help with plantar fasciitis

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ajit_kane
ajit_kane Posts: 11 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have developed plantar fasciitis during my quest to loose a few pounds. Is there anyone who has gone through the same thing? What worked the best for you?

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  • gettinthere
    gettinthere Posts: 529 Member
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    I am suffering dearly with this right now!! So frustrating!! Orthotics and rest seem to be the best for me, with the added anti-inflammatory!! You need to remember to wear shoes all the time and get some orthotics that raise your arch to take some pressure off the heel of your foot! Good luck, I know it sucks!!
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    This is one instance where WebMD has it right.

    http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-treatment-overview
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    Frequent stretching, ice, and rest are the best answers IMHO. Best of luck. PF is awful.

    And personally, I'm not convinced about the shoes/orthotics/arch-raising advice, but admit that I'm not a podiatrist. Personally, I experienced good results when I started including barefoot walks (on gravel), but that might have just been coincidental.
  • Tracey_B_72
    Tracey_B_72 Posts: 1,021 Member
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    I went a saw some foot people when I suffered with it and they noticed my ankles go over a bit so I have to make sure my arches and ankle li e up but the biggest help was a stretch I still do on the stairs, you stand with both feet on the same step but have your heels hanging over and then you drop one heels as low as you can till you feel he stretch in your calf (unwashed told the cause is tight calf muscles) you hold that stretch for about 10 secs then do the other leg and try and keep your hips level don't drop the hip when you do the stretch I'd do 5 on each leg every time I went up stairs. Hope that helps a bit.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Get Superfeet orthotics. You can buy them at any running shoe store. Other insoles help, but are not as good. There is no need to buy expensive, custom-made orthotics. When mine was acute, I had a pair in every one of my shoes -- running shoes, soccer boots, tennis shoes, dress shoes, etc.
    They are essential for preventing you from further aggravating the fascia, which takes a long time to heal.
    Next: Stretch!
    Best stretch is to get down on your knees, with your toes flat on the floor and the sole of your foot facing the wall behind. Then push back so that you feel a stretch in the sole of your foot. Hold there for 30-60 seconds. Do this stretch two times a day, at least. The position, in case my description is not clear, is the same as what is known as "hero's pose" in yoga, except that instead of having the top of your foot on the floor, while you sit on your heels and the soles of your foot, you are up on your toes, with the sole of your foot facing backwards.
    This stretch is incredibly effective. It was developed by a Dr. DiGiovanni. He did it slightly differently, but the effect was the same. You are stretching the bottom of your foot, and getting a really increased stretch because your toes are bent towards the top of your feet. In his first study of this stretch, DiGiovanni was able to get almost all of a group of 80 patients with PF much better in about 6-8 weeks. The group were people who had had PF for over a year and had tried all kinds of other treatments and stretching before. (Google DiGiovanni and plantar fasciitis if you want more information.)
    Good luck.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Roll your foot on a cold soda can. Take NSAID consistently.
  • primalkiwi
    primalkiwi Posts: 164 Member
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    Been there and know how intensely painful it can be. I had PF in both feet and could barely walk for several months. Doing the stair stretch that Messymoo suggested was a huge help and the first thing I revert to now if I feel any twinges. I also did my own experimenting with barefoot style shoes and found them to be the answer for me combined with some supportive taping. Ordinary shoes with arches/support actually made my feet far worse as my foot couldn't bend/flex naturally and build up it's own strength. At the time I was standing all day in one spot at work for a 9 hour stretch and wearing standard running shoes.I switched to a New Balance Minimus and the improvement within a couple of days was huge. I find wearing any really loose shoes like flip flops starts to aggravate the problem again as my foot is kind of scrunched up unconsciously while walking in them and trying to keep them on - you naturally heel strike while wearing them rather than striking the ground further up the foot and allowing the arch to work properly. Giving my feet a daily deep massage was also helpful. Good luck with finding something that works for you.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,625 Member
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    My GP referred to a podiatrist who gave me off the counter arch supports and prescribed stretching the calves and plantar.

    The stretching exercise consisted of making a tilted plank by placing the edge of a cutting board on the spine of a telephone book. Stand with your toes raised on the tilted plank for several minutes a few times a day. I had this set up in front of the wash basin (while brushing teeth and grooming) as well as a couple of other strategic spots around the house (during food prep).

    My symptoms were gone in maybe 4 weeks.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    I've had it.

    You have to do regular stretches (and I mean regular).

    What really helped was having a can/tin under my desk that I would roll my foot over whilst working. The other stretch was standing on a step with my toes and dropping the heel of my foot down.

    Don't run or go for long walks until it's abaited - you'll make it worse. (Tried that too!)
  • littlekitty3
    littlekitty3 Posts: 265 Member
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    If you have access to a physical therapist with E Stim, get it done.
    Other than that, a special sock or the boot(for PF) that you wear during sleep helps keep the foot flexed so the bottom of the foot isn't tight. Also I was told not to wear flip flops.
    Calf stretching and trying to stretch the bottom of your foot (with your toes, it's kinda hard) will help.
    Rolling your foot on a golfball.
    Use your toes to gather up a hand towel.
    Use your toes to pick up marbles out of a bucket of rice.
    If you have had IT band issues, runners knee, Achilles problems in the past, focus on strengthening those as well. Surprisingly it's all connected.
    Heating before working out, followed by stretching and strengthening.
    Icing post workout.
  • airica25
    airica25 Posts: 50 Member
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    For me, the only time I started to feel better was when I started wearing these:

    http://www.crocs.com/crocs-womens-capri-iv-polka-dot-flip-flop/14386,default,pd.html?cid=6A8&cgid=women-footwear-flip-flops

    I see that people say don't wear flip flops but I am not kidding when I say I went from barely walking to almost back to 100% after I purchased my croc flops. Its all I wear now.

    I also put my foot in a bucket of ice water, for as long as I could take it up to 15 min. every 2x day for a week. I did a stretch while sitting at my desk at work with a small step stool under my desk and dropped my heel off the edge and I still do this every day while I work barefoot. I believe mine started by walking long distance on the sand barefoot. I had it for about 6 months before things started getting better. For me this is what turned the corner. The crocs and the full bucket of Ice. I spent tons of money on inserts and new shoes... all while doing can rolls and stretching.

    Did you go to the doctor?
    I had a friend that thought she had it and it was actually her Sciatic Nerve. She went to get a massage that focused on that foot and leg, a few times and it seemed to help quite a bit.
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
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    Some your feet muscles have atrophied from years of minimal use in over protective shoes. Arch support turns out to be arch death. When your feet feel normal again, try the heel raise holding a weight. This made vast improvements in my feet strength.

    Try the exercises in the image below. START SLOW.

    foot-fitness.jpg
  • All4Me2014xx
    All4Me2014xx Posts: 155 Member
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    Roll your foot on a cold soda can. Take NSAID consistently.

    Or freeze a 16 oz bottle of water and roll your arch over that for a few minutes. Use a thin towel between the bottle and your foot. Once your arch feels a bit numb, stop and let it set for a bit. Then do it again. A couple times a day, or when it starts acting up on you.

    And always, always after working out.
  • ajit_kane
    ajit_kane Posts: 11 Member
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    Thank you all. I did all of the above and also took injections from my doctor. Now it seems to be much better and there is almost no pain for a couple of months. I had to completely stop exercise for those two months.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,411 Member
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    gettinthere wrote: »
    I am suffering dearly with this right now!! So frustrating!! Orthotics and rest seem to be the best for me, with the added anti-inflammatory!! You need to remember to wear shoes all the time and get some orthotics that raise your arch to take some pressure off the heel of your foot! Good luck, I know it sucks!!

    Had the same problem quite a few years ago. Same treatment as above poster. All better now, and I can go barefoot with no pain!!! It took quite a while - like MONTHS but it did get better.

  • allieallieoxenfree
    allieallieoxenfree Posts: 114 Member
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    Yoga yoga yoga!!! PF flares up for me whenever I do too much running/hiking and not enough dedicated time to small movements, stretching, small muscle building, etc. Yoga every day!
  • Leenda62
    Leenda62 Posts: 96 Member
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    This taping is the best thing I have ever found. I have stretched had shots, use orthotics. It helped unbelievably and nearly overnight and it has not come back. You don't have to use this brand either.
    If you don't want to watching the video Google taping for plantar fasciitis

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTSOQg680mc
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I did stretches where I stood on a step with only the ball of the foot on the step facing the steps. Drop you heels down as far as you can and hold for a count of ten, then slowly raise up to your toes and hold again for a count of ten. Do this five times once a day. After about two weeks, my PF was gone and it has never come back,

    Also, wear a variety of shoes with different heel heights and go barefoot as much as possible.
  • kyta32
    kyta32 Posts: 670 Member
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    I triggered my Plantar Fascitis by going from couch to 30 minutes straight jogging in May. I didn't have any money for orthotics, so I looked on the internet for help. I found taking one Centrum vitamin/mineral supplement and 1 333mg Calcium supplement a day did the trick. I took 2 weeks of jogging, and switched to walk-jog intervals, building up to 30 minutes of jogging over 8 weeks. I also did ice dips - dip heel in ice bath for 10 seconds up to 10 times in one hour, once a day (I only ever made it to 6 or 7 dips in an hour). I found youtube videos on low-dye taping. My calves are always tight, so I grab onto my dresser and lean forward for a calf stretch for a quick count of 30. I then do the stretch again with my knees bent and feet underneath me to stretch my Achiles tendon. I do this with the heels off the floor, so it can be done before the first "knife stab" pain of putting my weight on my heel first thing in the morning. Once you get fascitis, it can be set off again by something as minor as changing to a new pair of shoes, so change things like distance and intensity slowly if you want to be safe. Good luck :)
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
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    My doctor had me use Superfeet orthotics. They are not flexible or cushy like most orthotics, so they provide rigid support where I need it. They're a little expensive (like $40) but they last at least as long as the shoes you put them in.

    There are also stretches you can do to help. A few people have mentioned them above, but you can just google it and get all the stretches you need.

    One thing that I think helped (I could be wrong): I walk barefoot around the house. Walking barefoot is known to strengthen the muscles in your feet. I also try to step with the front of my foot first (when I'm barefoot). This is supposed to strengthen the foot and it seems to take the pressure off the heal (because I often don't put my heel all the way down). I could be wrong about this helping, it just feels like it has. During the summer I sometimes walk barefoot in parks. I wear shoes when I'm out of the house. And I wear shoes with good structure (no flip-flops for me). When I'm standing a long time (like doing dishes) I kind of bounce on the balls of my feet so I keep my weight off my heels for most of the time.

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