How to deal with joint pain at a standing job?

[erylab97]

Hey guys- I'm new and this is my first post, but my fibro diagnosis is not new. I got diagnosed when I was 12 and have been learning to deal with the constant pain since. I'm 19 now and am trying to be a productive, functioning adult but it's hard.
I work at a job where I have to be on my feet all day, were not allowed to sit down. I love my job, but when I get home I feel absolutely wrecked. I can barely move for the rest of the day, and my shifts are only 4 hours long. I have a lot of knee and foot pain, and at the end of the day my joints feel so awful I've broken down crying a few times. Does anybody have any recommendations? I'm ordering knee braces to wear under my uniform. Ibueprofen stopped being effective a long time ago. I already wear shoe inserts. I wish I could just go out and get a slower, easier job but unfortunately when you're 19 almost every job you can get involves running around. I don't want my pain to stop me from having my life. I need to figure out how to make this manageable.
I would really appreciate some insight! Anything you guys have would be awesome) Thanks so much!!

 

[sureimsore]

Hi erylab, I'm very sorry you have to endure this at such a young age.

I think many of us have fibro from different root disorders, but I know that yes, if I am standing for over 1/2hr my knees start to hurt.
I find that I can walk longer on thicker carpet, but I know that isn't feasible in most of the working world.

Have you tried prescribed pain patches? If not, you should try bringing it up to your doctor. If you don't have one at the moment, I've read on the forum somewhere that someone gets great relief from Salonpas (I have not tried them myself though); if you type in salonpas in the search bar you will be able to find that post.

Hopefully someone else here will have a better suggestion for you. Also make sure you look in the alternative therapies section. Prayers out to you kiddo!

 

[Destiny3614]

I had to quit my job because of it. It made working impossible, even with pain medicine. I'm sorry, I don't know what to tell you. Sometimes it just gets too bad and we must give up

 

[erylab97]

sureimsore- Thank you so much for the positive messages and advice! It means a lot. I will definitely look up Salonpas.

destiny3614- I understand, I definitely want to give up most days. Unfortunately thats not really an option for me. I have to keep working and taking steps

Just got off another shift and once again, completely sore all over my body. It's getting depressing. I'm going to try to keep looking for solutions. I appreciate you guys feedback! <3

 

[lisasian86]

I work in a hospital and my shifts are 12.5 hours long, it's really hard going! A few years ago I had a cartilage tear in my knee which would swell and become painful everytime I went to work. I used a knee brace and Naproxen pain killers to try and help it but it didn't really work, luckily I was able to have surgery to fix it which has helped a huge amount. I hope you find something to help with your pain.

 

[sureimsore]

I just wanted to add one more thing...I started wearing foam flip flops around the house, instead of slippers. They have a wedge, and have a lot of thickness towards the front as well. I call it the "marshmallow" foam, because it's pretty soft. I find that they act like shock absorbers when I walk on hard surfaces. So maybe you want to look into shoes made with this material.

 

[SilverBelle]

I'm not able to stand for long periods either. I worked a 4 hour shift in a deli a few years ago and I almost had to be carried out. My son had to bring a cart to me to lean over and I was in tears trying to get to the car. I was in bed for a couple days afterwards and of course I didn't go back. So I can relate to you.

This was the biggest reason I choose to attend college a couple years ago. I need to work, but I know that I can't do any kind of physical job. I need a sit down at your desk kind of job.

I would suggest getting good fitting shoes with good arch support. I'm unable to do any kind of walking without good shoes. Everyone is different, but I find Sketchers give me good support. I buy arch support insoles also. Just the cheaper ones, but I hope to get some of the more expensive ones that are custom fit someday.

Soaking in a warm bath can help relax your muscles. I've heard that Epsom salt in the bath can help with muscle soreness, but I've never tried it.

I hope you're able to find some relief

 

[WarriorPrincess]

@sureimsore those sound like a good kind of foam, I'll have to see if I can find some sort of house shoes that have thick foam that my feet can sink into. There is absolutely no padding under the carpet downstairs, as well as berber carpeting with basically no pile, so it's like walking on concrete, which takes a big toll on me. I think that's why I've switched over the years to mainly living up here where there is an actual pad under the carpet, so it's more comfy.

@erylab97 It doesn't sound as if you're on disability, but it might be a good idea to check in with TX DARS to see what they recommend. I do think another line of work might be better suited for you, and maybe there are funds available to assist you in taking at least some courses to qualify you for something less taxing. Here's a link to their Vocational Rehabilitation program: Vocational Rehabilitation for Persons with Physical and Mental Disabilities

 

[oportosanto]

If we have a standing job and a joint pain we should reconsider it or else we will just make our condition worse.

 

[sureimsore]

@sureimsore those sound like a good kind of foam, I'll have to see if I can find some sort of house shoes that have thick foam that my feet can sink into. There is absolutely no padding under the carpet downstairs, as well as berber carpeting with basically no pile, so it's like walking on concrete, which takes a big toll on me. I think that's why I've switched over the years to mainly living up here where there is an actual pad under the carpet, so it's more comfy.

I find that they are making more and more shoe/sandals with this type of foam. It's dense firm foam, but also gives. And they tend to be inexpensive as well.

PS: Off-topic, I hope your area has been spared of the drought WP, but praying for all those in TX as well.

 

[moe1959]

YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR DISABILITY, DISABILITY MAY OR CAN HELP YOU GET RETRAINED FORA DIFFRENT JOB. YOUR YOUNG, WHAT ABOUT DRIVING SCHOOL BUS.? Most District will train you, and with that, you would have a CDL licence. I wish you the best, I had to quite working, due to fibro, and poss. Lupis. Thankfully I've been able to/GET BY.

 

[DK_engineer]

If you working on a hard floor (i.e. concrete, linoleum, tile, etc.) you can ask your employer to provide an anti-fatigue mat. These mats are soft, durable, usually about 1/2 inch thick and can make a huge difference. If your employer is worried about trip hazard, the mats can be ordered with a beveled edge and yellow border. Even if you move around a lot in your job, you can usually identify a few places where you tend to stand for periods of time and would benefit from a mat.

Good luck, I hope this helps

 

[Trellum]

I hope you can actually talk with your doctor and be able to try several med combos. I hate to say it, but sometimes it is needed to take that kind of pills (been avoiding them for a while due the side effects). Sometimes you just have to, because at this point I don't think any natural remedy or any other thing can help you much at this point Unless you are a bit overweight, in that case I do think losing weight would help you loads with your knee pain (telling you from experience).

 

[WarriorPrincess]

@sureimsore I'm going to look for some when I can. I'm sure the extra padding would help, because I have a lot of swelling and sensitivity on the bottoms of my feet, as well as the tops. Thankfully the floods haven't reached my house, although the water got close to a few in my neighborhood. It appears there are areas where there's still quite a bit of standing water, and I feel so bad for those who've lost everything. The weather seems to be so unpredictable, and we're just now going into Hurricane Season, so I'm a bit apprehensive about what this year will bring.

Back on topic now, I do think it would be a good idea to look into job retraining, and the possibility of further schooling so you would be able to transition into a less physical type of work.

 

[Eyesup]

I'm curious, is it your joints that hurt the most or your muscles? Not that either is good but if your joints are the problem you may want to be rechecked for types of arthritis. My son is 19, we thought he had fibro, by pure luck he was in a psoriatic flare up the day of his apt. Or else he would have been diagnosed with fibro.

The best over the counter I've found is capsasin. It is derived from hot chilies so be very carful to wash your hands, I have to cut it with 50% lotion or my skin turns blood red and I feel like I'm on fire. But the relief is almost instant and pretty long lasting. I would recommend trying the cut version first and be sure the first time you try it you can take a shower if it warms up to much! (My first time I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get in the shower quick enough!)

Your so young. Have you tried looking into a receptionist type job? If there is anyway you can get back into school it will pay a lifetime of dividends. Even something like real estate, you will still have to be on your feet some of the time but with breaks and not just standing.

I hope this helps if even just a little.