Plantar fasciitis is making me miserable

[woollyminded]

Just come on to have a bit of a moan really and on the off chance that somebody knows about something I haven't tried. Doing my exercises, got some orthotic shoe inserts and things are MUCH better than before. But still nursing very sore feet after only moderately active days and it's getting me down, I'm not getting enough fresh air, feeling lethargic and boring. Will it ever go away?

[flumplet]

It's horrible and miserable isn't it. Mine is the best it has been in ages since I started wearing the memory foam sketchers go walk shoes. They're sure as hell not the prettiest but they've made such a difference. Don't walk bare foot, do toe to heel foot stretches before getting out of bed, and ibuprofen gel is your friend. I feel for you op I really do.

[woollyminded]

Thanks flumplet. It's not the worst thing in the world and I don't want to be whinging about my bad feet all the time. I think I'll get some of those sketchers, I've heard other people say good things about them before. Even if they are a bit funny looking at least I could go out of the house in them, unlike the mint green crocs I'm in right now!

The exercises really do help, I do them all. Trying to work out if I can fit some swimming into my schedule as I really need to burn some energy to fight off this low mood I think.

[notapizzaeater]

Best shoes I wore whilst I had it was fit flop shoes, sandals and boots.

[StuffandBother]

Omg! I've just posted about trying to find some trainers, my PF is a lot better than it was but like you, at the end of the day I can barely even bear to let the duvet rest on my sore heels :(

I wear Clarks funny dreams with orthotics in for work and they are my best bet so far.

[woollyminded]

It's good to hear from people who know what it's like, it has perked me right up. I will look at all those shoe tips too. Thank you

[Titsywoo]

Pretty much all the mums at the school gate seem to have this at the moment (including me!). A summer of sandals and flip flops is most likely to blame. Doing the tennis ball thing every night works for me and I'm getting some skechers soon. When I do the tennis ball exercise I also roll it between my feet so the inside edge of my foot gets done too as I find when I do it there is pain there too so it clearly needs attention!

[ThornyBird]

I had it - all gone now so don't give up. I think mine was caused by my sheepskin boots, they were too flat and unsupportive for all the walking I do.

Best thing for me was/is stretching out my hamstrings(?) - I do it every morning before I get up and while I watch telly in the evening. And more supportive shoes/boots.

[han01uk]

In also coming out the other side of suffering for a long time with one sided pain. Supportive footwear,regular pain meds and resisting the temptation to go back to I comfy footwear once a slight improvement has been made all help! Also try freezing a bottle of water and rolling your foot over it,it really does help. I also resorted to acupuncture!

[Bellyrub1980]

Rest from aggravating activity as much as possible.

Stretch (full toe to ankle) 30 secs 5 times a day.

Massage.

Arch support.

Consider K tape (you tube it)

Straussburg sock at night or a dorsiwedge boot.

If none of that works, consider a steroid injection.

[woollyminded]

It's reassuring to hear that it might not be forever. I know now that I've had it for quite a while (hindsight!) without knowing what it was but that it got suddenly much worse about 8 weeks ago. I expect you are right, slopping about in sandals and plimsoles is probably a big factor.

Right then. Voltarol gel and bed for me - oh the glamour!

[DailyMailPenisPieces]

I have almost got in top of mine too - partially thanks to ugly sketchers . Can anyone link to other good footwear pls?

[BlackandGold]

I saw a Podiatrist at a Sports Injury Clinic and eventually paid a small fortune for custom made orthotics - which have really worked but I wore them 24/7 initially, even in my slippers!

Was advised to write the alphabet in the air with each foot before I got out of bed in the morning.

This was several years ago now but I remember it well!

[dalmatianmad]

I had PF for about 2 years (nurse +12 hour shifts)was so painful that I struggled to walk some days.
I had a couple of steroid injections which provided initial relief.
I did lots of the exercises, bottle of frozen water worked best. It eventually went and I've been ok for about a year

[BillyDaveysDaughter]

I've had it for 18 months - exercises, gait analysis and £500 orthotics have not helped. I live in my Nikes even at work and I'm so tired of the constant pain.

I've finally got a referral to an orthopaedic foot specialist tomorrow, hoping to score a steroid injection...

[Optimist3]

Birkenstocks rather then crocs or fitflops - better arch support.

Use arch support in all shoes

Ensure you don't heel strike when walking. Land with your foot flat on the ground

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

Slippers with really thick spongy soles were my friends when I had it - the furry boot type, but only ones with plenty of padding. Trainers or comfy flat boots, especially with an insole added, for outside.

I always seemed to find it would suddenly go away on its own just when I was starting to despair - so there is still hope!

[DoreenLethal]

I managed to get rid of mine by always wearing go walks or crocs, look shite but the difference is phenomenal.

I wore the go walks as slippers, with proper insoles for my outdoors boots and shoes. Never have a pair of footwear now without insoles.

[DontAskIDontKnow]

It's not actually wearing sandals or non-supportive shoes that are the problem. It's having feet that are too weak to wear non-supportive shoes because they've normally been kept in supportive shoes. Couple that with tight calves and hamstrings caused by high heels (any heel is a high heel) and sitting a lot and you get plantar fasciitis.

Wear orthotics and sketcher shoes whilst you're in pain and need to get about, but if you want to cure it you need to strengthen your feet and loosen the tight muscles in your legs.

[woollyminded]

This is all great info, thank you all again I'm pleased to hear that it can be beaten, I suppose I knew really that it could being as the arch supports and exercises made such a quick impact. I have ordered some go-walks, I have embraced the sensible shoes! Am wearing crocs in the house at all times and this evening I am packing away all the forbidden shoes so that I don't look at them every morning and then start the day pissed off.

If in a month it still feels this bad I will fork out for a foot-physio and talk to them about what next, strapping, fancy orthotics or whatever.

[woollyminded]

Just looked up the straussburg sock - bloody hell! That's sort of hilarious, but not.

[twinkletoedelephant]

2 years and I still can't get out of bed in the morning without having pain :-(

I have tried loads if inserts different heal sizes shoes/trainers/boots.
Gp not much help...and has said injection is horrendously painful and probably wouldn't work..
And u have out in 2 stone in 2 years as the thought of running is madness when I can just about hobble....I even bought an adult scooter for yhe school run

[woollyminded]

Oh twinkle, that is awful, have the exercises not helped at all?

[Imnotaslimjim]

I had it for 2.5 years but research showed that short of insoles, not much was to be done and it would go on its own. I always put it down to my weight (I'm 20+ stone)

I'd lived in sandals and dolly shoes as they we're all that's comfortable. A few weeks ago, I splurged on a new pair of shoes. They have a decent insole and a slight heel. My PF has gone, practically overnight. I really wasn't expecting it! They're M&S footglove court shoes and they feel lovely!

[defaulttodippy]

I have suffered from this every summer ( and then into Autumn) for the last few years- flat shoes and fit flops are not my friend. I second everyone else's very sensible suggestions re exercises and ortho supports.
However , what really helps me is a 6 cm heel! It seems to be the perfect height for me to be able to walk pain free and consequently heal up.

I imagine more knowledgeable folks would say I'm probably just perpetuating the 'shortened calf muscle' theory - but it has literally changed my life.
I use really built up inserts in my shoes/trainers all the time and then at the first hint of soreness , I make sure I wear a slight heel and it really helps.

[DontAskIDontKnow]

defaulttodippy
If you think of it as having 2 elastic bands joined up at right angles, the horizontal one is your plantar fascia and the vertical one is your calf muscle, then lifting the bottom of the vertical one higher (adding a higher heel) will release the tension. The only problem is that as the elastic gets older it becomes more stiff (as can muscles when they are not stretched) and when you try and stretch it back to the original right angle position the tension is then much greater and may result in the elastic breaking.

It's a simplified model, but I think it illustrates quite well the relationship between the two main muscles.

My advice is to use the heels of you need to, but when you do make sure that you are doing lots of calf stretches (10 times a day if you can) to compensate.