Wednesday, August 11, 2010

When Pain Follows Pleasure

I had a great time with my kids and grand kids while they were here. We played games, went places, saw things, spent time together. I have had to restrict my activities with them more than ever before. It pains me that I can no longer chase them or lift them or play soccer with them. Isaac asks, "Why can't you run, Grandma?" A seven year old doesn't understand aging or arthritis. One pleasure I did not completely fore go was walking barefoot on the beach. How can you play in the creek or wade in the surf or dabble in tide pools with shoes on? And these are not firm and even surfaces. So now I am paying. I have all kinds of foot problems, so many I will not bother to go into them, but one I always battle and try to keep at bay is plantar fasciitis. To keep it under control I never go barefoot and always wear supportive shoes with arch supports. So of course, as a result of playing on the beach, I now have severe heel pain in my right foot. I got out my Group Health Healthwise Handbook to see what homecare I should be employing now that the kids are gone. I should reduce all weight-bearing activities to a pain-free level. That means not walking on it. Hmmm. Not possible when I'm cleaning house, repairing the garden and shopping for groceries. I can apply an ice pack to my heel when I'm sitting. I'm doing that and it feels good. I have ordered a new set of arch supports, since my current ones are several years old. I suppose it's time to break in a new pair of walking shoes, since the book recommends replacing athletic shoes every few months because the padding wears out. I do have a new pair in the closet. I am already taking naproxen every day. I guess I should get back to my stretching exercises, especially stretching calf muscles. The book recommends that you do not return to "high-impact activity" until you have been pain free for one week. Am I ever "pain free"? I would assume that means aerobic walking. Of course the best thing is to carry less weight around. Now that all of the company is gone, I was really going to work on that, and start building up those daily steps again along with watching my food intake. Now I can't do the walking. And I still have ice cream in the house. And the weather is turning hot again. What a pain.

16 comments:

  1. I've had severe plantar fasciitis, and it occasionally flares up a bit. When I had the severe bout, I was in China and had a Chinese foot massage. That did wonders for it. The massage itself was rather painful, but oh, the benefits later! I, too, have to make sure I wear shoes with good arch support.

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  2. Isn't it always something? My daughter has plantar fasciitis and has found a massage of some kind does wonders for it. I'm not sure where she gets that done, maybe the gym where she works out. I'll ask her more about it.

    I love your idea of doing as much as you can to make yourself look good, then leave it up to others to deal with it. Good idea.

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  3. Linda, read the suggestions on this website http://www.ehow.com/how_2300055_do-sports-massage-plantar-fasciitis.html

    I'll talk to my daughter later this afternoon, if she's at home, and get back to you.

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  4. Linda, Susan says she uses a sports rehab massage therapist at her gymn and has him massage her feet and ankles. She says you can also find rehab massage therapists in other places but since one works at her gym she uses him.

    I don't think you have to belong to a gym to use those kind of people. I don't belong to the gym where my trainer rehab person works.

    She also says freezing a bottle of water and rolling your foot over it feels very good and she recommends doing your stretching exercises.

    The Superfeet shoe inserts (the pink ones) were also recommened to her and she found them helpful. She in turn recommended them to me and now I wear them in my shoes.

    Susan and I both wear running shoes rather than walking shoes because they're lighter.

    Hope you find relief soon.

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  5. I do hope you're feeling better soon, Linda! We do sometimes pay for the fun we have, don't we? I, too, have heard that massage can be beneficial. I go to an acupuncturist that is the very best there is and he combines massage with acupuncture and has kept me moving for the past three years. He is a gem!

    Sylvia

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  6. Pain seems to be a standard facet of my life these days also. We have some younger grandchildren, so I end up packing them around and my back kills me when they leave. :(

    I swim at the Y every morning, and I find if I keep up with that, it helps both my weight and my back problems.

    GL - hope your feet are better real soon. I really do feel your pain!

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  7. I had that and did little walking for a whole summer then did some exercises, always wore supports-crocs work great around the house and I'm not bothered by it anymore but it sure is painful. Take a rest and don't eat any ice cream-try a popsicle instead. lol!

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  8. Check out Shane's Foot Comfort Center in Shoreline. He built my orthotics and I buy shoes only from him now. Any day I can walk without pain is a good day!

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  9. When I've had those painful spots, I found that a spongy do-nut shaped pad can be used to take the pressure off the pain. I get them in the foot care section at the local Rite-Aid.

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  10. I am sorry Linda..payback is so unfair but comes with the territory sometimes. I have read the comments left and the massage therapy is very interesting...I hope you find something that helps and that it doesn't curtail your activities too much..hugs..Michelle

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  11. The Great Dane has the same heel problem with the hard-to-say and hard-to-spell name.....so big sympathy from here.

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  12. Oh dear Linda, I am sorry you have those problems. Not being able to walk is a major limiting factor to most activities, so I hope that you are able to return to better health soon. I laughed at the final paragraph in your blog - "And I still have icecream......" :-) - Dave

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  13. Although I have never had foot pain, I can sympathize with what you are going through. Hope all these suggestions help you!

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  14. I do hope you are feeling better Linda. Now you will have to sit back and relax for awhile!

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  15. I'm so sorry, Linda. I know how you're feeling, of course. I couldn't carry my precious grandchild much when she was here, too. I wanted to, but everybody made sure I was not straining.

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  16. Had absolutely crippling plantar fasciitis several years ago. I had PT with stim therapy which worked wonders, I wear orthotics specially fitted by the doctor, and I never wear flats. Dansko makes wonderful sandals and clogs that I wore when I was teaching and now that I'm retired. They're expensive but last forever and are worth every penny. I'm now pain free.

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