AlfonsoMijas:

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Thais a lot for your answer, I’ll try. Although I suppose the nodules should hurt, which is not my case for now, or would it be better to do it now that it dose’s hurt? I have to have an operation to take the metal away from my ankle ( the one with no nodules) in octubre.

I've read all the provided links about running/exercise and disease activity. I believe there is an absolute correlation between it and increased physical activity.

I'm 64, female and developed LH about 2 years ago following two events. First was the taking of BHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy) post-menopause, and the second was spending about two years during the pandemic establishing a vegetable and regular garden where I was on my feet for 6-8 hours a day. It kept me sane. Two small lumps on the right arch started out with minimal pain, grew to larger lumps and a chord. I was treated with verapamil for about 6 months, which did nothing, then had a steroid injection which relieved the pain. Nodules continued to grow and I had 3 shots of vitraise over a 6 month period, all while using verapamil. I got some relief although nodule size remained the same to me, but the podiatrist says they have shrunk. After the 4th series this January, the pain continues post procedure (for the first time) and chord has grown larger. I also happened to have increased my walking to about 3 miles a day because I was feeling good enough, do lunges and squats, lift low weights and continue to garden. I have cut holes in my shoes and wear only sneakers now, nevertheless, whether walking or resting, I have active or residual pain. Sometimes I'm woken at at night. I now have a nodule growing in my left foot. Can't feel it yet, but can feel the pain when walking.

If this disease is inflammatory in nature, I'll not be surprised. I have hashimotos, sjogrens syndrome and myasthenia graves as well as chronic Lyme disease and 3 brain stents for an aneurysm made of nickel. How can that be without side effects? With all these health concerns, I have to say LD has brought me down the most because it forces you to not do things and the chronic pain is debilitating.

At this point I believe RT is the only option, I just hope I'm not too late and can persuade my podiatrist. Yes, there are cancer concerns, but at my age in life, I think the trade off between no activity and a small risk of cancer, may be worth it.

This is the first time I've heard about vitraise. I knew about Xiaflex (collagenase) but not this (which is hyaluronidase).
Googling suggests that it's not widely used, but those who do, say it works well.
I wonder why it's not more well known ?
Since I started this thread 18 months ago, my DD has progressed both in terms of contraction, and also the number of new nodes, the latter being clearly correlated with careless mistakes that result in overstraining my hands. Most recently I thoughtlessly hacked at a piece of ice whilst otherwise carefully shovelling snow, and within a few days I had a new node, at the base of my right thumb.
I have spent a fortune on gloves, trying to find ones that protect me against different types of work, so I have heavy leather ski gloves for gardening, and have recently discovered anti-vibration gloves, of the sort used by jack-hammar workers. They are great for cycling (protecting the new thumb injury) and working with light items that have sharp edges.
On the other hand my LD has been rather stable. The lump has not grown much, but the plantar fasciitis has gotten a little worse. I keep walking around 6 miles a day, with double memory foam insoles, and silicone gel metatarsal pads (which are wonderful).

Edited 02/18/2024 07:17

There are exercises you can do to help with the plantar fasciitis.

Well done or better doing well! With this disease unfotunately everyone has to find his own way to deal with it. I was lucky that my LD nodules started growing but then stopped at a toleratable level.

Wolfgang