Plantar Fasciitis

momo3boyz

I have plantar fasciitis in both feet since March. I have supportive shoes and do stretches using a hand towel to pull the ball of my foot back as directed by my doc. He also said no running on cement and they will "work themselves out." Anything else I can do? I do NOT want to have to get shots in my feet...my Dr. said it's really painful and made his toes curl just thinking about it.

junejadesky

Downward facing dog.... cured mine.... there are modifications to it if you can't do the full pose

AwesomeMoJo

OH IT IS VERY PAINFUL... I know this from experience.... so you do not want to have that done. I do most of my workouts at the gym indoors. Much better on my feet.

Julieandpaloma

I have the same thing - I bought some nike air max shoes - and inserts - which help. I also switched to elliptical instead of the treadmill which was killing my shins and feet. Also soak your feet. Mine have gotten a lot better. I just make sure I always wear shows and not sandals.....or barefoot at home. hang in there - it gets better

rprussell2004

Good timing -

I posted a thread about heel spurs here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/696536-heel-spurs earlier and a bunch of folks chimed in about plantar fascitis even though it's not my particular ailment.

The only other thing I can see that you're not doing is to freeze water in a plastic bottle and roll your heels over it from time to time - sort of a ice massage?

Good luck :-/

HealthyIrishLass

Go see a GOOD Massage Therapist and have them work on your lower legs. Those muscles connect down under the arch of your foot like a stirrup. Working on them helps quite a bit, at least it did for me. Good Luck.

fluffyfeathers

Had this in both feet and the injections were the only thing that helped....my podiatrist said the old way of injections was more painful than how they are done today with newer doctors.....it should be inserted from the sides of the foot or inner area of foot to reduce the pain factor ALOT!!!!! ALSO GET A PAIR OF INSERTS FOR YOUR SHOES MADE CUSTOM AT THE DOCTORS OFFICE

Apocalypse_Meow

Fill a 20 oz water or pepsi bottle with water and freeze it then roll it around with the soles of your feet. You can do the same thing with a tenniss ball.

Capt_Apollo

i have this. i had custom orthodics, cushony heeled shoes, and a stretched and got the shots. i did the rolling the feet on golf balls. nothing helped.

until i started exercising, stretching regularly, and i got minimus shoes. the minimus shoes were the best thing i could've done for myself. i don't even remember what my feet felt like when i was in pain.

minimus is a term for low heel shoes, that mimic barefoot running. i have two pairs.

http://www.newbalance.com/Minimus-10-Trail/WT10,default,pd.html?dwvar_WT10_color=Turquoise_with_Black&start=9&q=minimus&cgid=201200

Thats the pair i have primarily for lifting, but i've been known to hike and do some runs in them.

word of caution: it can take some time to get used to them, more on your calves then your feet. so go slow, only running a mile or two with them at first.

Misslisat

I've found that deep massage works wonders. It still hurts, but the pain is different, more dull, and does go away once I'm moving. I used the legs of my office chair and would put a LOT of pressure where it hurt, many times per day. It only took a week or so before I saw a drastic improvement.

stephvaile

I have plantar fasciitis in both feet since March. I have supportive shoes and do stretches using a hand towel to pull the ball of my foot back as directed by my doc. He also said no running on cement and they will "work themselves out." Anything else I can do? I do NOT want to have to get shots in my feet...my Dr. said it's really painful and made his toes curl just thinking about it.

iv had the shots and they are not that bad depends on your pain threshhold but i put supports in my shoe and they are now just fine . takes a few months

mocha106

I remember the pain. I started cycling when I had plantar fasciitis because everything else caused pain. I had the injections and did a lot of stretching. I was also fitted for proper running shoes to avoid any issues in the future.

boogerboss

Look up how to tape the arch of your foot. I have been taping my right foot since march and it has helped tremendously. I don't have the patience for indoor machines so I run outside to get in my cardio.

Oh and good shoes with high arch supports helps. You want to support your arch as much as possible

susjan

I used to have issues with my achilles and went to the Orthopedic Surgeon and everything. He sent me to physical therapy and the therapist was SHOCKED that I hadn't ruptured the tendon since the pain was so severe and had been going on so long. I found that stretching really does work (I didn't buy into it for awhile) and wearing shoes with a slight heel made my foot feel better during the day.

I also bought: http://www.thesock.com/

It looks TOTALLY goofy but it really helped when the pain was at it's worse and can be used to help the plantar fascitis. I tried it on in my running store but ended up ordering it online. There are other variations on Amazon.

rprussell2004

until i started exercising, stretching regularly, and i got minimus shoes. the minimus shoes were the best thing i could've done for myself. i don't even remember what my feet felt like when i was in pain.

This is the opposite of what I'm being recommended elsewhere - to get RID of my vibrams because they're causing undue strain, whereas additional support would relieve it.

Diversity abounds.

YoungGma29

Heel spurs and plantar facitis are the same thing. I had that for a very long time. You have been given good advice by others. I got ONE shot and swore NEVER to do that again! LOTS of stretching, wear tennis shoes all the time. No going barefoot - even at home. Ice the feet for 20 min 3 times a day. Do NOT use a treadmill. I even tried the boot for when I sleep. All cured now and when I feel it starting to flare up, I go back to doing all these things.

UsedToBeHusky

Fill a 20 oz water or pepsi bottle with water and freeze it then roll it around with the soles of your feet. You can do the same thing with a tenniss ball.

^^ This! It helps so much!

Jfearn64

Never, and I mean never, go barefoot. I wear Birkenstock shoes. They have a great design for arch support and a unique heel cup that supports your foot. I have Birkestock sandals that I wear inside my house at all times, even when I get up to go to the restroom at night. I have had the condition for 15 years now. No surgery or shots. Just manage it with proper footwear and stretching.

YoungGma29

Some people don't need arch support and it makes the problem worse.

brandyk77

Heel spurs and plantar facitis are the same thing.

No they are not

Heel spurs are the calcification of the area where the plantar fascia tendon inserts into the heel. they are often related but are not the same thing.

try this

http://www.thesock.com/

lsanders2

I have been going to therapy for the same thing and finally got relief after trying everything myself. Make sure the stretches you are doing are done in 30 second increments and that you are doing them three times a day. I also use a golf ball and roll it under my foot for thirty seconds, that helps move the scar tissue away. Ice therapy is good as well. If you are able to go to therapy it would really help you get relief, they had also taped my feet for the weekend because I was starting to walk inward and flatten my arch. I was suprised how how much going to therapy a couple times of week helped me get back to where I needed to be, now I can keep up myself so I'm not in pain like that again.

juliasnewlife

I have been there. Proper shoes and orthotics are key. I also purchased these and they help tremendously:

http://www.footsmart.com/P-FootSmart-Arch-Sleeves-10085.aspx

caliban2

Have a mild PF in my right foot - ibuprofen for it's anti-inflammatory effect, towel stretches and cold can/bottle massage are working well, but it is slow. I am still running, albeit on grass, and when it twinges I stop.

NNAhuja

I found a GREAT girl that works at Clarks who also has the ailment. She was able to show me shoes to wear that did the trick. As long as I wear the shoes she showed me, I'm painfree. No excercises needed and I'm back to running on a treadmill painfree

Goldenwoof

I had plantar fasciitis about 15 years ago, and I had it BAD. For weeks, I had to take baby steps around the house in the morning until my feet loosened up enough for me to talk normally. And even then, it still hurt.

The best advice I got was to roll my feet over tennis balls (or cans of food, or anything that's round or rolls). I'd keep a tennis ball at work, kick my shoe off and roll my foot over the tennis ball as I worked. Not all day long, but just from time to time. Not so much pressure that I tried to break the tennis ball, but enough to feel it. I'd also do this while sitting around the house at night. Just from time to time...it wasn't an all-day, every-day commitment.

Lemme tell ya, this worked like a CHARM. The pressure on the bottom of my foot really stretched things out and relieved the pain. Within days of starting this, I felt immeasurably better and my mornings weren't hell anymore. IIRC (remember, this was 15 years ago), I think I was pain-free within a week.

Give it a shot. I'd love to know if it works for you, too.

Good luck!

bago08

Keeping my foot flexed and keeping that tendon stretched as much as possible along with the inserts helped me a lot. It take a long time to heal I was able to keep a pretty regular schedule but mornings sucked for sure.
If you feel like you need to get a shot maybe look into the night boot.

samanthasky

I've actually had foot surgery on a wart, that had really messed my foot up and the needles weren't too bad! I just got a few in my toes and it was agonizing but I'm glad I got it over with!

redlion45

Lots of good advice here.


I get this pretty chronically. Nothing makes it go away short of doing no exercise, but the following have helped me quite a bit:

I switched to elliptical instead of the treadmill when it flares up.
I tape my problem foot (there is a method of taping your arch to help support that area - Google it)
I do a cold soak of my legs after the workout.
I roll out my calves and on either side of my shins with a foam roller or rolling stick after working out.
I have a night splint which keeps my foot at the proper angle all night. (Annoying but effective)
I do the frozen water bottle and roll a baseball under my arch at my desk,
and, I always wear shoes or supporting flip flops with an arch.

All of these help somewhat. Good luck, hopefully your issue will get better!







The only other thing I can see that you're not doing is to freeze water in a plastic bottle and roll your heels over it from time to time - sort of a ice massage?

catpow2

Get a night splint from your doc and wear it every night. Get shoe inserts and buy better running shoes. Stretch your calves as much as possible--throughout the day. And, yes, avoid running on concrete, if possible. Finally, ice it by rolling your foot over a frozen water bottle after you run whether it's hurting right then or not because it'll probably hurt later. It slowly gets better. Sometimes I forget I have it and then I'll go for run and afterwards remember: 'Oh right!' And if you're in a lot pain, quit running for a few days. You DO NOT want the cortisone shot unless it's the last resort.

stephvaile

Heel spurs and plantar facitis are the same thing.

No they are not

Heel spurs are the calcification of the area where the plantar fascia tendon inserts into the heel. they are often related but are not the same thing.

try this

http://www.thesock.com/

yes they are completely different i think you can have heel spurs surgically removed .

marz31

good supportive shoes with a tiny bit of heel (think dankso height, not more than an inch or so. I had a pair of birkenstock tatami sandals that I literally wore anytime I was home, had em bedside in case I needed to get up at night, otherwise, I couldn't make it to the bathroom), the stretching. what about a sleeping boot? that REALLY helped me out, I got it from my doc. if you want to try it out first, and you can fit on your couch, get so that both feet are 90 degrees, like you're standing, and try to sleep or rest a bit that way. I also got my foot taped (I did it on my own too, but it was never as good as when the doc did it) to help provide a bit more support. I never had more than orthotics and advil, never had to get shots or have surgery, and I've been pain free for quite a few years (even at my heaviest weight, of course my pain started when I wasn't even hardly overweight (if that).