Any advice about plantar fasciitis please? Post Reply

[FLH03]

Hi, I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot, 7 weeks in now, still very sore, and medically confirmed by doctor. GP says give it another 2 weeks, of doing stretches (was doing them anyway as recommended on numerous internet sites) wearing orthotic insoles (started that beginning of this week) and if no better then maybe see a physio or consider cortisone injections.

I used to go jogging regularly (not long long distances) and have stopped to try and get this better, but even regular walking with the dog or going out playing with kids on the commons/parks is making it really sore, so it is getting me down and I am missing exercising.

Has any one else suffered from this , and can offer any advice? Gratefully received - should I just go to a physio now, ask GP for cortisone referral anyway or does it just take time to heal on its own?

Thank you.

[popmama]

I am in a similar situation...i can't really offer any advice but would be interested to hear from anyone who has recovered.

Mine started in early December and got so bad I was not able to put any pressure on my right heel so ended up limping. I have a gp in the family so spoke to her and she explained that it is a very common problem for women often around 40+ years. (But can happen to anyone)....and often last for around 6 months. I started exercises, wearing insoles and walking less but it only eased after 3 months. My GP has referred me to a physio (appointment in May! so that was pretty useless). she suggested the physio before considering injections.

It really got me down as well, as I walked alot and run a bit before, however in the last few weeks it is feeling a little better, so i can see some light at the end of the tunnel but I am a long way from running again. I would welcome any advice.

[Jen66]

Exact same thing. Developed this in my mid 40s. Very painful, especially first thing in morning and first time foot made contact with floor when getting out of bed. Ouch!

I also used to run for fitness. Podiatrist told me I had to stop and I did. I paid a LOT of money for very expensive insoles that did nothing so I would be wary of going down that path.

It went after about a year and has never returned. But I no longer run or wear heels higher than about an inch and a half

[Claire M]

Hi

I had it for about 2 years and 4 years on still have twinges. I'm convinced orthotics made it worse as I ended up tearing some ligaments on the sole of my foot as well.

Best advice given to me was never ever go barefoot - even if you get up to go to the loo in the night put some slippers on.

I live in fitflop slippers at home. Sadly dont run anymore or wear heels.

Good luck!

[Claire M]

Ps - meant to say, cortisone injections didn't work for me.

[TonsleyDad]

Hi - I had this for about 3yrs but fingers crossed it has gone. It started after I did a triathlon as I competely stopped training after. I had 2 injections, the first one lasted about 9 months the other less than a month. After trying many things the ones that I found worked were as follows:

1). When you wake up, every morning stretch while still in bed, while on your back stretch, pulling your toes up towards your shins, hold for 30seconds, do this 5 times.
2). If you are in the house stretch your calf by hanging your heel off the stairs / steps.
3). Using a rubber roller under the arch a few times a week for 10 mins, you can get them on amazon.
4). I found a foot sock online that came with an ice pack you could slide in, then you can leave it while watching TVs in the evening.
5). Insoles did nothing for me and got quite expensive.
6) A specialist told me that a lot of pain comes from footwear, I stopped wearing leather soled shoes and it made a big difference.
7). Massage the calf, it makes a huge difference if that is tight

I hope this helps, please ask if you have any questions, happy to help if I can.

[FLH03]

Thank you all of you, that's very helpful. I love the arch rolling, I have been using my husband's shaving cream can which is cold as well, really nice feeling.

I am not getting on with insoles at all well, so it's interesting to hear your views about not bothering. I have always been a bare feet as much as possible person, that can't have helped.

I just hope I can go running again, I really miss it, I tried about 10 mins last week, the running was fine, but I was in a lot of pain afterwards, but it reduced back to my "normal plantar pain" levels by the next day, so I don't think I made it worse.

Thanks again

[MOTco]

I suffered from it in my late teens and remember how painful it was. I had a course of ultra sound treatment at St George's, rather than a cortisone injection. I also put some padding in my shoe to relieve some of the pressure. I was later diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondilitis and plantar fasciitis is a common symptom of the condition.

Good luck.

Andrew

[kitmum]

I also suffered with this in my early forties for about 6 months. Eventually found supporting the arch (not particularly the heel) brought about a massive improvement. So insoles with arch support really helped me as did wearing Fitflops rather than going barefoot. Have managed to avoid it since (by minimising walking barefoot) and if I feel the slightest tinge I make sure I wear good arch support shoes/ insoles.
Some people find that high heels actually help as there is less pressure on the heal and the arch is less stretched.

[Taff]

Hoka brand sneakers helped me a lot! It took awhile and I had to be really good about stretching but it both feet got significantly better once I started wearing Hokas. Good luck!

[shanna]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-sAn0qqzNU

I had plantar pain for 2 years - it drove me crazy and I tried EVERYTHING including a very painful injection which just wore off over several months. I even slept in splints, had special insoles created, sat with cold peas after running, massage - you name it I tried it!

The thing that worked totally blew me away as I didn't believe for a second that it would. My biomechanical podiatrist taped my foot in this special way and I left the tape on for I think 4-5 days. The pain was pretty much gone. For the first time in 2 years! I did it once more about a month later and it has still not returned over a year or two now. He sent me this link above so that I could tape it myself but I never had to. I have shared this with others with 100% success rate so far.

Don't know how, why or what - but it works!

[Tri_Fit]

Time won't heal it.

I had PF and it's a total nightmare. You have to work on that inflamed tissue. The key for me was breaking up all the adhesions.

I am still not completely rid of it, but this is what I have found to be helpful.

1. The spiky ball. BEST. THING. EVER.
It's hard and you roll it under your foot/feet. Stand on it. Squish it. It helped me so much. I really turned the corner with the the spiky ball. I was getting up in the middle of the night to roll my feet. It felt that good. And relief was that quick. Roll them first thing in the morning before you get out of bed, before you go to bed, when you take your shoes off. Whatever feels good for you. It is not a fix or cure, it's an aid to getting better. It really helped me.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-Tec-Athlet ... ll+pro+tec

(I don't know why it has no reviews on amazon uk - it has tons on the .com
https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Tec-Athletic ... B00JPOWVNG)

2. Massage
What I found to be very good was this video. The massages were VERY helpful and it was just generally good to understand all the physiology of your feet.

You have to break up the adhesions that form from all this inflammation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hauyuX-uCq8

(Huge bonus if you are in a relationship with someone who has a foot fetish or is generally a very nice person because it feels better when someone else does it.)

3. Stretching exercises - foot / calf etc. Google around for these

4. Shoe inserts - meh but OK
I tried a few different ones and my running shoe guy swears by these:
https://www.amazon.com/Sof-Sole-Length- ... +fasciitis

I think they are OK. Would it be worse without them now? I don't know. They are weird because they are hard and 3/4 length, but I can run in them and it feels fine.

5. More massage -
This is if you are really desperate.
I was visiting a friend and he happened to have this amazing electric foot massage device. I don't know what model he had but this is pretty close:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Naipo-Shiatsu- ... ager&psc=1

They key was the compression *(as opposed to the massage). It blows up an air bag around your feet and compresses them. I practically spent the weekend attached to it. Felt great. Went home with feet feeling much better.

6. I find that changing my shoes helps. Different running shoes, heels, whatever. Variety helps.

7. Other things I had heard were good but I didn't try:
Strassberg socks
Compression socks

I personally would stay away from any sort of injection or operation. I read everything I could find on PF and it seems that for many people, invasive procedures do not bring the promised relief. In fact, seems like many people have more pain. And it does not go away.

I would just really aggressively try to treat it with massage, spiky ball, etc.

[sarahm]

Hi everyone

Just wanted to add that I got this last year (I turned 40 and bits started to drop off me!). Like everyone else, it did take time (I got it in February and wasn't clear of it until about Oct/Nov).

The two things that made the biggest difference for me were:
-
stretching my hamstrings (which have always been very tight) each night and in the morning - and if you are as stiff as a board all over like me - stretching my shoulders and back (I'm sure there is a link between all these muscles somehow )

- this sounds bizarre but wearing wedge heels made a huge difference - it really helped and I'm sure this is what got it to go in the end in combination with the hamstring stretches. Perhaps it just supported the spread of weight across the base of my foot but in any case with summer coming, give it a go!

I have worn orthotics my whole adult life as I have pronating arches and they neither hindered nor helped. I continued to run, do British Military Fitness etc etc and again, didn't make a dramatic difference either way but the stretching did. Physio taping it up did also help at one point so I'd urge you to try that - I'm sure you can youtube it.

Hope you get some relief soon!

[Batsneedfriends]

Haven't posted in here on over a year, but your plea rang such a bell with me I had to post. Put up with it for ages - nothing really worked - until I found these. Wear them all the time now and it has never, ever come back

http://www.simplyfeet.co.uk/index.php/s ... ength.html