As I get older, like any human being, my parts start to wear out. I’ve been plagued by painful feet because of the neuropathy caused by chemo for a few years, but worse than anything, I’ve developed a nasty heel spur that can be one of the most painful things you can imagine. Each step comes with a fiery hot knife-shaped poker stabbing into you…and at the end of the day, not even a good foot rub, a decent pain pill and a supportive physio taping can help the gnarly, nasty, excruciating PAIN that my feet have become.
I’ve tried different things – heel supports, cannabis cream, orthotics, anti-inflammatory creams, cortisone shots (the absolute WORST painful procedure I’ve ever experienced), and I’ve had to curtail the time that I spend standing at the easel – and any artist knows…standing is the best way to paint, not sitting! Nothing has worked well enough to be a permanent solution, and it’s been not only depressing, but frustrating and debilitating. Each of these adjustments work…a bit….but every step is still a painful reminder, and a messy heel-spur surgery is just not an option, nor recommended for me.
Just when I thought…I’ll shoot myself in the foot (literally) and be done with the pain, I’ve found another good and partial solution which makes long days standing and working much better and a great deal more tolerable.
Enter the good folks at Anthrodesk: Standing Desk In Canada.
Anthrodesk makes some incredible products – standing desks, convertible and ergonomic desk solutions and….most excitingly for me….TA DA….. a Premium Anti-Fatigue Mat for Sit Stand Desks.
My new mat has been nestled snuggly beneath my feet for over six weeks, and I have found a marked improvement in not only my heel and foot pain, but also in my posture. For those of you who might suffer from back pain (which I do not), I can only suggest that this would also help you as well. It’s like walking on a cloud…or marshmallows. I wish someone would invent insoles like this for my shoes! I’d be all over them like a….well, like an artist on paint!
One of the things that really bothers my legs and feet is walking on cold concrete at the barn with the horses, or on ceramic tiles, or standing for a long time in my hardwood-floored kitchen, making dinner and peeling veggies. For the longest time, I’ve had to sit, and watch others do the work just to avoid this rampant fiery pain in my feet. I have carried my Anti-Fatigue Mat around the house and to the barn to make life more bearable…and it certainly has done that for me. In the future, I plan to try and craft some kind of set-up for the barn and for the studio that allows for a few mats running end-to-end in order to increase the area that pushes my tender tootsies!
I can do nothing but recommend comfort for artists when they are working. As we get older, or work longer hours and are so wrapped up in our work, it’s important to remember to take care of our most important tool – our bodies. At a reasonable $50.00 price tag, it’s a TENTH of the price of these crappy orthotics, and well worth the investment. I believe they also have free shipping in Canada, so do check them out and tell them Janice sent you!
I plan for more than a few of these in my household, barn and studio!
Happy feet – Happy House – Happy Artist.
HAPPY ART-MAKING, and THANK YOU ANTHRODESK!
Isn’t it wonderful when your body can’t keep up with your lifestyle? Happy to hear you found a way to cope with the painful bone spur:)
Glad to see you found the desired solution.
I have also been using Anti-fatigue mat and a standing desk, Its really a wonderful experience with lots of health benefits.