Post Listfranc Surgery Pain and Niggles

Hi, I've noticed no one has explicitly mentioned recovering from a lisfranc surgery on here, so here's my story.

Intro
In 2023 at age 32 I attended my first ever judo class, got swept and landed on my foot apparently the worst way possible, A&E confirmed a broken 3rd metatarsal. I then went private to speed up the process, I had three x-rays done which confirmed a chip on metatarsal 2 and a fracture on 4, an MRI followed up confirming that the lisfranc ligament was affected too...Surgery was recommended immediately.

For those who don't know, the lisfranc ligament holds the big toes metatarsal to the rest of the foot, this tear if not treated could result on the big toe separating away from the rest of the foot.

First Surgery
I had two screws fix the big toe metatarsal to the rest of the foot and a plate and additional screws on the third metatarsal.

Recovery
After a lot of rest and eventually rehab in the pool I was able to walk again, I met my now fiancé and I went on holiday, walked barefoot on the beach, on stones, around a swimming pool, jumped from cliffs into the sea, I felt great about the recovery.

Second Surgery & Recovery
4 months after the first surgery, the second surgery to remove the metal work came, after some rest the surgeon cleared me for walking and physio, every step was painful at first.

I went on holiday to Colombia (with my now fiancé), we hiked a ton, cycled up and down the mountains and squatted and deadlifted regularly, I noticed that 70kg was my limit, I didn't feel pain while exercising, only the next day, if I lifted under 70kg I was more or less fine the next day. All that time swelling was normality, my foot was huge after the long flight. Whenever I felt pain the next day it would weigh very heavily on my mind.

Back home I signed up for a vigorous gym with weight lifting classes and slowly forgot about my foot.

Chronic Sensations One Year Post 2nd Surgery
About a year after the 2nd surgery I suddenly started feeling chronic sensations in my foot, not pain, just sensations, enough to distract me and drive me mad and depressed. I started listening to Sarno's audio books while commuting to work and a video of his before going to bed, and the sensations went away.

I went running to prove to myself it's all TMS and I don't get pain during running at all, only the next day, which is what I experienced with my back pain and shoulder pain in the past which I resolved with Dr Sarno's books.

Over Christmas Period 2024
Ever since I've felt preoccupied with my foot, it makes me depressed, makes me feel like I am disabled, or that I've introduced a disability to my life by going to judo, very negative stuff

I would get sharp pain on top of the knuckles first thing in the morning, but it'll go away by my 5th step, and I'd feel niggles here and there (the ankle, the arch, where I imagine the lisfranc ligament is) including the knuckle pain a day after running.

During the Christmas break I went ice skating for 40 minutes, I had no pain while skating, but the next day I did on top of the knuckles and it went on for a few days, including bruising on top of the foot between the 1st and 3rd metatarsals which was also common.

I started massaging my foot daily, and a few days ago I really cranked into it hard by pressing between the metatarsals, to my surprise the pain on top of the knuckles disappeared, but a new pain below the knuckles appeared, I looked online and it looks like it's called metatarsalgia, which I'm happy to hear is mentioned on this forum unlike lisfranc.

Reddit /lisfrancClub
That's a subreddit for people who've had this injury and surgery, it's a mixed bag, some people have chronic pain and arthritis others have completely forgot they ever injured their foot, I have been recommending Dr Sarno's books to many of the people complaining about chronic pain.

Where I Am Now
That's where I am now, just completely confused, pain now on the bottom of the knuckles instead of the top and niggles here and there, worried about my future and arthritis and praying it's just TMS, including if arthritis does happen I hope the pain from it is TMS.

 

I read this post: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/cant-believe-im-a-success-story-feet-pain-15-years-90-gone.17128/ (Can't believe I'm a SUCCESS story - Feet pain 15 years 90% gone!!)

The work she did with her psychologist and TMS practitioner is worth noting down:

• The pain may have started from a genuine physical injury, but after recovery the brain continued to send pain signals.
• Success should not be measured in how little pain your experience, but in how little it bothers you.
• Interrupt the cycle/pattern of thoughts you have about the pain and your foot:
  • Count every time you think, fear or catastrophise about your foot, cut off the thought and count it (That's the 3rd time today...that's the 4th time today).

 

This is a big clue right here. Sorry to read you're experiencing so many issues. I think TMS likes to strike on those that are trying to improve themselves (like through exercise or martial art like you), not sure why but it seems to hate this dynamic and will try to sabotage it.

Reading your post I see a lot of inconsistency in your pain sensations - sometimes it hurts doing this, but not that - moves around etc. That's a clear TMS red flag right there.

As for the Reddit club, online forums are seductive (just like this one - ha ha) but my experience with such places where the focus is on a specific injury is that they can be particularly toxic to those with TMS.