Experiences with plantar fasciitis?

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  • pauljsolie
    pauljsolie Posts: 1,024 Member
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    Got the Exercisers and Relaxers at the Good Feet Store, love them. Haven't had a problem since and that was over 5 years ago. I feel for ya, PF was the absolute worst pain I'd ever been in.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
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    I'm another one who managed to recover without medical intervention - unless you count massage therapy as medical. My daughter-in-law is a massage therapist and when she found out I had PF she had me start regular stretching exercises, rolling a hard ball or frozen water bottle under my foot, and she worked on my legs and feet quite a bit. It absolutely KILLED me the first few times she dug into my feet but then it would feel so much better it was worth it. I also started walking as much as I could as soon as I could, after stretching real good in the morning. The PF went away over the course of about 2 months and I haven't had any trouble with it in about 4-5 years now.
  • pg1girl
    pg1girl Posts: 268 Member
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    I had it badly too but custom orthotics have reduced the pain to almost nothing. Running again with no problems.
  • lauristewart
    lauristewart Posts: 379 Member
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    I have had it off and on for 10 yrs....I did get insoles for my shoes and still wear them in my workout shoes. Stretching is essential....anti inflamatory meds....it took about 10 months for it to go away and I still have flare ups every so often. I also was told to not run on a regular basis....I spin a lot, do Insanity, Asylum and other dvd workouts....But I wear my insoles in my workout shoes every day!! It does take a while to go away.....good luck! I did go to a foot doctor and he helped me a lot!
  • TaraMN
    TaraMN Posts: 3
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    I had Pf as well and saw our Podiatris at work (I work at a hospital). He recommended SuperFeet (http://www.superfeet.com/. Can usually find them at a sports store like REI). He said for 90% of people they work, without spending $$ on custom inserts. One week after wearing them (I mean wearing them all the time, in every shoe!) I was 100% better. I still wore my SuperFeet faithfully because I didn't want to go back to the pain. Then I saw a Rolfer, for different reasons, and through those sessions and improving my body alignment, my PF is gone. I don't have to wear any inserts anymore. I probably sound like a SuperFeet commercial , but they worked for me!!!
  • rvagnoni
    rvagnoni Posts: 75 Member
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    I have something similar but I am not quite sure if it is PF or something else since I have not yet been to the doctor yet about it. My problem usually occurs during intense exercise such that comes from running or jumping. I am doing P90X right now and any movements where I have to land on my feet hurt. starting at the bottom of my feet and radiating to the back or front of my shins. Very painful. Does this sound like PF for those who have been diagnosed? Thanks!
  • rvagnoni
    rvagnoni Posts: 75 Member
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    Hey TaraMN. What's a Rolfer?
  • jmankin2012
    jmankin2012 Posts: 10
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    I suffered from PF when I was taking martial arts. I was at the sporting goods store and found something called KT Tape. I was very skeptical how this tape running from the bottom of my foot and up the back of my ankle could help at all. What it seemed to do is take the pressure off and the pain subsided which gave me a chance to heel.

    i was able to do three 2 1/2 hour martial arts classes a week using this tape. Without it in the beginning i could barely walk.

    http://www.kttape.com/index.php

    hope it helps

    jdm
  • TaraMN
    TaraMN Posts: 3
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    I'm not very good at explaining it.... they work with your muscles... a Chiropractor focuses on bones, a Rolfer focuses on muscles. Here is info on it if you want to check it out..... http://www.structureforlife.com/about_rolfing.html. It really is a great way to optimum body alignment.
  • TaraMN
    TaraMN Posts: 3
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  • KeepGoingRhonda
    KeepGoingRhonda Posts: 527 Member
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    oh gosh I have suffered in the past with that! I tired it all massage , chiropractic, exercise, orthotics , ice, stretches.......and on and on...ended up the only thing that really helped me was cortizone shots in each heel...ouch! But after about 4 weeks the pain was gone, havent had any pain since! I had one foot done just over 2 years ago now and the other foot done this past march. Good luck!
  • Kalbright79
    Kalbright79 Posts: 65
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    I know how you feel! It is painful and I juist started feeling better! I do exercise on the eliptical - it is not as hard on your feet and other joints and does a better work out than the treadmill. All the other above advice is good too! Stretch your foot and never go barefoot.....I did some PT and that was wonderful! I am done with PT and continue to not run or use the treadmill for fear of the PF coming back. Good Luck and dont let that stop you! You can overcome this too!
  • samnhailey
    samnhailey Posts: 4
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    I've had it severely in both feet for a year. Makes losing weight (at least for me) difficlut. The doctor gave me the shots and it made matters worse! The orthotics were very painful. As a last (!) resort my doctor sent me to the physical therapist. This made a major difference in just a few visits and after a few months of appointments I was able to be more active but I wasn't careful enough and reinjured them. It has been a LOOONG year but here are the major things that help (besides physical therapy):

    -Night Splints
    -Ice when they are painful and swelling
    -Massage the arch several times day. Can use thumbs, golf ball, frozen water bottle, but there is my favorite is this "Foot Rubz" ball:

    http://www.amazon.com/Foot-Massage-Great-Backs-Hands/dp/B002QEY6NK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1328334963&sr=8-3


    Stretch the calf muscle several times a day then work into just night and morning - at first a 2 minutes each time until things start to loosen up.
    -"Rocking"-type shoes. The ugly ones that they stupidly advertise to help you use your muscles differently so you'll lose weight. They keep your calf and arch stretched out. They take your leg muscles some getting used to


    I've been told it the average time to heal is 18 months.

    Good Luck!
  • emstgm
    emstgm Posts: 117 Member
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    I have suffered with PF for years, and probably brought it on by going barefoot on hardwood floors at home for long periods of time. I have high and inflexible arches.

    Finally saw a podiatrist - wished I had gone sooner. Phase 1, he taped my feet with supports in them and advised me to wear shoes 100% of the time, even when showering, 3-7 days (foot wrapped in plastic.)

    Phase 2: Stretch EVERY SINGLE time that I get up after sitting or lying down for more than 5 minutes. Esp when getting out of bed. And when getting out of bed, wear heels to go to the bathroom!

    The next step, I had a cortisone shot and I have been pain free every since. But I also got some slippers or house shoes that are like clogs that have great arch support, and I NEVER go barefoot anymore.

    Seeing the podiatrist was very positive for me, but I've heard of some who have seen a podiatrist, and had shots, and it doesn't work. Good luck!
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    I have to agree with Collinskye's advice as I did much of that when I was struggling with very painful PF. I had stepped on one of my sons marbles and injured my foot at the heel. I do taekwondo and pretty much refused to believe that I'd have to stop permanently and always wear shoes. I'm a barefoot girl! Doing very similar stretches and massages to what collinskye described I finally got it to heal and haven't had any issues since. Most of my workouts are barefoot to this day. Hope you find what works for you.
  • sblueyez
    sblueyez Posts: 156 Member
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    I had to rest away the injury. Ice, stretching, massage all helped. The only way I can exercise is if I'm wearing my MBT running shoes. I can't walk, run, jump or stand for very long without them. Definitely worth the money although I got them on sale. The new versions aren't so ugly nor clunky nor heavy.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    I had a bad case of it in both feet last April. My doctor said time is the best healer for this problem--measured in many months. I asked about exercises, and he said 'I can give you a list of exercises to make you feel you are doing something to help, but they really don't do any good.'

    I went home, bought some mules from Orthaheel, along with inserts and proceeded to wait things out. Each morning, I awoke to the feeling of nails being driven through my heels with each step. Same thing would happen after being a couch potato for any length of time.

    Per my doctor's prediction, my heels are completely better. I continue to wear my Orthaheel shoes, and will be careful about walking briskly on pavement for miles and miles in the future.

    That's my success story, and I'm sticking to it. I hope you enjoy a full recovery! Just remember, patience can be rewarded.
  • Collinsky
    Collinsky Posts: 593 Member
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    I've been told it the average time to heal is 18 months.

    I don't know the exact number, but this seems in line with what I've heard; the usual range for complete healing seems to be anywhere from 6 months to 3 years. Fascia is one of those things that feels like forever to heal. Finding that out after dealing with it for months was SO helpful, because it told me that continuing problems didn't mean this was necessarily going to be chronic. It just meant I needed to be a little more patient and trust the process.

    I have a friend who got PF, and was 100% fine after resting it for a couple weeks*, but most people seem to end up dealing with it for a long time, and once it's gone it seems to want to flare up again. Mine was fairly gone, after 5 months of ebb-and-flow -- but I had a couple weeks of laziness, and doing too much walking in shoes, and it flared up again. A few days of the "protocol" and it's much better, but obviously, after 6-7 months, I still have to be mindful and proactive with it. There's no magic bullet. :)
  • ShrinkRapt451
    ShrinkRapt451 Posts: 447 Member
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    I had Pf as well and saw our Podiatris at work (I work at a hospital). He recommended SuperFeet (http://www.superfeet.com/. Can usually find them at a sports store like REI). He said for 90% of people they work, without spending $$ on custom inserts. One week after wearing them (I mean wearing them all the time, in every shoe!) I was 100% better. I still wore my SuperFeet faithfully because I didn't want to go back to the pain. Then I saw a Rolfer, for different reasons, and through those sessions and improving my body alignment, my PF is gone. I don't have to wear any inserts anymore. I probably sound like a SuperFeet commercial , but they worked for me!!!

    I suffered for 18 months before buying similar insoles (hard plastic with a leather top) and using them in every shoe. Never barefoot. No heels, no clogs or loose shoes. Within 2 months, with no other intervention, GONE. A couple of small recurrences responded within a few days to the same intervention. Stretching, anti-inflammatories, splints, etc. did not do a thing.

    Now I Zumba barefoot, and I'm fine. :)
  • lindalou4850
    lindalou4850 Posts: 217 Member
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    I had it a couple years ago. My Dr. told me before I get out of bed in the morning to roll the bottom of my foot on a can (Hair spray or deodorant) It helped some what. Plus I had this (stupid) sock that I wore to bed at night that stretched your toes upward stretching out the bottom of my foot. He said it was from doing to much walking. But I don't believe that cause back then I was lazy. He also sold me special hard plastic insoles to put in my shoes. I hated them it felt like I was waking on a balled up sock I know it is very painfull.
    Good luck I guess time will tell!!

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