plantar fasciitis.. anyone?

[LVN_it1995, BSN, RN]

i was recently diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. the term doesn't help get rid of the pain but it is nice to know that there is such a condition for the awful grinding, burning, tearing pain at the base of my heel and the arch of my foot. i worked the night shift (not too much standing) but by the end of the shift i felt like i was walking on the bones of my heel!! excruciating. i don't know how i survived the last week. i terminated my employment due to this condition. is there any employment opportunities in nursing (i am an lvn) that don't require much standing? the doctor told me that i have to lose weight too, that it is exacerbating the condition. whew..i don't know how it's going to happen without me being able to walk, jog, or do some kinda standing routines.. i really feel stuck:o

[damrcngrl95]

I'm suffering with plantar fasciitis too. I go to therapy twice a week and they have given me ways to reduce the pain. It has helped a lot. It will help you with being able to tolerate being on your feet for long periods of time. I am currently a teacher and the new trend is that you are not allowed to sit, but you must pace the room to make sure your students are on task. There is no more grading papers at your seat while the students do their work where I'm at.

deAnna

[thejoebear]

I ended up wearing "the boot" at night and did all the foot stretching before getting out of bed stuff. Weight loss is a major reduction in stress to the area I found. I am now wearing Z-coil shoes. They are designed to reduce stress when standing on hard concrete floors. They are a little different looking but when my feet FEEL the same on carpeting or on concrete, "Who the crap cares if my shoes look different?"

The shoes are not cheap but they come in many different styles and colors including white for work. Ask your Doc if he has any experience with them. I own 3 pairs of them now and swear by them..And I am off to get a fourth pair now.

[Jarnaes]

Just plain old Crocs worked magic for me. Cheap and comfortable. I now have 6 pairs of them, different colors and different styles, with and without the ventilation holes. I love them.

One of our podiatrists loves high intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ultrasound). I was going to try that if my plantar fasciitis didn't improve, but the Crocs fixed me.

Wish I would have tried Crocs before I had spent big money on all the expensive shoes...

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Birkenstocks. Seriously.

[IlovenursingRN]

I wore Birki's for awhile and then they quit working. I have been wearing Walk-Fit insoles for 3 years, had my feet recently re-xray'd and my heel spurs are 1/3 of the size they used to be. www.walkfit.com

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I had p.f. for about four or six months. I feel your pain. I wear good shoes called "Earth Shoes" because I'm vegan and don't wear leather, and they are awesome this is for my desk job. When I work the floor I wear New Balance sneakers and Dr. Schools heel inserts. I also have hard tile floors at home and now wear Birkenstocks or flip flops around the house and don't go barefoot like I did all my life.

I also do stretching exercises daily, especially the achilles stretching. I also have restrated my yoga practice. It was funny that when I quit yoga classes it coincided with my first case of p.f. Fortunately I haven't had a recurrence in a couple of years and can still do a 12-hour shift of being on my feet.

[I love my cat!]

I use to have crippling PF, too.

Cortisone shots did the trick for me.

I had tried everything: stretching, wearing the boot 24/7, anti-inflammatory meds, PT, changing shoes, losing weight (even though I was not overweight), etc.....NOTHING helped.

Then I finally got a 2-3 cortisone injections in each foot. They hurt so much I didn't think I was going to be able to walk out of the podiatrists office, but within 2-3 days-I felt like a new person! For the first time in many years, my feet did not hurt.

Seriously, had the pain continued, I would have been forced to quit work.

[frodo-dog]

I will get to 15 posts!

My husband suffered from plantar fascitis, he was told to go to a specialist footware store and get inserts. Albeit that he doesnt stand all day, that fixed the problem. He now only wears Brooks shoes and the problem has not returned.

As for other opportunities, not standing, health care insurance companies offer various positions for people with nursing qualifications. Business analysts, (really good pay) reporting analysts. They may not be in direct contact with patients, but it will pay the bills and uses your knowledge.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I got good orthotics for my shoes and that worked. A few years later, the problem developed again and I got cortisone injections in each heal. That also worked.

I wasn't on my feet as much in my job as you may be in yours ... but both treatments were effective for me. Before giving up on your career, you might want to try some treatment. I recommend you find a good podiatrist and try a few of the treatments he has to offer.

[NiaMalikaLMT]

therapeutic massage Is Excellent for that and try rolling a tennis ball under your feet while sitting on the side of your bed .

NiamalikaLMT

[sethmctenn]

the Strassburg sock worked way better, and was more comfortable, than the boot. I got better after seeing a myofascial release therapist and a chiropractor who does ankles. My talus was anterior on my calcaneus. It was pushing the navicular up. It wouldnt' stay in place until I had myofascial work though.