Sharp pain in ring toe when skiing...

Hey all, any ideas on the extremely excruciating maybe tendon/maybe nerve, pain afflicting my next-to-pinky toe? It's not until I start heading downhill that it feels something like a cramp, and then becomes sporadically very sharply painful -- tear producing, gasp response -- as I start making turns. I've noticed occasional tingly numbness of that toe and my pinky toe when running.

Before I run off to the doctor and explain "not skiing" is not an option, just wondering if anyone has had any similar afflictions?

Could be referred pain from inflamation around a nerve, possibly in foot or ankle. I had similar but in my thumb and pointer finger and turned out to be inflamation around nerves in my neck. A great chiropractor fixed it in 3 visits in about a week and a half - that was after a doctor visit that started with drugs and wanted to move to MRI's, x-rays, etc. - just a thought, I have no basis for my suggestion other than similar feeling but different location. Try to find a doctor, chiropractor, etc that works with athletes, they generally understand 'not skiing is not an option' better than some that start by suggesting stopping the activity - unless it's critical to proper healing.

To echo Blizz's thought; I'd had tingly/numb fingers that were traced to a nerve beneath my shoulder.blade. PT and body-alignment advice cleared it right up. First step on that path was a visit to my primary-care doc.

Good luck!

Sound a LOT  like my Morton's Neuroma. Do you ever feel like you have some sock bunched up under your toes/foot in that area? That's another telltale symptom. Metatarsal pad  might help  by spreading the toe bones enough to  give an inflamed nerve room. Get thee to  a podiatrist - if it's early enough you  may be able to prevent the  scar tissue that I've built up around my nerve by not dealing with it soon after onset. I'm due back at my foot doc's as the cortisone injection I got last April has not just  made it go away,  so it's  time for me to try the  next  step  (my  doc suggests alcohol injection to  attempt to  deaden the nerve as a next step to  try).

Same thing in both feet . Growth around tendons. But to be sure go see DR Steve Fuson. two offices one in tacoma mine responded to cortisone injections. That was 6 years ago. I do get a occasional flare up but not enough to go back in.

Teleskichica, FWIW, I'lll chime in as a tele skier/physician/PT junkie. I have had similar things - a great PT with expertise in feet can help tons. Custom (molded to your feet) orthotics are often needed and I always have them in my ski boots. Because not (tele) skiing is not an option.

Sound a LOT  like my Morton's Neuroma. .....

TSC, google morton's neuroma and read up on it.  I had it some years ago.  A chiropractor I know fitted me with a single pair of $400 orthodics which was a rip off.  Another chiropractor I know, told me that he just tells his patients to try the commercial orthodics first because they only cost ~$60. and usually work as well as the custom orthodics.  For morton's neuroma type pain, your orthodic needs to have a "metatarsal pad" in the orthodic.  Basically it's a bump in the orthodic that keeps your foot bones from compressing and irritating the nerves.

I bought numerous pairs of the lynco orthodics with metapads and I use them in all my ski boots and all of my footware. My foot pain gradually dissappeared within a few weeks using those orthodics in all my footware. This is the first step you should try because it's cheap and simple. 

If your pain continues after trying the orthodics, then I think you need to see a professional. Good luck.

TSC, google morton's neuroma and read up on it.  I had it some years ago.  A chiropractor I know fitted me with a single pair of $400 orthodics which was a rip off.  Another chiropractor I know, told me that he just tells his patients to try the commercial orthodics first because they only cost ~$60. and usually work as well as the custom orthodics.  For morton's neuroma type pain, your orthodic needs to have a "metatarsal pad" in the orthodic.  Basically it's a bump in the orthodic that keeps your foot bones from compressing and irritating the nerves.

I bought numerous pairs of the lynco orthodics with metapads and I use them in all my ski boots and all of my footware. My foot pain gradually dissappeared within a few weeks using those orthodics in all my footware. This is the first step you should try because it's cheap and simple. 

If your pain continues after trying the orthodics, then I think you need to see a professional. Good luck.

That was my original thought as I went through the same thing. Ended up having the surgery to have it removed two weeks ago so got some recovery time ahead still, hopefully not too long though as the snow is coming soon.

Although where she says she has the pain isn't where a neuroma usually is. Its usually between your middle toe and the toe next to your pinky toe, at least according to my doctor. If it is a neuroma they are tough as they affect everyone differently and some of the treatments work and some don;t for different people. I went through a series of cortisone shots and then the alcohol injections and none of the that worked. So I decided to go the surgery route.

Definitely sounds like some kind of nerve thing though.

Maybe you shouldn't wear a ring on your toe .  I really hope you get it solved, it's terrible if the joy of the down is gone.

Yup! Sounds like Morton's neuroma.  I have been dealing with it for about 40 years.  Had surgery to remove it on right side about 1980 or so.  Right foot works very good ever since.  Left foot started being a problem about 15 years ago.  Alcohol injections helped a lot for a year or so but eventually I had to have surgery there too.  Not quite as good results but not a BIG problem anymore.  I can (dry land/summer) hike all day and alpine (&AT) ski boots are actually the easiest footwear of all to have on my feet.  Anything that is "ball of the foot intensive" can be a problem to my left side.  Bicycling, CC skiing, and alas, telemarking are all problematic.  I wear exclusively Keen footwear.  I STRONGLY recommend custom footbeds and I have them under my foot every day.  I believe it is best to have your foot moving properly (footbeds) and PLENTY OF ROOM FOR YOUR TOES at all times to prevent further damage.  I recommend Jim Mates at Custom Boot in Seattle/Ballard.  PS, if you are female, you should already know that high heels will contribute BIGLY to this and other problems!