Bunions, arthritis or what?

General
1

Hi all. I've written here in the past and have been been dxed with fibro. Doctors don't think I have PsA cause tests and xrays don't show it but I've had horrible bouts with back pain, joint pain, etc. Plus my mom has psoriasis and I have a little area of something on my elbow that gets scaly and itchy. Don't know if it's psoriasis or not.

My latest question is this: is it possible to distinguish early on between arthritis in the foot and just plain old bunions? I'm not sure what to think. I saw my GP today and told her that the side of my big toe that faces the second toe is getting very red and sore because it's getting squashed against the second toe. She thinks it's due to my bunions but I'm not so sure. For one thing, the bony area where the bunions are doesn't hurt. (Every once in a great while I get a weird, sharp pain in them, then it vanishes for ages.) For another thing, my grandmother had rheumatoid arthritis and her hands and feet were all twisted from it (along with bunions.) I'm worried that I might have arthritis (RA or PSA) starting in my feet, as the tendon areas hurt too, esp. on the left foot.

Can anyone shed a little patch of light on this? It may not be possible, my question may be too general, but I find the bunion-only scenario a bit unusual. I wear sneakers and have for years and years, not tight shoes. The thing is, I've also been doing a job delivering meals, which has kicked off the pain. So maybe it is bunions after all.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, as usual! Thanks!

2

Hi...I've had RA for 17 years, and 3 yrs ago, got diagnosed with PSA also. Because of the pustular psoriasis in palms/soles. This skin doc#2, said there is no one test to determine PSA, i could have all 3, psoriasis, PSA, and RA.

I would check with a podiatrist. I've had a bunion surgery years ago, and a hammertoe surgery. I have a bunion on Left foot, big toe crosses over, but not the bunion bump on the side of foot.

To fix it, they would have to do a big toe fusion. It doesn't hurt, because i buy boxy , round toes , extra wide. If i didn't that toe would hurt, rubbing up against the shoe, so bigger and wider shoes work out for me.

for walking..I wear SAS , extra depth for orthotics, athletic shoes.

My RA started in my hands and knees. We shouldn't be seeing the damage, grandmothers had, because of the modern day meds, namely the biologics. I often see, older women, in the rheummies office with deformed hands and feet. They simply did not have the meds years ago.

My mom had RA/lupus....she took gold shots, and prednisone, and a NSAID, back then...But before that, there wasn't much choice, aspirin?....would give ulcers

Definately check with a podiatrist. I have a whole team of doctors

3

Thanks for the excellent advice! I can't write more at the moment, as work summons, but will get back to you later.

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Tkrlady, thank you for all of your help. I'm going to follow up with your advice and see a podiatrist if the pain doesn't go away. I'm also going to get a new pair of shoes and see if it helps. Cheap solutions first! But I doubt it'll help. At the very least, I think the podiatrist will suggest new inserts.

Guess I'm just afraid that this is the start of PsA or RA. And my fear is ending up all deformed from it. My fear is that the docs won't catch it because the blood tests are normal. But I'm darned thankful for the meds available in our generation because, as you say, the women of the past had no such resourcs and were deformed in the hands and feet as a result.

I appreciate your advice on shoes. I'm going to look into the SAS shoes, so thank you for
suggesting them. Anything that helps is so greatly appreciated! My job revolves around me being on my feet and making deliveries so getting this squared away is essential.