# Flat Feet: training and army courses



## Andyd513 (15 Dec 2004)

I'm curious how other people with these foot problems deal with staying fit and staying on courses?

I did my BMQ and SQ this summer with the comm res in Shilo and had no clue before that time that I had flat feet. The CF dr that did my medical exam didn't say anything, my family dr has never said anything, and the most pain I'd had before starting BMQ was after standing long periods at work, almost never any pain in sports and I just attributed that to "regular" pain.

The first couple weeks of BMQ when we were doing heavy drill like 8-10 hours a day really did my feet in. I figured they were just breaking in and I'd get over the pain once they got used to the heavier schedule, so I just kept going until finally it became a major problem (ie I couldn't walk in the morning when we got up for PT, used the sides of my feet and had to throw my shoes on tie them tight and pretty much felt like I was sprinting during the entire jog regardless of pace). 

Went to the MIR, they gave me 2 or 3 days of LD, ordered me to get new running shoes with better arch support, and gave me some ibuprophene for the plantar fascitis I was experiencing as well. Really, for my first experience with the Forces hospital/dr system it was a very positive experience. Rather then the "suck it up buttercup" attitude I expected it was like "You're hurting? Lets see if we can fix it". They also gave me an appointment with the orthopedic specialist, but he wasn't full time and it took me almost 5 weeks of my 7 week course to see him. Got some bio-orthodic insoles made up and he told me I "had flat, over-flexible feet, and are suffering from plantar fasciitis" and that basically it wasn't going to get better until I got off course and could take it easy on my feet a bit. I decided oh well, its just pain I'll move on and finish the course. Ended up with more wrong with my feet and basically all from the initial complication that they were flat and I had no clue until damage was done.


So my question to everyone out there in the army with flat feet: What do you do to minimize pain and maximize your performance? Do you go to an orthopedic specialist at all? Did you put vibram soles on your boots and did they help?

Personally I'm running with New Balance 815's (from running room, their "red zone" for arch support), took it easy for the first 4 weeks off course and try to keep the bio-orthodic insoles that were given to me in whatever shoe I'm wearing. I also saw my family dr and chiropractor when I got back, and seemed to not permenantly have damaged my feet. I go back on course in May and want to see if theres anything I can do to keep my flat feet injury free and keep a hard training schedule going.


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## winchable (15 Dec 2004)

300$ arch supports from an orthopedic company in Montreal support my plates of meat right now.

I went through the same thing and there was very little I could do about the pain even with decent ones from the running room.


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## chrisf (15 Dec 2004)

Cyrotheraypy can work rather well for planarflanitis... or in lay-mans terms, take an icepack, and put your foot on it... leave it for a minute or so, switch feet, leave for a minute or so, and switch feet again (Don't do it two icepacks at a time, as you're supposed to leave the ice pack off for breaks inbetween, you don't want your feet to freeze, just for the swelling to go down), do this every day for a couple of days, should fix up a lot of pain, not a permanent solution, needs to be repeated once in a while, but definitly helpful.


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## mrosseker (16 Dec 2004)

I have the same problem with just my left foot, why only my left foot I'm not sure. Last year during rugby season, I was getting sore calves, feet, shins and knees. Our Physiologist told me that the muscles in the bottom of my feet were too tight, as a result from tendonitis and constant over-stretching (during running, walking, etc.) I got some Heat formed insoles from a company called "SOLE", and they nearly saved my life. You throw them in the oven for a few minutes, put them in your shoes, and put them on. That seemed to be the cure for me.

Good luck, and make sure you rest and ice your feet often!


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## mo-litia (20 Dec 2004)

Get Sole Custom Footbeds from Work Work or Mark's Work Warehouse; they are a $35 pair of insoles that you heat up in an oven before your first time wearing them.   They make those Mark 3's feel like Danner's and are fully interchangeable with all your boots - totally worth the money!


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## mrosseker (20 Dec 2004)

Yup, those are the ones I'm talking about. Get some, they are awesome.


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## Da_man (20 Dec 2004)

Che said:
			
		

> 300$ arch supports from an orthopedic company in Montreal support my plates of meat right now.
> 
> I went through the same thing and there was very little I could do about the pain even with decent ones from the running room.




Same here.  They arent cheap, but i have no pain at all.  In fact they make my combat boots very comfy.


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