Plantar Fascitis - AIBU for help and advice

[marriedinwhiteagain]

Started last weekend - arch has dropped, ve painful (not my heel though). Ouch, ouich, ouch. GP has said sensoible shoes, slight heel - if still this sore in a month needs a referral to a podiatrist. Have one swollen foot - yuckity yuk.

Any further advice? Please, pretty please. What can io do to make the swelloing go down vain

[Miggs28]

my dad is suffering with this and he has found that Nike Airs are the comfiest shoes for him to wear at the moment and have really helped with the pain.

[PurplePotato]

I have this too, although not been to the doctor yet. I have tried various tips from the internet, and the most helpful has been to freeze a small bottle of water, and then spend half an hour rolling it back and forth under arch. Not sure whether it just anaesthetizes the foot with the cold - but it does seem to help. The other thing I've found is that walking barefoot really increases the pain, so I've been wearing Birkenstocks around the house.

[LiveItUp]

Google it obviously. It's called plantar fascilitis. Three tips:

Roller your foot over a golf ball to get the fascia within the foot more flexible so it isn't pulling on the calcaneous bone (heel bone).

Put a small bottle of water in the freezer and use this to roller your foot on when it is particularly painful as this helps the inflammation go down.

Get your calves massaged as the two main muscles in the calf also pull on the heel bone, so stretching that also takes the pressure off.

HTH.

[marriedinwhiteagain]

Wow that was quick - thank you

[Laquila]

I sympathise, OP. I find that doing pointy-toe/backwards-toe stretches for 5 minutes in the morning, before getting out of bed and putting your feet on the ground, can help. Also agree that walking barefoot, particularly on hard floors, can aggravate it, and would definitely recommend Birkenstocks. Do you have a helpful partner who could give you foot massages? I find gentle heel massage soothes it.

And the OP's right - it's plantar fasciitis (albeit with one more i), not fascilitis.

[BlingBang]

Had it recently, it lasted about 10 months and was quite painful. Had to ditch the really flat shoes like flip flops and wear more scorched and supportive like trainers and Reikker type sandals. Stretch your calves out regularly as it 's supposed to help. Also read about the rolling yor ae hover a bottle etc.

[DPotter]

I've had this and it is excrutiating so you have my sympathies. I found the following exercise really helped and within about 2 weeks. With shoes on (full shoe to help support the foot) curl up your toes as far as you can and tense the whole foot for as long as you can. will only be a few seconds to begin with as painful and you foot muscles aren't too strong. Do this whenever you remember - many times a day if possible. It tones up the foot muscles helping to pull up the arch and so lifting the nerve bundle off the floor. You can do it in bare feet or sandels but a good fitting shoe is best as it supports the foot. Good luck !

[Inkblinkandmustard]

The exercises in this leaflet are good

www.patient.co.uk/health/plantar-fasciitis

[Binkyridesagain]

I used to get it regularly, in both feet, and tried everything, stretching, ice, strapping etc the only thing that has 'cured' me has been a proper pair of well fitting walking shoes and some insoles called 'superfeet' they are fantastic, since using them I have not had any trouble with my feet, if I start to get a twinge I use the insoles and its sorted.

[NoHaudinMaWheest]

I've also found that ibuprofen gel rubbed into sole of foot twice daily helps.

[marriedinwhiteagain]

Hjave been living in baLlet flays and am going ouit to get some really sensible padded sandals tomorrow; loike merrell, timberland, j Siebel, etc. I cannot bear birkies they are just thje wrong shape for my feet but a friend hs said fit flops are the only thing shje's comfy in for this - wd they really have enough support?

[OhMerGerd]

The ball rolling/ice bottle thing works wonders. Last summer I was rolling my way thru the Olympics.

[TheHappyEverAfterFairy]

I suffered with this a few years ago.
Things that worked for me - shoe inserts (bought from a podiatrist not Boots! for about £10) worn all the time, meaning no open toed shoes
Spending time each evening using warm and cold gel packs on the base of the foot. 10 mins hot/10 mins cold (advice from sport injury/massage chap (SIMC))
Standing on stairs with affected foot half off and raising and dipping the heel to stretch it out (SIMC again)
And never wear completely flat shoes. Always have a heel of some sort. And never wear Birks!!! (SIMC advice again) According to him the effort required to keep them on as you walk (you kind of scrunch up your toes) plus the lack of heel makes them a total no-no!! He was right on everything else so I went with him on this one too.
I had several massage sessions too, as i'd waited some time to address the problem and I had adjusted my walking to minimise the pain, thus creating pain elsewhere. The pain during the massage sessions was phenomenal. Like someone sticking a knife in, so my best advice is to deal with it quickly and decisively.
These worked for me. I have not had a recurrence for several years now. Not passing them off as gospel though as i'm sure the Birks advice won't be a hit with many!

[acheekyvimto]

Thanks for these tips, my mum has been diagnosed with this week.

I'll pass them on to her.

[WestieMamma]

Arch supports. Once they're gone, they're gone. The pain is because the muscle is now being stretched beyond its capabilities. Get that arch lifted up again and the relief will be instant.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

I bought arch supports from Boots and they really helped.
Mine is linked to tight calf muscles so I used to do a lot of the stretches where you stand on the edge of a step and drop your heel down.

[Lovemynailstoday]

Recent lengthy post on General Health about this.

[marriedinwhiteagain]

Interesting - that's how I feel but the doctor said not to bother with over the counter supports because they don't fit properly. Was going to get some shoes/sensible sandals with a padded instep like siebel or something to stary with. I wish I could get a pair of old fashioned scholl wooden scholl clogs or muiles - not the slide things.

[Januarymadness]

If it is so painful you need painkillers make those painkillers ibuprofen it will take down swelling too

[DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved]

No not fitflops! They rock & stretch your tendon and if it's already under strain or ripped, they'll continue the ripping process!

You have to be careful with this one, as 'pushing on through' can end up giving you a worse injury.

[SageYourResoluteOracle]

You poor thing! I developed PF when DD was about 5 months old and I remember wincing in pain and hobbling around during night feeds/ nappy changes. So painful!

YY to exercises people have suggested. I was a beggar for wearing Uggs, Converse and Havaianas when pregnant/on maternity leave - no support at all. So I wore running trainers indoors and then when it was less wintery lived in my Fit Flops. These were the only things that alleviated the pain. I remember worrying that it'd never go and I'd be hobbling forever but it's now totally fine!

Good luck!

[SageYourResoluteOracle]

Oops- just spotted PP re Fit Flops but I swear they worked for me and orthotics didn't do that much in my case.

[DoubleLifeIsALifeHalved]

Sage I suspect fitflops could be strength building when on road to recovery, but if there is an actual tear it needs to heal first...

[Budgiegirlbob]

I had this recently, it lasted for two years! I really sympathise as it is really painful.

The most important thing is to get good support for your arch. I wore arch support insoles in all my shoes and trainers, all the time, and it really helped. Never walk barefooted.

The NHS website has a list of exercises, these really helped, but you must do them every day.

In the end though, I had a steroid injection at the doctors, I put it off for ages, as everyone told me how painful it was, and I hate needles! But actually it was far less painful than the plantar fasciitus, and I wish I hadn't put it off for so long. It worked perfectly, and I have been completely pain free for over 3 months now.