Question: Foot Drop

[Rino468]

Foot Atrophy Questions

Hi all
I do not want to take too much of your time as I know it is valuable.

Like everyone else on here, I have some muscle twitching, and Dr. Google brought me to ALS and with the ALS Ice Bucket challenge it has brought my already high health anxiety, to brand new unforeseen levels.
Some quick history -

I am an active person (martial arts, lifting weights) and as of right now, I am attributing my muscle twitches to fact that I have kicked up my physical regimen more than I have before (since I am in this mode where I have to prove that though I feel weak, I am not weak) So far so good. But I guess it makes it worse because I twitch even more when I workout. Anyway – I went to a GP and told her my fears with the twitches, she did some simple hand tests (Squeeze, push pull) , and talked to me about everything and said, if there was something wrong she would notice it in my hand strength, I have no family history, I am young (38), and my twitches are so intermittent – less than 50 a day, my twitches are maybe like 1-5 heartbeats long usually, sometimes longer but usually, and that they go from my calves, my toes, my thigh, my butt, my arm, my shoulder, my face, that she did not feel the need to refer me to a neuro at this time. She said she would attribute it to my physical activity and anxiety (which she knows that I have health anxiety as I see her for everything) at which time she said its time for me to see a therapist and I had my first appointment yesterday.
My therapist for my Anxiety told me to take for now, 5 minutes of freak out time a day, where I can examine my body, read the boards, dr google. So yesterday I did that (more or less) and as I was walking noticed some difference in my feet.
So I have some foot atrophy questions:
1) Does weakness in the feet start before atrophy occurs? Or would atrophy be there first before weakness?
2) If I had true foot atrophy / weakness how would that affect me ? Would I not be able to walk on my toes, heels, walk at all without falling?
3) can there be visible muscular differences in each foot? I know there can be in the hand, because of hand dominance, but can there be in the feet? the legs I can understand, but the feet?

I have attached/linked some pictures of my feet, some things to keep in mind :

a) I am a small boned person naturally - i have 7inch wrists and 7inch ankles. So thin fingers and feet are natural for me (logically anyway, as of now I think I atrophy everywhere)
b) I am 38 years old so my skin isnt as tight as it once was.
c) On my left foot I have one small bunion on my big toe and a bigger bunionette on my pinky toe.

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-Moderator Note - pictures scrubbed, links don't work without running a script and we've had issues with that recently
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Any input would be helpful. This is my 5 minutes for today so I may not answer (I should not answer or check) this until tomorrow.

I have read the stickies and I pray for all of you whether your PALS or CALS.

Thank you much everyone!

 

[MaxEidswick]

Re: Foot Atrophy Questions

Hi -- ALS/MND is a scary disease to consider/fear. We empathize. This note is not to deter you from your investigations, but just so thoughts on how we can help each other ...


Here are some first considerations that may help:

#1 - Read the STICKIES at the top of this forum. Many questions are answered there. 99% of new questions are addressed.


#2 We are not doctors or diagnosticians, but people who are dying from or caring for people with ALS. Some of us have to type with one hand, one finger, via dictation, or even with our eyes, so reading/replying to the anxiety-ridden can be very tiring.


#3 if you think you have a motor neuron issue, see your Primary Care Provider and get a referral to a motor neuron qualified neuro, note: most are NOT ALS/MND (Motor Neuron Disease) experienced!


#4 an EMG, properly done, is the gold standard test for ALS. But also, an abnormal EMG can indicate HUNDREDS of other, non-fatal, diseases. So listen to your doctor.


#5 ALS does NOT present with pain, cramps, or fatigue. In ALS, you feel perfectly normal but your muscles simply won't work. Typically, the first sign of ALS is a foot or a hand that inexplicably just won't lift up. It doesn't hurt or feel weak, it just is limp. That is paralysis.


#6 ALS is about failing, not feeling, so forget the "feeling" symptoms


#7 If your main issue is twitching go to the bfs forum. If you have weird neuro symptoms try neurotalk. There are also forums for health anxiety.


#8 Your doctor is wise to look at other diseases. ALS is rare. In order for it to be ALS, it has to be nothing else.


#9 Many of us cough/gag/choke and/or can no longer speak. It is difficult to have anxious people constantly chasing this disease, when we can't escape it. There seems to be this cult of ALS wannabees/groupies. You don't want to fall into that bucket do you?


#10 Anxiety can be a real problem that can endanger your physical health. It is what leads many folks here to this forum -- it is a self-fueling fire. Try to avoid using google and/or this forum if you can -- if you cannot stay away and off this forum it should tell you something important!


Lastly, if you are still interested, go to alsa dot org or mda dot org ...


We sincerely hope you do not need to be here! But find out first. If you do need to be here let me say "Welcome, sorry you are here!"


-----
Max - Monday, August 18, 2014 12:03:01 PM
-----
onset 9/2010, diagnosed with ALS by Stanley Appel 8/29/2013
It Is What It Is ...

.

 

[nebrhahe53]

Re: Foot Atrophy Questions

Nothing you say sounds like ALS to me. That being said, if you want to be sure see a neuro, and not just any neuro-one in an ALS clinic. There are 2 near you:

200 West Arbor Dr
San Diego, CA 92103-8674 Zoom
Clinic: UCSD ALS Center (San Diego)
Phone: 619-43-5300

and


9500 Gilman Dr
La Jolla, CA 92093
Clinic: UCSD ALS Center (La Jolla)
Phone: 858-246-1154

The Dr you are going to doesn't really seem familiar with ALS. How she could give you just some hand strength tests and say you don't have it is puzzling. What if it started in your legs or bulbar? For example I can still walk on my toes and heels but I definitely have ALS-although how much longer i'll be able to do that is open to question.

In the meantime, assume you don't have it. Why? Because there is nothing that can be done for you whether you knew you had it or not. Get treated for the anxiety and enjoy your life.

 

[Rino468]

Re: Foot Atrophy Questions

Thanks all for the answers.

My dr probably isn't too familiar with als so thank you for the information concerning my local als clinics. I don't think I have it (logically speaking though my anxiety does tend to get the better of me at times, which I'm working on)

I was also just looking for answers on foot atrophy questions as well.

Thank you all for the answers this far and any you can provide concerning foot atrophy


Bless all of you.

 

[Atsugi]

Re: Foot Atrophy Questions

As to feet, weakness, and atrophy.

If you had ALS (which you don't) you would typically lose control of one foot. It would go limp, and thus trip you up. You would be unable to walk on your heels.

Atrophy comes from not using a muscle. SO in ALS, we see atrophy AFTER the paralysis.

It's very possible for normal healthy people to have two different sizes of feet/ankles.

 

[Rino468]

Re: Foot Atrophy Questions

Thank you much to everyone who answered.

I will do my best to not post -- I know you get alot of people on here like me, who are likely freaking out for no reason.

It seems as if the ALS Ice Bucket challenge did overall good for the research into ALS, but its completely flooded any ALS community with many people who are freaking out (like me) over a twitch.

 

[Rino468]

Hello all

This is just a question -- curiousity -- I read the stickies, I am not in any panic that I have ALS, but I am curious about Foot Drop if you have time / can / want to answer.

In hindsight -- did you notice any symptoms prior to your foot drop? Or just one day you couldnt move it.

Thank you for your time.

I pray for you all.

 

[affected]

Rino you do know that the PALS here have little energy and difficulty typing.

So I will answer and hopefully that can be the end of this thread, and you can work with doctors to alleviate your fears.

Foot drop is what it sounds like. The foot drops downwards. You may well be able to move your foot, but not lift it.

Whatever your 'symptoms' you are best working with a doctor. If your foot drops, you will know it, and you will begin falling.

All the best with your searching for answers, please don't feel the need to ask the same kinds of questions over as we have limited resources. You may be 'curious', but the people here are living and dying from this disease, so please have consideration of that.

 

[GregK]

Don't start a new string when you have an existing one: Foot Atrophy Questions

 

[Rino468]

Foot Atrophy and Foot Drop are two different things -- i really have no more fears about ALS i was just curious about it since its a prevalent symptom, I understand all of your time is valuable. But this is a question forum so I wanted to ask a question. This is only my 2nd thread on here.

I didnt mean to offend anyone -- im not in a paniced state like many new users here -- and I know all of you are probably more forum "busy" since the ice bucket challenge.

I have zero fears about ALS right now but the research and awareness to the disease that has been brought to the spotlight so to speak i was just curious.

Anyway -- my last post here -

thanks again

 

[skipper66]

Since you don't have ALS fears. Please take your questions elsewhere. We aren't doctors. Thank you!

 

[Atsugi]

Thanks Skipper. We must be careful that our ALS website does not become a general health discussion area. I'm all in favor of giving the boot to people who aren't PALS or CALS.

I'd like to help everybody, really. But giving time to a non-ALS person means taking away time from a PALS. We shouldn't allow non-ALS issues to distract us.

 

[Rino468]

I am all for that too -- i understand your value in time. People like me with questions can definitely clog up the system.

you can start by deleting my account!

Well wishes to all of you. The anxiety you have curbed, the lives you have touched, is immeasurable.