Possible Overlooked Safety Concern?

[J.D.Redwine]

Custom made orthotics.

[Sparky Paessler]

Roger my wife has had a lot of trouble with plantar facscia and I ended up making a small ramp she can sit next to the wall and when she gets up in the morning she will stand on it and it stretches the tendons in her foot. Has help her a lot! Keeps her from having problems with it when done regularly and helps clear up issues with it when she doesn't. I think the one I made was about a 30 degree ramp and she stands on it with her hands on the wall and then kind of leans into the wall to stretch them. I have made a dozen or so of them for her friends that have issues with it also. Very simple to make. I will say though that once it has flared up it does take a while to clear up. Understand it is really painful. Hope yours gets better! I have problems with gout in my feet which is not fun either! Cleared it up by giving up red meat.

[Tony De Masi]

Roger, while I have not suffered from PF you also have asked what we wear while at the lathe. A year ago I switched from a pair of New Balance, 600 series, to a pair of Merrel Jungle Moc shoes. To say these have been my go to shoes would a an understatement. There may have been a few days that I didn't wear them. I'm doing a four day show starting on Thursday and they will be on my feet every minute.

[Wade Holloway]

Roger I am a PA and I have had lots of patients with the same problem. You have got some really good advice. Stretching is great to help get over it and to prevent it. Orthotics can also help a lot too. But to treat the acute problem you still need to do several things. NSAIDs are very important, most of the time I recommend Aleve, 2 of the them twice a day as long as you do not have any contraindications for using it. Another is to get one of the old fashioned style Coke bottles, the 8 oz type. put some water in it and freeze it. Just make sure you do not fill it all the way up because it will break if to full when you freeze it. Once it is frozen sit down in a chair place your foot on top of the coke bottle, put a lot of downward pressure and roll the bottle back and forth with the arch of your foot. About 10 minutes twice a day. This puts ice treatment to the tendon and helps to stretch it too. Between the NSAIDs, Ice treatment and the stretching you should be good to go shortly. As several have said get you a good pair of shoes/boots that have good arch support. You should be good in a few weeks. Good luck to you.

[Pete Copeland]

Roger,

I have had this problem for about the past 2 years. What seems to have helped the most was Superfeet insoles. They have various sizes. I have a full-sized pair for shoes that have removable insoles (the green ones) and a thiner pair (black) for shoes that don't have removable insoles. These cost about $50 per pair but they have been money well spent. I still have issues (and rolling my sole over a cold drink can can help) but there was a big difference when I got these insoles.

[John K Jordan]

...- and that is what tore her foot up. So do what your doctor tells you to do.

That is sage advice! The problem with using someone else's procedure/prescription/cure is each individual can have different conditions.

My Lovely Bride tore tendons in her foot hiking in Glacier park, it started with a pain and gradually got worse. Tendon replacement surgery, much pain, and two years of PT exercises made her one of the success stories. The "no pain, no gain" mantra is not universally valid!

JKJ

[Reed Gray]

John, if my doctor had given me that stretching advice, I would have changed doctors. Having been an athlete my whole life, stretching, just like any exercise starts slow and you warm up to it, you do not jump in and go full throttle to start. I figure my Thai Chi gives me all of the stretches, and range of motion is as important as anything else. My stretches for feet, ankles, legs, knees and hips include the 4 points of the compass, front and back, side to side, and the 4 diagonal points.

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

John, if my doctor had given me that stretching advice, I would have changed doctors....

Well, I had continued the set of the stretches he had prescribed a few years before for the same condition, just not to that degree and with my leg in that position. Maybe he decided it was time to escalate. Or, maybe this special stretch was something new designed just for the plantar fasciitis. What ever, it really worked for me! (and a friend) I'm 66 and can still race a teenager up the hill from the barn and win sometimes.

Based on past history of successful surgery and cures for my own family and some friends, his reputation in the community (hard to get an appointment) as well as strong endorsement from my general physician, I wouldn't trade this doctor for the entire Mayo clinic.

But as the man said, do what your doctor says!

(I went for a physical years ago and my doctor exclaimed "Wow, you lost 30 lbs!". I reminded him that he told me to lose some weight and he said he told everyone that but I was the first one who did. Joking, I'm sure.)

JKJ

[Dok Yager]

Roger I will agree with a Lot that has been said here. Wade and others are on track with stretching, Aleve or any good Nsaid. The Cold coke bottle works Great! I suffered from this and a Lot of other back problems from one too many "car" accidents. Road racing, some offf-road and Drag racing. The final blow was an end over end and rolled 5 times. OUCH!! Took a year of hard work to get back to normal. I did get a pair of good expensive custom fit orthotics that certainly help. I also Always wear my Red Wings for support. And I stretch before and after each turning session.

[Roger Chandler]

To all who replied to this thread on foot issues related to turning. Just to let you know, I did not mean for it to turn into a thread about my condition, per se, but please know that I truly appreciate all the great advice and information you all posted! These are so helpful, and it is a testament to the great group of folks who are part of the "Creeker" family! What came across to me was a sense of genuine concern and empathy, for which I am so appreciative.

The other question about what you wear at the lathe, and what helps was answered very succinctly as well. What a great group you all are!

Plantar's Facsiitis, I am finding out is a fairly common issue, and the fact that standing for long periods can lead to issues, lets me know that I and others who turn need to be proactive about foot care, support and taking steps to stretch, both before and during turning sessions. All good advice, which I certainly intend to take to heart and put into practice. I like turning too much to give it up, so I will persevere through this and do all I can to get better and back to my work at the lathe........I just hope it does not take too long! Thanks again, everyone!

[robert baccus]

All very good advice. Being a forester I was walking 5-10 miles per day when it hit me. The doctor told my wife(after the operation) to give or throw away every pair of shoes and boots I owned. ( that really hurt) and buy 2 sizes wider in the future. Dam--even my duck waders and hip boots. It did the trick in my case anywho.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Roger - I suffered from of for over a year before getting a good set of custom orthotics made. Couldn't afford the podiatrists fees, and was referred to custom orthotics.com
They send a kit to take molds of your feet, then make custom orthotics to fit. been using them (four sets now) for over ten years now and all foot pain is completely eliminated.
they're not cushy or soft, slightly flexible, but very firm - molded from uhmwpe plastic, I think. I won't put on a pair of shoes without them. Best of all they are very reasonable. These guys make them for podiatrists.
Not connected to them in any way - just a very happy customer. By the way, a single set will last years - I still have the first set and have walked 8 to 10 miles a day on average every day.

[Jamie Straw]

I had a very severe case many years ago, it's a nasty thing! Arch support is critical -- we have an A+++ group of physical therapists here on the island, and my orthotics were made there. Stretching really helps (so does PT if the therapists are good) -- short Achilles and hamstrings will contribute to the problem, and if all you do is stand all day, and sit in the evenings, they'll be short! Ice (pack of frozen black-eyed peas under the foot. My husband had it also, in one foot, and before he went hunting last year, he had the injection -- it did help. The bad thing is, once a tendon or fascia gets strained, it's more vulnerable to stress even after healing. Trick is to address the problem immediately if it starts to hurt again.

[Stan Smith]

I got plantar faciitis from running--jumped from a 10k to a half marathon in a week. Duh! I had to get orthotics via a good podiatrist. Over time it went away and I had a 15 year stretch where I didn't wear the orthotics. I've had to wear them again for the last 4 years. My current podiatrist is a runner. I don't run any more due to disk problems in my neck and back. In summary, the orthotics take my pain away--without any meds. I use a plastic foot rocker when I have to stretch-exercise. I haven't used it for quite awhile since I wear my orthotics regularly.

I had a thin anti-fatigue mat that I used at the lathe. I realized that it was not enough to keep my feet from aching so I bought a thicker and better mat (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1). For me this mat is worth every penny. No more sore feet.

[Roger Chandler]

Well, just a small followup- I slightly mis-diagnosed myself thinking my pain was due to Plantar's Facsiitis, when today my Podiatrist said it is actually Achillies Tendonitis - although pain is similar, if not treated correctly/measures to mitigate recurrances, it can lead to degeneration of the achillies tendon.

So, it is wearing a night splint, taking pain meds, nsaid cream application to the site, stretching exercises, ice therapy and some new highly supportive athletic or hiking style shoes for everyday wear. Should be back at the lathe before long ... Gotta find the right pair of shoes first, and get swelling & tenderness subsided.

mentally, I am chomping at the bit....physically not so much! Maybe I just need to take my Father's day money and go shopping for lathe accessories and such to tide me over till then? I have had my eyes on a new JT Turning tools vac adapter kit for my lathe, and a Bestwood Tools Texas Big Bite Spur drive and a larger boring bar, and.....