severe foot pain

[ram_man]

Hey everyone. I asked a forum about foot issues this and never heard a response, so i thought bitog was a decent shot.
My feet have gradually been gettimg worse for the past year. I grew up wearing cowboy boots and always thought they were comfortable well starting about a year ago they weren't so comfortable i blamed the boots amd tried new boots and stilk had the aches like i was on my feet for to long. Well fast foward 5 months ago i bought a pair of new balance for work and another pair for going out. Well i still had the aches after working and just kind of blew it off as working hard all day on my feet was why they were sore. Well about a month ago i started getting arch pain pretty bad in the morning and it would get better after being on my feet a couple hours and then after work when i wasn't on my feet they'd start hurting again. Well this week it has gotten so bad my wife tried to rub my feet and when she put a slight amount of pressure on my arch it hurt very bad to the point of cringing and pulling my foot away. Yesterday and today i have been limping at work because my arch hurts so bad. I have generally low arches id say i have a slight arch but it is pretty small.
My predicament is some stuff i have read says shoes with lots of support is what will help this get better and then I've read other stuff that says wearing barefoot type shoes with little support is best because it'll make your feet stronger since the shoe isn't doing the work. Has any one else experienced this or similar type of issue? Anyone with any advice is greatly appreciated. I also was going to go to a podiatrist but my insurance doesn't cover one doctor within 100 miles!! Terrific right. So i am trying to avoid going to the doctor if i can handle it on my own. Thank you all.

 

[Papa Bear]

How old are you? How tall are you? How heavy are you?

What kind of work do you do?

Do others in your family have similar ailments?

 

[raytseng]

You may need support but you may also not need too much support, Remember as when you walk, your foot shape changes.

It is not possible to tell from the internet how much support you need or what works for you

If you want a relatively low cost option, my recommendation is to get some insoles.

I would recommend to check out Sole brand insoles that will mold to your feet and your natural walking motion. I use them in my ski boots and also my other shoes.

Some say these are not supportive enough as an insole with a solid arch support (e.g. compared to superfeet); but those maybe people that need the high support.
Others will say those solid insoles in superfeet don't have enough give and so cause them more pain.

Read reviews on amazon, but keep it in mind that different people have different foot problems so need different solutions.


For your current issue though, you may need to take it easy and make sure you get rid of the pain and fully heal, versus getting into a cycle of continuous reinjury

 

[tomcat27]

for a period of time my arches hurt really bad - especially in the morning. the podiatrist I visited said something like (this is based on my memory and my understanding - which could be inaccurate) that there are tendon that (or something like that) that run thru your arch; and that minewere irritated. and that while sleeping they shrink, so they hurt even more when stretching them even more in the morning. the solution was placing arch supports in my shoes (just store-bought ones) eventually the problem went away for me. (it might have taken many months.... I dont recall)

 

[ram_man]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
How old are you? How tall are you? How heavy are you?

What kind of work do you do?

Do others in your family have similar ailments?


23yrs old im 5ft 8in 190lbs i am an auto mechanic and my family is known for flat feet but none have any foot pain

 

[dave123]

Plantar fasciitis see a good podiatrists ASAP!! 2nd start a weight loss program both together you will start road to recovery.

 

[Falken]

When I worked as a Machinist I stood all day, and my feet really hurt bad.

I added a really good insole, and practiced being easier on my feet, leaned on things, took my breaks, and sat when I had a chance.

Then my feet felt better.

When I worked in a Garage at night when going to school, I had the same problem. Bought better boots, added an insole, and it helped a lot.

I think weight, borderline gout conditions, and simply asking too much for too long of your feet and they get sore and there isn't an easy fix to "rest" them up.

Loose a bit of weight if you can and need to, drink water, buy better boots and add insoles, and don't let it get you down. You just need to take better care of your feet.

Don't see it as a weakness, shop work beats feet to high heavens you just need to look after them.

 

[Neely97]

RamMan, you need to go to the foot doc, they will most likely work with you on the
fee.
Several years ago I was having severe foot pain, turned out to be bone spurs tearing the tendons.
The cure was a simple cortisone shot to the foot and New balance shoes with inserts.

Good luck and remember, you only get one pair of feet so take care of them.

 

[skyactiv]

Call your insurance and ask if they can help find you a podiatrist closer to you if you haven't already.

 

[gregk24]

I had sharp pain in my arch about a month or so ago, it came on over the course of a day or two. The pain was sharp as you describe but after a couple of days it went away. If yours persists, try and see a doc.

 

[yeti]

medical advice on the internet is worth as much as you're paying for it.you will hear about 15 different opinions, and most/all will be wrong.
you should have gone to a podiatrist about 10 months ago -- not wait until you have "severe foot pain".
either pay for treatment locally, or go the 100 miles to be covered. you have no choice. putting it off and suffering makes no sense.go asap.
good luck, and let us know how you make out.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

I second seeing a podiatrist. A custom made orthodic may be needed.

I took another route. I purchased orthodics from Good Feet Store. Very expensive. But they did take care of my heal pain. They did tests to see how I walked. I needed to walk more on my arch, but shoes would not provide enough support after 3 months. With the plastic orthodic I can wear shoes for years without pain. It evens out the pressure. Felt like I had a golf ball under my arch when I first started using the custom arch support. That would would not work for you. I had to build up for months to wear the most supportive orthodic. I have a medium one and a relaxed one.

But, that may not be your problem. So podiatrist could better diagnose. Would be cheaper too.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Can you get some kind of foot massage with warm water ? Put your feet in it and the warn water circulate around may ease your pain somewhat.

I tried it once in a mall in So Cal, the Asian store had a demo and it seemed to make my feet softer and felt good too.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: dave123
Plantar fasciitis see a good podiatrists ASAP!! 2nd start a weight loss program both together you will start road to recovery.


I had this for awhile but a little help from a physical therapist helped as did getting better/newer shoes.

A normal doctor can make the initial diagnosis.

Remember a shoe will loose its support long before it looks all beat up. If you have work boots/shoes you like, get a second pair and alternate days

 

[spasm3]

Figure out if you have flat feet or high arches. Cowboy boots have a lot of heel lift in them. You may need to limit the number of hours you wear them. I find that new balance shoes are okay for flat feet but none of them have enough arch support for my high arches. I wear asics cumulus and nimbus but i'm on my feet all day on concrete hospital floors. If you have high arches get one of the asics i recommended. They are not cheap.

I would see a podiatrist or a physician. In case you have spurs. Sounds like planar fasciitis.


3 things i don't cheap out on are shoes, mattresses and brakes. They will all hurt you.

 

[Al]

The only good suggestions on here are going to a good podiatrist. It is very likely an inflamed nerve. But a good podiatrist will diagnose it almost immediately. Been there done that,

 

[ram_man]

Originally Posted By: MONKEYMAN
I second seeing a podiatrist. A custom made orthodic may be needed.

I took another route. I purchased orthodics from Good Feet Store. Very expensive. But they did take care of my heal pain. They did tests to see how I walked. I needed to walk more on my arch, but shoes would not provide enough support after 3 months. With the plastic orthodic I can wear shoes for years without pain. It evens out the pressure. Felt like I had a golf ball under my arch when I first started using the custom arch support. That would would not work for you. I had to build up for months to wear the most supportive orthodic. I have a medium one and a relaxed one.

But, that may not be your problem. So podiatrist could better diagnose. Would be cheaper too.


I was considering going to the good feet store. Ive heard its pricey. Not sure what that means other than be ready to fork over some money. Were you satisfied with them though?

 

[Merkava_4]

Go to the VA and have them look at it. They'll set you up with some custom made orthotics.

But your boots gotta have removable insoles for the orthotics to fit in there.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
How old are you? How tall are you? How heavy are you?

What kind of work do you do?

Do others in your family have similar ailments?


23yrs old im 5ft 8in 190lbs i am an auto mechanic and my family is known for flat feet but none have any foot pain


With that age you should be pretty flexible. Ensure it is so. This sounds like Plantar fasciitis

My diagnosis is to go to page 2 of this and do what it shows:

http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/home/healthtopics/PDF Handouts/Plantar Fasciitis.pdf

All of these are important. Most important is the stretch where your feet are shoulder width, hands on the wall, heels flat and lean forward to stretch. Do this preferably every hour if you can, seriously, when starting out to really help loosen things up.

The tennis ball massage is also good, but I recommend two things: 1) a harder ball (lacrosse for example) to roll under and 2) a pipe, dowel, etc which you can roll under your foot. Doing this along with the stretches helps to really loosen the tendon and any hardening at the point where the tendon connects to the bone. Try to do this after a hot shower and any time that you are sitting in a chair.

Depending upon what it does to you, take a dose of motrin per the instructions the first few days to help facilitate the stretching and rolling to help make big gains early. It really does help to aid comfort.

When the pain subsides, be sure to follow a maintenance regime to keep stretched.

Sources: DPT wife and personal experience.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
Call your insurance and ask if they can help find you a podiatrist closer to you if you haven't already.


Good point by all means check with insurance, they may actually be persuaded to allow a physician close to you.

It does sound like plantar fasciitis. The ex had it with similar symptoms to yours; some moderate stretching and ice (and maybe hot too I think, can't recall it was awhile back) and she was ok after a few weeks.