Treatment For Foot Pain Caused By Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism can result in some painful foot conditions. However, there are treatments available that will minimize the pain. Many patients find that wearing orthotic shoe inserts is quite helpful. If you have hypothyroidism and foot pain, you should visit a specialized shoe store and be fitted for custom arch supports or orthotics.
These devices are custom made to fit your feet. They are then worn inside your shoes to give your feet the added support that you need.
If you suspect that you may have hypothyroidism, you should see a doctor to be tested and properly diagnosed. Do not rely on your own suspicions to establish a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. It is important to see a doctor to be accurately diagnosed and rule out any other possible concerns.
Your doctor may recommend additional treatment options, such as steroid injections. Steroid injections serve to reduce inflammation, which helps to reduce pain.
Anyone who has a health condition that can contribute to foot pain should be particularly careful to take good care of their feet. Go to a specialized shoe store to purchase your shoes, and have your feet professionally measured there.
Feet often change in size as we age, and you may find that you arent wearing the proper size. This factor alone can contribute greatly to foot pain. Have your feet measured every time you purchase new shoes. When you shop for shoes, go late in the day, when your feet tend to be largest and most swollen.
How To Manage Painful Feet
So many factors can cause pain in your feet. From the type of shoes you wear and the amount of time you spend on your feet to chronic health conditions you may have, the cause behind painful feet can be tough to puzzle together.
However, if you have hypothyroidism or suspect a thyroid problem, an important first step is getting a blood test. A thyroid function test can tell you and your doctor how your thyroid is performing and if any autoimmune processes interfere with proper functioning. Getting a blood test can be complicated sometimes, so you can try an at-home thyroid test kit that only requires a small finger-prick blood sample to detect your thyroid levels.
If you have hypothyroidism, correcting low thyroid hormone with medication like levothyroxine can help restore thyroid hormone levels in your body. It can take some time to find the right dose for you, and if you are currently taking it, you may need to have your thyroid checked to verify you are on the correct dose.
Next, weight loss is key if you are experiencing foot pain. Of course, it can be hard to get moving if standing is uncomfortable. Consider other exercises like stationary biking and swimming to get a jumpstart on weight loss.
Dry Flaky Cracked Feet With Calluses
In 2012, a study was designed to identify the cutaneous manifestations of hypothyroidism, an under-active thyroid. Of the four hundred and sixty diagnosed cases of hypothyroidism, 300 patients presented with dry, coarse skin. In another study that same year, 100% of subjects with hypothyroidism had coarse, rough, dry skin. Palmoplantar keratoderma, found in 33%, is a term that refers to a group of skin conditions with marked thickening of the skin in the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. Hyperthyroidism, over-active thyroid, due to the autoimmune condition Graves disease may also present with thickened dermis. While it may seem contradictory, it is often the case that some symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism present the same.
Thats not your thyroid.
Youre just getting older.
Its all in your head.
Sound familiar?
Even if you try to explain these symptoms to most doctors, they will shrug them off as having nothing to do with your thyroid. But I knew deep in my gut that there was a connection. And you do too.
Get a second, third, even ten medical opinions until you find the one that gets it.
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Ways Your Thyroid Is Messing With Your Body
Is your hair thinning a bit?
You’re likely well aware that your body works like a machineif one part is off, then, well, the whole damn thing can start having issues.
The best example of this is your thyroid, the small gland in your neck that controls your metabolism and regulates your bodily functions .
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Most of the time, you don’t notice your thyroid gland is working at all . But when it starts misfiring, like not releasing enough thyroid hormone or releasing too much , all hell can break loose. Even more annoying: That hell can break loose anywhere in your body: your eyes, your skin, your hands, you name it.
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That’s because symptoms of thyroid disease can mirror the symptoms of a ton of other issues. “Symptoms vary from person to person and can come on suddenly or very gradually, so they’re hard to detect,” as Valentina Rodriguez, M.D., an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health previously told Women’s Health in Do I Need A Thyroid Check?.
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That’s why it’s super important to stay on top ofand quickly act onany of the symptoms below.
Symptoms Of Underactive Thyroid
The function of the thyroid gland is to produce hormones. These hormones help regulate the body’s metabolism .
Many symptoms of an underactive thyroid are the same as those of other conditions. So an underactive thyroid can easily be confused for something else.
Symptoms usually develop slowly. You may not realise you have a medical problem for several years.
Common symptoms and signs include:
- hoarseness or deepening of the voice
- muscle aches and weakness
- pins and needles sensation in the hands
- dry and scaly skin
- reduced body and scalp hair
- puffy face, hands and feet
- irregular periods or heavy periods
Elderly people with an underactive thyroid may develop memory problems and depression. Children may experience slower growth and development. Teenagers may start puberty earlier than normal.
If you have any of these symptoms, see your GP and ask to be tested for an underactive thyroid.
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Neck Or Throat Changes
Thyroid conditions can cause problems in your neck or throat. These disorders may cause changes you can see or feel, such as nodules or a goiter that may be related to an autoimmune thyroid disease or even thyroid cancer.
Watch for:
Thyroid conditions can cause digestion problems.
- In hypothyroidism, you may have severe or persistent constipation. It might not respond to treatments.
- In hyperthyroidism, you may have diarrhea, loose stools, or irritable bowel syndrome.
Fatigue Sleep And Mental Health
Sleep issues and fatigue are common with thyroid issues. Fatigue can get worse without a good night’s rest. At times, it can be so profound that it affects your daily life.
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You have a hard time falling asleep.
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You wake up several times during the night.
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You heart races or you feel anxious at bedtime.
Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders are common with thyroid problems.
- In hypothyroidism, you may have depression that doesn’t respond to antidepressants.
- In hyperthyroidism, you may have anxiety, panic disorder, or panic attacks.
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Check Out These 12 Lesser
1. Headaches
The Journal of Headache and Pain found a high prevalence of hypothyroidism in those who experience migraine headaches. Around 30% of people with an underactive thyroid experience headaches. It’s still unclear whether hypothyroidism is the cause of headaches, though this is a reasonable assumption since an underactive thyroid may slow blood circulation to the brain. Additionally, fatigue, a common symptom of hypothyroidism, is often associated with migraines and may play a role in triggering migraine headaches.
2. Memory Changes
Overt hypothyroidism may negatively affect several cognitive functions. These may include but are not limited to attention and concentration, memory, perceptual function, language, psychomotor function, and executive function. This troubling symptom is mostly reversible with levothyroxine treatment.
Mild hypothyroidism , on the other hand, is not associated with significant cognitive decline. Patients with mild hypothyroidism may experience “brain fog,” which is a subtle decline in planning, memory, attention and concentration, or multitasking ability.
3. Mood Swings
Low thyroid hormone levels may contribute to depression and sadness. Thyroid hormones control our body’s metabolism and energy production. Without proper levels, mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, and brain fog may become more noticeable.
What About Hypothyroidism And Nerve Pain
Nerve pain may also be a factor in hypothyroidism. Neuropathy is a condition where nerves outside the brain become damaged and cause several unpleasant side effects, including pain, numbness, and tingling in the extremities. In general, neuropathy accompanies a lot of chronic health conditions like diabetes.
Severe and long-term untreated hypothyroidism can result in peripheral neuropathy. One theory as to why this can occur is that fluid retention damages nerves in tight joint spaces. Here again, this may be the reason why hypothyroid patients frequently experience carpal tunnel syndrome.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis often develops gradually, with slowly worsening pain in the bottom of the foot around the heel area. The pain is typically most intense when you take your first steps of the day and is known as âfirst-step pain.â Long periods of standing and strenuous exercise can also trigger more acute pain. Researchers report that moderate activity during the day reduces heel pain, but the pain can worsen towards the end of the day.
Tightness of the Achilles tendon â located in the back of the leg connecting calf muscles to the heel area â is also found in almost 80% of cases of Plantar Fasciitis.
Your Eyes Feel Dry And Look Puffy
While dry, irritated eyes can be a symptom of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, super-puffy, protruding eyes can be a sign of Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases .
This happens when the eyelids are pulled back from the eye, per the NIDDK. Along with bulging eyes, Graves’ disease can also cause double vision and swelling.
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Thyroid At Root Of Many Symptoms
Gaining weight, losing weight, exhaustion, the blahs, anxiousness, insomnia, constipation, hair loss, dry skin, pounding heart, infertility — just about any ailment that can plague a woman often can be traced back to a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck called the thyroid. More than 13 million Americans have thyroid problems, and half do not know it.
There is a laundry list of symptoms associated with both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism . However, Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD, an internist in Dallas and author of Screaming to be Heard: Hormone Connections Women Suspect, and Doctors Still Ignore and Women, Weight and Hormones, says none of this is as clear cut as many doctors think. For one thing, she says, the thyroid regulates every cell in the body, including the ovarian hormones, and the secondary effects of an imbalance in these hormones can exacerbate problems with the hormones secreted by the thyroid.
If An Underactive Thyroid Isn’t Treated
It’s unlikely that you’d have many of the later symptoms of an underactive thyroid, because the condition is often identified before more serious symptoms appear.
Later symptoms of an underactive thyroid include:
- a low-pitched and hoarse voice
- a puffy-looking face
- thinned or partly missing eyebrows
- a slow heart rate
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Why Might It Affect Your Muscles And Joints
Problems with the skeletomuscular system are all too common in people with hypothyroidism. Muscle pain or aches, tenderness, and joint stiffness are the most prevalent symptoms affecting this body system.
Several factors may be behind these symptoms in people with hypothyroidism. Firstly, joint pain, in particular, may be exacerbated by autoimmunity. The leading cause of hypothyroidism in the United States is an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. In this condition, the body’s immune system attacks otherwise healthy tissues in the thyroid gland, leading to chronic inflammation, dry skin, and eventual failure of the organ to produce thyroid hormone. The inflammatory agents behind this condition can also wreak havoc in other tissues and may even lead to other autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. .” rel=”nofollow”> polyautoimmunity.)
Secondly, people with hypothyroidism often suffer from weight gain. Being overweight can place additional weight burdens on your joints, making them prone to stress and inflammation.
Irregular Menstrual Periods And Infertility
When your thyroid is underactive, you may experience heavier, more painful menstrual periods, or your periods may come more frequently, and last longer. Hypothyroidism is also associated with an increased risk of infertility including early and recurrent miscarriage. If you have irregular periods or are finding it difficult to get pregnant, a thorough thyroid evaluation is an important step.
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Fertility Issues And Thyroid Conditions
Thyroid disorders commonly run in families. If you have a family history of any thyroid-related illness, its important to be screened regularly.
Its worth noting that women are more prone than men to suffering from a thyroid condition and should receive thyroid screenings more regularly throughout their lives, but particularly before planning a pregnancy. Thyroid issues can impact fetus development significantly. If youre planning to become pregnant and display any common or lesser known symptoms of thyroid disorder, you should have your levels of thyroid hormone tested.
Issues of infertility and miscarriages of unknown reasons could be because of your thyroid. Although period irregularity is a commonly known symptom of thyroid issues, many dont make the link between the fact that the reason periods are irregular is because of hormonal disruption. Its that hormonal disruption that can lead to infertility of unknown reasons, difficulty getting pregnant, and even miscarriages within the first trimester. These are actually common symptoms of thyroid conditions, but ones that the public may not be aware of.
Plantar Fasciitis And Hypothyroidism
You wake up, and as you get out of bed and put your feet on the floor, you feel a sharp, shooting pain in your heel. What is going on? It could be a common condition called plantar fasciitis, one of the most frequent causes of foot and heel pain. Itâs estimated that one in ten people will experience plantar fasciitis. The condition involves irritation of the plantar fascia â the layer of tissue that connects the base of your toes to your heel bone. Since hypothyroidism is associated with a higher risk of plantar fasciitis, itâs helpful to be familiar with this foot condition and its diagnosis and treatment.
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Investigate Other Sources Of Joint Pain Such As Rheumatoid Arthritis
Hypothyroidism most commonly occurs when your immune system mistakes your thyroid for an enemy and interferes with its ability to make the proper amount of thyroid hormone, according to the Mayo Clinic. Similarly, rheumatoid arthritis causes your immune system to go off-track your body attacks your joints and connective tissue, causing them to swell and be painful, notes the NHS.
Doctors aren’t sure why, but if you have either of these autoimmune disorders, you’re more susceptible to the other, according to past research. It can be difficult to tell if one or both are causing your joint pain. “We can fix hypothyroidism with the proper dose of hormone,” Dr. Harrell says. And different treatments are available for RA. Either way, finding the cause and a proper treatment for your pain is the first step to feeling better.
Try This Questionnaire To Check Your Own Symptoms:
4. Digestive Issues
Your digestive system can be impacted by thyroid health in different ways. Too little thyroid hormone slows the movement of food through your digestive tract, which can leave your belly bloated or contribute to constipation. It also slows the body’s metabolism, which can lead to weight gain.
In more severe cases, illnesses such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth can develop. Getting these issues diagnosed and treated will also greatly help in managing your thyroid issues.
5. Heartburn
Research suggests that overt hypothyroidism may be associated with an esophageal motility disorder that presents as heartburn. What is esophageal motility, you ask? John Hopkins Medicine explains this as the contractions that occur in the esophagus, the muscular tube that propels food from the throat to the stomach. Esophageal dysmotility is when contractions in the esophagus become irregular.
It’s unclear exactly why thyroid hormones may have this effect on the esophagus. Perhaps a slowed digestive system could lead to acid reflux and heartburn, or a food sensitivity could be to blame.
6. Dry Skin
Low thyroid hormone levels directly affect the skin, causing a variety of changes, including dryness, thickening, and scaling. Patients can suffer from head to toe and everywhere in between.
7. Sensitivity to Cold
8. Menstrual Irregularities
- Bleeding that lasts more than seven days
- Needing to change pads or tampons during the night
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Strengthen Your Muscles To Help Rev Weight Loss Easing Joint Pain
Equally important is strength training because stronger muscles also directly help protect nearby joints, not to mention improve your balance, control your weight, and maintain bone strength, notes the Mayo Clinic.
For example, strengthening exercises, such as squats, lunges, and leg lifts, develop the muscles that support the knees. If youre new to this type of exercise, start slow with 15 repetitions of each move, says Igor Klibanov, founder of Fitness Solutions Plus and author of Unlimited Progress: How You Can Unlock Your Body’s Potential. Then build up to three sets of 15 reps each.
For strength training frequency, Grieger also points her clients to the aforementioned guidelines, which recommend performing these exercises as much as you can but ideally at least two days per week. Try to ensure that the exercises activate all major muscle groups.