Ok Talkbass...help me fix my feet!!

IME, arthritis, diabetes?

Have you seen a podiatrist or acupuncturist or chiropractor?

Is there a medical school anywhere near you?

Are you taking meds for any other chronic conditions?

Does soaking them in cold water help?

Since it's both feet, IME, that's very important.

Causes of Chronic foot pain - RightDiagnosis.com

 

IME, there are no magic pill(s). Looking for a magic pill is the same as buying magic tennis shoes. People are waiting to take advantage of you.

I know you are desperate . It took my wife over 10 years to get treatment.

. She had to go to three teaching hospitals and several other doctors before improving.

So you haven't seen a podiatrist? Or had an xray or MRI?

How about as muscoskeletal doctor?
A musculoskeletal physician is a doctor who manages patients with bone, joint and muscle disorders that DO NOT require surgery as part of their management.

You really need to get to a teaching hospital.

Good luck.

 

Carrying a few extra kilos perchance?

 

That's a mistake. Good chiropractor trumps doctors, drugs, health products etc. Ten years ago, I had a nasty fall of a motorcycle, and to try one last thing before shoulder surgury, I went to see a chiro who got highly recommended. Month and a half later, i got 100% recovered. Every now and then, I go back to him any time I have some muscle or tendons problem. I.e. for years I thought I had permanently damaged my knees and this guy found it is actualy my quadriceps. Month later I was 100% good.
Recently I went to see him (had discus hernia that got much much better after 2 month treatments), there was another patient, a girl that damaged her foot and moved those tiny bones around. Last time I saw her, she was walking without a limp with a big smile on her face.
Trust me, find a chiropractor. At least you'll get second opinion.

 

If this is indeed your problem, I suffered the same thing. Finally got a handle on it by wearing shoes with supports ALL THE TIME! No going barefoot. And a night splint. The splint keeps your foot at the correct angle while you sleep so your foot doesn't bend down. This keeps the plantar from shrinking/tightening while you sleep. It's the sudden stretch when you first put weight on it when you get up that causes the pull on the plantar which leads to the spur where it connects to the front of your heel.

 

here's a thought - how much time do you spend sitting, and do you cross your legs?

years ago, i had been working more than full time at my computer when my feet started to hurt. they got worse and worse, to the point where i was afraid to walk - the first few minutes of walking was excrutiating. no doctor could figure this this one out - i did, myself. i always crossed my legs when i sat, and by doing so, i cut off circulation to my feet. within days of sitting without crossing my legs, the pain started going away and within two weeks it was gone forever.

btw, my late ex-husband was a chiropractor. not only do they get more training that focuses on certain parts of medicine than doctors do, but they are often trained to look at the human body a different way than MDs do. my ex got a large amount of patients who orthopedists were referring for immediate surgery. often they had problems that were treated without surgery through either chiropractic manipulation, physical therapty, exercise or massage but sometimes there was improvement from waiting a little longer. i sometimes worked in his office and did all his medical narrative reports, and it was impressive how many of those people didn't actually need surgery.

i'd recommend going to a chiropractor who seems professional and medical, just like i'd recommend for an MD or therapist.

 

I had a long lingering case of achilles tendinitis due to a curling injury. I made it worse by continuing to curl and do other sports/activities. Turned into calcification of the tendon, according to X-rays. Got quite difficult to walk at times over the course of three years. Did many of the same things as you including shock wave therapy (on the injury site, not my frontal cortex). had all kinds of gadgets, wraps and supports. Nothing worked. Except: powering down for a couple of months. After being stopped dead due to pneumonia last year, I continued to take it easy and did not stress the Achilles in any way. Helped that my lung capacity was compromised for a while. I took the elevator at work, stopped curling, stopped gigging. Plus a little Aleve for inflammation. I was back to 95% within a couple of months and now at 100% a year later. I thought I was going to need surgery at some point.

A buddy of mine at work went through something similar with plantar. He’s a competitive athlete and just could not power himself down. He was in excruciating pain but still did a long backpacking trip in the Rockies. Eventually, He went the surgery route. That powered him down for a couple of months. Now his other foot is causing him trouble!

 

What has helped with my feet:

Super Feet Insoles (about $30-35), See if you can find a good running shoe store that will fit you properly for these. After you find the right insoles use them in every pair of shoes you wear. Personally I wear the orange ones in all my shoes. I have a pair of hiking boots that were really uncomfortable that became wonderfully supprtive after adding these.

How Do Insoles Work? | Foot Pain Relief & Comfort| Superfeet | Superfeet Insoles & Footwear

Stiff soled shoes, NOT having the sole flex gave me relief to the plantar faciatis and any other tendons that are stressed. When I was at my worst I primarily wore a pair of Brooks Walkers and the above-mentioned stiff hiking boots (both with Super Feet). If you think of the tendons stretching as you walk it makes sense to keep them from stretching too much as they are pulled and damaged.

An ankle wrap like you would get at the pharmacy. Provides a little support to the tendons, not that the issue is really with the ankle but it is hard to wrap your feet and these worked well for me.

Foot massage, particularly around arch and ball.

Stretch your feet for a few minutes in the morning before getting out of bed.

As @biguglymann says above, avoid going barefoot. That is the opposite of wearing stiff soled shoes with inserts. I think I used the wrap when sleeping for a brief time when I was at my worst. And while you are recovering, massaging, wearing stiff shoes and insoles and a wrap, avoid being on your feet when possible. Like @DirtDog said, really powering down and taking it easy for a period helps. While running did not make my feet hurt, they hurt afterwards and taking a break helped.

Best of luck with it, when your feet hurt, everything else sucks.

 

One other thing I changed besides powering down. I was wearing a well-worn pair Blundstones towards the end of my bad cycle. I bought a new pair and suddenly walking became much less painful overnight. Don't underestimate the effect of footwear - good and bad!

 

Yes, even these Brooks Walkers that I love tend to get more flexible with some use.

 

I have some Plantar Fasciitis issues, and many people suggest stretching calves and hams. Everything is connected. Also, I massage out the hard ball in my foot when PF happens.