Experiences with plantar fasciitis?

I did have it and it was very painful so I went to a podiatrist and got custom orthotics. I also followed his advice on types of shoes to wear. He also gave me a few stretching exercises to do after walking (exercise). And it healed completely! I no longer have the problem. Also don't wear orthotics anymore either.

I got PF this past July, doing more running than I was ready for. In my case it was doing "too much, too soon" in my barefoot running, instead of taking it slower and giving my feet time to adapt to the new demands I was placing on them. I should have stuck to the C25K running plan, instead of getting excited that I *could* run and way overdoing it one day.

I decided, after a lot of reading up on it, to go a slightly different route than many will say is the Only Way To Deal with PF. What I agree with, as far as the usual advice is (in no particular order):

1. Rest the injury. This might mean taking a couple weeks/month off entirely. It might mean cutting back on activities as much as possible, and/or moving to alternative exercises for a while.

2. Stretch your calves and feet often - several times a day, every day.

3. Try to maintain a 90 degree bend in your ankle, rather than letting the foot dangle/point. Every time your foot points at all, the fascia, etc, are shortened, and then when you flex your foot again, it HURTS because you are *retearing* the plantar fascia every single time you lengthen it again. This is why with PF, it tends to hurt horribly with the first steps in the morning (because your foot in relaxation is not flexed all night long, and also after you've been sitting for a long time. Keeping your foot flexed/foot flat on the floor is very important until it's healed. A "night splint" can keep your foot in the correct position while you sleep - they run about $30-40 and can make a huge difference in recovery.

4. Massage of the fascia to break up scar tissue and promote healing -- you can do this with your fingers/knuckles, but getting a hard ball like a golf ball to roll under your foot is wonderfully helpful.

5. Ice your heel! Ice at least a couple times a day, 15-20 minutes. Many people like freezing a water bottle, and rolling that under their foot/heel.

Where I diverge from the conventional advice is that it tends to include something about "never go barefoot ever again; always wear a supportive shoe!" I wholeheartedly disagree with this. Wearing a shoe with a heel (which shortens the fascia and can provide a feeling of relief from the pain) is something I decided to actively avoid when dealing with PF. My feeling is that keeping my fascia/etc as lengthened as possible - in that flexed position - was important for longterm recovery. The last thing I want to do is encourage my plantar fascia to shorten and tighten, making me more prone to reinjury later on. I chose to deal with my PF as barefoot as possible. I stopped wearing any shoe with a heel, and after not running for a month, I started back on my running plan barefoot.

I totally get that barefoot running isn't for everyone, but my point is that if you are following all the other advice it may not matter if you wear shoes or not, or what kind of shoes you do wear. There are some PF sufferers who have it so severe and so chronic that shoes, shots, and/or surgery become the only options... but I think that for many others, following th *other* advice religiously can and will provide a great deal of relief, if not complete recovery. It can take a while for it to stop flaring up, because unlike muscles, the fascia, tendons, and ligaments tend to have little bloodflow and they can just take a long time to heal, regardless of what you do.

Another thing people will say is that you must stop all running, and any activity like that, until you no longer have PF. However, that blanket advice is not necessarily best for everyone. If your case of PF is quite severe, or is a recent injury, then I agree 100%. However, if your PF is fairly mild, it is absolutely okay to continue running or other activities if you use good sense. Perhaps cut back on your mileage, and if it still hurts, cut back even more. Don't do speedwork. If it starts hurting during your run and does not get better after a short while, STOP the run. Frequently take a moment during your jogging to stretch your calves, and stretch them well after. Massage your feet (with the golf ball or something like it) for a while before and after every single run.

Excess weight does increase your risk for PF, because it places more stress on the feet with each step -- while losing weight reduces that stress, you may find that you still probably still have to do the other stuff: exercises, stretches, massage, icing, and keeping your foot flexed.

http://tao-fit.com/self-treatment-for-plantar-fasciitis is a helpful starting place, IMO, for understanding and treating PF at home. I didn't do many of the exercises he suggests (didn't use the roller for my hips, for instance) but it's a good article and worth reading!

My main suggestion is look at all the advice that you receive, and take what works for you and leave what doesn't. Almost all podiatrists are in agreement about the approach to take with PF - and like I said, I agree with it wholeheartedly up to a point. I don't think that shoes are necessary (or even helpful) for everyone, and I agree with those that say that avoiding running is not always necessary. I also think some podiatrists are too quick to jump to orthotics, cortisone shots, and even surgery, when a little patience and a lot of PT and TLC would do the trick. (And I also am glad that podiatrists are there when shots, orthotics, and/or surgery are the only viable options, don't get me wrong! LOL)

Good luck! I hope you find relief... it can be awful to deal with!

I had the steroid shots and do the stretching all the time ...it took me 3 years to completely heal from it.

I lost 25 lbs. and haven't had it since.
:-)

I have it but it has been much, much better since I started exclusively wearing shoes with "zero drop" (no raised heel) and since I stopped running in raised heel running shoes.

This is a helpful link:

http://sock-doc.com/2011/03/plantar-fasciitis/

Like an earlier poster said...wearing raised heel shoes only cause your plantar fascia to shorten. Going barefoot and wearing shoes without a raised heel can help. I do all my running in either Vibrams or Nike water shoes...no arch support, no foam, no heel support.

The only time I can "feel" the PF is if I actively press on it with my finger or thumb. Otherwise, it is a non-issue whether I am walking or running.

After almost 2 years of physical therapy, it just was not doing it for me, nor the steroid injections, orthodics, wrappings, massages. I did opt for surgery and afterwards continued therapy and that was the last that I had difficulty. I'm still losing some weight and it has helped both my feet and knees

This link was VERY helpful to me when I first started out with PF, it shows the exercises to do to strengthen and stretch:

http://www.plantar-fasciitis-elrofeet.com/plantar_fasciitis_exercises.html

I had it and did PT for it. They had me do alot of calf/foot stretches. I also iced it everyday and took motrin. It took almost a year to get rid of it. I have lost some weight too and they say that helps. Hope you get better soon. It is so fun!!

I got PF in 2002 and tried everything $300 dollar orthodics, no flip flops, everything. It would still flare. Then in 2007 I broke the same foot and was put into a walking boot. Best thing that could ever have happened, but I'm not suggesting you break your foot.
At my local running store they sell a "night splint" and it looks like a walking boot without all the extra weight to protect meaning bones. You sleep in it every night and it stretches your foot as you sleep. After a week or so you'll find that your foot feels amazing and you may never need it again or you may be like me (I love 4 in heels even though they are so bad for my PF) and I bring out the boot every few months and let it heel again.

Hope that helps!!!

I had it, in both feet, lost 36 lbs and haven't had a problem since.