Me flippin' feet!

Have you tired orthotic inserts in your shoes sluttygran, they really help me with my foot pain. They help take the weight off of the ball of the foot and the big toe joint. They fit well into my Ugg boots.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MV5O5Z8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dear Sluttygran the health service have made me a pair of boots and a pair of shoes, both of which fasten with velcro. I was allowed to choose from a range of colours so I have blue boots with a navy stripe and pink shoes with a purple stripe that matches my Kindle handbag.

I buy the rest of my shoes from Wider fit Shoes: www.widerfitshoes.co.uk/
This firm has a measuring pattern, their shoes are in different widths and toe box heights, and all their shoes are made with an insole you can take out so that you can insert an orthotic.

All my sandals are by Sandpiper from my local mobility shop. They too have an insole to take out and replace with orthotics.

At both suppliers I get my shoes VAT free because I have arthritis. I filled a form in for this.

The NHS repairs my shoes and boots, and each year I am allowed 2 insoles, I now have a pair in each of my sandals, my wider fit shoes and my black winter boots.

In order to obtain this service I went to a podiatrist privately and asked him to tell me about the problems I had with my feet. I got one pair of orthotics made privately and then 2 more from another supplier.

I had mentioned my feet twice to the GP since 2006. At that time I was wearing Hotter shoes.

Howevr having seen the poditrist in 2012 when I could not find comfortable shoes, I then told the GP that I needed a referral for boots as I had visited the podiatrist. I reeled off the description of my feet. Amongst other things I was getting a neurofibroma because my shoes were too narrow.

The GP wrote the referral for boots, and I soon got an appointment to attend the podiatrist at the local SMRC (Specialist Mobility Rehabilitation Centre). I have had an appointment each year since 2013.

To get VAT free shoes they have to be over a certain width plus a recognised diagnosis like arthritis. I have an additional one that is not on the list as I have dyspraxia.

All this plus pain killers has made a great difference to my mobility. I wear my boots every time I fly. Most times I do not have to take them off to go through security.

sluttygran there is a lot that can be done as others here have pointed out. I have had one arthritic foot done and that is so much better and I need the other one done. Why not ask your GP to refer you to a Podiatric or orthopaedic foot surgeon for assessment.

Dear Sluttygran I am sorry you are in pain.
Do ask to be referred to a Podiartrist at your local hospital. I have the same problems as you mention. (Agree, not easy to wear the clothes you like with painful feet that makes it difficult to wear decent shoes) most doctors have no idea or are trying not to use their budgets on us, but keep pushing him to refer you to a Podiartrist. A few years ago I also had the worst plantar fasciitis the Podiartrist had seen in a long time, I could hardly put one foot in front of the other and was using a stick for support. However she sorted me out after a few visits (I had to wear splints on my feet at night which were very uncomfortable) and orthotics in my shoes from then on. The treatment has help enormously. I go back for check ups every year and have new orthotics made for me each time. Today my feet are burning and painful so I must make an appointment.
I have a two year old GD. She is so engaging, she make me forget most of my pains. I wish we lived nearer to her. But that is a conversation for another day.
Good luck. Hope you feel more comfortable soon and you get to wear some nice shoes again.

I too have Rheumatoid Arthritis and rheumatology referred me to the Biomachanics dept of the podiatry unit. The insoles they gave me solved all my problems and the pain.

My ten year old GS patted my back the other day and said, very seriously, "Granny, you're getting a hump, and it's not good". . As if it's my flippin' fault!

I don't have the pain and discomfort you have, but I do have feet like enormous plates of meat! I often find Hotters shoes are good. They're quite expensive, but they do have many offers, so you may get lucky. Don't know how wide yours are, but they go up to extra wide and they're not all 'old lady' shoes. They have some pretty court shoes, flowery pumps etc... (It must be said though that they do do their fair share of Velcro type barges, which they say can be worn with a pretty dress in the summer ... I don't think so, somehow!). Good luck and do check out their website.

www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=hotters+shoes

ooh, while I remember K shoes, extra wide are good too and, surprisingly, Fat Face lace-up summer pumps are very wide (I call them daps, but them I am from Somerset!!)

Opps I mean tiredoldwoman! Im slowly losing 'it' too. Apologies to Scooter58.

my Grand children to the same Scooter58 - they're ganging up against us! So funny though.

I have rheumatoid arthritis as well as Osteoarthritis,I have had surgery on both feet to correct fallen metatarsals.I am currently attending the Orthotist at my local hospital and she has worked wonders for me.She took various imprints,measurements etc of my feet and had insoles made for my shoes.I now can walk pain free for the first time in years,worth asking your Doctor to refer you if you haven't already tried this.

Your grand daughter is so funny , that made me laugh out loud ! When my arthritis was bad , my grandchildren would wait until I was getting up out of a chair to leave the room then leap up and form a troop behind me , hobbling, cursing and holding their backs - even the baby did it ! I couldn't walk for laughing and ouucha ing !
Age is a bugger !

I have sore feet sluttygran, mine is caused by chemo. My feet look as if they are sunburnt and it is like walking on hot gravel. I know mine will go away eventually but having arthritis must be excruciating.

sluttygran are you taking anti-inflammatories? they do help with the pain as well as inflammation. Has your GP referred you to reumatology there are other treatments that can help including injections or as a last resort surgery. Is he fobbing you off or has he tried treating your problem other than tell you nothing can be done?
Sorry if I'm speaking out of turn but sometimes GP's just don't 'get' how debilitating arthritis can be.
I hope you find some relief soon.

I shall have to remember that, Morethan - whatever we say to little ones always comes back to bite us. Your GD sounds lovely - and mine is too - she gets me through the bad days!

Oh slutty it must be a complete misery. Do you have any good days? Or is every day the same. Don't grandchildren cheer us a little though. My youngest one can be really difficult. I must say to her ' nobody likes a moaner' all the time because she repeated this back to me the other day when I was complaining in a shop!