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.

Yoga big toe stretch (just realised there are a few ‘big toe’ poses but this is what I mean m.youtube.com/watch?v=HF0XGZDM930

I had a steroid injection. Absolute miracle cure for me.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. Looks like we should set up a support group!
Going to start with the yoga / stretches later.

I'm a runner and quite active. Not overweight. I ran for years with no pain then last year this PF turned up. Tried to run through it, rest, painkillers etc

I love a good painful sports massage so will book in when I can.

Might ditch the weird sock thing!!

If there are any specialty in this in the north west that anyone knows please can you share the details? Especially those who have had the injection x

Had PF for well over 2 years.
Currently free of pain but am wary of it coming back.
Tried lots of things - socks, insoles, rolling things with my feet etc.

What helps - shoes with support - ballet shoe styles are out. I wear walking sandals from Ecco in the summer and some Rohde (I think) in the winter. Both have shaped foot beds and are tight over the top of my foot - I need compression.
I also stretch my calves a lot. And dropping my heels while standing on stairs as well as stretching my feet on the skirting board - so basically heel on the floor and toes up the skirting board.

I also get horrendous shin splints and am convinced they are linked to my tight calf muscles.

I do Irish dance and the shoes are rubbish so I spend vast amounts of the lesson stretching my feet and calves.

I'd like information on a physio / sports therapist / podiatrist (whoever is best) in the north west please.

Yes me too... Physio, yoga, Birkenstocks, Skechers, orthotics - I did all of it. What actually worked in a matter of days was cutting out all foods that caused inflammation, in my case chocolate and crisps. I'd always eaten lots of anti inflammatory foods anyway without knowing, like spinach, strawberries, carrots etc. But cutting out anything processed and or sugary made an immediate difference. Google 'diet and plantar fasciitis', or 'sugar and inflammation'

Some of the info I read today said not to take ibuprofen only paracetamol. Does anyone know why?

I tried stretches before getting out of bed and the roller ball. Both helped. When I wear fitflops it feels better. But what made the most difference was intermittent fasting. It decreases inflammation in the body generally. Clean fast required. Google Gin Stevens 16:8 if interested. My PD disappeared after about 10 days. Am about to start C25K again, so will be interested to see if it returns.

@DianaT1969 that sounds really interesting. Can you tell me more?
I think with current circumstances I'd not be as disciplined with diet but in the longer term could do it,

I’m surprised at so many recommendations for Birkenstocks as I think they caused my plantar fasciitis by being so flat, (though I did walk a lot in them). Both my Doctor and Scholl shoe store assistant told me that I needed shoes with a slightly raised heel (and this did help) I’ve switched to Fitflop shoes and slippers and lost a bit of weight.

Continually stretching exercises - eg lie on back in bed straightening leg to ceiling and pointing toes towards my face. Took about 3 weeks.

Stretching exercises, like the one @Ariela describes above, anything which stretches the foot really. Not going barefoot and I'm another one who found that Birkenstocks seemed to make it worse for some reason rather than better. It really was awful for a bit, it was just one foot at first which I could manage but when it started on the other foot as well I remember not knowing how I was going to get to work. And then after about three months it just slowly went away. I still have stiff feet when I wake up sometimes but it goes after a few stretches. Really hope you find something which works for you.

How do you know you have it?

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/

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.

I tried the shock and it was bloody brilliant!

The shock therapy.

I wish it had been available sooner

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.

@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.

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

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.

Which fit flops @BrigitsBigKnickers

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.