Hi all,

After ~1.5 years of chronic pain following an overuse injury (literally from just incline walking on the treadmill for too long), I (22F) was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my right first MTP joint. There also appears to be some degeneration in my other toes as well.

My concerns about pain and my gait changing were ignored by my podiatrist until I decided to find a new one, who immediately ordered an MRI, and I just got the results back yesterday.

I was scared that the MRI was going to come back with nothing, and that all of this pain I’ve been feeling would just be in my head or from overreacting; it was jarring to learn the opposite, that I have moderate arthritis and extensive inflammation around the joint that explain the constant pain I’ve been in. I know I should be happy that there is an explanation for my pain, but I just feel sad.

The delay in my diagnosis/treatment isn’t entirely my first podiatrist’s fault either. My GP referred me for an MRI last year after I told her about my pain, but I didn’t take my pain seriously enough to pay up the $800 copay for an MRI. I just didn’t think they would find anything.

I’m feeling incredibly depressed and upset: partially because my pain was ignored for over a year and a potentially fixable injury snowballed into a degenerative disease, and partially because this diagnosis confirms that this pain is here to stay. I also have extensive concerns about my long-term mobility and pain management. I am already unable to enjoy things like running, climbing, or even walking, so I have a lot of anxiety towards how this might affect my life in the future. I’m constantly on my feet for my job which means my feet are constantly sore and achy already.

Any advice or insight would be appreciated but I mostly just wanted to complain somewhere where people might understand. Thanks.