Just curious Ginger, about whether you have used WebMD or talked to your pharmacist about EVERY medication, prescription and over-the-counter, and all vitamins and supplements? I recently had a pain problem that was traced to a medication. My husband had a different issue that was caused by the interaction between two of his prescriptions
Sue

Sounds similar to sciatica pain which as you are aware starts in lower back. Mine starts there, and moves down my left leg, moves to my knee & sometimes to foot. Am getting yet another MRI soon. I can hardly walk at all some days, a walker is useful but clumsy.
Can you find a really competent back dr.? (It's hard to find one!)

@ginger123
It sounds like you have something going on in your lumbar spine that is pinching peripheral nerves and radiating to your legs/feet. I have severe spinal stenosis and sciatica/radiculopathy which impacts my legs and feet with nerve pain and muscle weakness/numbness which impacts walking and standing for long periods. An orthopedic doctor that specializes in spine should be a good place to go for MRI. You may need physical therapy to help with function and may benefit from taking alpha-lipoic acid for nerve pain. I, too, went to a podiatrist at first for pain on feet but was only able to confirm arthritis in big toes and give orthotics for flat feet which didn’t get to the source of my problems of radiating nerve pain. A neurologist can test you for small fiber neuropathy (punch biopsy) and do EMG/nerve conduction testing to determine large fiber nerve impact. The neurologist could also send you for a MRI of your lumbar spine if you want to cover all of this with one specialist. Good luck!