Plantar fasciitis - help!

BerryH
BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey, have any of you had plantar fasciitis? Did you find anything that helps it heal quicker? I've got a half marathon at the weekend and my heel and arch are killing me. I thought it was from wearing high heels one day and ballet flats the next, but it's pretty much a classic PF pain now.

Replies

  • Lotte34
    Lotte34 Posts: 429 Member
    Ive never had it but after reading it would a bit of R.I.C.E help?
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
    I've got a half marathon at the weekend and my heel and arch are killing me.

    My doctor said rest is the only cure. I wouldn't advise doing this. Have you seen a doctor?
  • lazatin
    lazatin Posts: 452 Member
    I had it and bought good shoes..asics...and it went away almost instantly!
  • scott1024
    scott1024 Posts: 279 Member
    Stretches, such as wall push-ups will help, but rest is the best thing. Make sure you have GOOD shoes. Lots of good reading available on the web.
  • voluptas63
    voluptas63 Posts: 602 Member
    Have you tried stretching out your foot when you wake up in the morning?
  • Mustangsally1000
    Mustangsally1000 Posts: 854 Member
    Yoga really helped mine. I've had trouble with it for years..not so much now. You need to really work your feet. When you are standing (barefoot) really stretch your toes out. See how far you can get them..forward and apart. Try and feel all the parts of your feet and toes on the floor. Then try and lift your arch up off the floor, all the way across your foot. So that perhaps you could slide a
    straw under your foot and it would go all the way through. Not sure I ever got there, but you get the idea. Work those muscles each day..a really good stretch. It helped me a lot..
  • jennyt4bb
    jennyt4bb Posts: 5 Member
    I had tried a bunch of stuff when I had this a few years ago, someone mentioned to try taking a Calcium & Magnesium supplement. It went away within 2 days of taking the supplement - not sure if it was just a fluke as I 've never had it again, but it's worth a try.
  • alicollins74
    alicollins74 Posts: 335 Member
    I have had it for many years. R.I.C.E...also stretching the calf muscle works wonders. The calf is connected to the tendon on the bottom of the foot. I also had to get cortisone shots (which didn't really help) and custom orthotics. I always used it as an excuse not to exercise...But the strangest thing is the more I did exercise and strengthen & stretch my calves, it got better! It still hurts every once in awhile but not like it used to. I have worn out my orthotics so thank you for reminding me that I need to get more made! Good luck w/your foot!
  • silvernik
    silvernik Posts: 8 Member
    Take this advice at your own risk, however this worked for me (I had all the classic symptoms of PF but I think I had something as a precursor)....

    ..... Use lots of baby oil (or other oil) and give your foot a lovely massage to get it nice and warm. Once it's warmed up start giving a hard massage to the bottom of your heel and at this point you may feel little pops and bursts as if bubble wrap is popping inside your heel (except more painful than popping bubble wrap) - keep massaging until the pops subside and cool your foot down with a gentle massage.

    I found this improved my symptoms massively and immediately. Then repeated massage each day for a few day meant 3 years of symptoms were beaten. If I over-do it in silly shoes then I get the start of the symptoms again, I massage straight away and they don't take hold.

    However, if it's proper PF complete with growth/scarring from spurs on the heel bone then this advice isn't appropriate.
  • mcmcmcshane
    mcmcmcshane Posts: 32 Member
    I got PF last Oct training for my first 5K. I ran through the pain, ran my race, & a year later ..I'm still in pain :/ I was also a bartender though so I was always on my feet. I had a cortizone shot back in March(?) that provided extraordinary temporary relief but haven't had another since my insurance ran out. The only thing that helps me live pain free now is the right shoes. I wear a pair around the house that have a high arch & bought inserts, to put in my gym shoes, that force my arch up.
    Good luck!
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    I'm not sure what they're called, but get some stretching bands and use them to stretch out the bottom of you foot.

    seatedrow.jpg

    Should be able to get them Target or a drug store.

    Good luck, it hurts! :embarassed:
  • angisnee
    angisnee Posts: 236 Member
    I actually had plantar fasciitis until I started running. The difference, I think, is that I got my feet evaluated and then bought good quality shoes. Unforunately, the only thing that usually makes it better is rest and ice.

    My doctor recommended that I wear shoes with a good arch support all day, even at home, instead of slippers or flip-flops. When I stuck to that in the past, my pain was always better.

    Good luck on your half marathon, and I hope you get some relief soon!
  • jnanof
    jnanof Posts: 52 Member
    My concept of "good" shoes changed the day I bought a crappy pair from a discount store and realized I had no pain!. Its the type of shoe that matters more. The on staff podiatrist at a GOOD shoe store said that the shoe allowed my feet to roll and that was helping my feet. She directed me to a nice shoe to buy ($100) and I saved $50 because I did not have to buy any inserts.
    I really urge you to go to a quality shoe store, SOMEONE LOCALLY OWNED and ask for the right shoe.
    I have been pain free for a year!

    JOANN
  • whiskey9890
    whiskey9890 Posts: 652 Member
    My friend used to get it really badly and had to wear a brace type thing during the night to keep her foot at right angles, could be worth trying to keep your foot in this position as much as possible, but I'm not sure, hope you get it sorted
  • Fitnin6280
    Fitnin6280 Posts: 618 Member
    I have it, and I bought Orthoheal shoes (you can find them on Zappo's.com), and my feet started feeling better almost immediately. They have sandles and tennis shoes, and to tell you the truth they are not the most stylish, but they really do work. But really the key is to find shoes with really good arch supports, and to give it time.
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    Use frozen water bottles and roll the arches of your feet over them. It's massage and cold all in one. Get really good shoes or inserts. Try to stretch in the morning when you get up. Rest if possible.
  • voluptas63
    voluptas63 Posts: 602 Member
    I'm not sure what they're called, but get some stretching bands and use them to stretch out the bottom of you foot.

    seatedrow.jpg

    Should be able to get them Target or a drug store.

    Good luck, it hurts! :embarassed:

    A belt works for this as well:) That's what I used.
  • iamahealthychick
    iamahealthychick Posts: 207 Member
    Tennis ball/ chilled wine bottle/golf ball under your foot to break things up, ice then heat (ending with ice...TRUST me), wearing shoes with firm soles ALL the time, I have a special sock that keeps my foot flexed while I sleep, put a towel on the floor and bring it to you by scrunching your toes then push it away with your toes, stretch out your calf using the 'lunge' with a straight back leg then stretch again by bending the knee of your back leg (that will get the upper and MORE importantly the lower calf muscles), stop wearing high heel since they shorten up the muscles and a huge dose of patience. I also went to massage therapy. It took 6 months to resolve the left foot and we caught the right foot early so that one took a month or so.
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    Oh, and Orthaheel shoes and flip flops saved my life! They are fantastic!! And wear shoes all the time, even when at home.
  • apee24
    apee24 Posts: 46
    I had the same problem not to long ago. I tried the stretches, rolling a frozen bottle under my foot, slept in a foot brace. I gave up and went to the doc and got a cortizone shot in my heal. It is pretty painful, and ur foot aches for the day. The next day, though, it felt like I never had it. The doc told me I may have to have another, which will be soon because I'm starting to have problems again, but I will do it again because it takes the pain completely away.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Great suggestions here, thanks, I knew I'd find some MFP experts! :flowerforyou:
  • Tangerine302
    Tangerine302 Posts: 1,509 Member
    I agree with the stretches that pull your toe area back toward your body. I don't know if plantar fas. is what I had, but my heel was bothering me and I tried putting gel inserts of different kinds in my shoe and it wasn't helping. I was limping on it and looked up the symptoms. It mentioned the plantar fasciitis. So after trying all these different things, I found a site that talked about these stretches. (just like the picture posted). I did them as I was out of different things to try and would you know it went away. I was happy! :) It didn't take that many times of doing it either. I was amazed! Good luck to you!

    Oh, I didn't use any kind of band, just used my hand to stretch my foot back.
  • Poor you!
    When I ha it last year (too much walking on ballet pumps) I found the most helpful thing to reduce pain was some gel heel inserts from Boots in my shoes. They pushed the outer side of the foot up and in a little which lmost immediately stopped the pain. What also helped me get rid of it (but it took about 6 months) was regularly stretching the backs of my legs out which I now find I do habitually anyway - seems to keep it from coming back! The doctor advised strong ibuprofen (for anti-inflammitory properties) taken regularly for several months but I could never remember to take them regularly enough so can't vouch for this.
    Good luck!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Well I'm stretching, icing and massaging like pad. Runner's World had a special on it this month, conveniently. I'm taking a break from running (and ballet flats!) to concentrate on strength training and alternative low-impact cardio fror a while. Hopefully I'll come back stronger to start training for the London Marathon in a few weeks, but unfortunately I have to drop out of tomorrow's half marathon.
  • Lucylaser
    Lucylaser Posts: 94 Member
    I had it so bad that I was in a walking cast for a month!

    I found that Ice, NSAID pain releivers, and rolling a tennis ball under my foot really helped. I also only wore my running shoes for about 2 months. My pain has completely resolved.
  • bonkers5975
    bonkers5975 Posts: 1,015 Member
    I've been struggling with this for months now. I finally found a 3point lift from Footsmart that is helping more than anything. I wear it all day. It's two piece and one goes around the arch and fastens with velcro. The other goes around your ankle and then reaches beneath the arch and also fastens with velcro. It really supports the arch and alleviates some of the pain.

    Hope you feel better! :)
  • naturallykat
    naturallykat Posts: 118 Member
    I got this from bar work, and these things helped:

    MBTs (seriously amazing but be warned, DO NOT under ANY circumstances use if wet or icy. I broke my leg on ice wearing these and they give you NO traction on any vaguely slippery surface. However, they are amazing and bliss for PF relief.

    Properly fitted orthotics helped, but up to a certain point.

    GOOD memory foam insoles - wish I could remember who I bought mine from. Best £15 ever spent, and certainly more use than the £65 orthotics I bought

    Rest - proper rest, for long enough. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place until I had 6 months enforced time off work - I broke my leg! That time in recovery was long enough for my PF to recover, and that along with good shoes and insoles has meant I am symptomless, apart from the very very occasional twinge.

    Wide enough, flat enough and cushioning enough shoes. I honestly think these are the most important thing. Forget heels for a good few months. I wear Hotter brand flats, which are not the most attractive (My mum's choice of brand, not mine, gives you an idea of style!) but the ones I have are acceptable style, and those insoles I was talking about. Basically, cushioned enough sole, and big enough shoes for your foot to spread out and function properly. There is a school of thought that says orthotics and shoes change the way we walk/run, and that too much support will actually weaken your muscles. I now have a lower arch than I did with the orthotics, but I figure its just the way my feet have adapted to me, my weight and what I'm doing work and exercise-wise. If I could go completely barefoot I would, so I try to stay as close to as nature intended as possible these days. It helps that I've done shed loads of research into horses and how horse shoes hinder their foot development, so I just transferred the theory and it makes a lot of sense to me!

    Hope you get relief soon.

    Crocs were the best thing since sliced bread for me. I currently wear hotter shoes with the memory foam insoles, and I am symptomless for the first time in 2 years.
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