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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

occasional excruciating pain on top of foot and plantar fasciitis

by Lisa
(Port St Lucie, FL)

I occasionally get a really scary pain in my feet, especially the left, if my feet or back of my calve gets cold. My toes cramp up and I can't move them for a while. It feels like I am crippled! The toes tingle, I feel sharp jabbing pains but the worst is that paralyzing feeling in my toes. The only thing I am able to do at that moment is stop wherever I am and whatever I am doing, remove any footwear and squeeze and rub my feet until the pain subsides.

Lately this seems to have advanced to an even more excruciatingly painful experience.

I recently gained alot of weight (about 30 lbs) after going through breast cancer treatment (and steroids), and now it seems after I exercise, I not only get the symptoms I mentioned above, but I get this severe "squeezing" feeling in the middle top of my foot and it feels like someone is using a vice grip to squeeze that part of my foot together. It is extremely unbearable and I can't even function during the time it is happening. It pulsates, squeezes then goes away intermittently several times - sought of like contractions or birth pains! The funny thing is the pain doesn't come immediately after I exercise. I sometimes take an afternoon nap (for about an hour), and when I try to get up from that - that's when it usually happens! It is such a scary feeling!

I also must mention that I recently got plantar fasciitis from attempting to walk around a track. I did the walking for about a week and then after that I got this problem too!

I'm going to be 46 next month - but feel like I'm 80 because I can't do the things I like to do including just taking a harmless walk after dinner!

Please help!

Thanks!

Hi Lisa,
Sounds like you have what are known as idiopathic leg cramps, where the muscles go into severe spasm. This is usually a result of the muscles being overstretched (ie exercise) and then they will go into spasm as a result.
You may want to have some blood work done to make sure you do not have an electrolyte imbalance.
One of the easiest treatments is to drink quinine water.
Also, if you are noticing this after exercising, you might want to stretch both before and after you exercise, in an effort to keep the muscles "loose".
Marc Mitnick DPM

Comments for occasional excruciating pain on top of foot and plantar fasciitis

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May 12, 2016
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Squeezing Feeling around foot
by: Linda

Do you have any problems with your back - like sciatica? Do you have pain on the top of your foot and it hurts to wear a shoe? This can be coming from your SI joint.
The other possibility is diabetic neuropathy. You say you have gained a lot of weight. Is is possible that you have developed diabetes or even pregnancy diabetes?
Good luck. I have the squeezing around my foot too and it's very painful to wear a shoe so I have a lot of trouble walking
You can buy a little machine to test your own blood sugar for less than $20.00.
Good luck. I hope for your sake that you are able to lose the weight and that the pain in your foot goes away.

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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

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(location unknown)

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(location unknown)

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Unknown location

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Unknown location

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Arizona

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Poland

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unknown location

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location unknown

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location unknown

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anonymous

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location unknown

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Evansville, IA

Dear Marc

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San Diego, CA

Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

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Albany, NY

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Whichita, KS

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Boston, MA

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Colorado

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Colorado

Wonderful advice

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This is the best site for foot problem info.

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location unknown

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Canada

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Wisconsin

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location unknown

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North Carolina

Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

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Florida

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New Jersey

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a mom

location unknown

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Lenoir, NC

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Bellevue, WA

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location unknown

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occasional excruciating pain on top of foot and plantar fasciitis

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