Hi all

Just wondered if anyone has suffered from this. I'm going to make an appointment for the doctors as I think one of mine has gone. I noticed a few weeks ago some pain in my foot, which has gotten progressively worse. I feel sore all the time now, both on my ankle and on the sole of my foot where my arch should be. My OH noticed this evening that my right foot looks considerably bigger than my left both lengthways and across the way. Is there anthing that can be done for it or is it just a case of dealing with the pain. In my job I do lots of walking and running around and the pain is really getting to me, sometimes if I have been sitting it's really stiff and sore when I get up to move around.

Many thanks for any advice offered :D

I may be wrong but generally it is not actually fallen arches although you think it is, it is something called pronation when your feet are actually rolling in a bit. It is very very common and so sore. I had the sorest feet for about a year and swollen ankles also. When I got out my bed it took me 10 mins to get my feet going :-D seriously though.

I was measure for insole supports but they never came so I bought them out of boots. They are strange to wear to begin with and sit in the arch but after about a month  BINGO it was working. I now don't have to wear them all the time just if I am standing for days and days.

You can generally tell when the wear on your shoe changes from how it used to be.

I used to lean out the way a bit but my feet were rolling in a bit and looked liked they were perfectly level, BUT perfectly level wasn't my natural position.

PS the insoles are about £20-25 but they do 100% work.

first link I have found..http://www.drfoot.co.uk/arch_pain.htm

http://www.myfeet.com/conditions/arch_pain-strain.jsp

http://www.steenwyk.com/pronsup.htm

Hi there

Thanks for the reply. What you have descibed, sounds quite familiar. When I used to walk the outside of my shoe was worn, now the inside is starting to wear quickly. It is getting to the stage that I'm in constant pain. I might just head off to boots and see what they can suggest. Did the doctor do anything for you? or was it a complete waste of time. Did you notice your feet gtting bigger? My right foot looks about 2 sizes bigger than my left and  my shoe is really tight and sore on me. It looks like I might be wearing a size 6 and size 8 in future :D Its good to hear that it gets better. So do the supports work quite quickly? I am working on Sunday which means I have 8 hours standing as I don't get a break and would like some relief from the pain.

Hi Alli,

When I first started to get it I was worried sick I would have life long feet trouble. I went to our doctors first who told me to stand with my shoes off in front of her right away she said that is what it was and the she suffered with it to. I  have a  chiropodist within the practice so was sent straight there. She measured me feet up for insole supports BUT 6 months later I was still waiting so I searched on the net for a product called Orthaheel as this was a recommended product   then I noticed you could get them in Boots, I wanted to look at them first before buying.

My feet were swollen and shoes were tight. I would say it took about 6 months of insole wearing for it really to turn around but touch wood I am only wearing the insoles occasionally now. You want to see the way I was walking sometimes. The morning was the worse or if I was sitting in a chair for a while then got up again boy I could barely walk. It sounds daft but you will probably relate to this but when you start walking it is like you have to get your feet going :-D then it settles down a bit. If you stop for too long bang it is back.

I honestly never realised just how common it was. The leaflet that comes with the supports from Boots when you read it , it is really a good comprehensive guide. It has a list of the symptoms and when you read it you feel you have been saved :-D every symptom was mine..

The insoles were a bit weird to wear and moved but after a week or so you get used to them.

They work though for sure. 

My doctor told me to wear trainers more often etc but I am not a trainer person but I try to buy comfy shoes when casually dressed from Clarks etc. 

Let me know how you get on. :-)

PS just to keep myself right ;-) it is still worth asking your Quack to confirm it but they should be able to right there and then and it certainly sounds like it to me.

http://www.orthaheel.co.uk/heel.html  go through this site and read all the pages and the symptoms..I thought they were talking about me :-D This is the best site actually I just couldn't find it last night quickly. Orthaheel regular is the ones I have they are a half insole that sits under your arch.  Oh and forgot you can order from them direct.

Hiya

Managed to get an appoinment for the doctors this afternoon, hopefully he'll be able to tell me what the problem is. I know for a fact that I'll be told that I'm overweight and need to lose more weight, I've lost almost two stone in the past few months. I'll let you know how I get on and hopefully I'll be pain free soon :D :D

Alli,

BTW I was worried it was because I am over weight to but  my doctor told me it was not helped by weight but not caused by it. A lot of light people have it to ;-)  

I remember looking at my feet thinking my arch was falling as that is how it looks , I was a bit frightened .

100% better now.

PS I changed the post above that much reread it so you get the link.

Thankyou so much for the information and links. I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll see what the doc says and stop at boots on the way home to get something to help allieviate the pain for now. I might take a few days off work until I am a bit less sore. I was kinda hoping that the doc could give me some anti-inflammatries sp? or something to make it feel a bit better.

I hate taken tablets but I had to at the time as my feet were the sorest feet in the world ;-)  My OH had to rub them with some force at night for me. They always ached.. sore feet are the worst I think. Good luck.

You may need a specialist appointment with a podiatrist who is qualified to diagnose and rectify problems.

I have made to measure orthotics made for me and the pain relief was instant and eventually, after several years, I was able to dispense with them altogether.

Off the shelf orthotics may do the job, but in more serious and complex conditions, which eventually affect your spine and the way you walk and can produce referred pain or cause pain in other areas, made to measure ones may be be the answer.

Hiya

Apparently my arch has collapsed on the right side, and this is why I have so much pain. I've been given a months worth of painkillers and been told to get some Arch supports. It's imperative I wear them in both shoes as the Doctor thinks my left arch is about to go too. He also advised that I change my job and have a couple of weeks rest. I'm really hoping its a bit better for next weekend as I am taking my girl to Southern Counties and she doesn't perform well for anyone else. I just have to go face my boss now and tell him the bad news that I won't be teaching this weekend. I suppose I'll get the guilt trip about having to close down the stables on Sunday and lose the money as he doesn't have anyone else to cover, but to be perfectly honest I don't want to spend 8 hours on my feet as it won't help the recovery process. As a matter of interest did you find it sore when you first started using the Arch supports? My foot feels worse with it in place than without it.

Hi
Just came in on this post. My husband has the same thing and the arch supports especially made for him have done the trick. Pain relief was within hours. The arch supports did feel a bit weird when he first put them in.

Alli,

It is sore when you first wear them. I found when I touched my arch it was sore so what is happening is the support is now touching the sore bit. It should work though.

I am not medically trained ;-) but the fallen arch I am told is only the loose terminology BUT maybe they are two different things.

I hope you get some relief soon :-))

Hi Alli I have had similar problems stemming from a heel spur. NHS were next to useless, eventually provided insoles but they fell apart in less than 3 months and they then said I had to wait 12 months for an appointment!

I went to www.rescan.co.uk they use an electronic pad to measure how the weight is distributed as you walk and if your foot is moving all at the same rate. They then custom make insoles all told it came to about £90, worth every penny as the off the shelf ones didnt work for me. BTW they also do testing for dogs and horses. :D