Hello!

I've been AWOL from Mayo for a couple of days. Because I'm the fellow who started this thread about talking to a podiatrist about your PN and your feet, and because tomorrow is the day I'll be meeting with my podiatrist for that very reason, I thought I'd tell you about the couple of questions I plan to ask, wondering if you've any others you'd like to pass along:

1. Can podiatry help someone (I'm 78) with a sensory-leaning idiopathic PN? (I have no pain, only a worrying balance and a way of walking (fishtailing) that only seems to be getting worse. I was diagnosed last August after an EMG and battery of spinal MRIs.)

2. What do you think of my shoes? (Nunbush) I've tried so many different kinds. I have severely flat feet (Size 13) that have seen too many miles of distance running. None that I've tried has made much of a difference. From your experience, have you a brand you'd recommend I try?

3. And then there are my orthotics. I've been wearing orthotics since the late-1980s (not the same pair!). Are there orthotics specially designed for people with PN?

4. My walk has deteriorated. I can no longer walk comfortably, even a half city block. And I know I'm duck-walking (is that what they call it when your toes point outward?) and looking down too much, all the unfortunate by-product of my PN. Should I try some PT specifically to relearn proper walking? If yes, do you know of a therapist specially trained to help persons with PN?

5. Around the home, I go barefoot (or sock-foot). Outdoors, of course, I wear my Nunbush. When I'm barefoot, my feet feel great (and my balance is pretty good, too), but after a while, my lower back begins to ache, and sometimes my knees, too. (Because of no orthotics?) And if I try wearing my shoes indoors, my backache will go away (knees will feel better, too – because my orthotics are in?), but my feet tend to feel all "crampy" (not always, and I believe I'm wearing the right size shoes). My balance (which wasn't too bad when I was barefoot) becomes more challenging. It seems one of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations. LOL Can you give me some advice on what I should do?

I'll probably have other questions, but these are a few of my biggies. Can you suggest others?

Ray (@ray666)