Does anyone know anything about Miserable Malalignment Syndrome?

I think I have it, but have not received a diagnosis yet. For months I have been passed around different consultants. I have femoral anteversion in both legs, excessive pronation and daily pain when walking, standing and at rest, which has got much worse in the past year. My right leg turns in much more than my left, and I trip often, have an unsteady walk. I can’t stand up for more than 5 minutes without pain, and more than 20 minutes is really awful. The pain is coming from my shins, which have general aches, cramps and shooting pains, even at rest. The soles of my feet are also very painful. I can’t carry heavy things, as it makes it all worse – it feels as though my skeleton just can’t support my weight. I’m 36, 9 stone 6, 5’7’’.
I’m a fast walker, but I’m not able to do much exercise because of the pain, and sometimes if I run for the bus, my knee gives way.

Some history - I was born with turned in feet, which was treated with plaster of paris from the toes to the knees for a year. As a teenager, I had to pull out of athletics at school, because of the pain, and the hospital said they’d got the diagnosis wrong, and it was actually persistent femoral anteversion. The hospital tried some high plastic orthotics round the heel and inside of the feet, which didn’t help. I was told then that the only treatment was surgery, resetting the thigh bones to point straight, which I was advised not to do.

With the worsening pain, I recently tried some custom-made orthotics from the hospital, and after only a few hours of wear (7 hours over 4 days) I developed terrible lower back pain, so I removed them haven’t worn them since. The back pain lasted for 2 months, causing me to walk very slowly. Luckily my back is ok now.

I can’t wear any form of shoe other than ankle boots, as the extra support makes me feel safer, and I have less pain. In the heat-wave, I tried wearing summer shoes, just sensible flat ones, and the pain was terrible – radiating all the way up my legs to my thighs, and I could barely walk after only a day.

The recent consultant I saw told me that there was nothing that could be done, and that I could not have any form of orthotic. He recommended to keep taking the pain killers as the only viable option. The other option was the thigh surgery, which is major and not recommended at all, so I left feeling very upset.

I have searched the internet for what it might be, and saw someone’s legs that look like mine, and they have Miserable Malalignment Syndrome.

I think I may have been under-diagnosed? I have had no x-rays, scans or physio, and I really don’t know what to do next. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice?

Similar Threads: