Plantar fascillitis AARRGGHH!!!

[ssd]

Please tell me anything that helped you

I've had it on and off for a few years. Keep experimenting with the different techniques suggested here to find what works for you. It will go away but you're at risk of it coming back. If I feel the familiar ache coming back I go straight away to the massage routine. I've been a bit slack and going barefoot a lot at home which has brought it on again.

Currently I'm finding a combination of strapping with kiesiology tape and gel in soles are helping a lot.

insoles

Am probably late with this advice...
Buy tulis gel heel cups on amazon( you can put them in any shoe/boot) they take pressure off your heel.

Wear crocs at home.
Never wear flat shoes
Stand on bottom stair and do 10-15 heel drops per day ( as another op said).
Roll foot over tennis ball regularly.
Ibroprofen for when pain at its worst.

I had it for nigh on 10 months, I have to wear boots for work and on feet all day like you.it eventually went by doing a combination of all of the above.i still get occasional twinge and as soon as I do I start on the routine

I only had it in one foot but found stretching exercises really helped - hamstring stretches and calf stretches by hanging your heels off a step and stretching down.

I also wore Fitflops and Birkenstocks all summer last year and apart from the odd twinge occasionally, the pain has now gone.

I discovered I roll my foot a bit and it helped to build up the muscles around the sore foot, as well as stretching the foot itself. What you’ll see from this thread is that there is lots to try and that different things have helped different sufferers. Hope yours goes soon!

I'm going to the doctor about my feet tomorrow. My problem is in the arches rather than the heel though - could this still be PF?

Unfortunately different things work for different people. Mine is virtually gone now, but wearing Crocs is a sure fire way to flare it up again, they are worse than bare feet for me.

What did work was rolling frozen water bottles and spiky physio balls under foot, calf and achilles stretches, calf massage (DIY with a roller), and ditching unsupportive shoes, both ballet flat types and squidgy Crocs/Skechers. So Birkenstocks for summer, boots or trainers with orthotic inserts in winter. Moshulu slipper with inserts or Birkenstocks at home. I have yet to find any actual shoes I can wear with my inserts though, luckily my work has a casual dress code.

Snuggly fitting socks and shoes. Mine was caused by changing to bamboo socks, lovely against the skin but allowed my feet to slip very slightly when walking. I had an extremely painful winter and then it cleared up completely over the summer when I wasn't wearing socks at all, then in the autumn it started to come back which is when I realised it was the socks so threw out all my bamboo socks and bought cotton ones.

Also have a look on YouTube for exercises to do before you get out of bed in the morning, and allow yourself an extra 10 minutes to do them. I found it made a big difference if I limbered up my feet before I put my weight on them.

FITFLOPs and Vionic’s are both brilliant. Both have offers on especially Fitflops I have some wedge style shoes with no backs (not the toe post design). You can get away with insoles in some shoes but as said you have to be careful as it can reoccur. If I do any exercise wear proper supportive trainers I have some Brooks Ghost 10 trainers which were recommended by a local sports shop which are brilliant.

don't know if you have noticed but mumsnet as got 50% off fitflops today
just saying

KT tape for me- I’ve had it for ages (because I went through a phase of wearing flat shoes 🙄). It’s been incredible...

Wear Crocs around the house instead of slippers or bare feet.
Wear mid heeled shoes and boots.
Wear shoes that have more coverage on the uppers to provide more support.
Lose weight.

I have had it twice

Ice, rest, ibuprofen

Wearing trainers with arch support (for me Asics tennis shoes with gel soles and arch support)

Stretches, daily, once it is better, to avoid reoccurrance (standing on bottom of the stairs and dropping your heels, then standing on tiptoes 20x once or twice every day)

Good luck, it is bloody painful!

A piece of stretchy elastic from the physio I wrapped around the ball of my foot, straightened my leg and pushed my heel down. It was like this FitKit resistance exercise band on Amazon. Worked wonders.

Have you all had it medically diagnosed or have you used Dr Google?
I'm sure I've got it. Really don't feel like I need to waste a Drs appointment unless I need to.

Gower, yes, mine was under the arches rather than heel, that is the plantar fascia

Definitely insoles, mine hardly bothers me anymore

Yes my GP was next useless and wasn’t interested. Sent me a photocopy of information and exercises and didn’t even want to see me. I was in absolute agony, struggling to walk and was going to Rome in two weeks time (so was worried the holiday would be a disaster with all the walking). I used Dr Google and saw foot specialist think it was a podiatrist privately.

My DP is fanatical about always wearing his insoles.

However, what cured it for him was going sailing on a Tall Ship and spending two weeks climbing up and down the rigging. It seemed to stretch and strengthen his feet. Not entirely sure that’s much help......

But I wonder if you could recreate the same sort of exercise by standing half off the stairs?

Orthotics

Asics trainers.

Downward-facing dog (yoga pose).

Upward foot stretches before getting out of bed in the morning. (Lifting toes towards you.)

Rolling the middle of the foot on a ball or can.

Standing on the edge of a stair and letting the heel stretch down.

There was a good thread on this last month.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3541806-Those-of-you-who-have-plantar-fasciitis?messages=100&pg=1

The Boots Orthotics suggested on there has been great in letting me wear something other than trainers!
www.boots.com/boots-regular-orthotic-medium-10146912

Bertrand - similarly my ballet classes help mine, you'd think it was a recipe for disaster jumping around in the flimsiest of shoes but its such a good workout for the feet and does help.

I bought a boot you wear ivernight, it stretches your plantar overnight so it's not pulling as much when you wake. I also had inserts for my shies, the best ones were from the podiatrist my g p referred me to

Why do so many people get it? Is it a middle age thing?