Beware of hard floors when turning....

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USAFVET98

USAFVET98

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Joined
Aug 5, 2008
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1,282
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Hawley, Pennsylvania
Hey IAP.. Just got back from the doctor and it turns out this horific pain and pins & needles in my foot are from a verry painful condition called a Mortons Neuroma. Appearently this neuroma is an enlardgement of a nerve between the toes that when enlardged the liguaments, tendens and bone clamp down. If you ever had a pinched nerve, consider that times 5. Its bad.

Anyway, I got a cortisone shot and he said within 24 hours I should have relief. If not better on next wednesday he is sending me for an MRI to figure out next course of treatment.

Now for the causes of Mortons Neuroma:

He said it mainly cause by pressure and standing on a hard floor ( my concrete shop floor) for long periods of time will cause it. I was doing alot in the shops a few weeks ago and was actually wearing slipper! LOL Anyway, I also didnt have my anti-fatigue mats down so that did it.

The mats are down now but the damage is already done..

If you dont have them already PLEASE stop by harbour freight and pick up a package of there rubber mats. I think they are like 4 for $10 or something like that. I dont want to see anyone else have to go through this as it truly is terrible.

Mortonneuroma.jpg
 
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That sounds truly painful. One other mat option for in front of the lathe, was one of the only real good purchases we made at the wood working show. Peachtree has a mat that is like standing on a pillow. Only problem is I am use to a certain height when turning and now with this new mat I feel like I am hovering above the lathe.

I sure hope the shot takes care of the pain and the mats any future problems.
 
IPD_Mr said:
That sounds truly painful. One other mat option for in front of the lathe, was one of the only real good purchases we made at the wood working show. Peachtree has a mat that is like standing on a pillow. Only problem is I am use to a certain height when turning and now with this new mat I feel like I am hovering above the lathe......
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Raise your lathe up with some shims under it.
 
I have a similar condition and I put 3/4 inch rubber on every inch of my shop. These 2 x 2 Interlocking panels come in an 8 Pack from Sams Club are $16.91.

This made putting and entire rubber floor in the shop about 50 cents per square foot- cheaper than painting.

Everybody who comes into my shop likes the floors.
 
Monty said:
IPD_Mr said:
That sounds truly painful. One other mat option for in front of the lathe, was one of the only real good purchases we made at the wood working show. Peachtree has a mat that is like standing on a pillow. Only problem is I am use to a certain height when turning and now with this new mat I feel like I am hovering above the lathe......
Click to expand...
Raise your lathe up with some shims under it.
Click to expand...

But Mannie that requires thought and lifting the lathe. Then my head and back would hurt. :rolleyes:
 
If you have a Big Lots near, they usually have a pack of 8 for $13 or 15. My floor is covered with them. The only problem I have with them is when it becomes absolutely necessary to clean the shop(When the Bride comes to visit the shop) they are a pain in the rear to pick up and clean around.
Charles
 
ctubbs said:
If you have a Big Lots near, they usually have a pack of 8 for $13 or 15. My floor is covered with them. The only problem I have with them is when it becomes absolutely necessary to clean the shop(When the Bride comes to visit the shop) they are a pain in the rear to pick up and clean around.
Charles
Click to expand...

Not a problem with Toro Hi Power Back Pack Blower:). I reserved the broom for witch transportation:)
 
Hey, how'd you get such a nice picture of your foot?
Sorry to hear about your foot issues. A whie back I spent about $75 for an ergo mat from an industrial supply store. works great but did feel a little different at first.
The interlocking tiles that have been mentioned work well as underpad at indoor shows as well. Makes the legs feel a whole lot better at the end of the day
 
I do alot of work in my shop while standing on a cement floor. I found that wearing ERGO MATES on my shoes gives me alot of feet and pain relief
 
For pens I made me a steel sit down bench it favours me with a no stress way to enjoy my VL100 Lathe sitting on a raised Draughtsman swivel chair. Very comfortable and convenient. I swivel right to press the pen , left to use my design Pen Mill. With the motor and drive on the bench top, infinite single phase to three phase, plenty of room for feet , no danger from the drive, the ergonomics are beaut. I sit to make pens not cause I have to but choose to, other lathes used less often I stand to use them.

Pic taken ages ago lots of mods since then. Full of sympathy for you. The vac system is not there but a large house type on the back wall now open under the bench, the foreshortening of the lens makes it appear cramped but tons of room all round.

Kind regards Peter
 

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Here's another idea?
This idea will also require you to raise your lathe of course.
Make a raised deck platform from the "trek" type decking material.
It is expensive to purchase, so if you want to save some cash - check around for people building decks this time of year and get the cut off scraps!
The boards are very forgiving and give a little spring to your step.
This idea can be a pain and a lot of work so maybe its not the best solution. The "GOOD" mats are probably a much better idea, but thought I would toss it out there anyway.
As far as the mats go - I strongly suggest that you spend the extra dollar on this one and get the good ones - The HF mats just don't make a good alternative cheaper solution when it comes to this item. Buts that's just my opinion?

Good luck with the foot - I hope things can improve without invasive correction.
I am very familiar with nerve pain having the severe back issues that I deal with.
Actually when you say to multiply the pain by 5 its more like 50! Lol
 
My wife bought a few sets of the Harbor Freight Mats and then for christmas got me a gel matt from costco which I put on top of the other mats. This has done wonders for my feet legs and back. I hope your foot gets better Brian.
Jerry
 
I have a wood floor in my shop and an anti-fatigue mat in front of the lalthe... I'll get a little pain in one foot from standing occasionally, but not like you've described... it really depends on which shoes I wear... I have two pair that I wear in the shop in winter.. one is a pair of slip on and they seem to give me more fatigue than the others... the other pair is a pair of brogan type I got at Wallyworld on sale for $4... they're really comfortable and easy on the feet.... in summer I usually just wear a pair of crocs - cheapies from Wallyworld... only problem is they fill with shavings so I have to empty them every few minutes, but they feel good on the feet til they do fill up.
 
Sorry to hear about your problem, but do take the docs advise and do what they say. No matter how unpleasant it is now, It will only get worse if you don't take care of it now.

General info:

Everybody's feet are different, so what works for one person may be the worst thing in the world for another. Now that being said, in general padding is better than not, shoes are better than bare feet. But beyond that, DON'T GUESS. A visit to a shoe store specializing in orthopedically correct shoes is not that difficult for most people. Most medium to large towns have one, you just have to look for it. Try to find one that has a load analysis system where you step onto an electronic sensor attached to a computer and it tells you where you put the most pressure on your feet. It usually gives you a general diagnosis and recommends a pair of inserts that fit you personally. Sometimes it gives you a red box that says "GO see a podiatrist, NOW"

Now, that being said, the inserts these places sell are usually pretty expensive, and unless you have a pretty specialized problem, you can get something just as good for half the price elsewhere if you want to go that route. But those folks gotta pay the bills too, and they are providing a service. YMMV.

But in any case, a pair of inserts that are correct FOR YOU, in some good shoes will usually prevent or minimize a lot of pain for most folks.

BTW, this info comes to me from my wife's podiatrist and orthopedic surgeon, and cost several thousand dollars. You get it for free here, do with it as you will.

BTW, the VA does a lot of podiatric and orthopedic work, and can often provide these services to vets, either separated, retired or disabled. So I hear, I've also heard the paperwork is so painful and tedious to complete that I've never tried. (but then again, my feet don't usually hurt. Wish I could say the same about my knees)
 
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Yes, that is very painful indeed! I had that problem in 2000 and had to take a surgery. They actually went in and cut the nerve to stop the pain. The cortizone shots and orthotics I tried did not work for me. After my wife and I went on a vacation and I couldn't hardly walk to see all we wanted to see, I came home and had the surgery. Good luck on your efforts to get rid of the pain.
 
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