Planter fa****is (heel/foot pain)

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DeathIsMyGift
DeathIsMyGift Posts: 434 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
**EDIT** I have no idea why MFP has chosen to censor "fasciitis" in my heading. geesh.

I was obsessed with hiking about a month ago and one day I woke up and my heels were very sore. I just attributed it to all of the hiking, trails and walking I had been doing but here it is a month later and my left heel is worse than ever. So of course I went to The Google and realized I may have Planter fa****is.

"Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a painful inflammatory process of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole (bottom surface) of the foot. It is often caused by overuse of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis)


I was really gearing myself up to be a runner one day and this has hindered that dream quite drastically.

Has anyone else had experience with this? If so, how have you treated it?

Replies

  • knl124
    knl124 Posts: 44
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    I have it, my sister has it, and my dad has it. Unfortunately, every time we have been to the doctor the only thing they say to do is rest it. Mine comes and goes. I got foot insert to support my heel and take some of the pressure off. Since I have had those it has caused my very minimal problems and I haven't had to cut down on any activity. I went to the doctor to get them and they were very expensive, but definitely worth it.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    I've had it. Once I lost weight, it went away. While I was dealing with it, I iced my foot and used a tennis ball and rolled it under my feet. I also stopped wearing flip flop type of shoes and didn't walk barefoot (both can make the PF worse). In the mornings, I would stretch my calves out before getting out of bed and that helped, too.
  • DeathIsMyGift
    DeathIsMyGift Posts: 434 Member
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    Hey ladies....
    thanks for the input. I'm going on two weeks now without working out. It's driving me crazy. I bought a boot from Walgreens and I wear it while I sleep. I stretch out my calves in the morning before I walk, ice it, take Aleve, bought FOUR new pairs of running shoes along with insoles and...it's hard to lose weight when I can't work out lol.

    One day at a time I guess.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    I had it last month and pretty much got rid of it within 4 weeks. What helped the most was using a night splint. Other things I did was get new shoes with some cushion; I was using Vibrams. I also rolled it a lot on a golfball and frozen water bottle. I also cut back on my running for a few weeks from 75 to 45 miles per week.

    According to my podiatrist, if you give it aggressive treatment early it should get better soon. If you wait a long time to treat it then it might become chronic.
  • Misty_Rage
    Misty_Rage Posts: 20 Member
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    I had it years ago and it got so bad that I would crawl to the bathroom at night. Are you going to a foot DR? I ended up with a prescription for a med and special insoles.

    When that didnt work we moved on to steroid shots in my heels. I have NEVER had a problem again! I am also heavier now than I was at the time.

    If you are seeing a regular Dr, try a specialist. Many people don't understand the horrific pain involved.
  • StacyPervis
    StacyPervis Posts: 32
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    I've had it for years. I get cortisone shots in my heels about every 3-6 months and it helps.
  • tosmoothash
    tosmoothash Posts: 187 Member
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    I have it in BOTH FEET!!! Bummer!! I am currently seeing a podiatrist and he has given me cortisone shots in both of my feet and he has given me a boot to wear on my feet at nite...although I admit most nights I don't bc I feel like a retard...lol!!! Icing your feet or freezing a tennis ball and then placing it under your feet can really help!!! I'm hoping that maybe after the weight loss it will eventually go away. The only times it really hurts me is first thing in the morning or after you have been sitting for a long time. But it is a constant pain.
  • 1DeterminedGal
    1DeterminedGal Posts: 20 Member
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    Many summers ago, I walked off 20 lbs without dieting, but I wore cheap shoes. I ended up with bilateral Plantar fasciitis, and it was debilitating. It was so horrible, I walked like an old woman (I am now, but wasn't then! wink) when I would get up after sitting or lying down for any length of time, because it was so painful. I finally saw a orthopedic doctor who had a insert made that was molded to each foot individually. I wore them for quite a while, but it finally went away and now I don't have any problems at all. Thankfully!!
  • nphillips0124
    nphillips0124 Posts: 72
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    Ouch! Can you see a doctor? Maybe there is some sort of physical therapy you can do to work through that!
  • Cocochickdeleted
    Cocochickdeleted Posts: 343 Member
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    I've been fighting with some pain in my left heel, but I think it's my Achilles tendon jacking with me. I also think I now have sciatica. It really stinks to get old. I have never run in my life, and now that I want to, my body is rebelling! But I am determined to fight through it. Hope your PF clears up!
  • kls13la
    kls13la Posts: 377 Member
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    I had this a couple of years ago. The night splint and shoe inserts helped (the Dr Scholls plantar fasciitis ones were actually the best off the rack ones I found), but what really fixed it in a hurry was using an inferno wrap. (You can google it.). Within a few weeks of using it twice a day the pain was gone.
  • cheryl5115
    cheryl5115 Posts: 154 Member
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    I have it, I went to the foot doctor, He told me not to wear flip flops unless they were crocs because they have arch support. I also have shoe inserts. He told me after the heeling time, you can do just about anything you want to do. If Running wear the inserts.
    So it is something you I can live with.
  • DeathIsMyGift
    DeathIsMyGift Posts: 434 Member
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    Wow...after reading some of your stories I should just shut up and stop being a baby LOL. It isn't so bad that I can't walk. Like I said in my original post, after hiking and walking a lot I just thought my feet were "sore" but it went on for a few weeks. It was worse in the mornings as most of you have said. Then one day I decided to go for a walk/jog/sprint (I'm not to the "running stage" quite yet) and the next day I was like, "WTH?" It was waaaay worse so I used The Google and figured out what it was. That night I went out and bought a splint boot to wear at night. Since then I've been wearing it every single night and stretching before I get out of bed. I have NOT seen a doctor yet because it isn't unbearable, just slightly annoying. I *could* get on the elliptical if I wanted to but I don't want to make matters worse. I want to treat it properly before it gets out of hand. As previously stated, it's only been two weeks since I've figured out what the problem is and since then I've been pretty serious about treating it. I have proper insoles for all of my shoes. I got cleared at work (I work in an office) to wear my Brooks running shoes (insoles inside!) during the work day and even when I get home I don't take them off. The only time I remove the running shoes is when I sleep....and put on the "fruit boot" as my girlfriend calls it.

    As I've read, some of you have it way worse than I do. I guess I'm just bummed out that after a few months of "half assing" my workouts I really want to go balls to the walls again and I can't. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully in a few more weeks I'll be good enough to slowly ease back into the elliptical workouts.

    Again...thank you all so much for your input. It really helps reading other people's stories.

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