my aching feet

[iceturkee]

when i first enlisted in the army in 1974, my entrance physical indicated i had no physical problems with my feet. when i got to my permanent duty station, there was a requirement that women wear heels with their uniforms. i did but shortly thereafter, i fell down two flights of stairs (broken at the first landing) and injured my back. i had caught the rung of my heel on a step and tumbled.

 

shortly, after, starting to experience pain in my feet, i went to sick call. the doc looked at my feet and indicated i had several problems, the worst being very high arches. i was given inserts for my shoes and issued a permanent profile that i wear only low quarters with the inserts. this is in my army medical record.

 

fast forward to the present, my feet are worse, i have hammertoes, arthritis and still have high arches. i have constant pain in the metarsal region of my feet. in january, the podiatrist gave me orthotics. i am debating whether or not to open a claim for my feet, either based on my army info or as secondary to my service connected back issues. thanks.

 

i

[Buck52]

You may want to file  an Intent to file claim first & send it to your Claims Intake Center.

Check with Your Dr to get an nexus...and gather up all your medical records that pertain to your Back/ feet ect,,ect,, see what can be secondary if you have a Back claim from your fall?

I believe you can win a claim for this.

Being you were giving an entry exam in to the US Army  and passed You was considered fit for duty and you served.  this was caused from your military duty  but you need a Dr to give an opinion to this.

We never know what the VA will decide until we get the decision...but if I was you I'd file on it.

jmo   Good Luck

....Buck

[iceturkee]

thanks buck. i am currently 40 percent for my back.

 

when i saw the podiatrist in september, she felt that my feet problem was most likely generating from my back issues. i didn't tell her about the diagnosis in 1975.

Edited March 15, 2016 by iceturkee

[iceturkee]

buck, i saw my podiatrist this morning. told her the inserts were helping but i have been getting pain in the bottom of my feet even with them. additionally, often have what feels like a bolt of electricity in my neet. said it was all nerve pain. asked if she thought it was more back related than anything else, she replied yes. got sent to have foot molds made for custom foot orthotics.

 

i am relatively sure i am moving forth with two clains: one for the feet and a second for radiculopathy (since it is well documented in my va record.).

[Andyman73]

iceturkee,

You may also be experiencing pes cavus(claw foot) related pain and plantar fasciitis, which tends to shadow pes cavus.  I have a handful of pes issues, however get 30% for pes cavus with plantar fasciitis bilateral.  I thought arthritis got it's own separate rating, but I guess not.  Anyway,  I have back problems too, but somehow the two don't meet in the middle for me.

Try painful foot condition, bilateral, when I put my claim in, it said painful foot condition, to include plantar fasciitis. 

Now I have an EED claim in for same, since I had a C&P exam back in early '06 that found all the same issues, but then was not decided yay or nay.

Andyman

Edited March 29, 2016 by Andyman73

[Navy4life]

I too suffer many feet/ankle issues.  I am currently rated 10% for my left ankle and waiting on an FDC for an increase to the left ankle, as well as I am waiting on my NOD from 2014.  I had my hearing last month with the DRO to see about s/c for my left toe condition, and right foot/ankle condition.  I feel your pain.  I had two fractures to the left ankle in service and I had one fracture to the right foot in service and most recently another fracture to the right foot as well.  I have injections monthly to my toe and ankle on the left foot.  Had surgery in June 2015 for my left ankle/toe and it did no good.  Podiatrist wants to go back in but since I just had surgery in January to my right foot I really don't want anymore surgeries.

I too had to wear heels and my last fracture in service was when I was 8 months pregnant with my second child.

Other than the one sick call where they ordered you inserts, do yo have any other notations in your SMR's for your feet issues?  I am thinking your feet have worsened due to your back....JMHO - I would really consider a secondary claim to back, especially if the most recent issues have come onset since your back issues.

 

[Andyman73]

I must be in some exclusionary group, I can't get anything secondary to my back. Up or down, I couldn't even get R ankle secondary to L, or bilateral knees, or bilateral pes cavus w/plantar fasciitis...

Funny how my VA therapist was telling me, at my last session, that the VA really isn't out to deny me SCDs.  Must be in my head.  I'm seriously considering telling him at my next session, that I don't want to come anymore.  I don't feel any better, and it seems like what ever good may be happening in therapy, is being drained away by the VARO.  I'm just imagining that 6+ different denials are some big deal, but not really, right?

I'm imagining the burning in my big toes right now, cuz it's so much fun pretending your feet are on fire, right?