Oh my aching feet!

DanaLark
DanaLark Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have taken off 20lbs in the past 6 weeks thru diet and exercise. I hired a personal trainer and it is really working for me. I have had two knee replacements so I thought I knew what pain was....but now my feet are killing me and I am bummed. I have plantar fasciitis and nothing seems to help with the pain. I have great shoes and orthotics in those shoes, I ice, I take anti-inflamatory meds...but mostly I moan in pain. I will begin physical therapy next week. Anybody have any suggestions to help relieve the pain?

Replies

  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    Rest. 20lb in 6 weeks is huge unless you're extremely overweight. Sounds like you're over doing it IMHO.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited December 2015
    I do 5 mins of exercises for my plantar fascists every night. For years now. Why aren't you doing them? That's all physical therapy is. Google the exercises if a doctor never showed them to you.
    I also wear a splint when in bed awake. CVS has them. Ace brand.
  • marsh5224
    marsh5224 Posts: 34 Member
    The struggle is real at my house as well. I have been to the doctor, do the exercises before bed and first thing in the morning, roll the ball under my feet while I watch TV, ice and take Aleve almost daily. It has been going on for years and I feel hopeless. I mentioned the night splints to my doctor who didn't think they would help much but I am going to purchase them anyway. How is it so many people suffer with this condition chronically and the doctors just shrug their shoulders??? I feel your pain and frustration!!!
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited December 2015
    I bought one night splint for $25 and alternate feet at night 1 hour while reading or logging here.
    Stretching exercises is what saves my life. Google them. The ball or roller pin did not really help.
    Best ex is the one where you use a towel, put it under your foot, and gently pull the towel towards you while pushing your leg out (on the internet somewhere).
    * Living with it for over 5 years. The ex's are a must. I also cook with turmeric and take fish oil daily. I think they help with inflammation.
    * Diet has helped a lot (It was BAD). Reason I am here. High sugar days really make it worse.
    * I cut down drinking to once a week, 4 ounces. Quit smoking.
    * Started taking one a day womens and calcium pill.
    * I now walk malls with no problem. If I forget the stretches, I have pain again.
  • wendymcrowe
    wendymcrowe Posts: 6 Member
    The stretches have helped me, too.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I like to have a hot soak either in the tub or just a foot tub if it is just for me feet. Add 2 cups of Epsom salts to a warm bath or one cup to a foot soak tub. I use my dish washing tub for foot soaks. Epsom salts are inexpensive and do a wonderful job of relieving inflammation and sore muscles.

    Also get a tennis ball and roll it around under your bare foot for a while for a good massage or get an acupressure mat and stand on it. I love my Spoonk acupressure mat so much that I have two. One for feet and one for my back.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Accupressure mat? I googled it. Looks affordable. But do stores sell it? I can't buy anything without touching it first. Guess I'm old fashioned.
  • desiresdestiny
    desiresdestiny Posts: 175 Member
    Rest and stretches. I just got diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia. I'm on day 11 of limited to no mobility. Went to a podiatrist couple days ago... Rest up
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    When I first had it, I went to the a foot clinic and sat there for 2 hours until they took me. I remember I was a crazy lady. So much pain. I got injected 3 times. Those shots do not help long term at all.
    Stretches. Stretches. Stretches. May take weeks to feel the difference but you will notice. Trust me.
  • eliciaholly
    eliciaholly Posts: 1 Member
    i had a stress fracture on my left foot and tendonitis on my right, the brace is still on my right for the tendonitis but the boot is now gone for the stress fracture, but..... today i came home from shopping with my daughter and i just know...i'm hurting real bad...i can't flex my toes, i can't put pressure on my foot, the stress fracture is back. i feel like i go around and around with this same issue. how do i even begin to start this battle of losing weight when i can't even stand on my feet to walk(that's my battle cry in my head...) I have to find a better diet regimen since walking isn't going to be a option obviously but i definitely will be reading this thread for ideas for relief on pain in my feet. it's good to know i'm not alone in foot pain...not that i want anyone else hurting...but know i do feel your pain....hugs to you all.
  • DanaLark
    DanaLark Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks so much...I will try some of these stretches as my podiatrist never mentioned any of them. I am still exercising but my trainer is working around the foot problem so many exercises have been eliminated. To the reply that says I am overdoing it, I am not...only going to Gym 3xweek...I do have a lot to lose which is part of the rapid loss but I suspect it is because I quit drinking. For me, this has been the key to my success since I can't have just that one glass of wine. This foot pain is worse than the knee surgery was. But I will not quit! Less weight is bound to help with much of what hurts.
  • tadel1515
    tadel1515 Posts: 3 Member
    Get KT tape and watch YouTube on how to use it for your feet. I have the same thing and when it flairs up that is the only thing that will help
  • charlieandcarol
    charlieandcarol Posts: 302 Member
    eliciaholly wrote: »
    i had a stress fracture on my left foot and tendonitis on my right, the brace is still on my right for the tendonitis but the boot is now gone for the stress fracture, but..... today i came home from shopping with my daughter and i just know...i'm hurting real bad...i can't flex my toes, i can't put pressure on my foot, the stress fracture is back. i feel like i go around and around with this same issue. how do i even begin to start this battle of losing weight when i can't even stand on my feet to walk(that's my battle cry in my head...) I have to find a better diet regimen since walking isn't going to be a option obviously but i definitely will be reading this thread for ideas for relief on pain in my feet. it's good to know i'm not alone in foot pain...not that i want anyone else hurting...but know i do feel your pain....hugs to you all.

    Foot pain is horrible, I haven't had a stress fracture but have had plantar facitis and achilles tendonitis. You can lose weight without exercising as long as you keep to your calories with your diet. Exercise is good for your health but lots of people on here have lost weight without it.

    Maybe you could focus on your nutrition whilst waiting for your feet to get better and doing whatever needs to be done to get your feet right.

    It is so frustrating but problems with feet are usually only resolved with rest and rehab. My own experience is that the more you try to push through, the worse it gets.

    Good luck with it and happy New Year to you and everyone else.
  • DanaLark
    DanaLark Posts: 7 Member
    I found lots of good exercises for this problem on line and have started doing them. I am taking the next four days pf my feet as much as possible. I am focusing on nutrition and have had lots of success. One item I found interesting is that it could be that a magnesium deficiency can cause this....anyone else heard of this?
  • mamainthekitchen
    mamainthekitchen Posts: 929 Member
    @DanaLark do have pain in your heel too? I've had that sore stretching piercing pain underneath my foot for years but that seems to be better as I've stopped going barefoot around the house. But now I have real pain in my one heel with most every step.... I'm trying the tennis ball exercises at night which feel good just wondering what pain you have
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Accupressure mat? I googled it. Looks affordable. But do stores sell it? I can't buy anything without touching it first. Guess I'm old fashioned.

    I don't know. I got mine on Amazon. AS for touching it first. I suspect if I had touched the mat before I bought it I would not have bought it. It took a little getting used to. Those little spikes are pretty sharp. Not so much that they will break skin but for me the first few times I used the mat were really painful. Now I love the thing and fall asleep on it.

    My friends think I'm nuts but my back sure is happy.
  • Bostonbee79
    Bostonbee79 Posts: 40 Member
    I went to a chiropractor who specializes in A.R.T. I went for 4-6 months and he performed miracles. I've been pain free for over a year. Before that I struggled with PF for at least 4 years. Cortisone shots didn't help. Neither did the very expensive orthotics I bought. The orthotics only helped after going to the chiro. Now using the orthotics is a must or else the pain does start to come back. I also use a ball to roll my feet on, and I do calf stretches.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,155 Member
    The stretches really do help me a lot. Instead of rolling a tennis ball, I freeze a plastic water bottle and roll that. It lets me ice and do the rolling at the same time. I also take Aleve at night.
  • Monklady123
    Monklady123 Posts: 512 Member
    I cured my plantar fasciitis by wearing nothing but Crocs and Birkenstocks, nothing else. Nothing. (and I guess I should say "put it in remission" because are we ever cured of it?) I never walked barefoot, no slippers, nothing but Crocs and Birks. I also never let my foot rest flat when I was sitting anywhere, I propped up the ball of my foot so the entire foot was at an angle. For awhile I wore one of those night splints but I couldn't stand how it felt so I gave that up and just made sure to stretch my foot before I got up.

    Crocs and Birks. And my foot always at an angle.

  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    I'm just about over a flare up of plantars. Sorry... I know what you mean. I love walking & try to walk 100000 steps a week and i have to say rest helps a lot. I hate not walking! But it got better during the holidays when I walked less. I wear orthotics all the time. And I'm very careful about shoe choices. I stretch, ice & all that too. Wishing you a pain free new year.
  • mamainthekitchen
    mamainthekitchen Posts: 929 Member

    kgirlhart wrote: »
    Instead of rolling a tennis ball, I freeze a plastic water bottle and roll that. It lets me ice and do the rolling at the same time. I also take Aleve at night.

    ^^^ brilliant!! I'll be trying that

    Just looked up Birkenstocks and I think I'll be checking those out further! What everyday winter shoes (ladies) can be purchased? Finding it hard to find a good pair of shoes to wear with jeans! I've been wearing my good runners with everything! I've also been told to wear Crocs around the house!
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    I recently suffered a second encounter of plantar fasciitis and though not as bad as my first encounter with the suggestion of my doctor I purchased a pair of heel cups. I wore mine just about everyday including sleeping in them, I put them in my socks and that way during my night trips to the restroom I wasn't reinjuring my foot.

    I personally never had any real success with my orthotics, had two sets made for me - one for flats and one for heels.

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