here http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Chilblains.htm

    -1 to all the suggestions that you fork out a load of dosh. If the chillblain suggestion doesn't stack up then see your doctor again. I expect that he/she gave you a time frame for it to settle down and advice to come back if it wasn't improving. Podiatry is freely available on the NHS. GPs know the limits of their expertise and should be good at directing you to the most appropriate local service if necessary, and the service is free!

    Unlikely to be a chilblain based on the limited symptoms the OP has given. Whilst I am not one for wanting to spend money on things if I can get away with it I do agree that your GP should refer you to an NHS service for free. However if your GP is anything like me I'd have to wait 3 weeks to get an appointment.

    Good idea though as it gives the OP the choice of pay for fast diagnosis or wait it out for their GP to refer them.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • Gabbo
    Gabbo Posts: 864
    MartinB2444 wrote:
    If there is any redness on the tip of your toe associated with superficial soreness and hypersensitivity then it is likely to be a chillblain. Have a look here http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Chilblains.htm

    -1 to all the suggestions that you fork out a load of dosh. If the chillblain suggestion doesn't stack up then see your doctor again. I expect that he/she gave you a time frame for it to settle down and advice to come back if it wasn't improving. Podiatry is freely available on the NHS. GPs know the limits of their expertise and should be good at directing you to the most appropriate local service if necessary, and the service is free!

    Of course, top quality service from the NHS as per usual. They'll be done with him within 5 minutes :mrgreen:
  • MartinB2444
    MartinB2444 Posts: 266
    Any update on the toe?
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    Keep your toe nails very short and pay particualar attention to the corners.

    I had/have something like this. Came in from a ride at the weekend and my right sock was covered in blood. I was doing alot of hills and out-of-the-saddle work which really bashes the toes against the end of the shoe. (Shoe a touch too big?) I trimmed the nails as much as i can and treated the wound with antiseptic cream. Went out today with some pain but the swelling has reduced.

    Hope this helps.
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    MartinB2444 wrote:
    Any update on the toe?

    Lets hope the OP is OK and its not spread to the rest of his body :D
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • MartinB2444
    MartinB2444 Posts: 266
    Danlikesbikes wrote:
    MartinB2444 wrote:
    Any update on the toe?

    Lets hope the OP is OK and its not spread to the rest of his body :D

    Foot and mouth?
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    MartinB2444 wrote:

    Foot and mouth?

    Foot In mouth possibly :)

    If it is an infection like the big belgian Tom B then he could have possibly got worse before getting better.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • chrispsmith83
    chrispsmith83 Posts: 67
    hi Guys,

    Sorry for the late reply. Bah there is not much improvement im afraid. I was given antibiotics which did nothing except put me off my dinner for a week. I have made an appointment with a Chiropodist but that isn't till next Wednesday. Im more worried that my knee, hip and shin feel like crap on the other side because im not walking properly and havent been for 3 weeks now. Going back to my docs this afternoon too.

    I will keep you updated if i find anything out, In the mean time my new bike continues to gather dust and the likely hood of being well trained and prepared for the Chester Cat Sportive seems impossible
  • MartinB2444
    MartinB2444 Posts: 266
    Poo! :(

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