Hi Jenni
Feet? Ruddy feet?!! Don't get me started!! I have 'dents' similar to the ones you describe and in my case they are caused by the dropping of the metatarsal heads under the foot (equivalent of the knuckles on the hands). I have already had surgery to both feet and had most of the 'heads' removed. Worked well for a few years and got rid of the 'pebbles'. That was until the few remaining heads became problematical. The surgeon that did the earlier ops is now running a hotel in France, nice if you can do it, and the current ortho doesn't believe that removing metatarsal heads is a good move as it destroys the skeletal substructure of the foot. I have to agree with him on that one! The answer to walking on pebbles seems to be more supportive insoles to remove the pressure. However, the toe issue would seem to need investigating before it disappears under foot completely! Sounds like it might need straightening. The rheumatologist should refer you to orthopaedics, at least that's how it works at our hospital!
Next stop for my feet is to have the dammed things removed and swivel wheels inserted ... imagine that .. what fun
Hi Sheila
They don't take account of feet in the DAS 28 because it is very difficult to assess inflammation levels around the small joints. Also, most people with RA have some problems with their feet as it more generally (but not always) affects the smaller joints such as toes, feet, fingers, hands and wrists in the early stages. Janice is talking about DAS at our January meeting!
Lyn x
