Anyone know about Plantar Faciitis?

I dealt with this for about 5 years off and on. It is very painful. I would echo the others in getting a good pair of shoes with great support. I practically Iive in tennis shoes with special made orthotics that you can move from shoe to shoe. DO NOT get a cortisone/steroid shot!! They break down your muscles and tendons and make things worse over time. It isn't worth the instant pain relief for more long term problems. I have had a night splint that really helped me too. (Got that at the ortho doc) It's kind of like a lightweight cast that keeps your toes in a slight stretch all night thus getting rid of the "First morning pain". It took about a month in that and that is when I felt the most improvement. My friend, who is a runner, also developed this and the orthopedic doctor taped the bottom of his foot. There are YOU Tube vids that show you how to do this. He swears it worked for him. NEVER stop stretching your feet even when it gets better. I also agree that ice, rolling your foot on a tennis ball or deep tissue massage and Aleve will help you through it. If all this fails, I have heard that a therapy called Prolotherapy will help this type of problem. You can look it up on the internet. It is a series of shots given 4-6 weeks in between time. It is all natural shots that create a controlled inflammation and tells your body that you are hurt there and it sends healing to the area. It is supposed to build up weak muscles and tendons too. I'm all for helping the body heal itself. I have had chronic tennis elbow for a year and I just started with my first set of injections yesterday. (13 shots in the area, but today it hasn't been very bad at all, just a little sore). Hope you find what works for you!

Yes, it hurts!!!

The best thing for me was to wear shoes ALL the time. Even if I got up in the middle of night and walked to the bathroom I put shoes on.
Try advil and some ice for immediate relief and wear shoes!

I had a wicke case of PF, but I was just the opposite. I started doing everything barefoot, including working out. I rarely wear shoes around the house, and I just got a pair of Merrell Barefoot shoes to wear to work. My feet are completely pain free now, and have been for 9 months. Going barefoot strengthens all the little tendons and stabilizers in your feet that go unused when wearing shoes.

Had this last year - very painfull - got some good quality arch support inserts for my shoes - huge relief to the point where I have not had issues since... they cost about $38 - but well worth the money!!

Doctor for sure. I speak from experience. I remember how bad it was, good luck to you.

My husband went thru months of pain and two doctors. The exercise that he said gave him the most relief was: stand about a foot from a wall, feet spread slightly, palms on wall in front of you for stability, and then go up on your toes and hold for 10 seconds then foot flat on floor. Repeat 10 times several times a day. Also, freeze water in a soda bottle and roll it back and forth under your foot while watching tv. Doctor also suggested Brooks tennis shoes.

I am starting to heel (haha) from Plantar Faciitis after having a problem for about half a year. I also have a heel spur so that's no fun. I have two product recommendations:

- Profoot Plantar Fasciitis shoe inserts are amazing but I don't slip them into shoes with already high arches. They let me wear all my favorite shoes that were killing my feet before with flatness.

- Arch wraps - they are these little tight sleeve things to put around your foot. I probably wear them 12-18 hours a day. They sell them in drug stores they look like ace bandages and they are a CHEAP MIRACLE.

Hi

I've had this on and off for about a year as well, stretch your calves a lot! Get fitted with proper shoes.

Surprisingly running more helped me, it was the opposite of what the doctor advised but it really did help. I guess because I stretched more or something.

stretch, massage and a GOOD pair of shoes is about all you can do.

Wow...so glad I have found you guys ... its nice to read up on posts about people suffering with the same as me! OK...I just want advice really, honest opinions etc! The internet scares me to death with the varied stories, they all differ so much! Basically I have never had this before and my first notice of it was only 1 week ago, I stupidly went on power walking as I didnt know what it was but after 5 days I gave it up completely, went to the doctors and got diagnosed with PF! So... I have been resting, icing, ibroprufen, volterol gel etc but no better! Yesterday I went to A&E as I simply couldnt walkj normal anymore, it was really getting me down, gaining weight in the last few days from eating through boredom and feeling down and worrying that I am not going to get fit like I had planned for the summer! Anyway, the nurse up there told me to take 1000mg paracetamol with 400mg ibroprufen and to totally change the shoes I was wearing to a different style! Came home, dosed up, iced/volterol gel and put some 2 inch wedge heels on... OMG the pain was 95% better and I was walking NORMAL!!! This morning I repeated the same as last night, its kinda burning very very slightly under the heel but other than that the dreaded "morningfoot" is so much better! I plan on a swim today and a large cut in my calorie intake too as the swim is all Im really pushing myself for today! the advice id like is...should I be doing these stretching exercises whilst I am actually sufferring a flare up? Im doing pointing and flexing and the dressing gown cord round the ball of foot and pulling towards me, is this ok? i know you guys cant actually see/xray my foot or any of that but going by "your symptoms" does mine sound like a mild case? I have no pains in my legs, just the dead centre of my under heel and a slight burning in that area and a tiny bit under the arch. I may be asking too much but what do you reckon for my recovery time? weeks? or months ;((( I have an appointment with a podiatrist on thursday, 90 minutes where she checks my gait, walk and lots more...she will make me orthotics too...is this a good move? I have a night splint on the way...I am just doing everything to get back to normal again but I will be so frightened to get back on my treadmill...lets hope I like the swim today!!! Please write back with ANY advice...would love to hear from people that did the swimming in replacement for running and got fitter than ever lol I need to keep positive!!!

I've had it off and on for several months, I would recommend a foot doctor. Anti inflammatory Meds will help get over the acute stage! There are great suggestions on this thread! Mine really flared up the day I wore flat shoes a long time while walking on concrete floors.

I love my Nike air Max shoes!

I had that foot pain for quite awhile, I did all the stretches, that helped some. Wearing shoes as soon as your feet hit the floor is a biggy, at least while you are having this problem. I eventually had to go to a foot doctor for a cortisone shot that they put in my foot. I still had the problem for a couple more months but with less pain, then it just went away. I haven't had a problem since.

I've got plantar faciitis and use K Tape to help bring my arch up! If you have a look on you tube you'll find loads of videos on this! It's really helpful I've still managed to run 2 half marathons with it and PB!!

PHYSIOTHERAPY will do the trick. It usually will not go away on its own. You may need orthotics down the road.

I had the same thing some years ago, tremendous pain! I found some stretches online that I did every morning before I got started and it went away. No doctor bills :-)