We’re all really busy, and we walk alot.
We depend on our feet to be up to the task of carrying us through each shift- day, after day, after day. We definitely don’t have time for foot pain to slow us down, either.
How many of you wear an activity tracker or keep track of your steps through an app? How many thousands of steps do you log each shift? I wear a FitBit Alta, and every day when I leave work, I’ve walked at least 10,000 steps, if not more. 10,000 steps is almost 5 miles, which is right in line with the average 4 to 5 miles that nurses log each 12-hour shift.
So what happens when your feet hurt? When your heels ache, or when you get out of bed in the morning and you can only limp to the shower because your feet hurt so bad you can’t walk correctly? I’ll tell you what happens – you cry. And when you get done sobbing, you pray your feet get better because you can’t possibly go through another shift with foot pain that debilitating.
OK, so maybe I’m the only one who cried…but dang, my feet hurt. BAD.
Finally, I dried my eyes and decided to go see a doctor.
In desperation, I limped over to the Orthopedic Clinic at my hospital to see one of the foot surgeons that I work with. It turns out, the foot pain I was experiencing was Plantar Fasciitis. What is that, you ask? According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, “Plantar Fasciitis occurs when the strong band of connective tissue that supports the arch of your foot becomes irritated and inflamed. It causes pain on the bottom of the foot near the heel, pain with the first few steps after getting out of bed in the morning, and greater pain after exercise or activity.” (For a more thorough description of the causes and symptoms of plantar fasciitis, click here.)
(Disclaimer! You should always see your own physician for any medical diagnosis and treatment. This is just my experience.)
After Dr. Foot Guy told me what was wrong, he told me what I could do to get better. I took his advice, and stopped wearing flip flops. Apparently those are bad for your feet anyway. {Bummer…} He also showed me how to stretch my feet and my calf muscles to alleviate the tightness. We talked about how much I run on my days off, and I decided to lay off the running until my feet healed. Just to be extra cautious. The last thing we talked about was buying some inserts for my shoes. He recommended Powerstep Orthotic Shoe Insoles. I’d never heard of them before, so I waited to order them, thinking that an insert couldn’t really be that beneficial.
I. Was. Wrong!
No joke, once I finally took the time to order the insoles and put them in my shoes, I was sold. My feet immediately felt supported! My feet were happy – which meant the rest of me was happy, too. And, unlike those expensive inserts that can cost hundreds of dollars, these only cost me about $30 on Amazon! Now that’s a definite win for me and my budget. 😊
At last, relief from the foot pain!
After a couple of weeks of consistent stretching, some ibuprofen, giving up my flip-flops, *sniff*, and wearing my new insoles, my feet finally felt better. I’ve been wearing them now for over 6 months, and I haven’t had any more problems with my feet. It’s amazing. I can make it through all of the 10,000+ steps that I take daily, and my feet aren’t aching at the end of my shift.
The Powerstep Orthotic Shoe Insoles were definitely a game changer for me. I’ve recommended them to family and coworkers already, and I wanted to share my experience with you as well. 😊
Here’s to happy feet for all nurses!
Melanie
Disclosure: Some links in this post are referral links. That means, at no cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase. Also, my goal is to share with you what worked for me. This is not a sponsored post in any way.