Plantar Fasciitis?

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WhitneyW78
WhitneyW78 Posts: 186 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone have plantar fasciitis? I have not technically been diagnosed, but am having excruciating pain in my left heel... so bad that I have to use crutches to get around today. I googled excruciating heel pain and it came back with plantar fasciitis... so I'm guessing we have a winner! It began last night when I was exercising and got increasingly worse.

Any advice or tips on ways to treat this without having to spend thousands at the doctor?
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Replies

  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
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    The thing with plantar fascitis is it only hurts when you first put weight on it, and the next few steps, then it is fine. So if yours is constant, it is not plantar fasciitis. I've had plantar fasciitis before so I know eactly how it feels. I got a steroid shot, and never came back.
  • angisnee
    angisnee Posts: 236 Member
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    I'm not an expert, but from experience, plantar fasciitis is usually at its worse right after you get up from sitting or lying down and gradually gets better with activity. It would be a good idea to see your doctor to find out for sure what you have. Good luck!
  • Levahna
    Levahna Posts: 132
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    I have plantar fasciitis. I wear supportive shoes. . . ice my feet when they are hurting really bad. . .rest them when I can. It hasn't really bothered me in the last few months.
  • givprayz
    givprayz Posts: 328
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    Ice the area for 20 minutes, 6 times a day, especially before and after exercise. If you have or can afford to buy those rocker-bottom shoes they sell to help tone your legs, those give a lot of relief to heel pain. You might need ibuprofen when it is at it's worst. There are exercises to help stretch the tendon back out and permanently relieve the pain, or you could try accupuncture which often relieves it in 1-3 visits.
  • khskr1
    khskr1 Posts: 392
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    Stretching. Do a search on myofascial release. Too detailed for me to get into here. Start with a tennis ball under the foot, move to a golf ball, then marble. Also get a foam roller and use it on the lower leg. All our fascia lines are connected, so releasing on the leg will help release on the foot.

    Good luck!! This is something you have to stay on top of.
  • 35again
    35again Posts: 46 Member
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    I have it, for the 2nd time. Things that help: TIME (there is no quick fix for this unfortunately), taping the arch, calf/foot stretching several times a day, write the ABCs with your foot when sitting for long periods, massage, icing, wear a night splint (will help with that pain upon getting out of bed), better shoes meant for your foot type, shoe inserts for more support.
  • successthistime49
    successthistime49 Posts: 9
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    I have Plantar Fasciitis was diagnosed with it over a year ago the pain is usually in the heel but I have met a few people that have gotten it on top of their feet. The pain is usually worse after laying down or sitting and usually gets better after moving around some and the foot warms up. When I first was diagnosed with it I was in so much pain that I too had to use crutches for awhile. My foot is getting better with weight loss but there are still times when I get a sharp pain and cannot walk to well. I have relieved the pain by soaking my foot in cold water and using ointments like Aspercreme. I have also bought shoes with thick heels that absorbs most of the weight on the bottom of my foot. Hope some of this helps.
  • hemlock2010
    hemlock2010 Posts: 422 Member
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    I've had it in the past but have not had it AT ALL since I started buying better quality shoes. Yes, they cost more, but I love begin pain free, so it's totally worth it to me.

    Holly
  • stressd1mom
    stressd1mom Posts: 151 Member
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    I have plantar fascitis & I have half inserts in my shoes. I was taking Naproxen to relieve the pain but Alleve is basically the same thing. I don't have half as much pain as I continue to lose weight. Congrats by the way on the Fantastic weight loss!!
  • sherylereikat1
    sherylereikat1 Posts: 6
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    I also had it. I took a rolled up towel, hooked it around the bottom of my foot and held one end in each hand and stretched my foot towards me. Helped after awhile. i also invested in the Skecher shoes and have not had it since.
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,353 Member
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    Does anyone know what causes plantar fascitis? I don't have it. I am just curious.
  • misssuperstitious
    misssuperstitious Posts: 178
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    I've had it for 2.5 YEARS now, started in my right foot, had it in both for a while, and now it's just in my left. I've done absolutly everything for it, rest, MRI's, ortho specialists, PT, injections, shoes, splints, chiro, massage, accupuncture, ice, drugs, blah blah blah.... I work at the most famous clinic in the world, and I STILL have it...it's a pesky bugger to say the least! Losing weight has helped some, but I know how hard it is to lose weight when every SINGLE step hurts. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones and it will improve with a new pair of shoes (I hate those people ;) ) but if not, message me and I'll tell you where I went to fianlly get some improvement.
  • margie_77
    margie_77 Posts: 693 Member
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    If you can not get it to stretch out, you can get a heal spur like me. That is when the part of your heal that the planter tendon is hooked to peels apart from the rest of the bone. The more damage you do, the more scar tissue forms, the more pressure on the nerves, the more pain.
    You should look up good stretches that will help, and there is also a brace that you can buy at the drug store for about $20ish that holds your foot at a 90 degree angle like you're standing. If you wear it while you sleep, it can help to cause it to heal longer, instead of shrinking back up and causing you to tear it more first thing every morning.
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
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    PF is a tearing of the ligament that runs below your heel. Ligament tears generally take a long time to heal, and it's especially tough with PF because you're walking on your torn ligament all the time! It took me a few years to get over mine, and it's one of the reasons I gained weight over the past several years, I just couldn't walk anymore. It takes a very long time to completely heal, and for some people, they'll always have heel issues.

    For me, the brace you wear when you sleep helped, as did getting custom-made orthotics for my shoes. Patience helps.
  • SweetPandora
    SweetPandora Posts: 660 Member
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    My 12 year old daughter was just diagnosed with this on Monday!

    The Dr. recommended ice, some exercises, physio and Dr. Scholls gel heel inserts, they were $11.00.

    She said so far they are helping with the pain.

    I would suggest you get it checked out in the event that it may not be PF.

    Best of luck.

    Karen
  • WhitneyW78
    WhitneyW78 Posts: 186 Member
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    Wow... thank you all for all of the great advice. It is hard for me to maneuver around at all right now, so I was feeling down and out. Will definitely try these ideas and hope for the best. The bad luck gods trying to make me stop exercising, I guess. I'll just have to do something that doesn't require being on the feet.
  • MJ5898
    MJ5898 Posts: 1,549 Member
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    I am so sorry Whitney! I just found your post. Just in case it is not PF, you probably should see your doctor when you can. Feel better!
  • scmajm22
    scmajm22 Posts: 75 Member
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    I had severe plantar fasciitis, I ignored it until I was hobbling around on crutches. I went to the doctor and first thing is take anti inflammatory meds like aleve and tape the foot up for a few days and rest. Once it is not quite as painful you have to start stretching it out. Pleanty of stretching exercises online you can do. MINIMUM of 30 second hold on the stretch 3 times a day. Try that for a few weeks and do non weight bearing exercise like biking. If you have flat feet you need to get some typr of orthotic inserts. All of these things should resolve your problem. If not you wil have to try a foot doctor. I let mine go for so long they had to actually do surgery to freeze my nerves so they would die and I would not feel the pain any more. It was a quick procedure and worked beautifully. I have been pain free for 2 years!
    If you have any questions feel free to message me.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
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    My podiatrist, www.nwfootankle.com has a great article and recommendations for treatment on his website. I worked for a podiatrist for 9 years and this was something that was frequently a problem in our office. I love the approach the podiatrist I found now takes, it's more hollistic for treatment rather than meds.
  • tonisteedley
    tonisteedley Posts: 44
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    Margie:

    I was wondering what was the treatment you had for the spurs? I have had Plantar Fasciitis for about a year. And Oh gosh is it terrible. I do not even know how I ever even got it. The worst times are in the morning whe I get out of bad. Sometimes I actually have almost falling from the pain. Well I tried the stretches and that does make it better in the morning to get out of bed. Well then I went and got fitted for some special running shoes with inserts " cost a fortune" I have had then for about 2.5 months and in the begining it was like fabulous relief. But in the last 2 weeks that I have stepped up my workouts to Bootcamp and 30 day shred. I mean once I get going the pain will go away about 70 %. Until I sit down for literally 2-5 min and once I stand the pain is back. So I am wondering if maybe I have just done more damage and got the spurs at this point. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
    I hope everyone that has Plantar Fasciitis finds relief...

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