ARE YOU IN PAIN?!
- Is this you?!
- Do you think foot pain is normal?
- Is your work running you down?
- Are you too busy to seek help for your pain?
We are all hunters and gatherers. We hunt for our pay check or profits and gather them to pay for our living costs, wants and needs. In our “Pursuit of Happiness” (i.e. our goals and dreams), we are so focused in hunting and gathering that we forget that our tools (i.e. our bodies) will give out from excessive working. Just like a car, computer, machinery and lightbulbs do – overuse will wear out the equipment.
Whether you’re working in construction, airlines, teaching or government, you will all suffer from occupational-related injuries – which may or most likely not be covered by your company. Even though ongoing research shows that company healthcare checks will cost less than paying for employee’s sick leave. Does your company spoil you? Do they look after you?
STORY TIME – “RYAN”
Ryan is a 42 year old tiler who is working a 6 day 50 hour week and he does this because “he has no choice”. Ryan is in bad financial health due to bad business deal and has to work for a tiling company to pay off his debts. As well as that, Ryan has 3 daughters and a wife to support, pay the mortgage, bills and routine expenses.
Ryan came to see me for lower back, knee, heel and arch pain. Oh and also radiating numbness, ‘electricity’ up and down his thigh. He reports that the pain started with heel pain four years ago but because he had been so focused on ‘hunting and gathering’ for his paycheck, he figured his foot pain was normal for the amount of work he was doing. But because he was overworking himself, his heel pain became worse and went onto aggravate his arch, knee and lower back. Ryan is a tough guy. Stubborn at most! But he never complained as he did not want his wife and daughters to worry but he knew that they were concerned about him.
First thing to focus is that FOOT PAIN IS NOT NORMAL. PAIN IS NOT NORMAL. The first couple of months of his heel pain Ryan did what most people do, he saw his family doctor who prescribed him pain medications which then lead to cortisone injections and continued pain medications! Is this the way to live? But he was happy with it as these medications allowed him to continue to work 6 days, 50 hours a week. Little did he know that he was masking PAIN – which is a feedback messaging system your body gives off to LET YOU KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING YOU’RE DOING WRONG WHICH AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH.
But I sympathise, Ryan had to work. If he took a sick day, his boss would replace him with another worker and then he would be pushed out to unemployment. How about if he kept working like this, then he may lose mobility in his feet, knees or the ability to walk? Unfortunately Ryan doesn’t possess ‘the Precious Mentality’; he takes his health for granted.
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I personally believe it is important to businesses and corporations to look after you. It’s a ‘win-win’ situation! The company invests money into workplace healthcare, you feel valued, you have less sick days and you become more effective and efficient! But alas, it is a rarity for routine workplace health care. If that’s the case, don’t wait for pain! If you have some soreness or pain, get it seen to! Why do we wait just like Ryan did for more pain and suffering? It doesn’t make sense!
It was thanks to Ryan’s wife who forced him to come and see me. I remember telling him that if he lost his ability to work from simple standard ‘wear and tear’, then there would be no income, no bills and debts would be paid. Make the investment in your health today for a better, health-prolonged tomorrow!
Ryan, his family and I agreed to implement a health management plan which would introduce rehabilitation weekly. He was to complete prescribed homework, his 3 daughters were my supervisors (!) and he was to see me initially twice a week, once a week and now, after 8 weeks of rehab, I see Ryan every month for continued muscle stretching and strengthening sessions. Because the guy became addicted!
After fitting Ryan with my special “YAKKA” Orthotic to resolve his poor foot mechanics he was one my first clients to coin the nickname, Grant “The Foot Mechanic” because I viewed him not from his health problem but holistically.
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If you work long hours in a high stressful and strenuous job, you are prone for injury. I’ll declare it. If you’re having aches and pains, it is up to you to take care of yourself.
After seeing Ryan, I was happy to call myself The Foot Mechanic who specialises in “OCCUPATIONAL PODIATRY” –specialising in workplace injuries and healthcare.
My mission is to introduce and reform Workplace Health Care. I would love to preach about the importance of health care and provide Podiatric care directly to businesses and companies. If you would like more information then please contact me via email, facebook and/or linkedin.
GRANT DUONG
PODIATRIST/”THE FOOT MECHANIC”
