Hey, everyone. I was advised to post this here instead of the Facebook group, so I’ll copy/paste what I said there:
Note: I’ve seen half a dozen doctors, nerve pain doctors (no idea the term), foot specialists, etc.
I’m aware this is a long shot and this doesn’t replace an actual medical professional, but I’ve already seen countless doctors and basically just gave up when they all did as none of them could tell me who else to go see and couldn’t figure it out on their own. I figure I can ask here and see if anyone has dealt with it.
When standing, my feet hurt, always. Like they ache and complain at me from the time I stand up until I sit down and it gets progressively worse the longer I stand. It’s been this way since I was a child. My first job at 16 I had to quit because standing for even 8 hours a day was unbearable. It’s not from a low pain tolerance either, I have a sleeve of tattoos and it wasn’t a bad pain. I’ve received numerous injuries in my life, was a skateboarder, and even crashing skateboards into my shins wasn’t a big deal pain wise. But standing? Standing is the devil.
I’ve worn orthotic inserts from the stores, custom orthotics from specialists that were absurdly expensive, and the inserts that allegedly solve the problem of foot pain by correcting foot posture. None of these have made any real change in the foot pain. Minor relief, but nothing substantial.
I’ve even been prescribed specific types of anti-depressants in the past just in an attempt to manipulate my nerves somehow. That didn’t change anything at all.
I’ve seen a physical therapist who gave me stretches to do on my IT band, said I had weak and tight arches, and told me to do some various arch exercises. None of these have helped at all either. I did them for weeks and nothing.
I even had a doctor do knee injections of some kind to see if that helped, nothing.
I’m wary to call it plantar fasciitis or metatarsalgia, but the pain is always in the arch and the foot pad. It’s a deep ache like I’ve been standing all day long and my feet are just done. Stretching my toes back always feels incredible and gives instant relief, but the relief goes away instantly when they’re no longer stretched.
My Achilles tendon isn’t tight and I have good flexibility when stretching them. The front of my shins is always very tight, however.
Walking does not cause even a little pain. I can walk for hours and for miles without any discomfort. It is simply standing still that hurts.
Did I just do one of these things wrong at some point? Am I just cursed with painful feet and there’s no hope? Is there even a word for this?
Side note: I used to have a ton of knee pain too, but lifting has completely eliminated that so I have no idea if it’s related or not.
I’m 5’7, 190 lbs, and 28 years old.