Anyone dealing with plantar fasciitis?

1slimlinda
1slimlinda Posts: 44 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How are you dealing with this heel pain and workouts? I have orthotics, get new ones every year. I dont want injections or take NSAIDS every day. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • nancycaregiver
    nancycaregiver Posts: 812 Member
    I am not dealing with it anymore but I know how terrible it is. I did orthotics, several different anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, wore a boot for 6 weeks, got steroid injections, and finally had surgery on one foot. I did not have surgery on the other foot because I somehow the plantar fascia. I have to say, the injections were the most effective. The pain was relieved for a few months before I would need another injection. It hurt like crazy but then...relief!
    I can try to describe the exercises I did in physical therapy if you'd like. PF is no fun!!
  • mommyweighless
    mommyweighless Posts: 192 Member
    Honestly I push through it..and started getting my orthotics every 4-6 months instead of once a year. They break down quickly with all the extra work. My doctor also put me on meloxicam(spelled wrong) and it helps a ton with the swelling. I had injections once and only once, that hurt worse for me than the actual fasciatis. I do at home PT with bands and golf balls. Helps to do it before and right after workouts! Hope that helps!
  • tschipman
    tschipman Posts: 4
    Sorry you are dealing with this..I .have done the shots, the stretching and the orthotics, and I often take Ibuprofen at night. The orthotics have helped me a ton. I use the kind that you mold to your feet. They are cheaper than the custom ones and work well for me....also get the very best running shoes you can possibly find and afford. I have Aisics and they are great. Your shoes may need to be replaced often...some say every 3 months, some 6 and some 12. But when you start hurting a ton it's time to replace!
  • outdoormandl
    outdoormandl Posts: 2
    Tes I being dealing with it for 3 years now. I've had the shot in both feet and I guarante that you will fell better in 40sec. I still have it in my left foot but with arch supporter its getting alot better. It take time to heel be patience.
  • BubonicTonic
    BubonicTonic Posts: 19 Member
    Plantar fasciitis led me to my weight loss journey.

    Had it for years, back and forth on both feet but worse on the left. Finally had custom orthotics made - it got worse. Found a podiatrist I liked, started taping it, living in tape 24/7, eliminated weight-bearing exercise, just tried to rest it, got 2 cortisone injections which helps for a while but then it got worse again. Finally I was at the point where I was on crutches with minimal walking for 6 weeks, had physical therapy 2-3 times weekly, it would feel slightly better but the pain never went away completely. Tape, ice, stretch, PT, naproxen, etc etc. nothing cured it.

    I gave up on doctors.

    As a last ditch effort before pursuing surgery, I went on Medifast for 9 months and lost 55 pounds. The diet works if you work it, but you eventually have to learn to eat real food again. I lost the weight to avoid surgery, but it truly changed my life. In my new body, I started exercising and feeling healthier than I ever had before. My foot still hurt but not as badly as before the weight loss. I started couch to 5k, in spite of the pain.

    The more I strengthened my foot, the better it felt. If I slack off and don't run 2-3 times a week, the pain gets worse. I wear the best shoes I can afford, I stretch and work on strengthening my calf and ankle muscles. If I have this pain forever, I'm ok with it, I can do what I want and it is at a level I can handle. I'm grateful I can walk, and amazed that I can run. I finished my first 5k under the time I expected, and will run my second in 2 weeks.
  • galactica216
    galactica216 Posts: 3
    In the last month I developed PF. I'm wearing the boot and I get fitted for custom orthotics next Tuesday. I'm hoping that with stretching, the boot, and the custom orthotics that I will be able to help it heal.
  • almart007
    almart007 Posts: 71 Member
    have had it with both feet most recently i slept in boot ice while sitting at desk at work orthotics did help some but I have given up on them Shoe selection is real important I just kept pushing my self to keep walking as much as i could now I'm walking at least 30 minutes a night . Taping did help but again that is adding support to the foot which again plays into gettig the right shoe.
  • 1slimlinda
    1slimlinda Posts: 44 Member
    Thanks everyone. I will definitely try your suggestions. I appreciate the input and hope that your feet get some relief too! Arghh!
  • mcdonell
    mcdonell Posts: 1
    I had it and know it takes time to heal. I found stretching and wearing heal lifts while exercising helped me. I would have liked to wear the heal lifts all the time but I knew those body parts needed the stretching. I would make my lifts out of closed cell foam or old shoe inserts. Worked for me.
  • Kaathmandu
    Kaathmandu Posts: 129
    I had it, finally got the orthotics and hideous (I'm a bit of an Imelda), hideously-expensive shoes for them to go in, and a week later had a motorbike accident and wrote off the bike, the shoes, the orthotics and my right foot. Couldn't walk for weeks, still walk with a cane - but no plantar fasciitis!! Cured by motorbike!
    Down side was: packed on heaps of weight while not being able to get around much. Don't know how it would go with fasciitis, but aquafitness (water aerobics) works for me with my bad foot. Swimming too.
    Good luck :-)
  • KayandBelle
    KayandBelle Posts: 22 Member
    My sympathies to you. I had this condition for 1 1/2 years. It was so frustrating and discouraging. All I can say is work through it. I did, and now at age 51, I am going to run my first half marathon. There is hope. I never saw a doctor because of all the horror stories about surgery and injections. For me, I actually got thorugh it by not losing hope that it would heal and it took a LOT of patience, which is something I think most of us don't have when it comes to our health.
  • skullik
    skullik Posts: 142 Member
    I used a night splint, also called a Strassburg sock when I was struggling with plantar fasciitis. You can find them on Amazon. After wearing them to bed every night for a few weeks the plantar fasciitis was gone! I have started running again now and have no problems, although the weight loss probably helped as well. The way it was explained to me, your foot is pointing down when you are sleeping, so the Plantar fascia heals in a foreshortened position. When you step on the ground in the morning all the tissue that healed overnight tears again as it stretches. The socks allow the fascia to heal in the stretched position, hence no tearing in the morning and eventually it heals completely.
  • runnninginmd
    runnninginmd Posts: 67
    I have it in my right foot really bad right now. It was already acting up and after I ran a half marathon in October it has been horrible. I am (stupidly) running through it because I have another 1/2 on Thanksgiving and then on December 1st. After that I'm finally breaking down and going to the doctor. I've just been using shoe inserts I bought at the drug store, ibuprofen, and icing it twice a day. I've tried rolling it on the golf ball thing but honestly I've been inconsistent with it. I tried toe Strassburg sock but it felt too weird to sleep in. I can barely put any weight on it, though when I am running it is not too bad. I can't wait to get these races over with so I can get some medical attention... hopefully I haven't completely screwed things up by being so stubborn!
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
    I went to an upper end store called The Walking Company. They have a machine there that you stand on and it recommends orthodics that would work with your feet. The ones I bought were fantastic and took away my pain and are made by Aetrex. They can run from $60 to $80 bucks depending on what you need (and if they are on sale). They are also very padded. I know other higher end shoe stores also have the machines that map your feet and they tell you what to buy. I did a custom orthodic when I was a teen and they were awful. I definitely won't pay tons of money for that type every again. The ones I purchased from my store did the job and I just reorder them as needed. My mom is also a fan and uses the sport versions for her golf shoes. Basically, they are a higher end insole. If you have a running store you may be able to find them there too. They key part is to find a store that has the machine you stand on and which checks your pressure points barefoot. It'll recommend the right orthodic based on your foot's pressure points. My Plantar Fascitis vanished after a few months of using them. I try to avoid walking barefoot and losing weight also helps.
  • Fred4point0
    Fred4point0 Posts: 160 Member
    I'm not sure if PF is what I have. Not experiencing any pain in my heels. My pain is located on the left side of my left foot. The pain usually goes away after I take some medication. It doesn't bother me enought to prevent running but definitely feels uncomfortable. I've been dealing with this problem for about two months. I probably need to see my doctor. I'm glad someone asked this question and I'm wondering if I have plantar fasciitis or is it something else since there is no pain in the heel area.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    I have had it since June..it got so bad I had to take 2 weeks off from work because I just couldn't stand or walk anymore. I went and had inserts made by a doctor (insurance covered it), I took my ibuprofen for the swelling, rolled over a frozen water bottle, wore a boot and even ordered $70.00 flip flops that have support..

    The pain has finally eased..I still can't go barefoot and couldn't live without those flip flops for around the house. I think what really helped was the 2 weeks off from work then another month later I had hernia surgery so I had very limited mobility for 2 two months and spent a lot of time off my foot.. It still isn't a 100% but pretty close..

    Just remember to never go barefoot...
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    I'm not sure if PF is what I have. Not experiencing any pain in my heels. My pain is located on the left side of my left foot. The pain usually goes away after I take some medication. It doesn't bother me enought to prevent running but definitely feels uncomfortable. I've been dealing with this problem for about two months. I probably need to see my doctor. I'm glad someone asked this question and I'm wondering if I have plantar fasciitis or is it something else since there is no pain in the heel area.


    One of the main symptoms is extreme pain the morning when you first get out of bed. When it first started, each day got worse where I was limping around until it got stretched out then it wouldn't be too bad until it completely flared out of control.
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
    Mine got better eventually probably 6 months or more. Things that helped:
    Each morning when I woke I would stay in bed and stretch my foot up and down, wriggle my toes, etc.
    Losing weight helped!
    Good supportive shoes.
    Exercise - put a tea towel on the floor, and sit down on a chair next to it - use your bare foot to crunch the tea towel towards you - kind of gather it up towards you.
    Hot pack, followed by anti-inflammatory gel.
  • sydneybird
    sydneybird Posts: 1
    try Dansko shoes. Orthotics push your spine forward and it affects your feet (from my chiropractor) Dansko shoes are expensive and have a hard sole. I am a nurse walking on marble all day and these are the only shoes that have actually worked. Good luck. I too had a hard time for several years with exercise.
  • Becky388
    Becky388 Posts: 157 Member
    I think I'm finally getting past a year long bout. I had to quit working out, could barely walk I was in so much pain. Tried almost everything short of shots and surgery. For me relief came when I went to minimalist shoes type shoes (I have Fila Skeletoes similar to Vibram 5 fingers) and also some Merrill barefoot shoes. Wear a nigh splint (I have the Fururo) and foam rolling/massaging my calf. Look on youtube for plantar fasciitis release techniques and alsp check into Primal Blueprint's views on PF. For years I wore very supportive shoes and that usually kept it at bay until this last time, it just kept getting worse until I started the above. BTW, foam rolling/calf massage will hurt until it releases then the foot pain will ease. I wouldn't wish PF pain on my worst enemy. Good luck.
  • lelaspeaks
    lelaspeaks Posts: 163 Member
    You may want to look at the way you're running too... if you're running correctly, your heel shouldn't be slamming down on the ground with each run. This video may help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6x2cD6Y8Q&feature=related. Also - get minimalist running shoes. You can do research on it - but things like cushioning and arch support and actually bad for your joints. Born to Run is also a pretty good read.

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