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Followup To
Question -
Hi David
I found you because I noticed that you work with asphalt like my husband.  His foot has been swelling on and off for a couple of years after working in the hot asphalt although it's not a constant thing and it may be after his boots get really bad. I don't know but it has just happened again and it may be because he had to wear last years boots since the ones we ordered hadn't yet come in.  
Anyway he has had X-rays, gout tests, arthritis testing, one doctor thought he had an infection called cellulitis and another said he that didn't.  The doctor said that he didn't think he had that infection because you have to have a sore for it to enter in through although he does have callouses that are pretty bad.  
The last doctor told him to get a pumice stone and a water bath machine and gave him a pain prescription.  I think he should have been sent to a specialist since we have been doing the same thing for years with no relief.  Please help!  Thanks.
Answer -
Hello Jackie

First, I want to say thank you to you! You are a wife that is indeed concerned about her husband and is taking the time to look for answers, help to his problems. Good for you!

Next, your problem is really complicated and difficult to answer. Well, THAT IS THE KIND OF QUESTIONS I LIKE! So let's get started on helping your husband with his feet problems. OK?

Let's start with the boots. OH, do I know about wearing boots and swolen feet. I work outside in construction (I am a utility water man so my boots are ALWAYS in water and on terrible surfaces, hot asphalt).

1. The first thing I did was go to Walmart and buy those blue gel shoe inserts. Dr. Sholes. They act as insulation between the asphalt and the bottom of my feet. Ahhhh.
They wear out about every 2-3 months.

2. Next, I did something about my wet boots. I bought a second pair. Then I went on the Internet to a store called Cabela's. In their catalog I bought a "boot dryer" that I use every night so my boots are ALWAYS dry when I put them on. Why; the inside of your husband's boots is a tropical rain forest of 100% humidity. All kinds of microscopic life grows in this dark and wet environment and the ALL attack your skin! Keep the boots dry, and they are greatly REDUCED.

3. I also bought at Cabela's two pairs of polypropylene boot socks that "wick" the water away from my skin. Cotton socks are murder on your feet. They HOLD the water near your skin. The socks are grey in color. I wash the pair I used for the day every night so I always have a clean pair available for the next day. Works amazingly well. I take my boots off at night after a wonderful 12-hour work day and my feet are almost completey dry.

Forget powders, creams, etc. They all just make feet problems worse!

PS The socks last about 6 months, then they stop working. Not sure why. So I buy 2 new pairs every 6 months.

4. Next, I bought thru the internet a pair of plastic arch supports. Boots do not have arch supports. When the arch muscle in EITHER foot stretches (and this muscle does NOT stretch!), the pain is unbelievable. So I wear my arch supports every day and avoid future problems.

5. The infection your husband has is probably fungus. This would cause the skin irritation. Have him wash his feet with soap in the shower ever night. Not the soap bar directly on his feet, but rather a good lather in his hands and then on his feet. Fungus do not like soap.

Make sure to wash the bottom of your feet completely. Soap on your feet is the same as walking on ice.

6. NEXT. Pumice stone? Been there. And the metal foot scrapers, etc, etc. NO RELIEF. I went to Walmart (hey, they are two blocks away) and went to the tools section, next to the light bulbs. I bought a small tool called a dremel wood grinder. Has small tubes of sandpaper and you plug it into the wall. Once every two weeks, I sit down, grind down the callouses and cut my nails. I do it slowly, carefully, so I do not scratch the soft skin. Callouses keep growing outward, so in time, you will grind away your callouses completely. I tried the lotions to remove callouses, and it caused all the skin to peal off leaving only the red bare skin underneath. That was worse than anything.

And I did the water vibrating bath. Again, a waste of time.

Sorry there is so much to buy, so much to do, but comfortable feet are WORTH the effort. We walk every where. No need to be in constant pain. And I was in TERRIBLE pain for many years. Now I am pain -free with very smooth feet.

7. Finally. The swelling. OK, the problem is the blood is pooling in his ankles and feet. What is happening is the fact that his metabolism is slowing down. So the blood does not move thru the body as fast as when he was younger. Normal outdoor work does NOT make your metabolism go faster.

Here is what to do: go to Home Depot, or another hardware store and buy a concrete construction block (two hole kind about 8" wide). When he wakes up, put on a pair of shoes, and step up and down on the concrete block. Step up and down 10 times with his left or right foot. Then pause. Then step up and down with the opposite foot 10 times. Then pause. Goal is 50 times in the morning, 50 times at night before he goes to bed. About a month later, the swelling will go away.

Next, he needs to get his leg muscles stretched. Stand in the kitchen, hands on the counter top. Squat down slowly and go up slowly. 10 times. Step back a bit, hands on the edge of the counter top. One foot back, firmly on the floor, other knee slightly bent forward. Using your leg set back, push your body forward with this foot, pressing against your leg pushing forward with your hands on the counter top.

Do this 10 times. Forward, push, back, rest. Then reverse feet and do again 10 times. Really stretches and tightens up the muscles in your legs and body. And reduces a lot of stress. Do every day. Takes about 10 minutes of time. THIS exercise you can do also.

All of these changes will take about 2-3 months to completely make his problems go away.

IF at any time he still has pain in his feet when he walks, he may have injured his arch muscle and will need to see a podiatrist and get a cortoznone shot. A good podiatrist is one that applies a local chemical to the skin, and THEN gives a shot. You should feel NOTHING. If you do, stop the podiatrist and go to a different podiatrist.

I went to three before I found one that knew what he was doing.

OK, and THAT is it. If you have any more questions, please write again.

Hope he feels better! Feet pain is amazingly bad.

Hi David

First of all I want to thank you very much for ALL the time and effort you put into helping me.  I really appreciate it.  I just wanted to make sure of a few things if you don't mind  

1.  My husband is a luter, luder (not sure how you spell it) and a laborer so he does a lot of shoveling, etc.  His boots are covered with the ashpalt, oils, chemicals, etc. would this make a difference with the dryer thing?  and.....

2.  Only one of his feet gets swollen.  It's the same foot everytime.  It gets so painful that they have to prescribe pain pills.  I also forgot to tell you they gave him antibiotics?

What do you think?  Thanks again!

Answer
Hey again

My pleasure. I do not like to see anyone in pain.

Definitely these wonderful coatings will seal up his boots like a plastic bottle. So his feet are bathing in water all day (sweat!). They won't bother the boot dryer. It uses warm air. I would place it somewhere you are not sleeping so you do not smell all those chemical smells all night. My boots smell like sick pond water, so I have to keep the dryer in the garage.

Is the foot his driving foot? People who drive, when they press down on the gas pedal and the brake pedal, they tighten up the muscles in the leg and foot, so blood circulation is stopped. For me, my right foot was always more painful than my left foot.

Did the pain pills and the antibiotics. Keep using them until my exercises and a good podiatrist finally made the pain go away.

Keep the questions coming!

Have a great almost-end-of-the week and great weekend.