Plantar Fasciitis

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13

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  • sbaten
    sbaten Posts: 18 Member
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    I had this a few years ago and my doctor actually had the nerve to tell me to stay off my feet for two weeks. How exactly is anyone supposed to do that?!

    Make sure you have appropriate arch support in your shoes. I switched to a different pair of running shoes and used Dr. Scholls inserts in my other shoes and that just about took care of the problem. I also started seeing a chiropractor for unrelated back issues and that also relieved the heel pain. Haven't had any problems since.
  • marchantlady
    marchantlady Posts: 14 Member
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    My 11 yr old son has it, and this is what he does! It has helped him SOOO MUCHHHH!!
  • graciegPHD
    graciegPHD Posts: 9 Member
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    Ugh.. yes these are terrible... I had the shots, they helped, but it is only temporary. This sounds crazy, but I am going to tell you anyway... I used to wrap my feet with duct tape. IT WAS ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS THAT HELPED, when I have to be on my feet for a long period of time. Good luck.
  • PhatAv8r
    PhatAv8r Posts: 153 Member
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    okay, don't know if your married, but if you are, here is your hubby's chance to PROVE he loves you... get a bucket or basin big enough for your feet... fill with hot steaming water that your feet can barely tolerate... you can add some fragrant oil if you like...

    Then, have your husband dry your feet and wrap one in a towel... the other he applies a little Tiger Balm, or Icy Hot, or any other sports/massage creme and rubs it in, using his knuckle to slowly knead the affected area (mind is just above the heel, in my arch on only one foot these days),

    He needs to massage the entire foot, but in that area, he will feel the 'lumps' and needs to rub them out, and also make long drawing strokes along the arch to relieve and stretch the plantar facia...

    When finished with that foot, wrap and swap over... then, as a finishing touch (painful as it sounds) he should lift your leg slightly and use his fist to 'hammer' on the heel of your foot (hard, but not so hard as to cause extreme pain)...

    Finally, he gets a towel that has been soaked in hot steamy water, wrings it out, and wipes off your feet...

    doing this 2-3 times a week will resolve PF in about 10 days...

    Oh, and take your tylenol/ibuprofen cocktail twice a day... if you don't know what that is. google it
  • hairsprayhon
    hairsprayhon Posts: 334 Member
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    Agree never be barefoot, but I find birkenstock and orthaheel sandals are better than tennis shoes for non-exercising. I have heel cup supports in my tennis only shoes and my workout shoes.
    Any one have a suggestion for a closed dress shoe that would look good with a dress or ladies suit?
  • starlite_79
    starlite_79 Posts: 88 Member
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    i have also used the rolling of a frozen water bottle under my foot trick, and it seemed to really help.

    i have not tried these, but here is a site with 2 recommended yoga poses for PF.
    http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/2-Yoga-for-Plantar-Fasciitis.htm?cmp=17-7-2425
  • hazel240
    hazel240 Posts: 12 Member
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    The shot is definitely painful. I've had it 3 times and do not wish to repeat - it really does help with the inflammation. My doc did the shot and then put me on an Aleve cycle (taking two every 12 hours). I try to ice my heel 2-3 times a day and do stretches. I did also get custom orthotics (I'm need more support, not less, like the minimalist guy) and my doc said not to go barefoot or use those flimsy flip flops. I got some great flip flops from Orthoheel - they were $60, but they were definitely worth it. I slip them on right out of bed in the morning (after some stretching of course) and go from flip flop to shoes and back again until I go to bed at night.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Plantar fasciitis tends to be chronic. One thing the physical therapists recommend is stretching the sole of your foot. They say you should stand on a stair step and let your heels drop, and that kind of thing.
    So, this researcher got the idea that if a stretch on the stairs was good, then a stretch where you included bending the toes back -- to really get a good stretch to the soles -- would be better.
    He took a group of about 100 people who had had plantar fasciitis they could not get rid of for at least a year and had them sit in a chair, cross one ankle on top of the opposite thing and then grab the bottom of their raised foot with a flat hand and bend their foot and toes back toward their shins. He had them hold that stretch for about 30 seconds. The toes should be bent so they are at about a 90 degree angle to the rest of the foot.
    This researcher had the subjects do the stretch three times a day.
    At the end of about 8 weeks, more than 80 percent of the subjects said they were vastly improved or their pain was gone. These were people who before this had been unable to do anything about their pain.
    For myself, I have modified the stretch. I knee on the ground, with my toes flat on the floor, and the soles of my feet pointing straight back at the wall. You can really feel the stretch in the bottom of your feet. I do it at least once or twice a day. It's practically cured my pain.
  • RATTER33
    RATTER33 Posts: 9 Member
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    bump
  • brismom070897
    brismom070897 Posts: 178 Member
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    bump
  • ljaroch
    ljaroch Posts: 64
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    I went to 2 months of physical therapy for it and did get the shots. Not fun. I still have it but only minor and only when I'm doing a workout that centers around balancing.

    Keep up with the stretches, and the supportive shoes. I've also heard that walking backwards a few minutes a day is helpful because of the muscles it works and weight loss tends to help. Be diligent and you'll work it out.
  • momo3boyz
    momo3boyz Posts: 29
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    Thanks for all of the advice!!! I plan to try the icing and the ball rolling before I go out and buy more stuff :) Thanks again!
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
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    Ok so I had plantar's fascitis in both of my feet a few years ago and was doing physio, taping of my feet, stretches and so on and so on. My physio was seeing no improvement so suggested acupuncture for it. She was trained in both physio and acupuncture and had seen success in some cases using the acupuncture route. I will tell you now I was completely a non-believer but seeing as the condition was getting worse and not better I thought it was worth a shot. 2 sessions and it was gone and has never come back. I don't know that it would work for everyone but I honestly jumped off the table after the first session and for the first time in 2 years could walk on my heels right away. It was the strangest feeling to have no pain after so long. I just wanted to share my story in case it's an option worth trying out. Here in Canada it was covered by my medical in the same manner as physio so was a win-win situation.
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
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    Orthotics and proper running shoes helped me. Now I don't wear the orthotics anymore, but I always make sure that I have good, not broken down shoes to wear for exercise. When I had it, I didn't go barefoot at all because of the pain.

    My podiatrist recommended that before I got out of bed, I use my foot to "draw" the alphabet in the air - that really gets a good range of motion and good stretch. It helped me.

    I also wear Dansko clogs most of the time during the day when I'm not exercising, and I wear Keens in the summer - has seemed to stave off further bouts with it.
  • Annette_rose
    Annette_rose Posts: 427 Member
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    I didn't want injections either and I couldn't get through a Zumba class without my feet killing me and getting out of bed each morning limping. I did the frozen water bottle thing but I think the one thing that helped the most for me was standing on a stair and slowly stretching my heels up and down, stretching that muscle out. I did it often and **knock on wood***, I don't have the pain anymore. I sell medical equipment and we have a special sock here that some people use to keep the muscle from relaxing at night. I haven't tried those but some say that works for them.
  • RAWBMEOW
    RAWBMEOW Posts: 64
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    frozen water bottle, roll your foot over it. also it sounds painful but helps, dig as hard as you can into the area to work its self out. I agree with downward dog as well. the problem is probably tight calfs so work your calfs really well!
  • kls13la
    kls13la Posts: 377 Member
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    I had plantar fasciitis a few years ago for around eight months. I hobbled all over the place, couldn't wear my high heels (sob!) and was in so much pain. I tried calf stretches, rolling my foot on a water bottle, sleeping in the boot, and various orthotics. Although these did help, they did not get rid of the problem.

    What worked for me is the Plantar/Splur Inferno Wrap available at Aid My Plantar: https://shop.aidmyplantar.com/product_info.php?products_id=118. I used this twice a day for about a half an hour, and within a week my plantar fasciitis was completely gone. It has not returned.

    I swear I don't work for this company, but after months of pain it really worked for me. (Yes, it is expensive, but if you are really desperate, it is worth it.)
  • rubymeister
    rubymeister Posts: 5
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    I started getting PF in both feet last September. It was very painful and so frustrating not to be able to excercise. Physiotherapy and stretching my foot out did not help and eventually I went to a podiatrist who diagnosed a tear in the tendon under each foot where it inserts onto my heel. He had me put a strip of duct tape under each foot every day, to support the tendon. The tape goes from the back edge of the ball of the foot to the back of the heel (not onto the ball). He also prescribed ice and did give me a cortisone injection in both heels that was very painful but worked almost immediately. I am now almost free of symptoms, which were getting worse before his treatment because I was mistakenly over-flexing my foot in the belief I was stretching my achilles - but I was aggravating the tear in the process. Of course none of this is a substitute for seeing a good podiatrist.
  • 1MariaChristina
    1MariaChristina Posts: 93 Member
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    My podiatrist stressed to me that I should stay away from Nikes and also I need to always wear running shoes during my workouts-and that with the plantar fascitis it is imperative that you use good shoes and limit high impact. Which this is fine by me since I used modifications in almost all the programs I do-The doctor recommended aasics, brooks and mizunos to name a few
  • karencogs
    karencogs Posts: 50 Member
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    I have had that for 5 years..I got the shots..each time..and it does help..I bought heel pads for my shoes..I keep a frozen water bottle in the freezer..and roll it back and forth.It really has help..And I wear Crocs in the house..to walk around..and I bought some of there really cute shoes..you can't even tell..and losing the weight has help also..Try the shots..I got them around every 6 months..No running, or jumping..I do the Arc or the Elliptical for 20 minutes to 30 minutes..no treadmill..unless slow..and I can walk a medium pace..Good Luck..Hope I was helpful..Karen

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