Anyone else suffer from plantar fasciitis???

Yes, for years.
1) See an orthopedist. Get the right support. All that 'soft heel' stuff is crap. I can wear my hard silcon inserts for 14 hours and I feel great.
2) Stretching. Preferably Yoga is the best thing you'll ever do. Just beware, start slow. If you're a beginner, the start is a beginner class. Many people start Yoga and they hurt themselves because they're trying to do what the person next to them is doing. You have to elongate your ham strings and everything connected. It takes a while to undo years of doing nothing.
3) Ice - All those steroid (the worst thing for your body) do is reduce swelling. That's what ICE does.
4) If you run...learn to run on the balls of your feet.

Since I started this 5 years ago, if I have a flare up, I just do 30 minutes of yoga for 2 days and I'm good. Previously, I couldn't put a pair of shoes on.
Good luck!

I had some issues last fall, which I believe were brought on by using old shoes running around on a cement surface. I did stretching, icing, rest for about 2 weeks, etc, before it started feeling a bit back to normal. At one point, I was having trouble walking, but I don't think my injury was as severe as yours (I also never did steroid shots or anything).

It started to bother me again, so I made the decision to go to a running store and get properly fitted for shoes good for my stride, foot type, etc. I haven't really been having any problems since (Some minor soreness here and there, but nothing major). The people at the running store told me that I had actually been over-cushioning my foot. I thought I was doing a good thing with extra cushion, but I was actually doing damage. I recommend checking out a local running store. Hope that helps... good luck with your injury.

My coworker has had it twice - once in each foot.

A couple years ago, when it happend with one foot, I had heard about a laser treatment place. She checked it out because she was desperate for a solution. After about a month of sessions, it was better and has not reoccurred.

In January of this year, she got it in the other foot. She went through the same laser treatments, plus additional foot stretching by a physio person after each session. This time it took over 3 months, but it's all better now.

Supposedly, the laser treatment will cure it so that it doesn't come back. Fingers crossed for her!

I had/have it. My best luck has come from losing weight and strengthening the muscles as well as stretching them whenever I feel that ache. Buying the correct shoes has helped as well. As someone else noted, I've learned to run more towards the mid-foot balls of foot strike and it doesn't flare up too much anymore unless I push it too much. I had it pretty bad where I could hardly limp along on that leg for a few months like two years ago but I've worked hard on getting stronger and more in shape and I hardly have issues with it anymore.

I have noticed that with the weight loss and my morning yoga has improved it greatly! I only feel I slight stretch now when my feet hit the floor in mornings. However, I can't do marathon standing anymore. My morning yoga is Jane Fonda AM/PM yoga.

I tried one of those boots you wear overnight and that didn't work. Actually made it worse. I had it in both feet. Also had cortisone injections in both feet and didn't help. I paid for custom orthotics and I couldn't wear them they were just too hard and uncomfortable. It took several months but one morning I woke up and it was gone in both of my feet. What worked for me:

No flat shoes - I wore flip flops to death at the time living in Phoenix
Ice bottle rolled under my feet
Stopped running but still did other exercising
Lots of stretching!!

I suffered from PF for about 3 yrs in which a lot of my weight gain happened due to not being able to walk. After a year of different dr solutions in which nothing helped I finally had surgery as well. And I agree, it's the best thing I ever did and so thankful I agreed.

The way it works is they put a small cut in the main tendon and as it heals, that cut is filled in creating a new extension to the tendon.

Every once in awhile my heel will hurt so I toss in my custom orthotic inserts. Also, I NEVER wear cheap shoes anymore. I went to a runner's store where they observed my gait and fitted me with the best tennis shoe and insert for my gait and arch. That's all I wear now. Very seldom wear heels and I got special permission to wear an all black color of my tennis shoes for work. They're expensive for me to buy instead of my employer paying for my uniforms and shoes, but I attribute my ill fitting uniform shoes as part of the reason I developed PF in the first place. Well worth the investment.

BUMP!