Plantar fascitis

Following...same here! Did yours get bad after a long run? I was feeling better and then had an hour run on Friday. The next morning was very painful walking down the stair

Podiatrist and custom orthotics make all the difference for my son and I. Also, as much as I love to, I can never go barefoot and must always wear fairly supportive shoes. Luckily I'm a stay at home mom, so sneakers with my orthotics are an acceptable part of my "uniform". Good luck!

Roll, roll, roll your calf and the bottom of your foot! Foam roller or one of those massage sticks on the calf, golf or lacrosse/baseball on your foot. I've found this to be the key to mitigating PF.

The best three things that helped me were (1) a pair of specially designed orthotics, for the long haul; (2) regular sets of exercise involving pulling the ball of the feet and toes up and back towards the leg; (3) a night foot-ankle brace that I got from the podiatrist. I actually refused to wear this awkward and uncomfortable contraption for the first 6 months, but I wasn't improving much. Finally, I put it on at night in desperation, and within a week, the problem almost miraculously evaporated. The brace prevents the foot from pronating during sleep which is a major reason that the fascitis doesn't heal more quickly on its own.

As a first, cheap, and often effective treatment, invest $10 in a pair of Dr. Scholls heel cups. Give them a try for a while, and see what happens. PF is a VERY long-term issue, but sometimes you can get lucky with this kind of simple thing. It worked for me, and I have heard a number of other folks agree. It can't hurt.

Agree with a lot of what has already been said here. You may have to change your exercise routine to something that does not cause foot impact, like biking or swimming. OTC insoles can help, never go barefoot. Try the rolling exercises on a frozen water bottle or juice can. Stretch often. You are going to be managing this forever, but that does not mean you cannot be pain-free.

Ugh, I too just recognized this in my left foot. Yes, "never go barefoot." I find even wearing sandals (granted, mine are sort of shoe-like, huarache style) helps enormously. I hate wearing shoes in the house, never feel like I'm really "at home" if shod, but the pain is highly motivational.

Thanks to all for other ideas.

My plantar fasciitis only started to go away after a snorkeling outing. I had been in pain for months, tried all the stretching exercises, nothing worked. Then an afternoon of wearing snorkeling flippers with my foot extended while swimming did the trick. Go figure! Maybe being in the Caribbean helped, too.

Mine started after wearing flip-flops pretty much non-stop for 2 weeks. Now I'm forcing myself to wear shoes full-time, including around the house. It's helped a lot, but I may have to take additional measures to get rid of it completely.

The plantar fasciitis seems to stir-up the tendinitis in my knee, making me feel miserable and ancient.

I've been managing it on my own for about 7 years. At 1st the pain was so bad I felt like i was walking on a bed of nails. Now, most time I have no pain, but sometimes have mild flares.

the boots and braces were a bad joke, they never held my foot in place...i tried a number of different types.

the exercise i found most helpful was standing with my toes on the edge of a step, slowly lowering my heels, holding it for a while, and repeating a number of times.

i also use a cream called TOPRICIN that really seemed to help. I think they have it at Harmon.

BERKINSTOCKS! Two orthopedic Drs and my PT recommended the shoes highly. I started off with the monks sandal which is attractive and thenwent in for dressier styles - clunky but comfy. Chech out the website. Forget forever high heels!

Unfortunately, I have found this to be a recurring issue.

oakland2,

I've had it and it lasted a long time. All the remedys and advice did not matter. Stretches only made it worse, remember the fascia is overtight already by definition. Orthotics didn't matter. Just keep off your foot as much as possible and let it rest. And be very slow and careful getting out of bed or after sitting. I was almost ready for crutches by the time it cleared up.

Good luck.

I finally spent the money on "good" flip flops because I wear them all the time in the summer. I got Orthaheels, but Fit Flops are good too

TarheelsInNj said:
I finally spent the money on "good" flip flops because I wear them all the time in the summer. I got Orthaheels, but Fit Flops are good too

Dang it! I just instantly bought a pair of Orthaheels.

I went through a year and a half of pain (usually right after resting for long periods of time, ie sleeping. Walking after getting out of bed was like walking on knives.) before going to the podiatrist. You basically have to get shoes with great support and a good insole. Sneakers, Birkenstocks, heels are fine for me as long as it's not too high and has a block heel. Flip flops, big no-no. The pain will subside, but it will take a few weeks. For me the thing that made the pain go completely away was a cortisone shot. It hurt like hell, but it's been a year and counting pain free!

mjh said:

TarheelsInNj said:
I finally spent the money on "good" flip flops because I wear them all the time in the summer. I got Orthaheels, but Fit Flops are good too

Dang it! I just instantly bought a pair of Orthaheels.

It was painful to spend the money- I'm usually an Old Navy $2 flip flop gal. But the arch support is clear!! I also just bought a pair of more attractive Orthaheel strappy sandals on a Zulily sale, because I find summer work shoes are a problem.

If it makes you feel better, almost all of the good flip flops are around the same cost. Fit Flops and another brand I can't remember (something Hawaiian sounding!).

The Orthaheels took some getting used to as they're pretty firm, but after a few weeks I'm finding them really comfortable

amandacat said:
Roll, roll, roll your calf and the bottom of your foot! Foam roller or one of those massage sticks on the calf, golf or lacrosse/baseball on your foot. I've found this to be the key to mitigating PF.

This has really helped me.

I'm not really a runner anyway, but what also really helps me is biking. Two 20mile rides a week and I have no foot pain whatsover, I can even walk barefoot. I stop and my feet fall apart.

I had it for the past 20 or so months. I tried everything. Nothing gave more than a few minutes of relief. Three weeks ago, I got a cortisone shot and the pain is gone for now.

Debra Bernath is a Nationally Certified Reflexologist. She has a space at our location, Shakti Yoga. A while ago there was another poster who commented about this same issue and I recommended Debra. This person ended up seeing her a few times and found relief. I believe others also saw her based on that thread.

You can read more about her here: http://shaktinj.com/practitioners.php#Debra

She's currently on vacation until August 5th and also Aug 17-Aug 22. You can schedule an appointment online at http://energypathwaystoharmony.fullslate.com. You can email her at DebraBernath@gmail.com as well.

Feel better.

Namaste.

Orthotics helped some, but mostly they just hurt more. The only shoes in which my feet feel comfortable are crocs. They're soft, and they have arch supports in the right place for me. I had one podiatrist who custom made orthotics himself, out of leather in his office, but he retired. All the other orthotics are too stiff,and they hurt me.

REALLLLLLLLLLY slow stretches saved me. put foot up on a table (I did it sitting on my sofa, table at sofa height) and take 30 seconds to go from most flexed (toes pointing behind your head) to most pointed. repeat 10x. Cured me. It's Somatics. they do it at Shakti, yes?

Honestly, sleeping with this horribly looking night splint, that I got from my podiatrist, really saved me, although a bit uncomfortable. The one below can be ordered from Amazon, I believe.

http://www.myfootshop.com/dorsal-night-splint-for-plantar-fasciiitis?gclid=cjwkeajwovytbrcdxtykqfl5nuisjacaugg1lemtthec_8gni0uaq5tz_dic1chficzmslcdtytb0xoc5f7w_wcb

All as is said above - and the longer you let it go without treating it, the longer it will last. I dealt with it for 2 years. Then last summer went to a doctor and then 5 months of PT. I have worn the Strasburg sock for more than 2 years now (and still do most nights). Through it all I ran and trained for marathons. After the 5 months of PT (two weeks off from running and then a slow build back) I was able to manage the pain. I still have some ache from time to time but manage it with all I learned from the PT; lots of exercises; stretching; ice; kinesio tape and all the literature that there is out there. Plantar fasciItis is plain mean!

When I can remember to stretch the foot before getting out of bed in the morning, those first steps of the day go **much** better.

I second everything about stretches and footwear. Don't stretch calves, etc to full extent . Slow and steady to about 50% worked for me as did changing my sneakers for running and ditching sandals for a long time. Foam rollers under my feet before they hit the floor in the morning helped a lot!

I have had this on both heels and I haven't had it returned in a few years. I got rid of all of my shoes and now pretty much wear shoes from The Walking Company (or a place that specializes in comfort shoes). I never go barefoot.

I have done it all (physical therapy, sock, stretches, iced) but the most effective way of treating it for me was doing nothing with impact (including elliptical and stationary bike) for months. Or cortisone shots (those worked instantly). I now wear inserts (superset) in sneakers (I got fitted at The Sneaker Factory) and thick socks and don't go more than 2-3 days in a row of exercising with impact. I also don't run as much (maybe 10 minutes treadmill) and the occasional run outside.

Dennis_Seelbach said:
As a first, cheap, and often effective treatment, invest $10 in a pair of Dr. Scholls heel cups. Give them a try for a while, and see what happens. PF is a VERY long-term issue, but sometimes you can get lucky with this kind of simple thing. It worked for me, and I have heard a number of other folks agree. It can't hurt.

I have to echo this recommendation. I struggled for about a year. Doing the exercises helped only temporarily and I went through all sorts of foam and soft plastic shoe inserts to no avail. Then, I tried heel cups and I swear I have seen a 95% improvement. I since have purchased several sets so I don't have to keep changing from shoe to shoe. I have no idea if it would be sufficient for running or other more stressful activities and it might not work for everyone...but it truly has made a difference in my life. They are not Dr. Scholls but see the link for the ones I have.

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/profoot-plantar-fasciitis-insoles-for-men/ID=prod6117959-product?ext=gooPersonal_Care_PLA_Corns_Calluses_Blisters_ampersand_Bunions_Relief_prod6117959_pla&adtype=pla&kpid=sku6103697&sst=3d153d8b-aab0-4900-9628-7aab7963a9a2&kpid=sku6103697