Anyone with Plantar Fasciitis???

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bubbles1212
bubbles1212 Posts: 206 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,
I am struggling with my feet. I was told in December I have Plantar Fasciitis. It started in my right foot. Now, it is in my left foot. I am trying to get some cardio in. Any ideas for what can be done with this issue? My Dr. told me to stay off of my foot for a while. I did, they got a little better, now happening again. I am afraid to stop working out again. Any help??

Replies

  • kristy6ward
    kristy6ward Posts: 332 Member
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    I developed Plantar Fasciitis when I was started on levothyroxine for my thyroid. I stayed away from the treadmills, but was still able to do the elliptical because it didn't stress my arch so much. I tried new shoes and a variety of inserts but none of that worked. Thankfully it went away on it's own after a couple months.
  • foss44
    foss44 Posts: 119 Member
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    Maybe bike riding or swimming would be a better option for now. Follow doctors orders or you ma.y be in worse shape than before
  • marriedwith
    marriedwith Posts: 72 Member
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    Yeah - plantar fasciitis is a pain to endure. I lost my job and was able to get off my feet, but now I'm trying to do some cardio and they really hurt.

    This is what I do - freeze a water bottle, twice a day put the arch of your feet on the bottle to bring down the inflammation. This is what the podiatrist recommend, also buy some heel cups for your shoes/sneakers. They also recommend anti-inflammatories such as motrin. They say that you will need to ice your feet twice a day for 3 months.

    Good luck!
  • Resalyn
    Resalyn Posts: 528 Member
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    In addition to what has already been suggested - you might also consider doing a stretch of both calves by standing on the balls of your feet on a stair - and slowly allow your heel to drop down. I do both feet at once, and slowly rock from the left to right, which puts a deeper stretch on one foot and then the other. I actually do this multiple times a day.

    Another thing to try besides the frozen water bottle is to get some of those knobby dryer balls - you know, the ones you can use instead of dryer sheets - and roll your foot around on top of one of those several times a day.

    I am a massage therapy student, and from what my instructor says when he was treating my problems with plantar fasciitis - sometimes plantar fasciitis can be related to tight muscles in the lower calf, around the ankle, and across the top of the foot. The fascia (the layer of connective tissue between your skin and your muscles) can get inflamed, and/or damaged - and you can develop scar tissue (adhesions) which then cause you to have flare ups any time you try to increase your activity.

    Doing the stretches and using a knobby ball breaks up those adhesions, which relieves the constriction, and allows you to heal. Doing these things on a regular basis can prevent further flare ups.....
  • Alexc2012
    Alexc2012 Posts: 20
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    Hi ... sorry about the pain you're experiencing. I'm a runner and suffered with PF for 2 weeks. I stayed off my feet as much as possible. Massage your feet & ice them. It will really help. Also take an anti-inflamatory pill ... such as Aleve. Have you tried using a stationary bike? ... I hope you feel better soon. Good luck! :smile:
  • janet0513
    janet0513 Posts: 564 Member
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    Stretching and icing!!! Have you seen a podiatrist? I suffered for so long with the pain. My doctor didn't believe in cortisone shots. Finally I went to a posiatrist and with 1 shot 60% better, with the 2nd shot 95% better.
  • Vespyr
    Vespyr Posts: 111 Member
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    As people have said...stretching. Biking can really help too with stretching the calf muscle. Also the right shoes and inserts.
  • cjc166
    cjc166 Posts: 222
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    I've been dealing with PF for 6 months. I can't run at all, or walk for a long distance or it absolutely kills me for the next few days. However, I do use an exercise bike 30 min/day 7 days/week and it doesn't bother me at all.
  • sisterlilbunny
    sisterlilbunny Posts: 691 Member
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    I have a very mild case due to a broken heel earlier this year. My heel cups have been an awesome addition to my life. I also run/walk with a good (yeah I dropped good money on it *sigh*) ankle wrap. The doctor finally gave me clearance to run/walk and so far so good. He did recommend swimming or recumbent biking for the times it flares up.
  • KarenShivers
    KarenShivers Posts: 1 Member
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    Try orthotics - I think Dr. Scholl's makes some pretty good ones now. Years ago, I got custom-made orthotics from my podiatrist (my insurance covered the cost of the first pair). The pain actually went away. I stopped using them and the pain has since resurfaced, though not as bad. I recently got inserts from ALINE Sales (aline.com) and they work pretty good. Good luck ~ that's an excruciating pain to deal with, but on the bright side as you lose weight the pain should lessen.
  • Rockerchick77
    Rockerchick77 Posts: 64
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    I have it myself as well. I got some GREAT inserts for my athletic shoes from my doc as soon as she diagnosed it. I wore nothing but athletic shoes for a good 6 months--probably about a year. I also did stretches like many others are recommending you do in this thread and those helped a lot.

    btw....the inserts you get in a drug store or similar aren't quite right for PF---ask your doctor for some. There's something about a specific pressure point.
  • JBApplebee
    JBApplebee Posts: 481 Member
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    My PF bothered me for a few years. I had cortisone shots, custom orthotics & better shoes, & it got so bad that it was giving me back problems. What really helped me was a place called Synergy. They perform ART (Active Release Therapy). It's not just a chiropractor, they work the muscles & tissues in the affected areas. I took 3-4 months @ twice a week, but now I'm at the gym 5-6 days a week & I can run pain free for the first time in about 5 years. If there's a place like this where you live, it's worth the money to check it out.
  • DaveRCF
    DaveRCF Posts: 266
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    The only thing that got rid of it for me was stretching. The best thing to do is to roll a tennis ball under your foot. Do this for about five minutes, especially when you are about to get out of bed in the morning. No reason why you can't do this while sitting at at desk during the day or while watching TV. This really works. The other thing you can try are those wooden, grooved cylinders you sometimes see. BTW, I got it after wearing orthotics for more than 20 years. It was the result of walking to and from the train station in dress shoes.

    Good luck!
  • bubbles1212
    bubbles1212 Posts: 206 Member
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    Thank you so much for your help! I do not have insurance at the moment, so, seeing a Podiatrist is kind of tough. I do have a stationary bike, I am going to give that a try. Also, ice and stretches. The ball idea is great too. I will give that a try. Thank you so much!!
  • Fitwam
    Fitwam Posts: 275 Member
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    I just went to the doctor about this on Tuesday! I was trying to train for another 5k at the end of the month. It's in my left heel...he said (and the sonogram showed) I have no fat pad in my heel. I tried to tell him I could show him somewhere he could take the fat and inject it into the heel...but he said it didn't work that way :sad: Once it's gone..it's gone. He has me doing stretches, many that have been mentioned here....ice as many times as you can a day. He did say...don't ever do the cortisone shot in the heel (just his opinion)..but he did give me a scrip of the decreasing levels of cortisone. UGH...not what I wanted since I am trying to LOSE weight!
    At any rate...I've been doing the frozen water bottle at night...went to this website many have suggested to me:http://www.footsmart.com/Default.aspx
    Ordered some of the highly recommended inserts for PF (do gave me some half pads, but I wanted a few more).

    Good luck and it's my understanding that we have to really take care of it now...because it can get worse!
  • lentigogirl
    lentigogirl Posts: 299 Member
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    tennis balls, orthotics, stretching all work. I also had cortisone shots but I do NOT recommend that. The one thing that I used that I haven't seen listed is tight foot bindings/bandaging, which provided terrific support for long walks.

    And the long range cure for me, of all things, was taking up a form of dance that involves a lot of barefoot work. My feet are now very strong. (Besides, in belly dance you are SUPPOSED to have a belly!)
  • Resalyn
    Resalyn Posts: 528 Member
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    And the long range cure for me, of all things, was taking up a form of dance that involves a lot of barefoot work. My feet are now very strong. (Besides, in belly dance you are SUPPOSED to have a belly!)

    Great point about doing a lot of barefoot work. I actually am transitioning to more minimalist footwear and getting away from heels for this reason! I wear Vibram Fivefingers for all my cardio and strength training! I wish I could wear them at work too, but dress code doesn't allow for it......
  • murfstroo
    murfstroo Posts: 9
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    Heel cups helped one of my kids in sports and arch supports helped my other very athletic child. Both were in terrible pain.
  • gg24
    gg24 Posts: 58
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    Yes and I suffered with bad feet for years (decades). I could never walk for very long and running was out of the question. About two years ago someone told me about Fit Flops. On a whim I bought a pair of sandals and I've never looked back. I now own two pairs of Fit Flop clogs and 1 pair of their tennis shoes. I can walk for more miles and miles and for hours and hours without pain. I wear the sandals around my house at all times. It is especially important to wear them when you are getting out of bed instead of slippers. Going barefoot is a problem for me. The shoes are a bit expensive but they have been life changing for me. I now can wear other types of shoes and boots without pain for a day or night, which is nice for special occasions.
  • mrsdizzyd84
    mrsdizzyd84 Posts: 422 Member
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    Yes, indeed. I really suffered for about a year straight, but I have been pain free for at least 2 years.

    What helped? I wore custom orthodics for a year. I don't need them anymore. You have to stretch in the morning and in the evening. Freeze a water bottle, put it on the floor, and roll it under your arch to ice and massage the area every evening. Sleep in a night brace.

    MOST IMPORTANTLY, no high impact cardio right now. You are in the midst of a flare up. Putting extra force on your heel is only going to prolong your suffering. Honestly, I was in a walking boot for 6 weeks the last time I had a bad flare. You have to break the cycle. Once the pain has subsided then you can reintroduce high impact cardio.

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