Plantar Fascitis, omg what do I do....

Kitsada

After 2-3 weeks of inexplicable heel pain, I went to the foot doctor.... I have plantar fascitis. He made a little support thing to wear, which helps very slightly.... two weeks later I still have the problem.

Now I was never much for exercising, but now I feel like I can't even if I wanted to... and now it hurts to even WALK.

I looked up online a couple exercises to try to do to improve it, and I'm wearing good sneakers all the time.

Any other advice?

LINIA

One of the mistakes a lot of us make is wearing our "gym" shoes for too long. After 4 to 6 months of wear, chuck them, buy a new pair. Even the best shoes need to be replaced frequently!!! (my personal favorite SAS shoes made in San Antonio)
Most advice in the forums is very good to excellent here on MFP; exercises, stretching, orthotics, pliates, ice, rest, rolling. I'd only add...keep going so as not to lose all your fitness gains (if nothing is broken) the K-TAPE is quite nice to keep you in the game.

qt2shoes

Go to physio if you can. They were a big help with mine. It took quite awhile to heal for me so I did "water walking" for exercise in the interim. Bonus was when I did get out walking I had more muscle as the water provides some resistance training as well!

CaddieMay

I had the same thing two summers ago. Hellish! It took about 4 months for it to subside. But it may not take that long for you (for some it's longer :grumble: ). My advice is to take it easy on your heel as much as you can, and get one of those "braces" to slip on your foot at night so that the muscle remains stretched out while you sleep (I had to wear one in the middle of 1000 degree weather with 10,000,000% humidity, so I would wake up in the middle of the night and tear it off, which might be why it took a while for my foot to recover).

Be patient with yourself. You do not want this condition to last longer than it has to!

kusterer

I had it, lasted months and kept coming back. Honestly, I mostly didn't exercise. But later I discovered deep water aerobic classes (you wear a flotation belt) and they are wonderful!

fastfoodietofitcutie

Unfortunately it takes months to go away. The one thing that really saved me were birkenstocks. You need to wear shoes ALL the time. Even in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, slip shoes on.

runfrommygenes

I have been dealing with it for 1 1/2 years!! NOT GOOD! I have seen a chiro, the doctor, and read lots of advice.... The best thing I have found to help is to wear my boot at night ... mine looks like this... http://www.amazon.com/FootSmart-Passive-Splint-Womens-8-5-13/dp/B002WT5CMS/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1363311126&sr=8-18&keywords=plantar+fasciitis+splint+night
I have heard of people liking ones like this... http://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Medicine-Adjustable-Plantar-Fasciitis/dp/B004ZDCK56/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1363311173&sr=8-5&keywords=plantar+fasciitis but haven't tried it myself.
I have done the kinesio tape also, which helps when I am walking for exercise... but not a lot.
I find pushing a wooden ball on the end of a messager works really well (mostly when my hubby can do it). Something like this http://www.amazon.com/The-Indexknobber-Pressure-Positive-Company/dp/B001211OD8/ref=sr_1_17?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1363311276&sr=1-17&keywords=wooden+ball+massager
I have had to give up running (which is most likely what caused it in the first place) which has been very depressing!
OH, AND making sure to stretch your calves is very important too!
It is nice to hear that others have gotten over it... as I feel like this will be something I deal with for the rest of my life...

I do do my elliptical a lot and that doesn't seem to hurt it much at all (unless I do more than an hour), I also do a recumbant bike which doesn't bother it. walking in place (like WATP) really flares it up though!

GOOD LUCK!!! Hopefully since you caught it early, you will work it out in no time flat!

christianteach

Do anything and everything you can to get rid of it ! I had it for 2 1/2 years and gained 60 lbs rather quickly from inactivity. My doctor said the longer you have it the harder to cure it. Just recently I finally started feeling better so I started working out again. I felt a little pain again tonight so I have iced it and have my boot on now.

monicalosesweight

Ice it! That helped me a lot. You'll want to get better insoles too for your shoes. I bought mine through The Walking Company. They are one of those shoe stores that have a machine you stand on and then they tell you the type of athletic insole you need inside of your shoes. I also had to switch shoes. I found that hiking tennis shoes by merrell's seemed to help me. Regular tennis shoes kill my feet and I end up with horrifying pain. Weird eh. Also, never, ever walk around barefoot when you have this condition. That makes it worse. Flat sandals are a big no no too as they make it worse. It took me three to four months of walking in a good set of shoes with insoles and icing to get it ok. In the meantime, don't eat excessively - watch the calories when you can't exercise. I can tell you that one of the reasons I got it was from the excess weight and that was what the doc told me. If it gets really bad, they can inject it with something to relieve the pain.

strflt

I live with this. When it first came on four years ago, and I let it get to its worst before doing anything about it, walking was excruciating and I limped everywhere I went. As you probably know, It's hard to limp with both feet!

My mother's doctor told her and myself (both afflicted with PF) that you can't wear sneakers. You just can't. If you can bend the shoe in half, you can't wear it. You need something with a heckuva arch support and anything spongy enough to bend isn't enough. Once the pain goes away for some months you can try wearing sneakers during workouts like I do, but it took me a long time before I got to that point. My feet no longer hurt when I wear my work-out shoes and I can even walk around the house barefoot for a short period.

I recommend Danskos if you can afford them. They're unfortunately expensive but I wear mine two years at a time. I wear them every day, nothing else. No sneakers, no cute shoes, no heels unless it's for less than two or three hours MAX. They are the only shoes I wear for any day-length period. I admit that I don't like clogs, but they work and keep my feet from hurting and allow me to stay on my feet. (I admit though, I was so far gone that even walking in Danskos was painful for a week. The hard soles take getting used to as well if you're accustomed to the cushioned soles of sneakers.)

If you can't afford Danskos, talk to a doctor about any other brands. Some people have had luck with orthopedic inserts, but personally I was too far gone for those. Remember: if you can bend the shoe, you can't wear it.

Exercises for your feet to help you:

Stretch, Stretch, Stretch!! Your muscle is pulled tight and tearing! Scar tissue is building up making it more difficult to stretch and there you have a recursive problem. You need to stretch it out. Find a golf ball or tennis ball and roll it under your arch with your foot. Do this every day while you're sitting. I've heard of people who do this in my office when sitting at their desks. When you wake in the morning, do this before standing up for at least five minutes.

And of course, doctor, doctor, doctor. Good luck!

hedwardsb

It seems counter intuitive, but a friend of mine said wearing barefoot shoes (the Merrell Pace Glove) cured hers.

patentguru

I had this. It took 8 weeks to heal. I hurt myself running in the newer free form type shoes. Never again. I let it heal by no running and wearing new very cushioned running shoes-older style, not bendy. The key is let it heal and don't continue to injure it.

Phrick

I live with this. When it first came on four years ago, and I let it get to its worst before doing anything about it, walking was excruciating and I limped everywhere I went. As you probably know, It's hard to limp with both feet!

My mother's doctor told her and myself (both afflicted with PF) that you can't wear sneakers. You just can't. If you can bend the shoe in half, you can't wear it. You need something with a heckuva arch support and anything spongy enough to bend isn't enough. Once the pain goes away for some months you can try wearing sneakers during workouts like I do, but it took me a long time before I got to that point. My feet no longer hurt when I wear my work-out shoes and I can even walk around the house barefoot for a short period.

I recommend Danskos if you can afford them. They're unfortunately expensive but I wear mine two years at a time. I wear them every day, nothing else. No sneakers, no cute shoes, no heels unless it's for less than two or three hours MAX. They are the only shoes I wear for any day-length period. I admit that I don't like clogs, but they work and keep my feet from hurting and allow me to stay on my feet. (I admit though, I was so far gone that even walking in Danskos was painful for a week. The hard soles take getting used to as well if you're accustomed to the cushioned soles of sneakers.)

If you can't afford Danskos, talk to a doctor about any other brands. Some people have had luck with orthopedic inserts, but personally I was too far gone for those. Remember: if you can bend the shoe, you can't wear it.

Exercises for your feet to help you:

Stretch, Stretch, Stretch!! Your muscle is pulled tight and tearing! Scar tissue is building up making it more difficult to stretch and there you have a recursive problem. You need to stretch it out. Find a golf ball or tennis ball and roll it under your arch with your foot. Do this every day while your sitting. I've heard of people who do this in my office when sitting at their desks. When you wake in the morning, do this before standing up for at least five minutes.

And of course, doctor, doctor, doctor. Good luck!

I'll second all of this! I've been dealing with it off and on for about 5 years now, mostly off but the initial bout took 2 years to be fully pain free and now it's baaaaaackkkkk!! I still have my night boot from the first time 'round and I just bought a Dorsal Night Splint off Amazon, just got it today in fact so we'll see how it works tonight. I couldn't stress more how important it is to get into good shoes. I'll be going to the foot stores in San Diego this weekend to hopefully drop a load of cash on some good shoes again. I neglected that aspect and it is likely what brought this bane back into my life.

monicalosesweight

I bet that's my my Merrell hiking tennis shoes did the trick. They aren't as flexible and have a Vibram insole on them that makes them more cushioned. I've never been able to wear regular tennis shoes without excessive pain. Sucks.

divemunkey

I had it for over 6 moths when I decided to just go barefoot/minimalist. I started with Nike Frees and now all my shoes are minimalist, and I have no more pain. Haven't had any flare-ups in a year now. Will NEVER go back to a raised heel shoe again.

Kitsada

Gosh, I thought I WAS wearing good shoes.... new balance sneakers, munro's and clarks for work. I do wear crocs a ton when its warmer, but I've not had them on in months.

Shopping for danskos now... and then some kind of night brace.

The good news is I am not likely to gain weight from this, as I wasn't really exercising much even before this. lol. Not that i'm laying around... I'm a mom, and I work full time, I do plenty of running around, just no actual running. :P

I will go back to the foot doc, and look into getting the inserts. I can see from what you guys are saying, I need to treat this early and often, and not just hope it will go away and let it get worse.

Thanks for the tips.

maddymama

I have PF (and osteo arthritis in my toes), and I finally went to the ortho after months of pain and and being unable to walk by the end of the day. She prescribed custom orthotics for me. They are the best ever, worth every penny and more! After one week in them my PF and arthritis felt sooo much better. I wear them all the time... and am pain free. It's a wonderful feeling.
I even still run. I am supposed to run in the orthotics, but switching them up in my shoes was a pain. As long as I am wearing good runners, and wearing the orthos for the rest of the day, I am ok to run long distances, but it took me awhile to build up for it.

My point is it might be worth going to see a second doctor and get another opinion.

grillingirl

I had some inserts made specifically for my feet. They took an impression of my feet and made special inserts which I wore in my shoes. I used them for about 4-6 months and gradually weaned myself out of them and it is gone and has never been back! But I can definitely relate. It is very painful and I hope to never have that again!!!

iwillwin1313

Apparently birkenstocks are a cure for PF. My trainer at school told me this.

garnet116

Mine comes back right away if I walk barefoot (or even with socks) on my hardwood floors. I always, ALWAYS have to wear shoes around the house. And not just any shoes, either my running shoes (that are really supportive - moderate stability shoes that I was fitted for), Orthaheel flip flops, or Orthaheel/Superfeet insert insoles in my shoes. Even my "slippers" which are just Croc Mammoths have Orthaheel inserts in them. Good luck!

highervibes

My mother and mother in law both suffered from PF. They swear by acupuncture. I think my moms was gone in about 2 weeks, my mil even less.

sdbart

There is a boot that you can get online ore even at a CVS or Walgreen's. You sleep in this boot and it helps, SO MUCH! I know because I had to buy this boot because of my plantar fascitis. Just google plantar fascitis boot and you can find a good one for you... good luck!

emtjmac

After 2-3 weeks of inexplicable heel pain, I went to the foot doctor.... I have plantar fascitis. He made a little support thing to wear, which helps very slightly.... two weeks later I still have the problem.

Now I was never much for exercising, but now I feel like I can't even if I wanted to... and now it hurts to even WALK.

I looked up online a couple exercises to try to do to improve it, and I'm wearing good sneakers all the time.

Any other advice?

Some people use a golf ball to roll with their foot to massage away the pain. The current (April) edition of Runner's World has an add for a roller ball thing that looks AMAZING. I don't have what you do but even I want this thing. It's coming out this year.

sPaRkLiNgLYFE

i bought these sneakers called orthaheel, and my feet don't hurt like they used to

aquarius0202

I have had that + what state do you live in? I would see a good Podiatrist, who is also a Board Certified Surgeon.
There are various types of this problem. he/she can determine which type + go from there. At the very least they should
fit you with custom orthotics and go from there.

TXtstorm

I had this about 9 years ago. I had a new job and was on my feet on hard surfaces for hours per day with nowhere to sit down even if there was a lull in the work. Horrible pain in my feet, sometimes actually worst when I'd get up after sleeping. It made me walk weird which put the rest of my joints (knees, hips, back) out of alignment, so I started having pain from them too. I had been used to doing a lot of walking and day hikes over mixed terrain in mid-high hiking boots and I knew what a difference those Merrells had made over my previous Nike walking shoes (probably worn out). So I bought a pair of Merrell hiking shoes for work to the tune of $110. Support, shock absorption, and seem to make me walk with a better gait and posture. I'm on my fourth pair of Merrells for work now (only place I wear these) and my second or third pair of boots for recreational hiking. I like my current pair of work shoes so much I've been thinking of buying another pair for my regular hard-surface walking exercise. The model is call Avian Light Hiker Ventilator. I can't find it on the Merrell website currently, so I'm afraid they may have discontinued it!

I also highly recommend hiking socks from Thorlos. Again, not cheap (the particular style I wear is $14 per pair), but well worth it. Their construction includes support in the arch that feels almost like it massages the foot. I buy the Women's Light Hikers. They are breathable and come in short and mid-calf heights. I tried an "everyday light walking" style once that was supposed to be summer-weight and didn't like them nearly as much because they trapped heat and I felt like I had hot feet all of the time.

Otherwise, I agree with others... always wear shoes, always wear shoes with good support/padding, do stretching exercises and get some vigorous foot massage going on. With improved shoes my pain resolved over several weeks until it disappeared completely. I have never since, however, worn as high heels and always pay for better shoes for hiking, walking, and even casual sandals. Hope you find some relief soon... I know it's miserable!

Phrick

Mine comes back right away if I walk barefoot (or even with socks) on my hardwood floors. I always, ALWAYS have to wear shoes around the house. And not just any shoes, either my running shoes (that are really supportive - moderate stability shoes that I was fitted for), Orthaheel flip flops, or Orthaheel/Superfeet insert insoles in my shoes. Even my "slippers" which are just Croc Mammoths have Orthaheel inserts in them. Good luck!

Between SuperFeet Green insoles and night splints mine is slowly going away this time but I'm still going to look into Orthaheel sneaks or the Merrels that were also suggested in this thread. I get to go shopping tomorrow! Hubby is of course going to want me to get the least expensive thing that will still help, so we'll see what I end up with...

JessicaRobin67

I had that... it hurts! Hot soaks helped... but for me, time. My dr. made a foot guard(sole inserter) that really helped.

jdawg1105

The thing that helped mine the most was freezing a 20oz water bottle and rolling that on the bottom of my feet.

tamisarre

Heelthatpain.com. Best thing I've found, inserts for your shoes. alleviated all of my pain and even when I wear shoes without them like flip flops I have no pain. They are not expensive either.

redraidergirl2009

You do exercise that doesn't require a lot of foot work like using handweights or pilates and do low Impact cardio Wellll you feel better. It does heel I promise. I had it a couple years ago. I swear it hurt for 5-6 months though. I am back to running now if that's any help. Look up blogilates. She has some fab pilates workouts you don't need to stand up for.