The Lupus Foundation of America says more than one million people in the United States and five billion globally have lupus (1). You, dear reader, will likely know someone living with this condition. But have you thought about the relationship between lupus and feet?
In this guide, our podiatrists, The Foot Specialists of Birmingham, AL, explore the effects of lupus on feet and give our advice for podiatry patients living with the autoimmune condition. Keep reading to learn more!
What is Lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system erroneously injures healthy tissues. These attacks can affect any body part, causing inflammation, numbness, and pain.
What Correlates Lupus and Feet?
Again, lupus’ autoimmune attacks can impact any body part, including the foot’s 33 joints and 100+ tendons. In the following subsections, we’ll examine the primary and secondary symptoms (including the two most common comorbid conditions) of lupus in feet.
Primary Symptoms of Lupus in Feet
The most prevalent and primary symptom of lupus is inflammation. Inflammation is how the body responds to the immune system attacks of lupus. Any other symptoms of lupus attacks on the feet are secondary to inflammation.
Secondary Symptoms
- Swelling
- Numbness
- Joint Pain
- Fatigue
- Rashes
- Sores and Blisters
Comorbidities
Raynaud’s Phenomenon and Neuropathy in the feet are two conditions that often stem from the damage that lupus causes to them, especially if the lupus is not receiving adequate treatment to keep the erroneous immune responses in control.
Neuropathy
Lupus often causes peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system, which spans the entire body) and its usual symptoms (like Raynaud’s Phenomenon).
Raynaud’s Phenomenon
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, “Raynaud’s phenomenon happens when episodes or ‘attacks’ affect certain parts of the body, especially the fingers and toes, causing them to become cold and numb, and change colors, (2).”
There are two types of Raynaud’s Phenomenon, but in this section, we will only discuss the variety that can stem from lupus: Secondary Raynaud’s Phenomenon.
The attacks that characterize Secondary Raynaud’s occur due to a few autoimmune diseases, including lupus. Essentially, untreated lupus can cause substantial nerve damage in the feet, leading to chilly and numb feet and toes.
What Causes Lupus?
Diagnosis
As with many autoimmune conditions, diagnosing lupus isn’t possible with a single test. Instead, multiple steps over time are involved.
A patient’s first step toward a lupus diagnosis is self-education (not to be confused with self-diagnosis), which involves researching the condition to familiarize themselves with its causes and symptoms.
After becoming familiar with the terminology and usual manifestation of the condition, the patient will need to visit their primary care provider (PCP) to ask about reaching a lupus diagnosis. Usually, the PCP will draw a few vials of the patient’s blood to check their complete blood count (CBC) levels, the presence of antinuclear antibody (ANA), a metabolic panel, and other inflammatory markers.
Suppose this preliminary panel reveals low blood CBC levels and detects ANA within a specific range. In that case, the PCP will refer the patient to a rheumatologist for more extensive tests, which can include more blood tests, biopsies, and urinalysis.
After a rheumatologist confirms a patient’s lupus diagnosis, they usually refer them to a specialist, where a team of highly trained, knowledgeable doctors will initiate treatment to help them manage their condition.
Treatment of Lupus and Feet Problems
Lupus has no cure yet, but it is treatable and can enter remission (for a finite period, but never permanently, unfortunately).
When addressing lupus’ impact on feet, the main treatment options align with treating the overall condition. In other words, the best treatments for any part of the body damaged by lupus are those that tame the immune system’s attacks on healthy body parts; this primarily includes immunosuppressive or corticosteroid prescriptions.
Once the attacks are under control, lupus specialists can consult different experts to address issues with specific body parts. If lupus is causing inflammation in your feet, taking anti-inflammatory drugs will help relieve pain.
Additionally, if lupus damage to the feet is severe, surgery can be an option. Since podiatrists like ourselves are experts in feet, and other doctors specialize in lupus treatment, we usually consult with each other if a patient needs foot surgery for lupus damage.
After lupus-related foot surgery, we usually send the patient to physical therapy to rehabilitate any loss of or restriction to their motion or balance. We’ll also maintain contact with the patient’s lupus specialist to determine whether further intervention is needed on our part after surgery.
Got Lupus and Feet Concerns?
Thank you for reading today’s blog on the intersection of lupus and feet. If you have lupus and need to address problems with your feet related to the condition, we would be happy to consult with you.
Whether you’re dealing with foot conditions related to lupus or otherwise, don’t hesitate to get the help you need; please contact our staff at Foot Specialists of Birmingham today! We’ll gladly help you set up an appointment with our incredible team of podiatry experts and nursing assistants who are certified by the American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants.
