Arthritis - Big Toe

[swvic]

I hear you, uncle. I want to surf for as long as I can

I'm on the anti inflams and take them before surfing. End of treatment for my shoulder is a replacement. Current life for them is 7 years and they're not so great. By holding off for as long as I can, hopefully they get better. I haven't even started the cortisone injections yet. Surgeon recommends holding off all t'ment as long as possible. 6 months ago, he reckoned pain will have me back within 2 years. It will be sooner though

1st it's a couple of years cortisone
2nd is a couple of surgical clean outs
3rd is a replacement

With current shoulder replacement techniques, surfing is not an option. That is my dilemma. Wait and hope for improvements, as has happened for hips and knees, or start it now. I'm learning to live with pain because even when I'm feeling good, there's a background ache

Keeping the upper body fit is not easy either. Can't swim, can't do weights, can't do push-ups or chin ups. Aside from gentle stuff and stretching everyday, paddling is the best thing I've got

[brendo]

uncle, its not arthritis stopping me surfing, in fact I don't feel anything much from it yet. it showed up
in an mri. ive got several stuffed neck discs pressing on nerves, gives me pain down the arm and tingly
numb fingers at times. the paddling position is what is not good for it. ive had 2 episodes of severe pain, like really painful. I cant afford to make it worse. self employed = no work/no pay. and I got a monster
mortgage. the sport doc I saw suggested maybe surf some small waves see how it goes, after I told him
about the ragdoll thrashings you get on big days. I don't wanna surf small gutless waves. and im not interested in riding a minimal,or anthing other than a hps. id rather not surf than surf like some old cripple.
no offence mal riders if I couldn't still snowboard, I reckon id be in a blackhole for sure.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[Trev]

May I ask what a human MRI cost, if you remember? Charles Barkley is currently undergoing one for $4k, including GA and all the ancillary crap.

#whynoquickreplytrev?

I had an MRI a little while back. Think it cost me $280. Would have been $200 but they wanted to inject some dye to get a clearer picture. They did and id wasn't any clearer.
But I don't know how much the total cost was. That was obviously the "gap" payment.

#missedthisone
#andotherlittleusedthreads.


Fixing now.

[Trev]

Fixed.

[unclethirsty]

Brendo, please check you PM's.

[Dirty Dog]

Hey Natho, I'm pretty sure I have exactly what you have. Pretty concerning that a bloody toe joint can impact on your surfing potentially for the rest of your life. How is yours going? What did you end up doing?

[Slowman]

A nasty cut on your foot will affect your surfing (usually adversely) as the pain will make you do and avoid things to protect it and stop the pain.

I had arthritis in my right hip for years. Though I did things, first I had a high femoral osteotomy where they sever the femur just near the head and re-attach it so there is a good bit of cartilage under the main weight bearing point. That lasted me 11 years then I went for a hip resurfacing but he couldn't tweak it and make my legs of equal length again and fix up some other range of movement issues so I had to have it reversed. Ouch 12 months out of the water each time and 6 months on crutches. Finally got the resurfacing done 5 years after the revision osteotomy. I have been pain free ever since, hallelujah!

Moral of the story: get surgery as soon as possible (if it is going to cure the problem) and get back to pain free living. Wish they had resurfacing around when I first had the problem it would have avoided 16 years of pain.

For toes, I'm not sure but I suppose a fusion won't matter if it just one joint, as there are 2 and you can probably get enough movement out of the other to compensate? Which joint?

[Natho]

I went and spoke to a good surgeon who specialises in toes. Last resort would be a fusion of the toe joint, though he would probably first try cleaning the joint up with keyhole. Basically I've done nothing and it's not really affecting my surfing much at all other than a little pain here and there. He even suggested to only get surgery as absolute last resort.
The surgeon explained that you don't really need the main joint of your big toe. As an example I only have 5% movement left and I am functioning fine except for some discomfort. He used the example of Leyton Hewitt who had his big toe joint fused and he went on to play great tennis. Your body easily compensates for the loss of the joint movement. So looks like I picked a good joint to get osteo in.

[go hard]

At 54 I have the same in one of my big toes.
One tab of 1500 glucosamine a day makes a big difference.

[Natho]

Yep I'm tacking same. Toe has been pretty good.

[AussieinTexas]

Oh no , Im set for toe issue,s in the future. Last weekend I broke my big toe and ripped the ligaments of the 2nd toe. As well as blowing out both ankles ( badly sprained). Did it on my mx bike. Jump gone wrong. This will defiantly stop my surfing for a period plus the grief in the future. I am walking like a penguin .

[Trev]

I jammed my big toe between the foot peg and a tree in the forest on my trailbike when I was early 20's. Think I was in third gear when I slid wide.
Wasn't wearing my SIDI's, just desert boot.
It acts up a bit occasionally. No idea how broken it was. Didn't go to the doctor.

But I understand the lack of control thing with sensory neuropathy working its way across my feet.