Hidden culprit behind mysterious foot pain could be thyroid issues
Foot pain could be a red flag of this UNEXPECTED problem
You’re hurting so badly… you can BARELY walk.
The foot pain came on WITHOUT warning… and it’s got you DOWN for the count!
It’s not an injury… it’s got NOTHING to do with wearing the wrong type of shoes…
And it’s got your doc STUMPED.
He’ll refer you to specialist after specialist… first a foot doc, then a neurologist, and maybe even a pain clinic.
But they’re too busy trying to put a BAND-AID on the symptoms… rather than unearthing the ROOT CAUSE!
And that’s why NOTHING is working.
It sounds like a NIGHTMARE scenario… but it could be VERY real.
Because if you’ve got the type of health issue I’m about to share with you… it could manifest in your feet…
Where you’d LEAST expect it to!
I’m talking about your thyroid.
Now, this little gland in your throat is like “Mission Control” for A LOT of your body’s inner workings…
From metabolism and energy… to temperature regulation… bone development… muscle function… and heart health.
When the thyroid gland DOESN’T work properly… it can present with some classic symptoms.
Folks with UNDERACTIVE thyroid function (hypothyroidism) often feel cold and gain weight.
Those with an OVERACTIVE thyroid (hyperthyroidism) typically experience weight loss… the “jitters”… and even an irritable mood.
But everything is not black and white when it comes to your thyroid…
And things can go wrong with its function that don’t fit into these two neat little packages.
“Low” thyroid can strike your joints, for instance… creating MASSIVE amounts of inflammation…
And leaving you feeling CRIPPLED.
That’s not all…
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Because your feet could also SWELL UP… along with your ankles (or “cankles”)…
Their muscles could CRAMP UP…
And they could feel IMPOSSIBLY cold.
“High” thyroid, on the other hand, could cause sweatiness in the feet… toenail changes… and frequent infections…
Especially fungal ones, like athlete’s foot.
Now, ALL of these foot problems could also have OTHER causes…
So here’s a situation where you’ll need to do a little process of elimination with your doc.
He’ll want to RULE OUT any structural issues with your feet… like a sprain or a fracture…
And he’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough support from your footwear. He may even prescribe a custom orthotic for you to wear inside your shoes.
But the sad news is, the thyroid is too often OVERLOOKED as a culprit behind health issues…
And a mainstream doc might be more likely to try every drug in the pharmacy on you before even LOOKING for a thyroid hormone imbalance.
That’s why I always like to recommend seeing an integrative physician… who’ll look at your “mystery symptoms” thoroughly before jumping straight to scribbling out an Rx.
Even if your doc agrees to test your thyroid hormone levels… he might not know how to look at the entire picture…
Focusing ONLY on thyroid stimulating hormone levels… and not on the REST of a complete thyroid hormone panel…
Which also indicates your supply of thyroid hormones that’s circulating and available for your body to put to use.
Now, if your thyroid is truly “low”… your doc may recommend a synthetic thyroid hormone replacement drug.
Only you can decide whether that’s the right route for you to take…
But let me point out that there are certain factors in your daily life that could DRAIN thyroid function…
And a big one is taking calcium supplements.
Fortunately, ELIMINATING them could help NORMALIZE your thyroid…
WITHOUT drugs.
You could also be DEFICIENT in iodine. But that’s easy enough to fix… simply by sprinkling some iodized salt on your food!
These tweaks may not be enough to RESOLVE any thyroid-related foot pain on their own…
But they’re a good first step.
For better health,
Dr. Marc S. Micozzi, M.D., Ph.D.
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