Feet get sore (tired?) way too fast

by Bjarni
(Reykjavík)

Pain all over in BOTH soles of feet. More pain when standing than when walking (Much like people working standing jobs get tired in their feet after working long shifts). If I stand still, the pain will gradually build until I will walk. The pain will disappear when I start walking but it will be back as soon as I stop again and if I walk for a long time, it will be constant.

Not sure how long it has been, but at least 4-5 years.

Pain is dull at first but worsens the longer I stand. In the end it becomes unbearable.

Pain arrives after about 30 minutes of standing or 2-3 hours of walking. I used to be able to stand for about 6 hours before the pain would arrive and I wouldn't think it was abnormal but now, it comes way too fast to be normal.

No pain in the morning. Only thing that seems to relieve the pain is rest.

Veins protrude after being awake and sitting in front of a computer for 24+ hours and pain becomes constant even when not standing. Not sure if that is because of blood being cut by sitting or what that is..

History:

Pain started in 2008 when I was 18 when I was working 9 hour shifts on my feet. Pain became severe in 2009 in the army. In 2010 the pain was so bad and arrived so quickly that I had to leave the army.

I was a skateboarder when I was a kid.

Not sure what more to say.. I've tried every single remedy there is for plantar fasciitis. Taping, cortisone, heel cups, insoles, different kind of shoes, stretching, shock wave therapy.. Name it, I tried it.

Any ideas? Thanks.


RESPONSE

Hi Bjami,

Because your pain is primarily evident when standing for long periods of time and because of your relative youth, it would seem to me that the problem is either a structural one, where your are collapsing under your own body weight (I do not know how much you weigh) and they are over flattening out thus causing pain. Have you tried something as simple as a good arch support? In my practice that usually solves the problem. The key here is getting an orthotic that is proper for your feet. This means it has to adequately support your arch, and thus your body weight. An orthotic that just cushions the bottom of your feet is probably going to be useless.
Secondly, an orthotic would be predicated on what type of foot structure you have. Not all orthotics are the same; some are for high arched feet while other are better for flat feet. More than likely you will have to do some research to determine your foot structure and than find the proper orthotic.
The other issue that may be causing your foot pain could be a lower back problem. Sometimes standing for too long a period of time will aggravate the nerves as they come out of the lower back and will lead to pain in the feet. You seem to be too young to be experiencing this type of pain, but you never know.
You need to find a doctor in your area who understands the biomechanics of foot structure and you will be able to identify where your problem is originating from and then offer you appropriate care.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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