Monday, November 19, 2007

Shoes and Achey Feet

Went to the shopping centre today at Parramatta, with the aim of looking in a shoe shop that is reputed to have very comfortable and 'healthy' shoes. The shoes are meant to be good for bad feet, joints, hips etc. Well, for the price tag they'd want to be. They were about $180 a pair. So mum and I turned around and walked right back out again, and we went to the chemist downstairs where I got a lovely pair of Homey Peds for $100. Now, most of the time I put on a pair of shoes and they hurt straight away, so I was very surprised to slip the Homeys on and find there were no sore bits, nothing rubbing, just padded bliss. I am looking forward to my next shopping day with them on, and although my feet will probably burn at some stage, I am sure it won't be as quickly as they normally do. The shoes are a little on the grandmotherly side, but not overly so, and they're comfortable! Joy!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Plantar Fasciitis

One of the most common causes of heel pain is known as Plantar Fasciitis. Anybody can develop this condition; it affects men and women equally. Mainly young people get affected. It may cause severe pain while getting out of the bed or while starting any activity; pain disappears as soon as body gets warm.

As a result of overnight tightening of the fascia, pain usually gets worse in the morning, and starts to decrease once you are up and moving; pain may return in the evening because of long hours of standing or long hours of sitting.

Some of the common causes of Planter Fasciitis are: Shoes that do not fit, long hours of standing or sitting in the one position, wrong athletic training, tightness of foot, high heeled shoes etc.

Most common symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis are:

Severe pain in the inner part of the bottom of your heel.
Swollen heels; the swelling is usually mild.
Heel pain while getting out of the bed.
Pain in the heel in the evening, when going to bed.
Heel pain while playing sports etc.

The above symptoms may differ person to person, If you notice these symptoms, do not avoid them and seek medical attention.

Friday, November 16, 2007

New Additions...

Went off to the doctor's today to see about the scans I had done yesterday.
I have a ganglion in my left hand. A ganglion is a cyst that forms in a joint, most usually due to wear and tear and sometimes due to an injury. I think mine occurred because my daughter likes to pull on my fingers and she probably tore the tendon. The cyst is filled with a clear jelly like goop, and is not always painful (although mine is - very painful!) and they can sometimes go away on their own. Since mine's been there since at least the beginning of the year, if not before, I don't like my chances of the ganglion just disappearing. My options then are surgery (not a chance) or to have the ganglion injected with cortisone. In any case, both have to be done by an orthopedic surgeon, so it's money we don't have yet. I will just have to put up with it for the time being.
My left foot is another story. I have arthritis there, and a spur on the heel. A spur is extra growth of bone, and it occurs around a site of inflammation or injury - in my case, the inflammation is because I have both Achilles tendonitis (inflammation where the Achilles tendon joins the heel bone) and plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the thick band of tissues that stretch across the bottom of your foot, joining to your heel at the bottom). Nothing I can do about that but get comfortable shoes ('daggy shoes' my doctor calls them lol) and exercise. When we first moved into our home, I used to spend the whole day doing housework and by the time I finished, my heels were burning. I put it down to the fact I was brought up in a house with floorboards, which have lot more give than our new house with a concrete foundation.
Now at least I know some of my pain has a name and a reason. So, I am getting some answers for the aches I have had for so many years - although, I still put the unknown down the the fibromyalgia LOL.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Bursitis

Bursitis is the inflammation of a tiny sac that is filled with fluid and works to reduce the amount of friction within the body's tissues, known as bursa. There are one hundred sixty of these sacs of fluid located throughout the human body. The major ones are found in large joints adjacent to the tendons in the knees, elbows, shoulders and hips.

The bursa in the joints becomes inflamed due to infection, injury or an underlying condition. Bursitis can come from not much stimuli at all. You could get Bursitis in your shoulder simply by lifting groceries into you vehicle. A scrape on your knee could cause Bursitis in that area. Gout crystals can cause Bursitis in the elbow.

Bursitis can be diagnosed for pain, swelling and tenderness in the tissues around the area. X-rays can be used to diagnose recurrent or chronic pain from Bursitis.
The presence of infection helps to determine the treatment for Bursitis. If no infection is present, the treatment is simply rest, cold compresses and medication. In some cases, removal of the bursa fluid is necessary. If infection is present, treatment that is more aggressive is required, such as surgery to drain the fluid or remove the infected sac and intravenous medication. Joints generally function properly after healing.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Hoorah!

and Huzzah! Not a lot of pain today. Just the annoying soreness in my left hand, where my daughter pulled on my finger and tore the tendon. I am going back to the docs today and I will see if I can get another cortisone injection, into the back of the knuckle. But the fibromyalgia is sleeping...

Monday, November 12, 2007

Pain Tolerance

I know that FMS can lower your pain tolerance, and I am pretty sure that's why with
the bursitis in my thighs/hips, I am in so much pain at the moment. But I don't
know why the bursitis is so bad. I am sleeping okay, and for a change in the morning
I am (almost) bounding out of bed. Well, I don't need to sit on the edge of the bed for a few minutes before I can walk, like I normally do. I will have to start doing my exercises again, and try to stretch the joint and surrounding area so it's not as painful.
Having said all of that, the general pain I feel all over my body is lessening, and I think I can put it down to losing a bit of weight. We went to the doctor's the other day (when I got the cool painkillers) and I saw a new doctor, who told me that there is growing evidence to support the theory that excess weight can lead to more things that people first thought, including depression and fibromyalgia. It stands to reason then, that if I lose a little more 
weight the FMS should start to get better, and we already know the link between depression and FMS. And it will definitely help the insulin resistance and PCOS, so I am well on my way to being tablet free!

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Slight Reprieve

I was not too bad today - the pain held off, and only popped its head up when I got out of the chair (we were visiting for lunch). Only one hip played up, but then the other started just as the first settled down! And my hands were aching as well. Odd, but not unexpected. I am going to try and get to sleep earlier tonight, as I am getting my hair done tomorrow and need to be up earlier! I hope the chair at the salon doesn't make my neck sore. I don't want to be suffering while trying to enjoy my new hair style!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

The Pain of it All

We went to a local street fair today, and I am in so much pain now it is not funny. FMS rears its ugly head! Last night my hips killed, and I was back to hobbling. Today, oddly enough, my hands and knuckles are sore. I can only assume that I overdid it yesterday and my tolerance is down.

I slept pretty well, although I did get to sleep late (after midnight) so maybe that has something to do with it. But I didn't have a nap in the afternoon, so I should be okay.
It is so hard balancing sleep and not sleeping.
There should be a definitive manual on fibromyalgia.
Alas, it is just a matter of trial and error - and even then it doesn't always work!