I have Plantar Faciitis and can hardly walk...

kathyw512

I just started using My Fitness Pal this week and definately realized I am way over eating. I am 47 female and weigh 172. I have Plantar Faciitis in my left heel and it is severe. I can hardly walk at times and I definately need to loose weight. I can see how this program will work as you realize just how much you are really eating. But just wondering if there is anyone out there that has this foot problem too and how are they going about exercising since it hurts so bad.

dawnna76

I had plantar fasciitis problems and still do in the mornings upon waking. God forbid there was ever a emergancies and I had to run to my children outta bed, I would have to crawl! But with proper stretches I have eliminated the pain the the rest of the day. I am n my feet all day for work and run, bike or swim at least5 days a week. Check into stretches you can do and see how tha helps. Have you spoken with a physical therapist about theses issues?

TrishLG

I had it. My sister had it. My sister had surgery, it came back.
I got a tennis ball, put it on the floor, and rolled it against the arch of my foot.
This stretches out the ligament, so it does not pull on the bone and cause or irritate the bone spur.
Sometimes I feel it coming back, so I just stretch the arch and prevent the return.

If it really kills, a foot doctor will give you a cortizone shot. Magic!\
but still stretch out that ligament or it will come back.
Sometimes arch supports work. Do not delay, you have to walk!

acpgee

Standard treatment in the UK is calf stretches and arch supports. This got rid of my complaints.

The stretch I used: Place a cutting board or other small plank of wood on the edge of a thick book (or anything else about two inches thick). Stand on this so that your toes are raised for a few minutes a couple of times a day.

koalaella

I have Plantar Facititis as well. It stopped me from exercising it hurt so bad. Water exercises, bicycling and weights are good until it heals. You can have orthotics made for your shoes that will take care of the problem. I have to wear them while on the eliptical and treadmill or my feet will flare up again. Good Luck!

vcancel

I had PF for a long time. It started around 2002 and would get so bad that I could barely walk. Once day I actually collapsed on the beach trying to walk to our umbrella thru the dry sand. It's painful and anyone who has never experienced it just cannot relate.

My doctor taught me some stretching exercises and I lost weight. I also strengthened the muscles in my feet and ankles. That helped tremendously and I haven't had any problems in about 5 years.

I've gained that weight back but the PF has not come back... thankfully. Now that I'm losing it again, I'm running and walking on the treadmill with no problems.

I would also suggest getting a custom fit on your running/walking shoes. A great pair of shoes can make all the difference. See if you can find a local company that sells running apparel. ****s sporting goods salespeople won't cut it. We found this great shop in a nearby town called Bucks County Running Company in Doylestown. (I'm in PA). When my husband and I decided to start training for our first 3K, we went there and they custom fit our shoes to our feet. The measured arches, etc. Best thing is that they didn't cost any more than going to ****s or another sporting good company. Mine were $100 and they fit like a glove.

Talk to your doctor, google PF exercises and get started doing that and as the pounds come off, the pain should start to subside some. I'm hoping that this helps you. I know how painful this can be to live with.

I'm adding you as a friend in case I can help... Hugs!!

Phrick

I have it severely in both feet, worse in my right. I wear night splints, I use Foot Rubz (like a tennis ball but with hundreds of nubs to massage my feet), I stretch like crazy, and I filled a small water bottle and froze it and I use that to roll out/ice my feet. I had it before and got $350 custom built orthotics and $180 MBT shoes and I don't think either of those things helped as much as the other stuff I'm doing now. It still took about 2 years to get completely over it last time, and I'm only about 5 months into the flare up this time so I figure I have a ways to go.

vcancel

Hahahaha... it censored my post because I said d - i - c - k's. Sorry MFP, that's just the name of the store just like Modell's... Yikes. ROFL

judykat7

I had it. I wore the brace to bed and changed my footwear habits. No flipflops, no barefoot at all. I wear Keen hikers most of the time but have found a few off the shelf tennis shoes that have enough heel not to aggravate it. NB has a style or two and so does Nike. Just cannot wear anything that lowers the heel. I also woudl stretch before getting up in order not to aggravate it. I worry everyday that it might flare up now that I am walking and exercising so much but no sign of its return. Losing some weight has surely helped too.

ltowne

My sister has it. She finally resorted to the foot doctor. He gave her inserts for her shoes and told her to NEVER walk without shoes on her feet...even getting up at night to go to the restroom! Finally, he resorted to a cortisone shot and it is much better. She is still wearing her inserts and will for the next 6 months, but it is so much better. Good luck..sounds like a doctor visit is in order. As for exercising, try strength training and a stationery bike....no wear and tear on the feet. Best wishes....

sPaRkLiNgLYFE

i have it in both feet, woke up every morning limping, i bought these sneakers called Orthaheel and they seem to have helped.

04ward

I had it really bad about a year ago and in the Spring through Summer I started bike riding 4-5 days a week and the stretching of pedaling must have took care of it because it's gone. It's the only thing I did different so I believe that's what took care of it.

skinnyme47

I have it in my right foot. I wear orthotics for plantar faciitis and flat feet. I went to a foot doctor. I try to walk every day and occasionally ride my bicycle. If I walk without shoes it hurts and also upon waking in morning.

boilerbabe69

I thought for the longest time that is what was going on with my right heel. Come to find out I had torn my achilles tendon. I would suggest making sure it is really Plantar Fasciitis. Keep a golf ball on the night stand and before you put your weight on the foot roll the golf ball from the ball of the foot to the heel. It will help to relax the muscles in the arch of the foot and get you walking with less pain in the mornings.

kd1575a

I also had/have this. Though I'm not in the middle of a 'flare' right now, some days it just plain hurts to walk! What's really worked for me are stretches (I roll my foot on a canned good and flex and massage my calves as frequently as possible), icing, and SHOES. I have inserts that I put in all my shoes (I use Powerstep, but there are a ton of different ones out there), never walk barefoot (I use Orthaheel thong sandals for the house) and wear Birkenstock shoes whenever I can. It takes time, a lot of pain, and a considerable amount of money, I found, to make the PF bearable. I hope you find something that works for you! I've also read that losing weight really helps with PF

doctorcaligari

I suffered from this for a long time. A couple of years ago, I got a Futuro foot brace that you wear while you sleep. It took about three months, but the plantar fascitis went away, and I've been pain free ever since. It's costs about $30, which is cheaper than a Drs. co-pay. They should be around the pharmacy section (I got mine at Target) or you can google "futuro plantar fasciitis sleep support".

jkleon86

I had that problem It would flare up it i walked for exercise two days in a row. I was told to invest in a good pair of insoles for my shoes, I work on concrete the insoles has helped so much. I wore them out though and in a pinch had to get a new pair and got
doctor scholls about a $16. pair and they are doing fine for now. I have them in my 608 new balance shoes.

Trilby16

I had it. I wore the brace to bed and changed my footwear habits. No flipflops, no barefoot at all. I wear Keen hikers most of the time but have found a few off the shelf tennis shoes that have enough heel not to aggravate it. NB has a style or two and so does Nike. Just cannot wear anything that lowers the heel. I also woudl stretch before getting up in order not to aggravate it. I worry everyday that it might flare up now that I am walking and exercising so much but no sign of its return. Losing some weight has surely helped too.

I did the same. No barefootin' at all! I had PF for 6 months-- pure hell. I got this hideous pair of Skechers shape-ups to wear all the time I was not at work. I am convinced they cured my PF, or else allowed it to go away pretty quickly. (I read online it takes 24 months to go away!) I tried the stretches and the nighttime boot and a thing to roll my foot on with ice inside. I swear by the Shape-ups. They push up into the arch and are very cushion-y.

operator646

You are right that with that kink of pain it would be impossible to excercise. I have been treated for it twice, first time dr gave a cortisone shot and prescribed custom orthotics. That worked for several years, but it returned with a vengence. The second time was worse. I saw a physical therapist for about 12 weeks, got another shot and new orthotics! It finally healed and 2 years later, I am still doing the stretches every morning without fail. If I skip them I can feel my foot starting to hurt a little.
P.S. My doctor also suggested wearing Birkenstocks in the house and never going barefoot. The Biikies were kind of hard to get used to, but now I could not go without them. They are the best thing I could have done for my feet.

strflt

I had to change shoes. I wore sneakers my entire life until PF entered my life. I had to buy Dansko clogs. I hate the look of them and the soles are *hard*, which made the adjustment difficult. I could barely walk, so it took a month of walking in them before I was doing so pain-free. I see a lot of folks wearing them, though, nurses and other professionals on their feet all day, so they are well thought of for feet.

Around the house though, because I live in a condo, the clogs are not an option. They're too noisy. Instead I wear Crocs. They have a surprising amount of arch support for such a soft shoe. I can't wear them every day though.

I avoid impact sports (running) and swim at the local pool now. It's good exercise if you know how.

I've been living with this going on four years now and while I can be without pain for most of the day, if I ever go barefoot, or walk too long, it starts up again. As long as I listen to my feet and don't ignore them, I do fine.

Alissakae

I had it a few years ago, and that's when I discovered water aerobics. The weightlessness in the water was heavenly. To fix it I did stretches I got from a physical therapist. My neighbor had surgery for it last fall and had problems ever since (just got another surgery to fix problems from the first surgery!)

kountryedge

I to have Plantar Faciitis and I do know how very painful it is. It just feels like someone beat my feet with a baseball bat. That's all I can do to express the way it feels to my back doctor. I ended up dishing out 140.00 for a great pair of good shoes, and they do help when I wear them, even around the house just to clean. I need to start doing some stretches, and the one that mentioned about the tennis ball, that is a great idea

But the more I'm up roaming around the better my feet, but once I stop, the worse they get "depending on how much I did being on my feet"... Just keep moving, don't let it stop you... You control it, don't let it control you...

Best wishes for you!

Phrick

Just keep moving, don't let it stop you... You control it, don't let it control you...

I like this, and I personally adhere to it. If I let it stop me from exercising I'd never get better and I'd never get this extra weight off! It is painful, I admit, that's why I end my day by icing my feet on the frozen water bottle, but I push through it as much as possible.

barb1241

I had/have that problem. I just let it hurt and exercised anyhow, at first. You might find that an ice pack after you exercise will help. I used to have two of the squishy soft ones and I would put one behind each of my heels with a sock over it and keep it on there until it wasn't cold anymore. You could also get a couple of bottle os water and freeze them and roll them under your feet, back and forth. For me at least, the cold helped a lot. I am 76 lbs lighter now and that has made a big difference, plus I think that more exercise has helped the surrounding muscles/tendons/ligaments/whatever to lengthen and strengthen.

Good luck to you! I know it hurts like crazy!

tryclyn

I had it. I wore the brace to bed and changed my footwear habits. No flipflops, no barefoot at all. I wear Keen hikers most of the time but have found a few off the shelf tennis shoes that have enough heel not to aggravate it. NB has a style or two and so does Nike. Just cannot wear anything that lowers the heel. I also woudl stretch before getting up in order not to aggravate it. I worry everyday that it might flare up now that I am walking and exercising so much but no sign of its return. Losing some weight has surely helped too.

I did the same. No barefootin' at all! I had PF for 6 months-- pure hell. I got this hideous pair of Skechers shape-ups to wear all the time I was not at work. I am convinced they cured my PF, or else allowed it to go away pretty quickly. (I read online it takes 24 months to go away!) I tried the stretches and the nighttime boot and a thing to roll my foot on with ice inside. I swear by the Shape-ups. They push up into the arch and are very cushion-y.

My sister has/had PF in first one then the other heel. Did the stretches, had the shot and then the orthotics. She switched to the shape-up shoes and finally it is getting better. I had PF before the shoes were around so I was stuck with the stretches and the heel cup for what seemed like forever. Even now I draw letters with my toes before I get out of bed, but it's more just habit and prevention. Hang in there it does get better.

tjl2329

I had it too. Bought Dr schools $ 50 implant from walmart. I also bought good pair of shoes. Not too expensive went to Ross. Now its better.

smilingirisheyes

I have it too, very badly for 5 months, and was looking into crutches about 6 weeks ago. With stretching many times a day, massage (just on my own), and wearing insoles in my shoes (flats of various kinds) from when I get out of bed in the morning until I go to sleep has gotten it almost completely better.
I'm still not doing exercise that could aggravate it - push-ups, squats, leg raises, etc I'm going to try bike riding this week (when it stops raining).

RomanaW

Oh, I am sympathising so much. My plantar fasciitis started 3 years ago and I gained 30 lbs since then. I am 45 now and I used to run regularly every day for an hour. Sadly, I developed a spur and suffered from enormous pain in my left heel. After about a year I went to a doctor who started with corticoid injections. I had six of those. Mistake. Then I had shock waves which helped but not totally. My tissue probably diminished and was damaged by corticoids and now I can't run at all. I can work out on a cross trainer though or bike. I can walk without pain for about 80 min. After that, my pain kicks in. I think I just have to live with that and do my best.

Nautigirl55

Wouldn't you know it, I start exercising and now my PF comes back in my right foot. I'm not gonna let it stop me...thanks for the shape-ups tip. I'll try that tomorrow.

corrina187

I just started using Apple Cider Vinegar for healt reasons, and when I was looking up its benefits, I'm sure it said something about soaking your feet in it with water? Maybe look into it

ezrida

Hi
I have plantar fasciitis myself for a few months now. My podiatrist prescribed me with Custom made orthotics which did not work at all. I understood that treatment efficiency is very individual. If something works for one maybe it will not work for the other. I have found Taping very useful.
Today as I am feeling much better with the pain I am doing a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises. I have found a good website summary explaining the subject of these exercises in:
http://www.plantar-fasciitis-elrofeet.com/plantar_fasciitis_exercises.html
Take care & Good luck