HELP- plantar fasciitus!!!

[Elouera]

I've had it 5 mths and isn't not easing. I've seen the GP, podiatrist and osteopath. I wear a supportive brace on the opposite knee due to mild osteoarthritis, but don't knowingly limp. I wear trainers most days and barefoot at home (and without the brace). I stretch my calves, roll over a ball and even tried a sock which bent the toe up whilst sleeping, but nothing is helping. Its worse the day after a long walk. I've also lost 10kg since it started. What else can I do?

[QueenofLouisiana]

Acupuncture cured mine. The treatment sometimes hurt like Hell, but it’s gone and not returned (treatment was 7 years ago).

[Elouera]

@QueenofLouisiana- Good to know that something has helped you. I'll look into it.

[Gooseysgirl]

Fitflops footwear!

[Eminybob]

Don’t go barefoot at home! I cured mine (had it 2 years, both feet, really bad) over 1 summer by wearing Birkenstock’s at home and outside.

[FrangipaniBlue]

I've got a ankle/foot support that's toeless and has a gel arch support that helps if I'm on my feet all day.

I also have a spiked mini foam roller like the picture that helps.

I'm told shock wave therapy is amazing for it so I'm debating trying it as I have a few running events this year coming up.....

[ElderAve]

I consider myself a bit of an expert in this field , in that I had it for almost 2 years and tried everything. It was just getting better in one foot and it started in the other.

It's one of those things I'd heard of but had no idea just how excruciatingly painful it is.

Anyway the regime that eventually "cured" me is:

Stretching calves in the morning before even thinking about putting a foot to the floor. Sit up, legs out straight, dressing gown belt around the ball of your foot and pull. Hold for 30s. Do this 3-5 times.

Roll foot on rolling pin for about a minute, also before getting up.

Stretch calves constantly through out the day. Loads more than you think would be loads iyswim.

Ice is a miracle but again you need to do it much more often than seems reasonable. 20 mins at least 5 times a day, more if you can.

[Dragongirl10]

Never go barefoot. Trainers need orthotics in, google plantar facitis orthotics.
what cured mine (and it was very severe) was wearing Vionic wedge sandals with the dipped heel so no pressure on the point of the heel.

I bought 4 pairs and wore them from the second l got up until the second l went to bed, in winter l have bought orthotics from amazon which have a dipped heel bed and put them in my most supportive boots.

After a month the pain was probably 50 % better after 3 months 70 %...now 1 year on l am not in any pain, as long as l wear the vionic sandals the whole time at home and orthotics in my most used boots.
I even have them in my dog walking wellies.

[salty78]

I had it for 2 years - it was at its worse at 18 months when I could hardly walk. X-rays clear and NHS podiatrist no help so I booked fortnightly physio with deep tissue massage, kept up the home exercises and then had shockwave therapy. Hurt like hell, but in a good way and the relief was worth it. 6 months later I was able to start running and I'm sure that actually helped to clear it completely.

Agree that you definitely shouldn't go barefoot - that and Birkenstock's aggravated my PF. I can only wear Crocs as slippers now as I don't want it to come back.

Also only wear gel sole shoes (I bought some Fitflops shoes for work and ASICS Gel Sanoma trainers for casual), gel insoles in everything else. Don't wear ballerinas or anything else really flat, hard soled or open. You need to protect the inflamed tissue in your foot as much as possible to allow it to heal.

My physio told me it's often connected to tight calf muscles and generally weak leg muscles so stretching and exercising your calves and legs is the way to go.

[willdoitinaminute]

Never wear flat shoes. Dsis is podiatrist and recommended wearing shoe with small heal along with exercises. Fitflops in summer and ankle boots with 1 inch heal did the trick after nearly 3 yrs of pain.
I now find I can wear flats in the summer if I wear heals in winter.

[MortyFide]

I've had heel pain for 5 years. Tried every remedy mentioned already (stretches, orthotics, agonising physio, ultrasound therapy, night splints, cortisone injections etc), eventually had gastrocnemius release surgery 6 weeks ago as a last resort - no change, my foot still bloody hurts.

Starting to wonder if it's not plantar fasciitis at all.

[cissyandbessy]

Watching this thread as have had this for 2 years or so and seems to be getting worse. Only wear Fitflops e-sporty high tops all the time which has helped - rotate 3 pairs and buy the same when they wear out. Have just ordered Kyburn (incredibly expensive and unattractive) shoes as am feeling desperate and can barely walk. Will report back as to how they are - reviews seem genuine and are amazing. You have my sympathy OP it's bloody miserable and my general fitness is at rock bottom due to lack of activity.

[wasgoingmadinthecountry]

Oofos cured mine - may have seen it on here. They are post work out flip flops - I bought the black shiny ones and wore them to work and everything.

NEVER bare feet - even wore them or skechers when I went to the loo in the middle of the night! Good luck, I know how horrid it is.

www.oofos.co.uk/collections/womens-ooriginal

[milliefiori]

I've had it on and off for years but it got really bad this winter, so I could barely walk at all. On MN advice I bought some Fitflop ankle boots which are much better than the ones I'd been wearing but I'm still in pain after even a short walk.

As PPs have said, never go barefoot. I wear soft socks and padded slippers at home and really thick socks and ankle boots, walking boots or trainers when out.

For me, definitely the best way to ease the pain has been yoga. It stretches and realigns the whole body. When I do it, my foot is much less sore afterwards.

It's miserable, isn't it? I really miss long walks.

[MrsMoastyToasty]

I wear Crocs (proper ones, not cheap ones that aren't very spongy). I also found that I don't suffer if I wear a mid height heel and the foot is enclosed. I can't wear any shoe that gives me "toe cleavage" of the big toe and the second toe.
I was told to do exercises that stretch the opposing muscles.
I was also told to lose weight.

[Tombakersscarf]

Birkenstock's and physio for me

[JumpingFrogs]

Acupuncture. And got a chiropodist to make me some proper inner soles

[Esspee]

First time it lasted the best part of a year and eventually it was so painful I cried getting out of bed. After 15 mins or so it was OK if I wore trainers with insoles or fit flops. I religiously did all the exercises the physio suggested, plus rolled a frozen can, massaged the foot, tried to wear a plastic boot in bed, used vibrating foot massager but in the end what worked was lying in bed with legs straight and stiff and flexing my feet so that my heels were pointing away from me and toes towards my head. Hold that position, relax when tired then repeat a few times before getting out of bed.
Second time, in addition to all the above I was greatly helped by a silicone toeless sock which I wore over a thin sock and under a thick sock. The padding was wonderful when worn with trainers or fit flops but eventually one cortisone injection through the side of the pad of my heel did the job in less than a week.

[Getoffmylilo]

I think I got lucky! I had it out of the blue for 6 months. God it hurt, I literally couldn't work out how I was going to get to work some mornings. One foot stayed better than the other though which meant I could limp (dramatically) from one place to the next. I did endless stretching of my feet and calves, I never found any shoe or insert or sock that helped. And then magically it just went away, basically all by itself. It hasn't come back, touch wood, but my feet occasionally feel very tight underneath when I first get up, not painful, more like I've squashed them somehow while asleep, it goes away after a few minutes walking about. Hope it gets better soon for you.

[FaithInfinity]

I’m struggling too. My GP said never go barefoot, said to wear shoes in the house (never!) so I bought some Fitflop slippers. I’ve been wearing the night time socks pulling my feet up and they’ve made the biggest difference. If you’re really struggling ask your GP to refer you for some injections into your heels though.

[Jellyfisheralert]

I have this it's so painful, as pp have said don't go barefoot I find if I wear padded slippers and thick socks its not as bad if I walk round in bare feet the pain gets worse. I've never heard of fitflops will look into those but for me I think it's mainly down to weight I am on a diet now and just walking through the pain 😭

[Elouera]

Some great suggestions I'll be looking up, thanks everyone. I've never heard of Fitflops either.