I began having pain in my pointer and middle fingers of my right hand during the last month or two of my pregnancy with my 3rd child (around Feb/Mar this year). I thought I had sprained my fingers and didn't really think more about it. After I had the baby, the same fingers on my left hand and the bottoms of my feet started hurting. My feet hurt in the morning, as soon as I stand up. The pain goes away after I walk around for a little bit. I thought it was just my body being sore after baby (i had back and leg pains after my first 2 that went away after a few weeks/months). My fingers didn't get better but didn't get worse either. They would randomly hurt after a long day of cooking/baking or if I didn't use them for a while (after a long night's sleep). So, I finally went to our family doctor and explained it all. He ran blood tests to see about rheumatoid arthritis, which all came back fine. My aunt (nurse) said maybe I have plantar fasciitis because of the feet thing and maybe my fingers are just starting to get arthritis (non-rheumatoid).
My question is this: for any of you that have rheumatoid arthritis or plantar fasciitis, are there any exercises or anything you find that helps the pain? or any vitamins/supplements that you know of that I could take to help? my grandmother takes glucosamine for her arthritis and my husband does also for his joints (he's a marathon runner); i haven't checked yet to see if i can take that while breastfeeding. for my hands, they can throb for about 20 mins at a time on a bad day or they can just have a sharp pain here and there on a good day; no stretch/movement seems to help it go away. I'm breastfeeding my youngest, so the doctor didn't want to prescribe me anything. He just said if I feel it's getting worse to go back in and they'll do more tests. He said it could be rheumatoid and my bloodwork just not showing it...yet. I worry it's going to get worse and the feet thing doesn't bother me except in the morning, and it's a HUGE pain that my husband doesn't quite understand. I think he thinks I'm overreacting to the morning pain, but he's never said that...I'm just assuming. I do look a bit goofy hobbling around. I'm just looking for something to ease the pain in my hands/feet or a way to avoid it...if that's possible. i'm not a huge fan of medication and since i'm nursing that's not an option right now.
I'm only 27, which seems too young to be having joint problems....but i did have 3 babies under 3, so I assume it's because I've asked my body to do so much so quickly that this is happening. :)
Thanks.
I started doing a pilates dvd at home to help stretch my feet. So far, so good! I haven't taken any supplements...I researched glucosamine and found that it hadn't been researched enough in women that are breastfeeding, so I didn't want to take any chances. As far as my hands - exercising helps a little. I just try not to overwork them for now. I haven't had foot pain in the morning for several days now! Thanks everyone!
Hi A.,
A friends of mine and my cousin had seen great results ( symptoms are gone)
when detoxing their bodies and drinking only alkaline/ionized water.
here is couple of links with more info that I got, those links are only good for 2 days.
Let me know if you find this interesting/helpful.
http://www.amazing-water.net/media/audiolibrary.php?linki...
http://www.amazing-water.net/media/audiolibrary.php?linki...
Happy Hollidays!
D.
Go see a hand surgeon regarding your hands, I could recoomend a great one, Dr. Gordon Derman at Rush. For your feet...try putting a golf ball on the floor and put your foot on top of the golf ball and roll the golf ball around using your foot. I ran marathons and had pf and this helped me.
I would definitely make sure all tests are done to rule out Lupus, Sarcoidosis, and other possibilities. Regardless what the outcome is, it would be safe to take Dr Tei Fu Chens "JOI" and "NUPlus". You can order it from Sunrider. It is a food, in the herbal category, Chinese food herb, so the body recognizes it as a food.I pulled my meniscous, it really works and can even use his foods in pregnancy. Hope this helps. L.Guyton R.N.
My sister has plantar fasciitis, and as far as I know it doesn't really go away. She has had cortisone shots in her foot that really have seemed to help, don't know if you can get that while breastfeeding? You could give a chiropractor a try for the hands could be osteo-arthritis or carpal tunnel which is common in pregnancy and may not get better after baby. I realize you are young but if any of this runs in your family it can happen anytime. Good luck!
Could be gout eat cherrys too much build of uric acid in your system just a thought. Try stopping eating too much sugar if you are. Hope you are well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Holidays from another Mom. I think I spelled gout wrong but just look it up on google. Take care A.
Hi, For Plantar Fasciitis you can do calf stretches a lot! When it is really bad roll your foot on a frozen water bottle, also taping the foot may help. To tape place athletic tape on the bottom of your foot and pull up on either side like you are trying to spread the bottom of your foot a part and criss-cross over the top(not too tight).
Rheumatoid arthritis: not much while you are breast feeding, but keep moving that way the joints don't get stiff. After you are done breast feeding a company called Univera makes a drink called regnicare. My MIL takes it for her arthritis and it is the only thing that has taken away all of her discomfort. I took it for a shoulder injury before I was pregnant and in about a week I was fine.
For more info on either please feel free to ask!
L.
Before getting out of bed, roll your foot over a can of soup, back and forth. This stretches out the plantar fascia. And wear heels- over 2 inches- I'm not kidding. This redistributes the weight off the heels. Wear them all day.
Your fingers- this may be carpal tunnel, maybe caused by poor positioning of your wrists. Try wearing ace wraps wrapped around your wrists, before bed. This will prevent you from keeping them bent funny while sleeping.
I think it may help to go to a chiropractor. I know it's your hands and feet, but your spine connects to all the systems. There is a chiropractor listed on this site, she can direct you to a holistic safe solution. Dr Rachel North of Northern Light Care. She will also know of natural supplements to help with the pain.
Your body may be depleted, especially when breastfeeding and she can evaluate this also. ###-###-####
About the plantar fascitis - let me guess, as soon as you step out of bed in the morning it feels like either the entire bottom of your foot is splitting OR it is like you are walking on very sharp shards of glass, particularly in the heel or arch?
An easy fix might be to make sure you are wearing good shoes all day long, even when you're just relaxing. Typically people who have PF are over-pronaters (flat feet, low or fallen arches). Asics and New Balance both have great shoes that can help lend a ton of support to the arches. Additionally, you can start by using OTC inserts like SuperFeet or Spenco. You would just take out the original lining of the shoe and put the inserts in.
Your next step would be to go to a podiatrist. He/she might prescribe custom orthotics, an overnight brace (to help with the first in the morning pain), and possibly cortisone shots to ease with the inflammation. Yes, the cortisone shots hurt but they are like instant relief.
If you have any other questions about the PF, feel free to drop me a line. Once I figured out the best combination for my feet I was back into running - up to 6 miles at a time! Before then? Forget it - wayyy too painful!
Orthotic inserts in your shoes will help your feet. My orthopedic guy recommended an ankle wrap (Spengold or something like that-I got it online) Have you been checked for carpal tunnel? I had problems with that during two of my pregnancies. It can be hormone related, so as long as you are nursing it can continue. Wearing a wrist brace helped for that. Good luck
you should be on a high dose of fish oil. Anti inflammatory and lubricates the joiints
Hi A.,
Congratulations on having three kids! Besides having regular appointments with your doctor, my suggestions are acupuncture and yoga. I have personally worked with yoga students and they tell me yoga helps with their Plantar Fascitis along with exercises that they do on a daily basis at home. Overall, yoga can help with body awareness and circulation. You are wise to consult with your doctor about medicine choices while breast feeding!
C.
mom of three
yoga teacher
I used to be a medical assistant for a podiatrist and an orthopedic surgeon. It definitely sounds like you have plantar fascitis. You can roll your feet on a tennis ball every night to stretch the bottom of your feet. Do it again when you wake up. You can also stretch your calves by standing with your toes on the edge of a step and lowering your heels.
As far as your hands, it sound like it could be a nerve or something. Have you seen a dr. for it? It could actually be coming from your elbow or shoulder.
After years of nursing babies I too have occasional hand/arm pain and numbness. I get adjusted by a chiropractor and that always helps.
Good luck!
Hi A.,
I had similar problems after giving birth to my second child, 6 years ago. I went through the testing for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis twice, both times came back fine. So my doc assumed I had early osteoarthritis, and prescribed meds. Which I didn't want to take. Finally, I saw a physical therapist who said my joints were hurting because toxins were building up in my body and collecting in my joints. She put me on a gluten free diet, and I felt marvelous within 3 days - no more joint pain. I stayed on the gluten free diet for a year, and then gradually reintroduced gluten to my diet, a little at a time. I still can get joint pain if I eat too much gluten, and the I know to lay off. It's worth a try - much better than taking medicine for a condition that may not even exist.
Hope this helps,
J.
Hi A.,
I am running out in a few minutes, but I wanted to send a quick note. I will write you a longer message when I get back.
Have you considered physical therapy? A PT could address both the hand and feet pain as well as assess if there are other factors contributing to the pain, such as your posture, joint alignment, daily activities, etc. While breastfeeding, your ligaments are going to be a little more lax, or loose. So, exercises to help strengthen the muscles or perhaps a lightweight brace or taping strategies might help by support/stabilizing those regions while you heal.
More when I get back! Feel better soon!
I agree that orthotics, rolling your foot on a soup can, and supportive shoes may all help your plantar fasciitis. I occasionally get flares if I spend too much time barefoot. I do simple calf stretches (really focusing on pushing my heel into the floor) a few times a day to help prevent it from getting too painful. I would recommend trying this before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning, at least.
You should be able to take Ibuprofen while you are breastfeeding (it was prescribed to me after my 3rd child) and it should help relieve pain in your feet and hands, as it is an anti-inflammatory. I would check with your doctor to be sure.
Good luck!
Hi A.,
I can't help with the Rheumatoid Arthritis but I do have Plantar Fascitis. I've had it for a few years now! It was about a year after I had my twins that I ended up getting this wonderful ailement. I went to the foot doc and had the cortisone shot (VERY painful) that did last for a few weeks (which it depends on the person on how long the shot will last) and he made me special orthotics to wear, which I tried for awhile, but no relief.
I would HIGHLY recommend crocs RX shoes. I wear them all day and when I go out too! They are not the best looking shoes but I don't care, they are such a relief for the pain.
I have recently been trying accunpture and this has been my fourth treatment and I've seen a marked improvement. The Doctor I'm seeing is wonderful. My last visit she actually gave me some chinese medicine to try for the pain. She is located in Naperville. My insurance doesn't cover the cost but we do get a discount through the insurance. Worth checking into.
If you'd like the accupunturist info just send me a note.
Good luck.
I am a massage therapist (now an OT student as well!) and have plantar fascitis (ha! not that I can spell it).
I went the podiatrist route at first: orthotics did help but were pricey. They also don't take care of the inflammation.
what has helped me (and clients of mine over the years--a really happy one told me she can live in London walking everywhere because of me, very nice).
First, soak your feet in Epsom salts and warm water at the end of a hard day (or every day) for like 10 minutes. Massage your feet with any kind of lotion or none. Get your fingers into the heel and around. Rub rub. Help break up the cycle of scar tissue and inflammation/tearing (your feet heal at night and they tighten up--thus the pain in the morning).
STRETCH your feet before getting out of bed. Rub them for a few minutes if you can. Rolling on the soup can is great, but I don't have time for that in the morning, but can do it during the day when you sit for any length of time.
ok crying baby here--so the quick answer: cool/soak, rub/massage, stretch. Give yourself some healing time. If you need it, sure take whatever is safe anti inflammatory for the time being but not long term.
I do NOT recommend cortisone due to it causing additional scar tissue in the long run. up to you of course.
good luck!
You should speak with your doctor about getting good orthotic insoles for your shoes. I second the thought that you could have carpel tunnel issues so maybe a support brace could help.
I have Plantar Facitis and saw a foot doc. He made me custom inserts for my shoes and that has help tremendously. I also get good supportive shoes always. Nothing from Target or Wal-Mart go on my feet. The pain isn't worth the money I save.
I know of a couple people with the RA that have had great results with accupuncture. I was also having some joint pain(not RA) that the accupuncture helped with. Most people go to an accupuncturist as a last resort, I will forever go as a first resort. It is fabulous!!!
