tendonistis of ankle

Hi. I come to your site often looking for information. It is really informative and I appreciate it very much. I have RA and have been having considerable amount of foot pain, with swelling on top of the foot proximal to the ankle and around the ankle with constant "popping" with every step. Occasionally the pain is along the outside of my foot as well and my fourth and fifth toe become numb. I had a MRI done. My RA doc's nurse called me with the results. She said it showed moderate degeneration of the foot with mild tendonitis of the ankle. As it happens, the day of the MRI, I very little swelling or pain. My doctor said we should just watch it and if it bothers me too much, to see a podiatrist. I am already on Voltaren 75mg bid, so more NSAIDS are out. I have always had flat feet and they seem to be getting flatter. My question is, when should I see a foot doctor? It does bother me everyday, but so do half of my other joints. I don't want to make a mountain out of a mole hill, but I'm an RN so being able to walk all day is a MUST!

Thanks in Advance,
Dee, RN with RA

Hi Dee,
Thanks for your kind words, it is nice to know my efforts are not in vain.
I think the answer to your question is obvious and that would be to see a podiatrist right away. Lets face it, your RA is not getting better and the problem as it relates to the foot is that as the joints deteriorate they will become more painful.
By undergoing conservative therapy now, such as using orthotics to stabilize the foot and their joints, you may slow down the degeneration process.
Ultimately what happens in many people with RA is that the weightbearing joints (ie: foot, ankle, knees and hips) degenerate to the point where they then have to be surgically repaired. By better stabilizing the foot, although you may not eliminate all your pain, you may find that you are much more comfortable.

Marc Mitnick DPM