Ok, people who have had heel spurs and/or some ppl with good advice, I need you - come on in. . .

[episodic]

My wife who is in between insurance now (in the waiting period) has developed really painful heel spurs (according to her xray and the doc's report). . .

We don't have money for an orthopedic doc right now and her family prac - well lets say we should find another, but it is hard to find one in our area that takes the limited medical plan (only pays for doctor visits) her employer offered her during her 6 month wait for 'real insurance'. . .

He won't do the cortisone shots in the heal. So that is out, and he is already prescribing nsaids.

All that I type below this are things I found on our own, with no recommendation or help from a doctor. Thanks for looking and reading and suggesting whatever you can.

On a scale of 1-10 my wife is experiencing on a good day a 6 and on a bad day a 8-9 in terms of pain with 10 being the worst.

I did a bunch of research, and it seems that orthotic inserts help - so today I got her sonme Spenco RX fiberglass inserts that the local medical supply house recommended as the best you can get without having them custom made by an orthotic specialist (ie we can't afford now) - and my wife says that indeed they make it feel better when she walks - although, she has not spent a shift on her feet yet.

I've also read that night splints can help. Any thoughts there?
http://www.ourdoctorstore.com/...=400&DEPARTMENT_ID=180

Would that be a good one? Any other recommendations?


I've also read that 'taping' the foot helps - I have no idea how to do this - and need instruction here if anyone has thoughts or what to do, I'd appreciate it.

I've started her doing "runner's" stretches. . . (per internet advice on the subject). . .

She has started taking ginger and tumeric supplements to help reduce the swelling.

What else can she do? We rely on her income. Surgery seems like it IS NOT recommended in many of these cases. . .and finding a 'non-standing' job isn't going to be easy now.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Pop bottles filled with water and frozen, roll her feet on them when they hurt (at the end of the day)

Surgery is not indicated, and the shots can have serious side effects. Buy the cheap running shoe inserts for arch support.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Why did I come in here thinking this was going to be a thread about riding horses?

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Double amputation will clear that right up.

 

[paulney]

Originally posted by: SonnyDaze
Why did I come in here thinking this was going to be a thread about riding horses?

OP's wife can definitely save a ton of money now
No need for these

 

[OUCaptain]

Originally posted by: SonnyDaze
Why did I come in here thinking this was going to be a thread about riding horses?

that's what I was thinking.

 

[episodic]

up for night crew and 'real advice'

 

[pontifex]

something's wrong with my feet too so this thread is of interest to me. i didn't go to the doc when i had insurance and now i don't have it, so i screwed myself there.
there was a period about a year ago where I spent a lot of time on my feet for more than 8 hours a day. lots of walking on cement floors. sometimes it's so painful i can't walk, and the area around my ankles swells if I'm on my feet for any length of time. i have been using those inserts but they don't seem to help much.

 

[JulesMaximus]

My wife has plantar fasciitis, it has forced her to stop running because when she runs she is in a lot of pain and limping about for days afterward (this is a woman who used to run 3-4 half marathons a year and who has completed the Los Angeles Marathon twice-best time was 4 hours 10 minutes or so).

Doctors have told her that there really isn't much they can do for it. She just has to try not to inflame that tissue so she just does the stair climber at the gym or spin classes.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I have had bone spurs in my feet and fought arthritis for years. Orthopedics helped some and gel inserts are a necessity. I finally had my feet fused with bolts in each foot that allow my feet to flex forward and back but, not side to side. I tried splints for a while but, they are too annoying for me without drugs. You might have your wife give support hose a try. In the end, everyone is different in their own situation with the only thing in common is the pain. I am on my feet all day long and only sit down for lunch. I self medicate with beer, meade, whiskey and, sometimes pain killers but, I know my limits. It helps that work is so absorbing that, I can block out the pain when I'm busy.

 

[orion23]

I also developed plantar fasciitis and it is the worst thing in the world...I really cannot make it through the day without feeling the pain. I've had those cortisone shots and that didn't help. Also bought "cookies" which didn't help either.

Now days, I started using an ARCH STRAP, combined with a small piece of foam wrapped around the arch (to create a little height I guess...) and that seems to help a lot more than anything I've tried before.

 

[alkemyst]

you gelling?

 

[lokiju]

I got $500 custom inserts (insurance didn't cover a dime) from a podiatrist and those same exact looking night splints you linked, but I have Planters Fasciitis.

The inserts didn't do a damn thing and were a wasted $500 but the (free) night splints did help a lot but were so uncomfortable to wear at night and were such a huge pain in the ass if I had to get up to pee that I said "screw it all" and just deal with the pain now.

 

[Sea Moose]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Double amputation will clear that right up.

i have a circular saw you can borrow









Jokes aside, i am sorry to hear of your wife misfortune
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heel_spur <--- Reading that led me to the below link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis <--- Some interesting facts plus non invasive surgery info.

 

[Muadib]

I suffered from this. My foot doc told me there was only a 50% chance that surgery would fix it, and recommended changing footwear first. He told me to try Birkenstock sandals with cork soles first, as they provide more protection in the heel area, by giving more support & absorbing more shock. He said they were probably the cheapest fix if it worked.

For me, they were the solution. Within 2 weeks of buying them, I was pain free. I ended up buying shoes by Birkenstock, and throwing out my old everyday shoes. I've since found New Balance sneakers to be great too. I stick to the cross trainer styles, because they give more cushion in the heel area.