Working in retail with Plantar Faciitis

Foot care
1

I had Plantar Faciitis for a year in one foot and found wearing heeled boots at work to press the arch up sometimes helped. It eventually disappeared. Then, 4 months ago, the pain came back, this time in both feet, one in the heel and one in the ankle. If one foot was bad, two is worse. I have tried insoles, both normal and gel, heeled shoes again, massage, and strapping my feet, nothing helps. 

I'm a deputy manager in a busy food store so when the doctor told me to rest my feet if they started hurting I actually burst out laughing. You can't sit down in retail! On top of that he wanted to sign me off for a couple of weeks so I would rest, unfortunately I'm in my first year with this company and I'm not entitled to sick pay until after one year so that's a no go. 

Does anyone have any tips on how to make it more manageable because I can't afford to shell out £40 on insoles and I'm sick of crying in the car on the way back from work because I'm in so much pain, I'm actually scared I might crash the car one of these days because it hurts so much.

Thanks

2

I ended up getting steroid injections as it got so bad, I also got some FS6 compression foot socks which have helped, they are tight but have helped me, but different things seem to help different people, I have ended up spending over £200 on air shoes insoles etc as I cant afford to much time off work.

3

Get a large softtouch type ice pack and stand on it as long as u can.,helps a lot for me!!!!

4

Yes icing definitely helps, I ice every day after work, I just froze bottles of water and use them.

5

I'm reading all these PF stories and I can't help wondering if they are all really PF.

Assuming you've read my previous posts on this site......

I have my second visit tomorrow with the physio who is supervising my 6month "exercise" program for what was originally diagnosed (16years ago) as PF but this summer re-diagnosed as "flat foot deformity stage 2".

The exercises are non-weigh-bearing and yet have certainly made it worse to walk on (6 weeks since start of program). This suggests to me that yes indeed the exercises are targeting the damaged TENDONS, not the PF.

The fact that you have ankle pain suggests NOT PF!!!!!!

(I am no doctor but a medical physicist - science thinking here).

The specialist told me that there are 3 things holding the foot together

Ligaments

Tendons

PF

I had an operation 5years ago where they cut the PF to release the tension in it.

Result - 10 times worse.

New specialist says they cut one of the 2 things holding my foot together that was working leaving the damaged tendons to do more work - hence the increase in pain.

I've also investigated Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome and it may still be on the cards as that area around my inner ankle had been made worse by the exercises.

I'm going to keep going for the 6 months no matter what and see if things improve.

as for insoles - I've forked out €250 for the orthotics I have at the moment (had them now for nearly 10 years so good value) but I had spent at least €1000 on other versions before which were useless.

The recent physio suggested I get a cobbler to put a raise on the medial (inside) sole of my shoe (on the outer side of the shoe not inside where my foot is.

I've just tried a small raise myself by cutting an insole and gluing it on. I must admit I think there is a slight positive. I'll give it more time and I might increase the lift.

I wish I could explain in detail here the exercises and the shoe adjustments I'm making as they might be worth trying for those in real trouble. like myself - I use crutches to walk, unless I take morphene derivitive oxychontin. might be worth trying these - through the doctor or in my case a pain management specialist.

If anyone is in Ireland and wants to have a chat meeting up or even by phone (say at my workplace) I would be very happy to give my info somehow.. This foot business is a real curse.

6

You have to remain behind the counter so you are stationary if possible,  and something maybe with a small wedge might help...it would put more weight on the balls of your feet instead of the heels. But I gotta tell you, I had to stop working bc of my circulation and if I had gotten PF then...I don't know what I would have done bc there is no way at all i can work with my Level of pain. But I can tell from reading everyone's posts that everyone's is different. I do know 1 thing....resting is good for it so staying on it is really gonna make it worse. I know u gotta work....try something that has air chambers.... you should check out aircast airheels maybe on Amazon. I wish u the best.....

7

Can you wear crocs to work? I've found they've helped my feet unfortunately they haven't completely got rid of the pain but they are so much more comfortable and they worked better than insoles for me (they have a fairly big range of shoes) I'm sorry to hear about your situation, I'm also stuck in a fairly similar one myself one I think I do each night when getting home from work is I put a water bottle one the freezer and roll my foot under it for as long as I can manage!

8

@Beccah250  Our footwear code is the same as most stores in retail, no open toes, loose backs or sandals allowed. I've ordered more insoles to see if they work but crocs are out of the question.

@martin0422 @ladyjack51 Unfortunately I can't do either of those as I'm the deputy manager so I'm not on tills much. Instead it's a lot of running around the shop, reductions, deliveries etc. I rarely even get my 1/2 hour lunch break to rest, let alone the other 2 x 15mins I am supposed to get.

@ray62350 I realise that ankle pain is not typical PF, my left ankle and foot both hurt, I was diagnosed with Achilles tendonisitis on that foot as well as PF. The other foot is mostly heel pain as well as sole pain, that too was diagnosed as PF. I've been to 3 different doctors about it so I'm pretty sure it's PF, yes. They said that the Achilles is the same problem just further up the tendon.