Is An Abnormal Thyroid Causing Your Foot Pain?

An underactive thyroid – also known as hypothyroidism - can cause foot pain. Thyroid disease is a dysfunction of the thyroid gland, a large gland in the front of the neck shaped like a butterfly. And because January is Thyroid Awareness Month, today Dr. Joel Segalman, Dr. Stephen Lazaroff, and Dr. Brittany Ciaramello at Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC in New Haven County and Fairfield County are sharing how an abnormal thyroid can cause foot pain and what to look for.

This condition typically occurs when the thyroid gland is underactive, and it no longer creates all the hormones the body requires. This deficiency of hormones creates chemical disruptions throughout the body, including the metabolism and autoimmune system. Luckily, the treatment of hypothyroidism is relatively easy when caught early.

Primary symptoms of hypothyroidism typically include:

• Enlarged thyroid.

• Weight gain.

• Hair thinning or loss.

• Weakness and fatigue.

• Dry or flaky skin.

• Muscle stiffness or pain.

• Sensitivity to the cold.

If you experience some of these symptoms, it’s best to visit your podiatrist for a formal diagnosis. If hypothyroidism is the cause of your foot pain, it is time to get treatment because if left untreated, long-term complications can occur that include depression and heart problems.

Who Is Most Likely to Develop Hypothyroidism?

• Hypothyroidism frequently occurs in patients with autoimmune disorders like type-1 diabetes.

• Post-menopausal women often develop hypothyroidism because their body no longer creates enough hormones after menopause is over.

• If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, you should look for symptoms of either an underactive or overactive thyroid.

• Rheumatoid arthritis is another condition that can elevate your likelihood of a thyroid disorder.

• If someone in your family suffers from hypothyroidism, your chances of having it increase.

Don't live with foot pain from an underactive thyroid - get treatment! Contact the office of Dr. Joel Segalman, Dr. Stephen Lazaroff, and Dr. Brittany Ciaramello at Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC in New Haven County and Fairfield to schedule your first appointment for 2021! You can reach our Waterbury office at (203) 755-0489 or our Newtown office at (203) 270-6724.