Hello fellow Podiatry Arena users.
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I'm getting frustrated!
Recently I have had a sharp increase in the number of patients being referred to my clinic complaining of planter heel pain. These patients are factory workers who stand in a line, in the same spot for 8-12 hours a day 4/5 days a week. They are required to wear steel toe capped boots with a hard outer sole. They don't work for the same company but from 4 or 5 well known factories in my area.
The employer supplies the footwear and on occasion a pressure mat for them to stand on in an attempt to reduce the pressure on the feet.
Every patient has complained to the manager that the footwear is not good enough, but they are not allowed to purchase their own shoes. The mats are not replaced often enough and requests to be moved to another department that might allow them to sit for a period of time have bee refused.
My usual treatment plan for plantar heel pain (plantar fasciitis, sorry but that's what all my patients refer to it as) is footwear change, calf stretches, taping, insole/orthoses to reduce pressure ground, ice and NSAIDs at the very ear;y stages. My results are usually very good. However within patients that have a job where they are on their feet for such a prolonged period my success rate drops hugely.
I have had meetings with managers of different companies where i have explained the problems that the staff are going through, relating this to high staff sickness rates and advising them on possible ways of reducing foot problems in their work force but all I get is "they are not forced to work here". "If they want to leave they can do"
Has anyone else has this problem? If so have you found a way to get around the problem. I feel i'm hitting my my head off a brick wall. The patients are frustrated, as am I, but the employers don't care.
any advice would be a great help
thanx
Ross
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