Plantar Fasciitis. If you have successfully treated this please can you tell me how? I'm thinking of shock wave treatment.

[dontrecycle]

I feel like I've tried everything but willing to give anything a go.
Currently rolling my foot on a ball.
I have the sexy sock too.
Don't wear flat shoes.

I've just read that you should not take ibuprofen but I've been taking it up until now to ease the pain.

I have just been reading about shock wave treatment. Anyone had this?

Thank you.

[wishfulthinking101]

I don't know if I've commented on this before so apologies if I am repeating myself... but grab yourself comes Birkenstock's! This is the only thing that helped me... I wear mine round the house all the time

[nagnagnag]

I've been suffering really badly with PF for years and I have just started a course of shockwave therapy. I have only had one session so far (plus physio in the same visit) and I'm feeling really positive about it. I had seen so many doctors and no-one seemed to be able to do anything so I am really hopeful that this will sort it out.

[thegcatsmother]

Fit flops, sleeping with my foot on a pillow, buying shoes with arch support.

[nocoolnamesleft]

Enertor insoles saved my feet.

[NCTDN]

As an update, I bought some fit flops to wear as slippers in the house and the difference has been amazing. I no longer wake up in the morning in pain
I also bought the orthotics that were recommended on here and am getting used to wearing them. They feel uncomfortable at first but I can tell a difference.

[motherofawhirlwind]

Oh, and compression socks from Amazon, heel drops on the stairs, and getting my manicurist to really massage my heels hard when doing my pedi. I miss pedis....

[motherofawhirlwind]

Had my second bout end of last year / early this year.

Wore Skechers Go Walk trainers or Birkies for both bouts, and then 3 months staying indoors and not exercising seems to have really done the trick this time!

[user1493494961]

Croc flip-flops in the house. However, since I lost two stone in weight, I haven't had a recurrence (two years now).

[WowLucky]

It does take a long time but the things that are always recommended do help - you just need to do a lot more of them than you think. The regime that finally shifted mine was:

-first thing before getting out of bed, stretch calves by using a strap (dressing gown belt) around your foot and pulling towards you. Hold 30s, do this several times.

• Then, again, before putting afoot to the floor in the mornings, roll on a rolling pin for at least 60s.

Doing both of these before you first stand on it, makes a huge difference that helps all day.

• Continue to stretch calves throughout the day. 30s very many times, literally at every possible opportunity . I did it every time I went to the loo at work and every time I got a drink/put the kettle on.

• Ice. A bag of frozen peas under your foot for 10-15 mins as many times a day as you can manage, at least 6-8. Never sit down without your ice pack.

If you've never had it, the pain is unimaginable but will get better. I had it in both feet for almost 2 years but have been back to running 40m per week for a year now. I'm still careful to stretch the calves regularly and ice my feet at the slightest twinge though.

[BrigitsBigKnickers]

I also used to do an exercise where you put your toes on a step and let your heels drop. A cold can rolled on the arches is also very soothing.

[BrigitsBigKnickers]

NCTDN just regular fit flops - the ones that go between your toes with a supportive sole- I find these most comfortable- got them on offer a few years ago. I still wear them round the house now as have general joint problems and they help with those too.

[dotoallasyouwouldbedoneby]

Rest your feet if possible.
Advice from podiatrist to wear a pair of new supportive trainers (I bought Merrells) and keep them for indoor use at all times instead of slippers/Crocs etc.
Bags of frozen peas under foot in addition to rolling on ball whilst sitting at desk a couple of times a day.
Did the trick for me, now back to wearing Crocs indoors.

[MarkRuffaloCrumble]

Re fit flops. I wear the toe post (thong type) ones - I know some people find them uncomfortable but I’m used to them as wear them all the time!

[MarkRuffaloCrumble]

I also stretch and rub my soles on the table legs

[MarkRuffaloCrumble]

I wear fit flops in summer and Hush Puppy boots with a lovely cushioned but supportive sole in winter. (Gutted that the zip broke on my fave pair so now I still wear them, just have to slide them on and off!!)

My DP gives me a foot rub in the evenings about 3 evenings a week, and I have an electric foot massager for when he’s not here! I googled for one with reviews that said it was a bit much, and too painful, and thought “yes, that’s the one!” I like it very firm, can’t stand a tickly foot massage.

I also stretch and run my soles on the table legs, any stray shoe sitting on the floor etc, whenever I get a chance! I’ve never seen a doctor about it, as they’ve always been pretty dismissive of my troubles. Once I was going to mention it at an appointment for something else but happened to be wearing wedge heels that day and it had disappeared. So I realised flat shoes weren’t helping.

I have some little cushions on elastic that I can wear to support my arches. But haven’t needed them since the foot rubs tbh.

[BanishNo5]

I did all this and it went away. I had plantar for about 2 to 3 months. It was horrible.

Calf stretches against the wall frequently where you hold for good 10 to 20 seconds each leg.

Night splinter thing. I only needed it one or two nights.

Supportive 3/4 inserts in shoes.

Ankle/heel support co pression toeless socks.

All from amazon.

[NCTDN]

Which fit flops @BrigitsBigKnickers

[BrigitsBigKnickers]

Making sure you wear supportive footwear around the house is a big help- I wore fit flops. I also bought some night splints which you wear in bed- these keep your feet at a 90 degree angle when you sleep and this gently stretches the tendon. I think the issue with PF is that when you get up , if your foot has been relaxed as you sleep it tears the tendon again which is where you get the agonising pain from. If the tendon is kept stretched as you sleep that allows it to heal. Worked for me. I had PF for a year in both feet and this was the one thing which really helped.

[NCTDN]

Just looking and there's loads of fit flops in the sale. For those who said they work, is there a particular style?

[MitziK]

@DramaAlpaca

The steroid injection into the heel was the most painful thing I've ever experienced and it didn't work.

The only thing that did work, permanently, was custom made orthotic inserts from a physiotherapist who specialises in foot problems. It worked and now I can wear any shoes I want, for a short period of time. As long as I usually wear the orthotics I don't have a problem. They were expensive but very much worth it.

I had one as well.

Unfortunately, it only worked on the specific spots the needle was moved around into, as the fascia was so damaged by that point - you could liken it to setting a couple of broken fingers whilst ignoring the fact that your hand is still being slammed repeatedly in a car door - it just meant the same level of pain came from all the other tears.


The exercises help after the main part of the tears have healed. And for them to heal properly, you can't be ripping them apart every morning, as it's just repeated trauma after trauma. Hence my boot/cast to immobilise and support foot and ankle so they could heal at the right length. Since then, I've only worn things like proper walking boots with orthotics - wearing Skechers pumps for one day after about 10 years caused an immediate flare up that took 3 months to stop hurting again.

Obviously, people's mileage varies - some will have just a couple of small tears, others will have extensive damage, as I did. But it still needs to heal.

[DramaAlpaca]

The steroid injection into the heel was the most painful thing I've ever experienced and it didn't work.

The only thing that did work, permanently, was custom made orthotic inserts from a physiotherapist who specialises in foot problems. It worked and now I can wear any shoes I want, for a short period of time. As long as I usually wear the orthotics I don't have a problem. They were expensive but very much worth it.

[kaleishorrid]

The shock therapy.

I wish it had been available sooner

[kaleishorrid]

I tried the shock and it was bloody brilliant!

[Mbear]

I echo doing the exercises, I found they needed to hurt, iyswim - normally with stretching and exercising you stop when there is pain, but not this.
Mine finally went away after several days in the sea, I think the cold seawater and the sandy undulations really worked my feet hard. So def do the frozen can/ bottle exercises.

[Highfalutinlootin]

Perhaps counterintuitively, the only thing that worked for me was wearing those silly Vibrams Five Finger shoes and other completely flat, so-called "zero drop" running shoes. The less sole and the less support, the better. All the orthotics and inserts and gels made it worse.

All trainers tend to cause flair ups, but if I must wear them I like the totally flat, zero support On Cloud brand. www.on-running.com/en-us/collection/cloud/