View Full Version : Help to reduce foot pain!
tddots
09-19-2008, 09:56 PM
My Mom has been in her foot pain recently. I need your help, Slickdealers!
I've heard about WalkFit Orthotics (http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Fit-Othotics-Phase4-Size/dp/B0009VGTEQ/ref=pd_cp_hpc_3?pf_rd_p=413863001&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0009JGHOA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1AQPY5KXGXSWQJWAVTDD) ad on TV but am not sure that will work as advertised. Have you tried them? Or do you have any recommendations? Your help is very appreciated!
Your best bet is to go see a doctor, who will make them to fit. Expensive, but well worth it! (especially if you work on your feet all day like I do!)
Zoe Moon
09-19-2008, 11:05 PM
I agree, she really needs to see a doctor first. There could be any one of a number of things wrong, for example bone spurs, which will just get worse, if left untreated.
tddots
09-20-2008, 03:57 AM
She has visited doctor many times recently, but her doctor told that her legs are okay and only has given some prescriptions.
My mom is a cook. She stands a lot, almost all time at work. She is trying many things, but I realize those are expensive and helpless. Therefore, your two cents are needed. Thank you!
i have tried the walkfits. they take about a week of solid wear to break in, then they are comfy. i didnt like them though. my wife likes hers and uses them all the time. she did have custom orthotics and she says the walkfits are just about the same.
if you want to try them, there's usually a $5 off bed bath and beyond. they sell them there for $20 - $5 = $15.
i've found some gel heel cups help me more than the walkfits. but if your mom has insurance, goto the doctor, ask for a referral to a physical therapist/podiatrist and go from there. orthotics/insoles are usually a band-aid and not a cure.
I got gel one from finish line to help my heel pain. it works ok helps a little but it is not comfy with shoes. All my shoes fit me but with gel pads they are a little tight.
tddots
09-20-2008, 03:50 PM
Thank you for the discount tip, dmyh!
Hi folks,
Please name your gel heel cup, orthotic, or insole that you believe the best one. How much does it cost? Where to get one? Thanks for your participation!
i have tried the walkfits. they take about a week of solid wear to break in, then they are comfy. i didnt like them though. my wife likes hers and uses them all the time. she did have custom orthotics and she says the walkfits are just about the same.
if you want to try them, there's usually a $5 off bed bath and beyond. they sell them there for $20 - $5 = $15.
i've found some gel heel cups help me more than the walkfits. but if your mom has insurance, goto the doctor, ask for a referral to a physical therapist/podiatrist and go from there. orthotics/insoles are usually a band-aid and not a cure.
SaraAB87
09-22-2008, 03:57 PM
You might want to consider joining the Zappos shoe email list as they have some good suggestions on there and they will help you with your problems.
Cheapest way is to grab a bunch of 88 cent insoles from walmart and stick them in your shoes so they fit perfectly. You will have to cut and tape them, after much trial and error trying to get rid of foot pain without going to a doctor this is what worked for me.
Also make sure she is wearing good shoes, the cheap crap from Payless will hurt no matter what you do to the shoes. Some people... they complain their feet hurt then I find out they are wearing the cheap crap from Payless (not to mention you can often get brand name shoes for less than Payless charges if you know how to shop on sale!) Its worth it to spend more on a good pair of shoes. If she is wearing crappy shoes buying a good pair might be an easy fix for the problem. Order from Zappos if you have to, they have free returns.
tddots
09-23-2008, 04:13 AM
Thank Sara!
My mom is wearing the good one from Clark's. It helps, but her knees are still having little pain, due to standing for long hours at work. I am checking out some gel heel cups, orthotics, and insoles at Walgreens today and am going to buy soon.
So help me out if you have a good one to recommend. Thank you all!
You might want to consider joining the Zappos shoe email list as they have some good suggestions on there and they will help you with your problems.
Cheapest way is to grab a bunch of 88 cent insoles from walmart and stick them in your shoes so they fit perfectly. You will have to cut and tape them, after much trial and error trying to get rid of foot pain without going to a doctor this is what worked for me.
Also make sure she is wearing good shoes, the cheap crap from Payless will hurt no matter what you do to the shoes. Some people... they complain their feet hurt then I find out they are wearing the cheap crap from Payless (not to mention you can often get brand name shoes for less than Payless charges if you know how to shop on sale!) Its worth it to spend more on a good pair of shoes. If she is wearing crappy shoes buying a good pair might be an easy fix for the problem. Order from Zappos if you have to, they have free returns.
goto walmart they have a good selection of foot pads/heel cups, etc. etc. i got mine from wally world for like $4 for the pair of gel heel insoles.
if your mom stands alot, there are some anti-fatigue floor mats (look like a small rubber welcome mat) that people use at walmart (see the greeter) that might help her knees a bit. again all these things are somewhat of a band-aid and not a real solution.
g'luck.
fuzzybrain9
09-23-2008, 09:57 AM
I really don't know if ur mom needs to wear formal shoes at work (cuz clark shoes are formal ones ) but a lot of residents including me swear by New Balance shoes(trust me we stand and walk for hrs together ..residency is killer). Get a nice fitting pair for ur mom preferably if she could go to a store with people in the know , they could help her find the right shoe and measure her arch and get proper orthotics ..u could ask her to give it a try..IMHO
mattman688
09-23-2008, 10:00 AM
do you have a roadrunner store nearby? they offer a free foot test on pressure points then offer a solution for walking shoes with the proper insoles needed to correct your walk.
Zoe Moon
09-23-2008, 03:50 PM
SAS has shoes that are specifically designed for people who have to stand all day or be on their feet all day. There are SAS stores in various states and online. I would suggest she try them. They're not stylish but they are the best for being on your feet all day.
The SAS website has almost nothing on it, so here's a site that gives some info about SAS shoes.
http://shoes.lovetoknow.com/Buying_SAS_Shoes (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=115981&sdtid=927701&sdfid=11&u2=http://shoes.lovetoknow.com/Buying_SAS_Shoes)
Here's a website that sells SAS shoes online but it's best if she goes to an SAS store and tries them on first.
http://www.norbysonline.com/wosascosh.html (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=115981&sdtid=927701&sdfid=11&u2=http://www.norbysonline.com/wosascosh.html)
aschnabel84
09-25-2008, 09:45 PM
after going to the doctor try Legatrin for the pain- it's over the counter in the pharmacy.
SaraAB87
09-26-2008, 10:56 AM
Did you try Dansko clogs, MBT's or Earth shoes, I have no experience with these but you might want to look into them. I also hear that Memphisto's are very good however I have not tried them myself. Clarks aren't that good IMO, my mom tried them and said they hurt her feet and she only has a sit down job, she had to return them. The truly good shoes like mephisto's seem to not be found in any department store at least near me. I may have spelled that wrong.
I have on a pair of New Balance 874 and they are very, very good. They seem to have a lot of stabilization on the back part of the foot and a lot of arch support, I think I only stuck one layer of walmart insoles in them under the arch and they were perfect. They do slip in the heel though so make sure you try them on before you buy. They are also extremely wide. I got these for 3$ at a foot locker outlet when they were having a 70% off sale. You can get these in many discount stores here like A.J Wright and Marshalls though and even on ebay for like 19.99-24.99 a pair. They might only make these in Mens sizes so I am not sure, but I got pink ones, apparently they make pink ones in mens sizes, which is a godsend for me.. These are a size 11 in mens so I don't think they are womens. Yes I have very huge feet. I like these so much I will probably get another pair at some point.
I did try a pair of propet shoes from zappos and I was not impressed other than it was a pair of womens shoes that I could actually get my feet into for once. They had too much sewing on the bottom and that made the bottoms hard and then the straps were too thin without any padding underneath the straps so that made them dig into your feet.
tddots
10-02-2008, 09:11 PM
Thank you all!
My Mom got a pair of SAS shoe plus inserting Dr.schools insoles now. She feels a little better but still has a little pain on her knees due to working long hours. I hope she'll get much better soon when she is used to with them.
Anyway, please continue to post your tips that help. Thanks again!
hollowsampson
10-02-2008, 10:47 PM
Where exactly is the pain in her feet?
If it's on the bottom of her heels - it could be lack of support on her arches. Sometimes all you need is the inserts that give additional support on the arch of the foot.
Probably should go see a podiatrist -- though they'll try and sell you on their Ortho's for mega-bucks, you can at least find out what the problem is - then a little google magic for some solutions.
Zoe Moon
10-02-2008, 11:10 PM
For the knee pain, she might want to try taking cod liver oil. My dad and his golf buddies swear by it. He was having hip and knee pain and started taking 6 capsules per day then tapered it down to 2 per day after the first month. He got a lot of relief and started walking again at the course, something he hadn't been able to do for a while. The good thing is cod liver oil is not very expensive so she's not out much if it doesn't help. But she needs to take it for a full month as it might take that long to start helping.
darylmaya
12-03-2008, 01:30 PM
4 tips:
I heard that alternating the heel height of the shoe can be useful because different height heels puts pressure on different muscles.
I personally like Reef Slap (almost extinct) a surfboarder's flip flop which padding works for me. I do replace them however very frequently as I noticed that after a bit of wear my back and feet pain come back. You should note that even nicely padded flip-flop/shoes have different angles. Some, like the Birkinstock, are lower at the heel. They work for lots of people but kill my back. I like my shoes with an angle and lower at the toes.. so what I am trying to say is that the angle of the sole may make a difference to the back pain. And you need to figure out which works best.
Another tip from a cook friend of mine was to use a foot stool. While working, lift one foot at a time and rest it on the stool. Again it relieves the stress of the back.
The MBT shoes someone recommended earlier are supposed to be amazing.
Good luck,