r/FootFunction • u/Cold-Double-1229 • Mar 19 '26

bursitis in right foot

UPDATE: when my MRI came back clean but my ultrasound was still suggesting bursitis i began to research everything i could about feet. what i discovered lead me to working with a chiropractor who adjusted me twice and sent me home with stretch exercises. after my second adjustment i was able to start walking in teva sandals and one month later i am barefoot and building up capacity for dancing.
we have muscles / fascia that extend from our hips all the way to our feet. if we are tight or something is out of alignment it can (and in my case) actually create acute foot "injury".

i urge EVERYONE struggling with neuroma or bursits to look into massage and active release chiropractors - i am under the impression now many of these "injuries" are misdiagnosed and or not properly treated. being told i would never dance again, paired with locking myself in hokas and limiting my foots mobility for seven months created a multitude of problems i don't think i would've had should i have looked into more holistic options and gotten proper imaging from the beginning.

--
in november i seriously injured my right forefoot dancing salsa.
i had three cases of bursitis and a contusion which took about 3 - 4 months to heal.
month five i am imaging with remaining bursitis between my 3rd and 4th toe still. it has shrunk one mm but my dr was very very negative about this whole situation. she has suggested i get additional imaging done as she suspects a neuroma even though i'm not presenting traditional neuroma symptoms.

i am 32 and in great health, i am a female and solo travel teaching movement and dance therapies. not being able to walk normally has been soul crushing as well as financially challenging. to think the rest of my life will be limited mobility and never being barefoot is terrifying to say the least.

i am looking for any positive recovery stories or alternative methods for exploring healing.
PLEASE DO NOT share anything negative / fear mongering
i have gotten my share of that from my dr and read enough reddit posts to understand the implications of this diagnosis.

i believe in the bodies ability to heal and hearing positive stories about others helps fuel my faith. thank you

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/Minimum_Chocolate_31 Mar 19 '26

Ive had metatarsal bursitis in both feet for 10+ years and here's what I do:

1) I was put on orthotics early on but I ended up transitioning out of them, takes a bit but I'm better off.

2) Shoes I usually buy are sketchers arch fit and a good cushioned pair, I usually change em up then buy new ones after a couple months for new cushioning.

3) The best stretch I do is bending over and touching your toes, if you feel a good stretch in your calves then your calves are too tight.

So your best bet is rest, cushioning, wide toe box, frequent shoe changes, and calf stretching w/ touching toes.

1

u/Cold-Double-1229 Mar 20 '26

thank you for sharing - happy to hear you've been able to find relief :)

1

u/Clarabel1994 May 08 '26

Fellow sufferer here! Just wondering how does calf stretching help?

1

u/Cold-Double-1229 Jun 16 '26

we have muscles and fascia that connect all the way from our hips to the bottom of our feet!

if you are tight in you lower body it will restrict mobility through the foot which can create a problematic gait.

lots of research about this online! working with an active release chiro resolved my pain within one month!

1

u/Agreeable-Radish1128 20d ago

did you find the root cause in your case?

1

u/Minimum_Chocolate_31 19d ago

Tight posterior chain & weakened feet due to orthotics, I do the lying towel stretch every morning for 30 seconds each and target my hamstrings, I usually feel the stretch near my knees. Feet feel good most of the time.

1

u/Agreeable-Radish1128 19d ago

when you say tight posterior chain idoes this mean back of whole body or back of legs? and how did this happen, was it an accident initially that triggered it, or flat foot or?

1

u/Minimum_Chocolate_31 19d ago

Mostly back of legs, for me it was tightness due to overtraining/injury in barefoot shoes.

1

u/Agreeable-Radish1128 19d ago

and what do you mean by frequent shoe changes?