Any foot specialists around? Possible plantar fasciitis!

[FrankieFalcone]

Seems like this is the most likely cause of my foot pain.

I’ve been walking, with what I thought were good walking boots, over the past 3 weeks, when the pain in my heel has become unbearable. Also can feel a lump further up on the sole of my foot.

From reading it seems quite probable it’s this plantar fasciitis, possibly with plantar fibrosis thrown in.

I can’t take ibuprofen but have bought some heel insoles to try and reduce the pain.

Anything else I can try? Oh and my ankle is swollen too, buggar.

Do you have someone willing to give you a foot massage?! My DP rubs my feet 3+ times a week and that’s really helped. I also have an electric foot massager for when he’s not here.

I’ve read about rolling the foot on a bottle of frozen water and standing with your toes on the stairs and your heels hanging over the edge to stretch them. But nothing works as well as a good firm massage, human or robotic!

It was DH who felt the lump on the sole of my foot, although he wasn’t massaging so I definitely could ask him too, just as long as he’s not too heavy handed. Is it along the sole of the foot he needs to concentrate on?

Great tip on the ice bottle, I’ll give that a try! Thank you.

I had quite bad plantar fascitis from about 5 years old, physiotherapy and trainers alongside using arch support insoles have made a big difference. I don't go near heels or unsupportive shoes still. I m allergic to ibuprofen so feel your pain, products like a freeze spray can be helpful

@1990shopefulftm I’ll definitely need to invest in a few different insoles.

Poor you having this from age 5!

I’ll look out for the freeze sprays, any you could recommend? thank you. Would be so much easier if we could take ibuprofen!

I had it last year. It was agony. I bought very cushioned shoes (Sketchers) and stopped all high impact exercise. For some reason the most effective thing was some cheap flip-flops with tiny rubber massage dots in them. If I wore them around the house, the pain disappeared. These were the ones I got. There are some similar ones made by Crocs too.

I tried ice, ankle supports, ibuprofen gel etc all of which helped a tiny bit but the massage flipflops made the most difference.

Also, the advice to never go barefoot is good. Even in the house, wear thick sheepskin slippers or padded sandals or trainers. And if you are going out walking, buy really thick hiking socks - the kind that cost about £18 a pair and really mould to your feet. I like Bridgewater best but there are some other really good padded brands.

It went away after about eight months but I still don't dare do much high impact or go running again, which I miss. Very long walks, especially on hard surfaces like rocky paths in the mountains are still agony by the end but it heals quite quickly with rest.

@FrankieFalcone it's very pricey but biofreeze spray is brilliant.

I occasionally get issues with my left knee as that foot was always slightly worse, I tend to need physiotherapy every couple of years or so but it's a lot better than it was as a child.

Vionic shoes have built in insoles specially designed for PF. They’re amazing!

I had bad plantar fasciitis recently. Best thing for it has been never go barefoot. Also stretches..search Bob and Brad plantar fasciitis on YouTube. The stretching the toes up one is been the most effective.

I also wore this ankle support at night to help keep my foot straight. I was pointing it down in my sleep which was making it worse.

It's come back a bit recently and I'm sure it's because I've put a bit more weight on. Need to lose it!

Forgot link for ankle support

WASPO Ankle Support Brace - Adjustable Ankle Brace Wrap Strap for Sports Protect, Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, Ligament damage, Injury Recovery, One Size for Men Women 1 PC Blue https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZS95G7K/ref=cmswwrcppapifabccCH2654QSCZG3EJSTR5AE?encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Another vote for biofreeze spray. Expensive but works.
Always wear shoes in the house.
Ice pack each evening to reduce inflammation.

Best cure- stand with trainers/ shoes on bottom stair, balls of your feet only.
Let your body weight take your heels below stair tread level.
Don’t bounce, just stay there and feel the stretch in your calves.
Do this as least 4 x a day.
Will ease immediately and resolve over a couple of weeks.

I've had plantar fasciatis for about 15 years but after help from a physio I've been able to be free of it most of the time.

First of all, I would say - definitely don't walk around barefoot!

I personally find wearing heels of a certain height makes a huge difference, including for slippers. One of the worst periods of pain I ever had was a few years ago after I had been wearing flattish slippers with a memory foam padding on the sole for a few months.

I have orthotic foot supports which I wear with lightish shoes such as sandals which don't give much support at the sides. However, especially in winter when I am wearing boots most of the time I don't need the supports.

It was physio which got me sorted out and I still do the exercises I was shown if the pain starts flaring up I find they make a huge difference fairly quickly.

If it wasn't for the pandemic, I would really recommend going to a physio, but if you don't want to go just now, you could try some exercises on your own. Obviously, check with GP if you have any health issues which could mean that these exercises are risky for you. Here are some exercises similar to the ones I find helpful: www.versusarthritis.org/media/3094/plantar-fasciitis-exercise-sheet.pdf

The exercises I do involve standing (with shoes on) with my hands holding on to the mantelpiece and one foot with heel on floor and toes on hearth, then I lean back a bit, holding on to the mantelpiece and not moving my foot, till I feel my calf muscle stretching. I do this with each leg 10 times (even if only one foot is giving me problems). I also do the same sort of exercises lying on my back on my bed - I have one leg at right angles to bed, loop a towel folded lengthwise over my foot and hold on to towel at each end, then pull down on the towel while keeping my leg at right angles. I try to do 10 times for each leg and repeat a couple of times daily for a few days.) If the plantar fascitis is bad, the calf muscle will feel really tight, but after a few times doing the exercises, my calf muscle is more relaxed and the pain in my foot improves. I find even one round of exercises can make a difference.

If it is really bad, freezing a plastic tumbler of water, wrapping it in a towel, then massaging the arch of your foot with it can also help.

Good luck!

Wear crocs instead of slippers indoors.
Lose weight if you're a bit pudgy.
Find your ideal heel height and stick with it. I can't wear ballet pumps as they are too flat. Likewise really high heels are out.

Just bought some of those sandals thanks Labobo! Will report back if they help.

Ooh another thing that helped me was a pair of socks with toe dividers, which I wore in conjunction with some arch supports. Must dig them out again!

I've taken out shares in Birkenstock's, they've made a massive difference for me

Thank you all so much for your replies!

I’m going to have a more in-depth read through them later.

I hope they work @MarkRuffaloCrumble. Everyone has a different remedy. Ice packs never really helped me at all. Sometimes the pain felt worse once the pack was removed and the numbing cold wore off. But other people find them really soothing.

Many people say never go barefoot with PF. But for me, going barefoot settled my PF down. Try a few different options and see what works for you.

Agree about the heel height thing. The day I decided to go to the doctor about it I wore some wedge sandals with a bit of a heel and it didn’t hurt for the first time in ages! I never wear heels usually so I don’t know what possessed me, but that definitely helps - I guess it stretches out the ligaments or whatever.