PAINFUL feet

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I work as a Q.C. inspector and am on my feet all day, mostly standing. Iwalk about 25% of the day. The floor is concrete. I love my job, but my feet hate it. I am in pain, a constant, burning, shooting nerveending kind of pain. Mostly the heels and balls of my feet. I have bought everything Dr. Scholls sells and tried high-priced shoes made for walking. Has anyone else suffered through this and if so what helped, if anything ? Must I resort to seeing an M.D.?THanks for your help!! (it is so bad the pain does not lessen with time off on the weekends even though I spare them as much as I can)

-- Margaret (gjensenii@earthlink.net), June 25, 2000

Answers

Hi, Margaret. Yes, I know this feeling. You need some expensive walking shoes. Sorry to say it. Spend at least $100 on some great quality, supportive, squishy, forgiving shoes. I had this horrible pain in my right heel, like I was walking on nothing but bone there (right? sharp pain on every step?). What fixed it, and nothing else, was buying good Nike running shoes. (I was running in cheap shoes)

You know you are putting a lot of strain on and really working your feet, ankles, knees and hips with all that walking. It's good for you, but please do invest in some well-deserved footwear.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), June 25, 2000.


I have had a problem with intense heel pain, my problem was an inflamation of the plantar ligament that runs the length of the foot. The ligament contracts when you are not on your feet and when you stand on your feet it stretches it out causing the pain, this is not an uncommon problem. I wear Rockport walking shoes and get an arch support called Spenco, it's green, to put in the shoes in addition to what is already in the shoe, if the shoe is too right with both, take out the one that comes with the shoe. Makes all the difference in the world. You can't be too kind to your feet. Good luck.

Blessings

-- Judy Murray (jmurray@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu), June 25, 2000.


Hi Margaret, As a teen my feet constantly hurt. I couldnt walk through a mall, run, play sports, anything without severe pain that wouldnt abate when I sat down. My dad used to massage them every night for me before bed but my parents thought I was overreacting and told me I needed to exercise more (you know, "when I was a kid...").The pain also was in my knees. FINALLY they got a clue that this was not normal growing pains and took me to a podiatrist who took x-rays and determined that I needed orthodics. They were/are an absolute God- send. For the first time ever I could go bare foot (for very short periods of time, but hey, I wasnt complaining!) The orthodics were about $600.00, but I can wear them in cheapo Wal-Mart shoes. They lasted 11 years before I needed new ones because of changes in my bone structure. I would definately recommend seeing a specialist and not your family doctor (my family practitioner stuck a needle in an inflammed toe joint to check for fluid, duh). I have been pain free for 13 years, the change in my life is worth every penny. Good luck!

-- Julie (julieamc@excite.com), June 25, 2000.

Two thoughts: one is, if you know any nurses, ask them. If you don't, try to talk to some - even call a hospital (at a quiet time) and ask to speak to any member of the nursing staff, and be ready to explain why. They spend a lot of time on their feet, many of them have had to find answers to this sort of problem, and there are even special shoes made for them. Even if the nurse you speak to doesn't have the problem, for sure s/he knows several who do.

Second thought - which is my problem. Some days, my feet just up and say "You're joking, right? Well, that's more than enough, and I'm taking some time off". If you are even a little overweight, it can make a crucial difference to this sort of thing. Conversely, every little bit of weight you lose can help. That's not to try and encourage you to become anorexic, but to say that even if you're way overweight then losing just a few pounds could begin to help - you can get a lot of benefit without needing to come all the way back to those totally unrealistic "ideal weights".

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), June 26, 2000.


Concrete requires a special sole designed specifically for it--it is known as "duroshock" soles. The difference is day and night !!! Many companies offer it but our choices in this family are-- for men--Wolverine boots and--for women--Nursemates shoes and my wife is a nurse. These brands are expensive but well worth the price when you soend that amount of time on your feet !

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), June 26, 2000.


Margaret, I have heel spurs in both my feet. I only wear Nike Air shoes. I have an electric foot massager that I use as often as I need it. I also soak my feet in warm to hot water with epsom salt or whatever kinds of foot soaks I can find. And hubby rubs them for me every night or every other night. I still have pain if I am on my feet for very long periods of time, but most of the time it is bearable. I don't know if you have tried all of these or not, but you might want to.

-- Linda (botkinhomeschool@yahoo.com), June 26, 2000.

I, too, suffered with constant heel pain in one foot and went to a Podiatrist. He gave whirlpool, electric sonograms (or somekind of thing with a machine) and then recommended I buy his $400 metal sole inserts. He said that the arch in my foot needed support and it was causing the heel pain. It is the precurser to heel spurs. Since I didn't think spending $400 was the smartest thing to do, I went through the Scholl's display and kind of combined several things to invent my own. I use the complete sole one with the arch support and then I add one of the circular pads that are about the size of a silver dollar to the bottom center of the support under the arch. This makes the center push up a little more and not collapse as I put weight on it. Within a few days of doing this my heel pain disappeared but I notice if I go for a day or two without wearing the inserts, the pain comes back.

I'm sure, whatever your problem is, it is caused by some kind of structural misalignment that needs to be corrected. Mine surfaced because I had gained weight. Since I am also losing weight now, I hope to not have to use the inserts once I get down to my target weight. I would recommend that you see a podiatrist and then figure out your own (cheaper) way to fix the problem based on what the diagnosis and treatment recommended by the doctor. I keep trying to figure out how to build my own insert out of wood or something but I'm afraid I'm not creative enough to come up with a better solutin then what I have but since this one works, I'm satisfied.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), June 26, 2000.


I am an RN, work 12 hour night shift. I wear Birkenstocks. They are the only ones that don't kill my feet. I used to go through a pair of nurse-mate, rockers, etc... in 2 or three months. I've been wearing the same pair of Birks for over a year with no problems. I think they cost about $130, but then, they are white nurse type shoes (clog with strap on back). Feet hurt for about the first week when I started wearing them (didn't break them in slow), but now I want to get a pair of Birks to wear the rest of the time because these ones are so comfortable, I hate to wear regular shoes!!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), June 26, 2000.

THanks for all of your input!!! Short of asking for some paperwork of some sort to do for my boss, I've been at a loss as what to do. Sometimes it seemed the only thing to do was cry. Not too productive, and believe it or not I tolerate pain very well,( no pain medication when I had my babies) I'm up to 600-800mg Ibuprofen twice,or sometimes 3 times a day. I guess I will try another pr of shoes and then see a DR. if that doesn't help. I've even padded my inner soles of the shoes with foam rubber, just a bit of relief. At any rate you were all great for giving me some advice!!! Probablly a strange question for CS ,but I knew someone would come through! CS always has an answer!! THanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Margaret (gjensenii@earthllink.net), June 26, 2000.

Isn't that funny, Polly likes the Birkies, but my feet scream after 3 minutes in them.

The only shoe that has allowed my feet and lower back to be pain-free are Reikers. Before I found them 7 years ago, I had pain in the tops of my foot, the heel, knees and lower back. Both my spouse and I are on our feet all day on cement and he wears shoes endorsed by the U.S. Postal Service. I cannot remember what brand his are.

For work boots, we both wear Enforcers, by Bates, marketed toward cops. We can both put in more than a full day in them without pain.

Do you flexing and stretching exercises? Stand with the balls of you feet on the stair and drop your heals slowly. Anything to help with circulation will make your feet feel better.

Darn, I just had an add for shoe inserts from Germany that guaranteed to stop foot pain. It went to the burn barrel yesterday. The add came in my Raintree Nursery order. Perhaps you can find a lead through them for these footpads.

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), June 26, 2000.



I was a licensed massage therapist before moving to our place in the country. May I suggest some other things you might try?

Every day after you get off work, find a comfy spot along a wall in your house and lay down on the floor and prop your feet up on the wall. Straight up! Give it about 5 minutes, and then do some circles with your ankles, both directions. Flex your toes down toward your head and then up to the ceiling. Spread your toes out and clench them together. This whole process should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

Then sit upright, slowly, as the blood may have rushed to your head:).Now turn your attention to your calves. Get an old tennis ball and roll it under your calf, between your leg and the floor. Your will probably find sore spots to work on. Don't take it to the point of excruciating pain, but use the ball to knead sore and tight muscles (this works great on backs too).

And finally, locate you Achilles' tendon, the ropelike part on the back of your heel that goes up to your calf. Use your thumb and forefinger to roll it back and forth, again working on sore spots. continue down onto the back of your heel and use your finger to rub as if you had dirt spots that you were trying to rub off. We were taught that a tight Achilles' tendon was often a precursor to bone spurs.

Then hop up and walk tip toe across the room, then on your heels, then on the sides of your feet.

And don't forget hydro therapy. Try alternating hot then cold soaks for your feet. This will really help get your circulation going, which can help repair the damage that impact trauma can cause every day.

Common sense caution: I'm not a doctor. You don't even know me. Take this info for what it's worth. If the pain is excruciating, or massage and stretching makes it worse, or if you might have a problem with diabetes or circulatory problems, go to a doctor. But I do hope these suggestions help:).

-- Lori Price (klnprice@yahoo.com), June 27, 2000.


You have gotten a lot of good answers above. I'd just like to second the Birkenstocks. Mine are the cheap imitations, but I still love them -- they are the most comfortable shoe I've ever had. I wear them almost all the time.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), June 27, 2000.

Back when I was still doing security work I was nearly at the point of having to quit because my feet hurt so bad from walking all day on hard floors. What did the trick for me was Dr. Scholl's gelsole insoles, at about $12 a pair. Had to replace them every three months or so but they absorbed the impact shock of my foot coming down on the floor tiles and cushioned the foot bones. Man, the relief was dramatic and I was able to even wear boots that I'd stopped wearing because they hurt my feet too much.

Also, if you're wearing hard shoes don't let the heels/soles wear down too much. This causes your foot to flex and bend in unnatural ways. I get my boots reheeled every two to three years.

.........Alan.

The Prudent Food Storage FAQ, v3.5

http://www.ProvidenceCo-op.com

-- A.T. Hagan (athagan@netscape.net), June 27, 2000.


As a former NPS backcountry ranger, my job was walking, either in the backcountry on all sorts of rocky terrain, or pounding the concrete floors of the visitor centers. I wore a good (maybe great is a better word) pair of hiking boots in both situations. Not the el cheapo kind at convenience 'marts. Go to a quality store (REI, or a good outdoor sporting goods store)that sells lightweight durable hiking boots, get fitted with the right kind of socks, and you'll feel the difference. Wear em around the store for twenty or thirty minutes to get a feel for them. Probably overkill and maybe not fashionable, but comfort comes before fashion in my book. I don't think Carrharts have become fashionable yet, have they???

-- phil briggs (phillipbriggs@thenett.com), June 27, 2000.

Margaret, I was diagnosed with tendonitis and plantar fascitis (sp?) in my left foot as well as a heel spur) several years ago. The pain was so bad, my doctor put me on a stronger painkiller related to ibuprofen. That helped the pain, but soon made me so dizzy I couldn't function, plus I was extremely sensitive to ibuprofen, couldn't take it, for several years after that. I did many of the things that have been mentioned here, plus began visiting a chiropractor and an acupuncturist. I got a lot of improvement from all this, but the pain never went away entirely. In fact, it seemed to "move" to the other foot eventually.

One day, I saw a program talking about Dr. John Sarno and his book, Healing Back Pain: The Mind/Body Connection. His premise is, that in many cases, our minds create these painful conditions to distract us from other things that we subconsciously don't want to think about. This doesn't mean that "it's all in your mind" -- the pain and even inflammation are very real. But the mind can create the conditions that _produce_ the pain. I was skeptical, but there were many testimonies to his theory being correct, so I started thinking about my feet. "Hmmmmmm . . . ." I said, "you feet, listen up! Stop acting up and give me a break!" The pain went away within two weeks, and if I get twingers of it coming back, I talk to my feet again! I did get the book after that, to read about the rest of his theories and methods.

I guess some of you are thinking I am a REAL nutcase -- LOL! All I can tell you is it worked for me. I continue to wear the orthotics (since I paid good money for them -- about $350 BTW) as my feet get less tired that way, but I can now run around barefoot now, and the burning, tearing pain has gone. When my feet get tired, I find that rolling a golf ball under them, particularly the arch, is a good stretching. Another thing that seems to help both the feet and back, for some reason, is stretching the muscles in your thighs, both front and back.

Finding shoes that "accept" the orthotics (including the Dr. Scholls type) can be a challenge. I like the walking shoes made by Ecco, but they are expensive, about $105 per pair. I have put the orthotics in cheap running shoes that I wear for "messy" work, but I don't like them for all day use.

-- J. E. Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), June 28, 2000.



As a nurse who works 12 and 16 hour shifts, I also agree with Polly. Nursemates and tennis shoes wear out in 1-2 months. My Birkenstocks are foot heaven.

-- Terri Perry (tperry@stargate.com), June 28, 2000.

Margaret, Have you tried a really good quality pair of support stockings? They were a big help to me. Good shoes are a must too, but I didn't see anyone else mention this. They seemed to stop all of the shooting leg pains and cramps. Hope you find some relief.

-- Jennifer (KY) (acornfork@hotmail.com), June 28, 2000.

I had the same problem as everyone else above. I had shots in my heels and wore orthodix in expensive shoes. The real help though came from VIOXX a arthoridis (sp) drug. It brought the swelling down so I could walk. In a month I was tap dancing ... strange I never had before.

-- Beth (ballen224@hotmail.com), March 27, 2001.

I have finally found an answer for my painful feet, especially my heels. When I wrote C.S. I was hoping for a home remedy. Well , I was referred to a beter pr of shoes. I finally invested in Nautilas shoes,they have a REBOUNDER feature; designed for walking on concrete. My problem was cured within a week. NO HEEL PAIN!!! 75% improvement in knee/ankle stiffness. www.nautilusfootwear.com. Shoes without steeltoe ,but the REBOUNDER feature run about 70-80 $ ,I only earn 6$ but they are definityly worth the bucks!!!!!!

-- Margaret (gjensenii@earthlink.net2), March 31, 2001.

This can happen to anyone. I recently was having foot/calf pain and finally realized it was time for a new pair of sneakers (I work in them or my Birkenstocks). Got a new pair of Nike Air walking shoes for a ghastly $40 and voila! the problem is gone. Birkies are great.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), April 01, 2001.

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