Plantar Fasciitis?
WhitneyW78
Posts: 186 Member
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?
Any advice or tips on ways to treat this without having to spend thousands at the doctor?
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Replies
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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.0
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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!0
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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.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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.0
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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.
Holly0 -
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!!0
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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.0
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Does anyone know what causes plantar fascitis? I don't have it. I am just curious.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.
Karen0 -
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.0
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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!0
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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.0 -
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.0
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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...0 -
I have had it for over 10 years now with flares in both feet at times and most recently just in the right foot. Depending on how I tend to it will determine if its going to be chronic or acute. I have the inserts for running, walking and even for house shoes. The best investment however has been the Futuro foot guard I wair to bed at night. It keep the foot flexed so the muscles won't have a chance to tighten up on you when you relax. You can pick it up at Walgreen for about $35. I also use it during the day if I have a really bad flare up. I usually only have to have it on for about 15 minutes before the pain pretty much goes away. Finally, see a doctor when you can to get a proper diagnosis.0
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I am recovering from 2 foot surgeries for the same excruciating pain. The first surgery didn't work (thought it was solely plantar fasciitis) and I sought a second opinion and had surgery for tarsal tunnel syndrome, heel spur & release of more fascia. I couldn't walk a year ago and now I can. So, my suggestion is, unfortunately, go see a good orthopedic foot surgeon. They don't all recommend surgery. I was told that for those who have pain of 5 or below on a 1 - 10 pain scale, orthotics do the trick. Or, like someone else mentioned here, a simple cortisone shot may do the trick. You won't know until you have it looked at. I went to a podiatrist first, and a good one at that, and it just didn't go well for me. I am so thankful to be able to walk now. OMG It was AWFUL pain! I feel for ya.0
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I've had problems with my heel for the last 7 months. the first problem was definently PF. The dr. gave me a brace to sleep in to keep it stretched out during the night. I also got several steroid shots in it as well as prescription anti-inflammatories. One thing about PF is, yes, it hurts mostly upon waking or after a long drive, etc, but if you walk for a prolonged period of time, it can start to hurt again. Well, my PF is gone from the things i mentioned, but i have a bruised heel from running and the fat pad on my heel not being fat enough (go figure, haha). I got new orthotics, new softer running shoes and i'm resting for the next 2 months, not even attmepting to run, and keeping my fingers crossed that it will be fixed. That was one of my main motivators for losing weight also. An extra 20lbs is not great to be pounding on a heel. So, anyway, good chance you have PF, but could also have another problem as well. Go get checked out and good luck!!!0
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I believe my PF started when I went all gung ho into C25K in the wrong shoes on the wrong surface. At any rate, I bought heel inserts that helped for a little while. I then found heel-that-pain.com which provides multiple videos of self help activities. They also sell a heel insert that is not too expensive and gives me great relief.
Two women in my office actually had surgery on their calves (?) and pronounced it successful. I will try many, many other avenues before steroids or surgery.0 -
I've had plantar fasciitis almost permanently now since my foot surgery to repair a torn Peroneus Brevis tendon in my left foot (this is the tendon that connects your ankle to the bottom part of your foot and allows you to go up on your toes. It also helps to prevent roll-outs of the ankle and helps with stability).
In my case, there is really nothing that I can do for it other than keep it stretched and loose. I also have to be careful with certain shoes or anything that happens to put pressure on a certain spot towards the rear of my arch close to my heel or else my entire foot will cramp. I do have a brace that I wear at night that does a motion similar to putting your fingers on the ball of your foot and pulling your foot back towards you so that it stretches the tendon, but I find it often to be painful and I don't wear it very often.
If you're just getting plantar fasciitis as a result from starting a new exercise program, the best thing to do is stretching, rest and ice therapy along with anti-inflamatories if you can take them. This is one of those injuries that if you don't let it rest, it's going to get much worse; the more you do, the more you aggravate it. I go crazy if I sit around for too long so I found swimming works well as an alternative exercise, just make sure you've stretched your foot good before starting as the pointing, kick motion can make my foot cramp as well if the tendon is too tight.0 -
I've had it for more than a decade. I wear Crocs and it helps. I even run in my Crocs. The other thing that helped me get over some of my worst episodes is taking Glucosamine & Chondroitin. You have to be careful of the brands that you get to take for it as some don't work.
This brand works: Solgar & the other brand that works when I first tried it was Schiff....there was another brand I tried from the health food store thinking that all brands are alike and I spent like $150 on over 100 of them and it did not work. So be careful. That brand had a blue label. Solgar ones really work. Got me walking - I was stuck in bed and could not walk from PF. I found a forum which dealt with that issue solely - PF & heelspurs http://www.heelspurs.com which helped me with shoes (and I found Crocs through their recommendations) & also the G & C through their recommendations. I could not walk. The first day I made it down to the lobby of the apt building I lived in was really miraculous.
And now I just wear crocs. I also have mats from Nefitco that are 1.1 inches and I run on them & do exercises on them. http://www.nefitco.com/interlockingfloormats.html - hope that helps.0 -
I got my plantar fasciitis the day after my half marathon in San Francisco in November 2010, my physiotherapist thinks it was due to the terrain (steep hills). But I kept running through the pain which made things a million times worse, to the point by January 2011 I was limping severely.
I started seeing a massage therapist once a week who works on the fascia of my affected foot. This is not a treatment for the light hearted as it is EXTREMELY painful. But helps encourage healing. I didn't run for about a month. So now midway through February my foot feels fabulous. I went to physio a couple times and I'm getting new orthotics as my old ones were too rigid.
I work 12 hour shifts and it was getting so painful to be on my feet, I got Pennsaid from my family doctor and that in itself is a miracle for helping to relieve the pain! It is a topical medication that you rub on your feet 3-4 times a day.
Your massage therapist and physiotherapist can be your best friends during this time. They have so much advice to help you get through this!0
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