this post was submitted on 01 Nov 2025
40 points (100.0% liked)

Ask Lemmy

35368 readers
1429 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


6) No US Politics.
Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world or !askusa@discuss.online


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

i got a job earlier last month as one of the free sample guys you see at costco, so i'm on my feet for about 6+ hours a day just standing in one spot. they give us mats to stand on too, which i'm trying to use more, but i'm a little flat-footed and they haven't helped as much as i'd like. my ankles are absolutely killing me now that im on my third week of work to where i'm limping a little after a shift, (cus i unconsciously put more weight on my left foot) and i feel like i can only take so much ibuprofen, yknow??

all 20 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] rowinxavier@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So other people will detail all of the products which can assist you but I am going to recommend some exercises instead. Much of the pain comes first from fatigue of muscles and second from the soft posture that happens after fatigue. Both cause pain, though in different ways, and both can be helped by a few fairly simple exercises.

First, standing on your toes will build your arch. Going up and down, bouncing, slowly raising and lowering, all of these will help train your calves and the support muscles in and around your feet and ankles. This will help stabilise your ankles and that will actually cascade all the way up your legs, back, and even neck. Some people I have worked with have had a reduction in neck pain from simply bounding on their toes when possible.

Second, you need flexibility in your ankles. 6 hours standing is absolute abuse for your joints and they need your support to be OK after that. Squats, especially deep squats, can help with ankle flexibility and strength. Reaching your toes will lengthen the muscles on the back side of your body, all the say up. Getting to having your hands flat on the floor while having your legs straight will improve your back flexibility a lot. Rolling your ankle a little to the side while very very lightly loaded can train the stabiliser muscles for strength at extension.

I would also recommend going barefoot when possible, at home etc, so that your feet can do the work. This will help them train for when you have to wear shoes.

As for the ibuprofen, it is a tool but it has consequences. I would recommend using ice packs and hot water bottles to alternate the temperate of your ankles when they are sore. Spend about 5 minutes with the ice, then 5 with heat, back to ice again if you need. Ibuprofen removes inflammation but you actually need inflammation to heal well, so use it as needed but try to do the temperature methods first if you can. The same goes for paracetamol, use it when it is the best tool but try the other tools first.

Oh, and for your ankles and feet just feeling awful consider a bucket of fairly hot water. Soak your feet for as long as you like. It works really well and is mostly consequence free.

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 15 hours ago

You are a god send.

[–] Zathras@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 day ago

I know this doesn't address the main problem, but I found my legs to be less fatigued after a 12 -hour nursing shift when wearing compression socks. I hope you find some relief.

[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today 4 points 12 hours ago

Hi there, I actually work in orthotics and prosthetics and handle the majority of my clinics foot and ankle patients.

So, from what you've described I'm guessing you are having medial ankle pain from overstressing your posterior tibial tendon. It's very common for people who have flat feet and are increasing their activity levels.

The first thing I would recommend is a good shoe, which is not an easy ask now a days. Shoe companies found out that if you make a super flexible and soft soled shoe it feels great as soon as you put it on in the store which gets people to buy them. However, the flexible sole and soft foam will allow people with fallen arches to over-pronate even more, eventually stressing out the hind foot.

The soft soled shoes will feel great for the first hour or so, and then they will start to overstress your tendon and ligaments. Where as a good quality show with a nice stiff sole can take a week or so to break in until they get really comfortable, but support you all day.

As far as a good show, I'm not particular towards any brand as long as it's stuff from the balls of the feet back. But a decent shoe to control overpronation is the adrenaline from brooks. I always suggest looking up last year's model online for savings.

For a good OTC insert for pes planus I usually fit my patients with this insert, they can be a bit pricey but they'll last a lot longer than other OTC inserts and do a better job.

I'm not too particular with OTC inserts either. Just be sure that the material in the arch is strong enough to support your weight without being so stiff that it feels like your stepping on a rock.

[–] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My wife had unbelievable pain in her feet, especially during pregnancy. We tried a lot of things before going to a foot doctor. It's not necessarily the cheapest thing in the world, but they have a lot of neat toys that can analyze your individual foot and create custom insoles. It's an easy investment in your health.

[–] Today@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I never really believed in podiatrists. I had some stubborn tendonitis and a friend recommended her podiatrist. A $75 orthotic changed my life.

[–] FoxyFerengi@startrek.website 4 points 1 day ago

As a fellow flat-footed human that prefers putting weight on one foot, you might need to get over-protonation insoles. I've found they really force me to put weight on both feet and they do protect your ankles as well. I have been happy with PowerStep Maxx in the past, but it's been a couple years since I purchased new ones.

I've also been told by a podiatrist to get Hoka shoes, but that's outside my price range lol

[–] ServeTheBeam@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Check to see if you have a Fleet Feet around you. They do a 3D scan of your feet to find the best size. I bought Brooks Adrenaline and they’re like walking on a cloud. This was recommended to me by a physical therapist.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

hours a day just standing in one spot

I hope that this isn't meant literally!

The key is to stay in motion all the time. Small or big movements, or tiny ones, but not a minute of complete freeze.

i do move around a little bit in place, yes!! i'm always trying to stretch and roll around my ankles when i can, and i do have to do some walking around at the start and end of my shift, so i'm not TOTALLY frozen lol

[–] tal@lemmy.today 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i had a stool for a few days when i first started as an accommodation, but in the name of looking "professional", i wasn't allowed to use it when members were around. i ended up using it too much and so got it taken away, and now that i've gotten through multiple shifts on my feet and am handling it better as time goes on, i dom't think i'll be getting it back :[

[–] cymbal_king@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I also have flat feet (aka over pronation). I'm a big fan of Asics brand shoes for over pronation and they make it easy to put in insoles. I typically get black ones for work settings. Their website tends to have good sales around black Friday/cyber Monday.

[–] Zorg@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 21 hours ago

I swore by Asics for a decade, always fit great and I rarely needed a different insole for my semi flat feet. But then ~3 years ago, they changed something and all their shoes were like any other sneaker - not good enough.

After trying a lot of different insoles, which at best kinda helped; I went the opposite way and started getting extra wide minimal/barefoot shoes. After 2 weeks of adjusting my foot pain went away.
It seems having practically no support, makes you build up your arch muscles.

[–] PodPerson@lemmy.zip 2 points 11 hours ago

I used to cook in restaurants, and the days where I was doing prep in one spot for long stretches were the hardest on my body. Clogs did help a bit though, so although I got aches and pains more of in my back, that may help a little. Maybe clogs plus an insole.

[–] ImWaitingForRetcons@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

If you can afford to, go to a good podiatrist- they’ll make a custom set of soles for you, plus additional advice on how to manage pain or strain.

Congrats on the new job! I've found Superfeet insoles to be supremely helpful, both for walking and standing. My orthopedist recommended them a few years ago, and I've been using them ever since. Superfeet's website has a nice "Insole Finder" to help choose the right type of insole for your needs, which I found accurate for my feet.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 2 points 1 day ago
[–] vk6flab@lemmy.radio 2 points 1 day ago

When I did events, I'd wear two pairs of socks, thin pair against my feet, then thick pair over the top of that.

I've also used moulded sole inserts from time to time.