Exercises for plantar fasciitis?

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Allisonfitness99
Allisonfitness99 Posts: 128 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
2 months ago i woke up and found that soon as I stepped on my feet it would hurt this went on for 2 days it got so bad that I has to crawl to the bathroom, I went to the ER and they said it was plantar fasciitis and that I should take Advil and use inserts I did this and it got even worse! My feet were so swollen and I couldn't move my legs i went back to the ER and I ended up staying for 4 days.. They gave me steroids and anti inflammatory. They said it was my autoimmune system, and that they never seen anything like it before. 2 weeks later I went out of town and was doing some shopping and I got a pain in my foot when I got back to my hotel I couldn't move my leg again. I got back into town went strait to the ER once again and they put me back on those meds it went Away again . And now again it's been 2 weeks and I just started getting back into my work out and my feet are hurting again... I'm taking Advil and I'm wearing the shoes the dr recommended the pain is maybe a 4 but I'm afraid to push my self I was wondering if anyone else has the same problems if so what workouts do you recommend? While all this was happening I ended up gaining 10 pounds in one month but I was still eating healthy it's so frustrating, and defeating!

I have a hard time losing weight as it is ! It took me a year to lose 40 pounds and I started at 300!
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Replies

  • Songtothesiren
    Songtothesiren Posts: 388 Member
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    Hi. I'm sorry to hear you are in pain. PF is an awful thing to live with. I had it in my left foot for 3 years and just couldn't shift it. Steroid injections did nothing and it really restricted my ability to walk. That's the bad news. Here's the good stuff

    1. I was able to exercise on an elliptic trainer (no pressure on my foot)
    2. My PF went overnight - honestly, overnight. It was such a shock.
    3. My friend developed PF and hers went after 2 months.
    4. The pain of walking was reduced with good trainers.
    5. The more weight I lost the better it got. Ironically.
    6. I WISH I'd realised the importance of things like Yoga and swimming, as these are gentle exercises that you can do with PF.

    Be patient PF does go!

    Best wishes

    Mavis
  • Snapshotgirl
    Snapshotgirl Posts: 57 Member
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    Get a can of vegetables. Roll your foot gently over the can for about 5 minutes or so. This stretches and relaxes the foot. Literally, you can feel the foot ease it's tension. Do this faithfully every night. (You can buy foot rollers but the veggie can is cheaper and works just as well)

    Get a good pair of running shoes. Everybody is different, so there will be some trial and error with this. Also, get better work shoes. I wear Danskos and they work like a dream. No pain at all.

    PF can also lead to back pain, so if you can, get a massage on a regular basis. I get one once a month. It's expensive but saves me a fortune in doctors bills, because I relax and the muscles ease their tightness.

    Good luck.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
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    I had it for 9 months. The only things that helped were physical therapy and wearing Superfeet green orthotics inside Brooks Glycerin running shoes. I'd get a prescription for PT and visit a running store. The exercises alone won't help. Intensive manual therapy from a PT should keep it from coming back like it has,
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,699 Member
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    When I had it, I was instructed by the podiatrist to use off the shelf arch supports and to perform calf stretches. Keeping calf muscles long reduces pressure on the plantar. The stretch recommend to me was to prop up a cutting board on the edge of a phonebook. Stand on the slanted board with your toes raised for several minutes a few times a day. I set this up in front of the washbasin (to stretch while brushing teeth) and a couple of other strategic spots around the house (to stretch doing food prep). My symptoms disappeared in about 6 weeks, I think.
  • Nelly6170
    Nelly6170 Posts: 9 Member
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    Freeze a water bottle and roll your foot gently over it for several minutes a couple of times a day.
    Stretch several times a day --- sit on the floor, legs out in front of you. Grab a bath towel and pull your foot back toward your body using the towel. Do this in 20-30 second intervals for 2-3 minutes and do this several times a day and before you get out of bed in the AM.. You need to stretch the rubberband-like tendon that tightens up during the night.
    I suffered from it for a while before I knew what it was. Weightloss has probably helped, too, I imagine. With the weightloss of 20-25 over time plus the icing and stretching for a couple of weeks, I don't have any PF pain any longer.
    Hang in there -- it is awfully painful! But you can remedy it and feel better.
  • Allisonfitness99
    Allisonfitness99 Posts: 128 Member
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    PF can also lead to back pain, so if you can, get a massage on a regular basis. I get one once a month. It's expensive but saves me a fortune in doctors bills, because I relax and the muscles ease their tightness.


    I dident know that, massage are covered under my insurance but iv never got one because I dident want someone to see my stretch marks and I was always so embarrassed with my body. But I think I will give that a try too!
  • cinnamonkitty
    cinnamonkitty Posts: 21
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    Have you tried getting steroid shots directly into the foot? It sounds bad but they put lidocaine in with the steroid to ease the pain. You can't do it very often but it works very well. You should also be sleeping in a plantar fasciitis foot splint at at night They have many different kinds but spend a little more money and get a good one. Icing after a long day works wonders.

    The inserts you have are the wrong ones for you, try another brand. The exercises are great too! I wish you lots of luck, i know from personal experience that the pain is excruciating.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    PF sucks, and it sounds like you had a really bad case of it.

    have you seen a podiatrist at all?
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    you should also be sleeping with a foot brace of some kind. it'll push your foot up so that the tendon doesn't get tight at night when you sleep.

    i "cured" my PF by switching to minimalist shoes. i use 4mm drop shoes, with a bit of arch support. i was feeling more and more hurt from bigger cushioned shoes and custom orthotics and all that crap. i switched to minimalist shoes and almost immediately i stopped feeling pain.
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
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    Stand up, hold something. Up on your toes, back down...slowly. 25 times each a.m., 25 times each p.m.

    I wear Eccos, which my orthopedist recommended. They aren't Sex in the City shoes, but they prevent the PF from flaring up, and you can get them on Zappos.

    I avoid high impact aerobic exercises and use the elliptical trainer.

    You might want to consider seeing a physical therapist as well.
  • Allisonfitness99
    Allisonfitness99 Posts: 128 Member
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    Where I live we don't have one, I have an app with one out of town but it's not for another month and a half!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    Where I live we don't have one, I have an app with one out of town but it's not for another month and a half!

    get an earlier appointment. i know from experience this pain is hell. find a different doctor or something. ask for an emergency appointment.
  • _cdaley
    _cdaley Posts: 79 Member
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    PF can also lead to back pain, so if you can, get a massage on a regular basis. I get one once a month. It's expensive but saves me a fortune in doctors bills, because I relax and the muscles ease their tightness.


    I dident know that, massage are covered under my insurance but iv never got one because I dident want someone to see my stretch marks and I was always so embarrassed with my body. But I think I will give that a try too!

    I understand the instinct to be embarrassed but honestly, the massage therapist could most likely not care less. I work at a health club that has a spa and I've chatted with therapists about this- I was curious if they ever got grossed out by clients. The responses I got basically were that they don't really even "look" at bodies on the table like that- they are focused on what they feel and what they are doing. The only thing I've ever heard a therapist say is gross is when a client obviously hasn't bathed in awhile, which makes sense. Get and enjoy the massage- you are just one of probably hundreds of naked people they have seen.
  • kayduro
    kayduro Posts: 249 Member
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    Get a can of vegetables. Roll your foot gently over the can for about 5 minutes or so. This stretches and relaxes the foot. Literally, you can feel the foot ease it's tension. Do this faithfully every night. (You can buy foot rollers but the veggie can is cheaper and works just as well)

    Hubby does this with a frozen water bottle and it does help. . I don't know for sure but I don't think average weight people get PF (correct me if I'm wrong) so eventually it does go away as you lose the lbs.
  • ndwildbill
    ndwildbill Posts: 74 Member
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    I had PF a few years ago. Tried the stretching with the board and phone book, rolling the can, pulling with a towel, etc. Finally decided to try orthotic insoles. Got my feet measured, and found out I was wearing shows that were both too narrow, and too short (I thought they fit, buying them at the do it yourself shoe stores). Anyway, good shoes with good support and orthotic insoles, and my feet were back feeling good in about 3 weeks. Have not had a problem since, now that I buy shoes big enough! Losing weight has helped with the knee and hip arthritis, but I am really glad I have not had the PF for a very long time.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    Get a can of vegetables. Roll your foot gently over the can for about 5 minutes or so. This stretches and relaxes the foot. Literally, you can feel the foot ease it's tension. Do this faithfully every night. (You can buy foot rollers but the veggie can is cheaper and works just as well)

    Hubby does this with a frozen water bottle and it does help. . I don't know for sure but I don't think average weight people get PF (correct me if I'm wrong) so eventually it does go away as you lose the lbs.

    You are incorrect. "Average" weight people can and do develop plantar fasciitis. I was 60lbs lighter when I went through a two year bout of this.

    OP, here is some info about plantar fasciitis:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004438/

    The suggestions to roll cans/frozen bottles are helpful, as is stretching and physiotherapy. It is crazy painful. I hope you find a professional to work with, managing it through the ER is not going to be helpful in the long-term. Sorry you are going through this, it sucks.
  • Flossiesdoll
    Flossiesdoll Posts: 48
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    I've had plantar fasciitis for years, because the ligaments in my feet are too flexible and my feet move around too much when I walk. I have found the best way to manage it is exercises given by the physio, and orthotics in my shoes custom-made by a podiatrist.
  • ironjoekickboxing
    ironjoekickboxing Posts: 3
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    See a podiatrist for sure, stay off it as much as you can, ice it, use the rolling exercises with the vegetable cans also.
  • Allisonfitness99
    Allisonfitness99 Posts: 128 Member
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    Where I live we don't have one, I have an app with one out of town but it's not for another month and a half!

    get an earlier appointment. i know from experience this pain is hell. find a different doctor or something. ask for an emergency appointment.
    I got referral, my dr said it was the best way.. Maybe I will look into a different dr.
  • Allisonfitness99
    Allisonfitness99 Posts: 128 Member
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    Have you tried getting steroid shots directly into the foot? It sounds bad but they put lidocaine in with the steroid to ease the pain. You can't do it very often but it works very well. You should also be sleeping in a plantar fasciitis foot splint at at night They have many different kinds but spend a little more money and get a good one. Icing after a long day works wonders.

    The inserts you have are the wrong ones for you, try another brand. The exercises are great too! I wish you lots of luck, i know from personal experience that the pain is excruciating.

    No I dident try shots I was on oral steroids tho, and I'm useing the ones my dr recommend but I will try new ones.

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