r/clubfoot

I’m looking to take a slightly different angle than the usual adult clubfoot discussions we see online.
For the last 6 years, I’ve been running a longitudinal, N=1 study on myself based on my own history with severe bilateral clubfoot. Instead of looking at clubfoot as a fixed, unchangeable condition, I’ve been tracking how it actually behaves over time—specifically mapping out the relationship between altered mechanics, heavy activity, running, symptoms, and long-term function. [1, 2, 3]
Some of the main areas I've been tracking include:
Long-term changes in my everyday function and symptoms
My exact running and activity patterns
How pain and symptoms physically relate to activity levels
The exact biomechanical differences that come with my clubfoot
How symptoms present dynamically over time, rather than just what a doctor sees during a single clinical visit
The direct link between a heavy activity day and subsequent symptoms over the following days
How having a severely altered or fused foot and ankle impacts overall movement and forces the rest of the body to compensate [1, 2]
The most interesting part of this to me isn’t just seeing what happens in my own case. I want to know if these patterns are repeatable in other adults living and running with clubfoot. [1]
I’m looking for fellow clubfoot runners who might be willing to help expand this data pool beyond just an N=1.
1. Do you run?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a casual recreational runner, a dedicated distance runner, or a racer. Any level is useful.
2. Do you have historical running or activity data?
If you use Garmin, Apple Watch, COROS, Strava, Fitbit, or any other tracking platform that lets you export your history, that data is exactly what I'm looking for.
3. Would you be open to providing a data export for research purposes?
To be completely clear: I am not looking for account access, and I’m absolutely not asking anyone to post private information publicly. I am talking about voluntarily sharing a data export with all of your personal, identifying information entirely removed.
My ultimate goal is to build a larger, real-world clubfoot dataset. From there, I want to see if we can develop appropriate matched-control variables using actual people with this condition, rather than always relying on generalized population data. [1]
If we can do that, it lets us ask a much more meaningful question: Are the long-term patterns I’m seeing specific to my own body, common among adults with clubfoot, or simply the natural characteristics of running itself? [1]
I’ve already completed and documented portions of this research, including my methodology and findings, which you can read directly on the Clubfoot Forward Research Archive or look into the specific breakdowns at Clubfoot Forward Studies. I want anyone interested to see exactly what I'm talking about before deciding whether to participate. [1]
If you’re a runner who has been dealing with clubfoot and tracking your miles for a while, I’d genuinely love to connect.

I was told that I was born with bilateral club feet, with my left being worse than the right. My mom told me that she ONLY did the manipulation of my feet to correct them, but I have a scar on the back of my left heel (she's always told me that "I stepped on a carpet nail and split my heel open". I'm starting to figure out that a lot of things I was led to believe, my entire life, were all lies. So I'm trying to figure out the truth for myself. This scar runs under my heel about another 1/2" from what is pictured. Both of my feet have the bump on the outside of them, but the left is a little more pronounced than the right, and I'm starting to have issues with pain in my left foot now. My shoe sizes are very close to the same, unlike what I've read about quite a few others with my same diagnosis, with my left being only slightly smaller (L- US W7.5-8, R- US W8-8.5 or 9, depending on the type of shoe). This is my first EVER post on reddit... I'm just trying to find some answers about my childhood, since I'm almost positive that most of it was a lie (I pretty much raised myself, and I'm an only child from a narcissistic, single mom who was a bar-fly.). Thanks for reading.

Hi everyone,

First time poster here. I’ve rewrote this 100 times and I'm not sure if this is the correct thread, but I 'm posting this because I’m really struggling and honestly, I could use some support, advice or just a kind word right now (virtual hugs). My life completely turned upside down almost overnight. One day I was active and healthy, and the next, I was dealing with constant numbness, loss of function, and no idea what the day ahead would look like. I'm hoping to connect with anyone who’s been through something similar or is specifically dealing with drop foot, nerve damage, or significant foot anatomy changes.

For some context on how this all began, I underwent a microdiscectomy back in August 2025. The procedure was a disaster; I ended up with a spinal fluid leak. Initially, I was mobile enough to walk the ward after bed rest, but the following morning was a nightmare. I woke up in excruciating pain, needed a catheter, and realized I was losing all feeling in my left leg. Despite the “red flags” and severe symptoms I was experiencing, my surgeon told me the MRI was clear and discharged me, claiming my operation was a success. In reality he discharged me with a post-operative epidural hematoma, which was strangling and crushing my nerves against my bone and starving my nerves of oxygen. 

Not only that, Things got even worse. I was put on a mix of meds that also nearly killed me, and I spent months being gaslit about my recovery while I was actually dealing with systemic chemical poisoning (my liver couldn't produce the enzymes, a well known clinical fact that these two medications should not be taken together), a blood clot, nerves dying and a continuing spinal fluid leak (the repair patch had failed). I’m not sure how I am alive. It wasn't until I accessed my own medical records in March 2026 that I finally learnt the truth.

He discharged me to die. 

it’s been incredibly lonely trying to navigate this without proper medical support. I feel like I've lost so much; my independence, I've lost my kids, my dogs, my mind and life.  Every day feels like a battle:

But the reason i’m in this thread, my left foot! I have foot drop and not one healthcare professional has told me what is normal, what to expect and when to panic. Here are some of the symptoms I suffer with. 

• My foot: My arch has flattened, my toes are curling and separating, and I get these intense spasms that lock my ankle at a 90-degree angle. It's exhausting and terrifying to have to manually force it back into position.
• Vascular issues: My foot looks mottled and grey, and it takes forever for my skin to refill with color. Spreading numbness across my foot and legs. Loss of sensation all over my body including my butt cheeks and boobies.
• Organ issues: Dealing with neurogenic bladder and bowel problems has really changed my quality of life.

I’ve tried obtaining a private 2nd opinion, but I keep getting fobbed off and it feels like there’s this 'circle of trust' where surgeons protect each other rather than looking at the facts. 

So i’ve turned to Reddit, I would be so incredibly grateful for any advice:

1. Anatomy: Is this 90-degree locking, toe curling, and separation typical for foot drop and this kind of severe nerve damage?
2. Prognosis: Does this usually get worse, or does it tend to settle at some point?
3. Footwear: How are you handling shoes? I’m living in crocs. Everything I try is so painful or causes too much friction.I’m scared of getting blisters!

I can share more about what happened and the cover-up if it helps anyone else, but for now, I’m just trying to figure out how to live with this. I'm honestly terrified of the unknown of losing more function or waking up one day and not being able to move at all. Any insight or advice would mean the world to me.