Achilles tendonitis and heels

[Stephen Tashiro]

After getting a sharp pain in one heel, I went to a doctor to be diagnosed with achilles tendonitis and sent to an "orthotics" place for shoe inserts. (All that was very predictable from my web research.) The orthotics specialist said that should always wear men's footwear with a standard 1/2" raised heel. That doesn't bother me too much except that inside the house, I prefer to wear slippers or something similar like "flip-flops". I'm wondering if I could get material for a shoe heel and glue it on to a flip-flop. What kind of glue would work? Where could I get a shoe heel? A few years ago, there was only one "shoe repair shop" in the whole town. I'm not sure whether it still exists.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Look around, you can find flip flops that have a heel. Granted, most will be listed under 'women'. I've seen a lot though that are gender neutral. Teva's come to mind since I like theirs myself.

[David G Baker]

Stephen,
Spend some time on line looking to see if there is an exercise that may help you with your problem. I had a foot problem that only made its self know when I would get up during the night. I could just barely walk due to the sever pain. Three weeks of doing an exercise daily got rid of the problem and I haven't had the pain since. That was over 15 years ago.

[Horton Brasses]

I have chronic heel pain, and have it it for about 9 years now. I stretch every morning and every night without fail, and as needed the rest of the day. I find that a shoe with a heel is actually worse, but everyone is different. I have plantar fasciitis, which is obviously a different problem, but my doc gave me the same advice as you. He also never mentioned stretching as means of healing, and when I asked he said something to the effect of "if that would have solved the problem you probably wouldn't be here". So I don't go there anymore. I also found that the hard plastic prescription orthotics were terrible for me and actually made the problems worse. I use a softer custom molded ski boot insole-it works much better for me and costs abut 1/5 of a prescription one.

Anyway, best of luck. There are lots of good internet sources for heel pain information.

[Stephen Tashiro]

Physical therapy is part of my prescription and I've made the appointment for it. No doubt, they will assign homework.

I've heard friends say that custom molded inserts are expensive and useless. They are expensive ($226), but I'll try them once. In the meantime, after beginning the prescription of 800 mg of Ibuprofen 3 times a day for 3 days, the pain is mostly gone - not that this can be a long term solution.


I like the type of flip-flop that has a wide strap across the top of the foot rather than anything that goes between the toes. I hope Teva has some like this. (Actually, I'm as much interested in knowing how to glue heels onto flip-flops as I am in curing Achilles tendonitis.)

It's interesting how orthopedic clinics have a "sleazy" undertone of suspicion about them. This must be due to the fact that they get so many cases related to workman's compensation and auto accidents. You can tell by the paperwork you fill out that they are trying to avoid legal involvement. While at the reception desk, I heard a discussion about a lady who had 3 different files, each one claiming that she was a new patient. She might have been shopping for the diagnosis that she wanted.

[Pat Germain]

+1 for self-help exercises. For my foot pain, my doctor told me to stand on a step with just the balls on my feet. I move my feet as high as I can, then as low as I can; slowly. This eliminated my plantar fasciitis almost immediately. Whenever it comes back, a few exercises take care of it.

You might try some exercises, Stephen. If you do them slowly, they won't hurt you and they're free.

[David G Baker]

Pat,
My self help exercise is pretty much the same as the one your doctor told you about. My condition was never diagnosed but I described my pain to a physical therapist that was treating me for a knee surgery that I had. The therapist told me to get a 2x4, put it fairly close to a wall, stand on the 2x4 with the tips of my feet and raise up onto my tip toes, then lower the back portion of my feet until my heel touched the floor, do this approximately 10 times once a day until the pain was gone. This was one few times that something worked so well that I have passed it on to many friends.

[Stephen Tashiro]

My guess is that my pain is due to climbing up and down a step ladder to work on a roof. Holding a concrete block or a bucket of mortar while doing this may also enter into the problem!

My footwear and exercise prescriptions are paradoxical. On the one hand , the footwear is selected so the tendon is not stretched. On the other hand, the exercises are intended to stretch it. (The exercise that you describe sounds like one that I should avoid until my tendon is better). Perhaps the theory is to stretch the tendon a little every now and then.

[Jim Rimmer]

Buy two pairs of flip flops. Cut the heel portion off one pair and glue it on the other pair. Seems like gel superglue would work.

[Stephen Tashiro]

I've never used a gel superglue before. That would be interesting.

I was speculating about Goop. I've heard that people glue shoes back together with it.

[Larry Edgerton]

Interesting topic.

I have been on ladders and scaffold for the last six months and am having a lot of pain in my right heel, and my tendons are swollen at the end of the day. I will try the 2x4 stretch.

I think winning the lottery would cure mine just fine, get me off of these damn ladders....;)

[Brian Elfert]

I was speculating about Goop. I've heard that people glue shoes back together with it.

This is what I use to glue the sole back onto my steel toed shoes. It works great. I get a year or two before I have to redo the repair. Flip flops would probably last longer.

I use my steel toed shoes all the time around home when working on various projects. I haven't had to wear them for work for at least a dozen years. For the 10 or so summers I was required to have work shoes I went through about 4 pairs.

This is the last pair I bought. I would buy another pair like them if they still made them rather than fixing these. I haven't been able to find another pair I like without paying $100+ for a pair. I paid around $40 for these in the 1990s and they are even made in the USA.

[David G Baker]

Larry,
I found that when I have to spend a lot of time on a ladder I wear my shoes with the steel embedded in the sole of the shoes. The steel provides a lot of relief for me.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I have found out that the worse thing one can do is walk barefoot, or with just socks on. Even walking bare feet inside the house on non-carpeted surfaces is a no-no.

I've been told that I needed orthotics too. Everyone I've met that used orthotics claimed they didn't work. I didn't bite.

Stretching exercises and wearing decent footwear were probably the best remedy for me.

As far as using Ibuprofen, or any other NSAID whether prescription or over-the-counter, should be avoided over the long run. If you must take it, check with your doc because it must be taken with food as it is hard on the gastro system, and it raises the blood pressure.

I hope you feel better,

-Jeff :)

[Bruce Page]

Stephen, I had a bout of severe heel pain a couple of years ago. In my case it turned out to be Plantar Fasciitis.
I did the belt stretch as in the video for a couple of weeks. I haven’t had any heel problems since. It might be worth a try.
http://www.heel-that-pain.com/plantar_fasciitis/exercise/plantar_fasciitis_exercise.php?gc

[Brian Elfert]

My father wears specialty shoes for foot pain. He has a pair for outdoor use and a seperate pair for indoor use that never go outside. (There is a no shoe policy in my parent's house.)

He rotates the inside shoes to outside use when he wears out a pair.

[Larry Edgerton]

Larry,
I found that when I have to spend a lot of time on a ladder I wear my shoes with the steel embedded in the sole of the shoes. The steel provides a lot of relief for me.

David

I always stay on the ball of my foot on ladders, not sure why, but I'm not sure that a steel shank would do me any good.

I did buy a new pair of boots yesterday. I always wore Red Wing Irish Setters, but in recent years I found that they were made in China and I refuse to pay $150 for a boot made in China. There were differences that I did not like as well.

I stopped by a real shoe store yesterday to see about having my old Wings resoled and they had Red Wings. Apparently Red Wing sold the Irish Setter name, but they still make the originals in Red Wing Minn. I bought a pair, for $190,[ouch!] but I today I will see if new boots help. They are resoling my old ones as well.

I went through 10 pairs of boots trying to find something as good as the Wings and never found any. Well, I did find one, a pair of Rockports, but when I went to get a replacement, those too had changed to some variation made in China. I don't do China.

I have been doing the stretches that you recommended on the stairs, hope they work for me as well, thanks.

[David G Baker]

Larry,
Hope the exercise works for you.
I live in Rockports and Red Wings. My Red Wings are so old but still in great condition and pre-China manufacture. I use the Red Wings when I have to spend time on a ladder, I also stand on the ladders with the ball of my foot over the rung. I had a pair of Rockport boots that I used to take daily walks in when I lived in California. I walked 1-1/2 miles every day for around 3 years rain or shine, all wearing the Rockports. I wore them for working out doors here in Michigan, had them resoled and still wear them on occasion. They are close to 20 years old now and look pitiful but a man and his boots shall never part. :D

[Brian Tymchak]

Physical therapy is part of my prescription and I've made the appointment for it. No doubt, they will assign homework.

You will definitely get some exercises to do. My physical therapy for plantar fasciitis also includes ultrasound treatments with hydrocortisone. It helps. My problem is that I keep re-aggravating the tears in the tissue. 1 step forward - 1 step backward.

Good luck. It's a real pain in the a... ..heel. I know.

Brian

[Larry Edgerton]

Larry,
Hope the exercise works for you.
I live in Rockports and Red Wings. My Red Wings are so old but still in great condition and pre-China manufacture. I use the Red Wings when I have to spend time on a ladder, I also stand on the ladders with the ball of my foot over the rung. I had a pair of Rockport boots that I used to take daily walks in when I lived in California. I walked 1-1/2 miles every day for around 3 years rain or shine, all wearing the Rockports. I wore them for working out doors here in Michigan, had them resoled and still wear them on occasion. They are close to 20 years old now and look pitiful but a man and his boots shall never part. :D

Not sure if it was the new Wings or the exercises as I did both at the same time, but yesterday was my best day in a long time. Thanks David.

If you need a new pair of USA made Wings, there is a store in Jackson that carrys them, and they are only $40 more than the Chinese ones, with all of the same old quality. They will ship too. I have their card in my truck should you need the number. They are resoling my old ones for $50 as well.

Thanks again David.........

[David G Baker]

Thanks Larry, glad that you may be on the road to recovery. I get my Rockports in Mount Pleasant and my current Red Wings will probably last me until I start living in a senior center. I will keep the resoling in mind, the guy that did my Rockports dropped out of site.

[Dave Verstraete]

Stephen,
I had a lot of pain from plantar fascitis. I threw dollars at it, at first. I bought the custom orthotics , different shoes, pads for inside the shoes...you name it , I bought it. I went through some physical therapy (whirlpool ). I finally decided to read through some of the original literature that the podiatrist had given me. Duh!! I began the exercises that others have described here. The pain was gone and has never come back. Listen to the instructions for exercising and begin at once..you won't regret.