My Poor Legs!

Nurses Uniform/Gear

Published

My Fellow Nurses!

What am I doing wrong?! I have invested in a pair of good, study shoes (Dansko's) and I always have nice, thick socks on .. but by the end of a 12-hour shift on the floor, my legs ache so badly that I am limping through the door. The pain goes up my feet, into my inner legs, and throbs at my inner knee. It's the most awful sensation I've ever felt. Additionally, I'm beginning to get some unsightly veins in the back of my knees. I'm only 29!

So tell me: how do you keep your legs from feeling like they're falling off by the end of the 12-hour marathon shifts?!?

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Danskos have stainless steel arch supports, but no shoe recovers from being worn in less than 24 hours. My advice is to get a second pair and alternate them.

Thick socks aren't really necessary with Danskos, but compression socks with a thin sock over them (so that you're not advertising that you're wearing compression socks) might help.

I'd advise against running shoes or walking shoes -- they try to keep your feet pointed straight ahead, and we're always turning, pivoting, etc. Court shoes or cross trainers are a better choice. Running shoes (according to my orthopedist) can lead to knee pain if you're using them as work shoes.

Good luck -- you'll figure something out!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
One thing you may be overlooking is arch support for your feet. Your shoes may be allowing your arches to collapse a little bit too much, causing stress on the muscles that invert the foot. Those muscles also support the arch and stretch a bit when/if the arch collapses.

I would suggest going to an actual RUNNING store (not a shoe store that sells running/athletic shoes) and have them take a look at your feet, your gait, and how you stand. They'll be able to tell you what your feet are doing and may have some recommendations to help keep your legs & feet happier (they'll be tired... just hopefully not sore) at the end of a long 12 hour shift.

You might also want to look into actual support socks that provide some significant compression as well as making sure you've got very strong calves. There are some good exercises out there (and some not so good ones) that can help strengthen your calves.

Danskos have stainless steel arch supports. A running store is good advice, but hopefully they can find some court shoes or cross trainers. Running shoes try to keep your feet, knees, hips, etc. all pointed forward, but what we do has us turning, pivoting and walking sideways or backward. Running shoes can lead to knee problems if worn to work over time. (Or so said the surgeon who replaced my knees.)

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I recommend a visit to the podiatrist. They will look at your gait, as well as your foot anatomy. At the least, they can provide recommendation for best appliance and shoe for your needs.

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I have similar problems. I've been fine after two straight 12 plus-hrs on my feet. But I've picked up more shifts recently, and after finishing a round of 4 straight nights (then having to sit thru an 1.5 hr meeting afterward), my feet were fairly screaming for relief. My left leg started swelling before I left the floor, and had to elevate it on a cafeteria chair before leaving. That was Wed morning, feet still feel like crap, and I'm scheduled to work tonite thru Sun. Somebody pray for me. LOL

I've tried Danskos and running shoes and have rotated shoes when I have to work a stretch like this. Besides the swelling, I have severe pain in my heels, feels like someone is driving a railroad spike through the bottom of my heels. And my boyfriend has commented that he feels something "click" when he rubs that part of my foot. Going to get compresion hose, but any other suggestions?

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
Danskos have stainless steel arch supports, but no shoe recovers from being worn in less than 24 hours. My advice is to get a second pair and alternate them.

Thick socks aren't really necessary with Danskos, but compression socks with a thin sock over them (so that you're not advertising that you're wearing compression socks) might help.

I'd advise against running shoes or walking shoes -- they try to keep your feet pointed straight ahead, and we're always turning, pivoting, etc. Court shoes or cross trainers are a better choice. Running shoes (according to my orthopedist) can lead to knee pain if you're using them as work shoes.

Good luck -- you'll figure something out!

Thanks, Ruby! I'll give the compression socks/thin socks a try. I have thin socks for the days I'm wearing lighter sneakers, but I just figured thick socks … I'm not sure why, really, now that I think about it.

I have a pair of cross trainers and a pair of running shoes. You say alternating has helped you? Or just rather alternating in general can help?

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
I recommend a visit to the podiatrist. They will look at your gait, as well as your foot anatomy. At the least, they can provide recommendation for best appliance and shoe for your needs.

Not a bad idea, since I pay a pretty penny for my health insurance. :sneaky: In any event, I'm sure my posture is **** poor and my gait is terrible. I know I tend to favor my right leg, so anytime I'm standing in a patient's room at a computer, I typically put all my weight on my right foot, and jut my hip out.

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I'm glad you brought this up. Great advice here on a topic that everyone should pay attention to even if they aren't having leg pain....yet. I'm 33, and I have spider veins. My legs have always taken a tendency to be splotchy and blanched. So, I think its safe to say that compression stockings need to be on my legs at all times.

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Try using compression socks.:)

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Specializes in ICU/PACU.

I use to wear clogs and my legs would be sore after a busy day, but now I wear running shoes and am fine. People comment that I walk fast all the time, so I think my legs are in better shape..but I'm still fat. Does that make sense? I like running shoes. And I have to replace them every 6 months. I try to go to Nordstrom rack, I really like my black New Balance shoes, they don't show dirt/blood.

I also sit down to chart. I think that helps mostly.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Thanks, Ruby! I'll give the compression socks/thin socks a try. I have thin socks for the days I'm wearing lighter sneakers, but I just figured thick socks ... I'm not sure why, really, now that I think about it.

I have a pair of cross trainers and a pair of running shoes. You say alternating has helped you? Or just rather alternating in general can help?

Alternating in general helps. The insides of a shoe -- forgive my vocabulary, but the part that supports you -- gets compressed when you wear a shoe, and it takes more than 24 hours for it to recover. Your shoes last longer and are more supportive and cushioning when you alternate.

Cross trainers are better for the kind of work we do. Running shoes excell at keeping your foot, knee, hip all in line as you go forward. But we stop, pivot, side step, etc. -- we aren't always walking forward. Wearing running shoes at work can cause knee and hip pain. So alternate the cross trainers with the Danskos for now, and as you figure out what works best for you, buy a second pair of whichever works best.

I hope it works for you.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I have similar problems. I've been fine after two straight 12 plus-hrs on my feet. But I've picked up more shifts recently, and after finishing a round of 4 straight nights (then having to sit thru an 1.5 hr meeting afterward), my feet were fairly screaming for relief. My left leg started swelling before I left the floor, and had to elevate it on a cafeteria chair before leaving. That was Wed morning, feet still feel like crap, and I'm scheduled to work tonite thru Sun. Somebody pray for me. LOL

I've tried Danskos and running shoes and have rotated shoes when I have to work a stretch like this. Besides the swelling, I have severe pain in my heels, feels like someone is driving a railroad spike through the bottom of my heels. And my boyfriend has commented that he feels something "click" when he rubs that part of my foot. Going to get compresion hose, but any other suggestions?

A visit to a podiatrist sounds like it might help. There are also some exercises that can help and possibly orthotics, but the podiatrist is the best place to start.

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Alternating in general helps. The insides of a shoe -- forgive my vocabulary, but the part that supports you -- gets compressed when you wear a shoe, and it takes more than 24 hours for it to recover. Your shoes last longer and are more supportive and cushioning when you alternate.

This explains so much, THANK YOU!!!!

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