plantar fasciitis

[BigEarBob]

Hi,

my husband is currently suffering from plantar fasciitis and it is really getting him down and he can hardly walk.

All the doctors have said is to be patient and it should get better eventually on its own. Anyone else had this or can recommend anything which might help?

Looking at specialist shoes but don’t know where to start.

Thanks!

RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

I also found rolling a golf ball under my foot eased it.

Same here. He found the GP's dismissive and telling him to see how it goes. He can't walk. He's done everything he's been told. Made no difference. Zero. He tried to get another appointment today. None available.

I would recommend seeing a physio or a podiatrist privately if you can. They can recommend/make suitable insoles and advise on stretches etc. They can also advise on anything you're doing which might be contributing e.g. poor shoes, bad posture and help correct it.

If you can't afford that then do the following

1. Rest and ice as much as possible
2. Wear supportive shoes all the time. I'd recommend trainers and either ones with good arch support or buy a pair of insoles with arch support (something along these lines www.plantarfix.co.uk/products/orthotic-max-support-firm-pro?gclid=CjwKCAiA7IGcBhA8EiwAFfUDsR4ELKvbsbRx0g0vY5T9gvy09KoG7_6TjyogLNP15giBRbA4UDL90BoC-OIQAvD_BwE). If he has to wear specific shoes for work, take the insoles out and replace with the arch support ones.

Avoid any shoes like flip flops or those baseball type trainers with really thin soles as they will make it worse.

1. Stretch the hamstrings / back of legs, roll a ball under the foot and do exercises to strengthen the foot (like pick up a towel with your toes) - loads online if you google plantar fascitis stretches. But go easy on these when it's very painful, you are better off resting/icing or the stretches can aggrevate it.

I have one on these and use it everyday and it really helps:

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Hi OP

I had PF for a few months and one of the Ortho surgeons where I work recommended these:
Gel Insert

They worked for me

If his foot is on the ground it must have a shoe/slipper on it. He must not walk barefoot. Get slippers with memory foam in them, and good supportive shoes, preferably with gel insoles. No flip-flops or sliders.
The only thing that worked for me was the laser, but my DM has had good progress with the slippers/insoles.

I have just started with this and bought some insoles specifically for this. Pain varies a lot day to day. I am a teacher and in my feet a lot. Forgot and wore a small heel this week and weirdly seemed to help.

I suffered with this quite severely for months, found GPs generally dismissive and none of the physio any good at all. Gel pads in comfy trainers worn at all times did help a bit but only reducing the pain a bit. It still hurt with every single step. Eventually after about 6 months and 5 GP visits or calls they agreed to refer me for a steroid injection, which was magic! Completely back to normal with no pain at all. Unfortunately it's not always a permanent cure and it has now, 4 months on, returned but much less severely. I'm trying the soft touch approach for a bit but will be back pushing for another steroid injection if it gets any worse. The injection gave me back my life and has given me a summer.

Find a good podiatrist and get custom made insoles, I tried all sorts for mine and this was the only thing that worked

I tried using a frozen bottle or water and rolling my foot over it, all the stretches doctors advise and even a few online tricks. Nothing worked but I got crocs and wore them constantly over a few weeks, it improved and I still wear them when I can now and I no longer suffer with it

I hang my heels off a step and stretch my calves whilst brushing my teeth. 2 mins every night.
Has helped massively with my PF

Insoles have helped my DM enormously.

I started a similar thread earlier in the week. I've found that not walking barefoot helps, I have a pair of Birkenstocks on most of the time.

I came on holiday yesterday and today my foot is worse because of all the walking, sitting on a plane for 4 hours then lots of walking again. My Achilles area is now swollen too.

At the moment I've got it trussed up in zinc oxide tape and am doing stretches as often as I can. I've also spoken to a pharmacist here who has given me some really strong anti inflammatories. I feel as sick as a dog but I'll try anything as it's so painful.

Oofos shoes which are made for it . They are runners recovery shoes and help greatly with PF.

You would benefit from seeing an Orthotist. They can supply you with Orthotics such as insoles. They help take the pressure off your heel. Alternatively you can buy them off Amazon. It worked for me and now I can walk fine. I only had to wear them for around 6 months 😀

My GP recommended Fit Flops when I had Plantar fasciitis. They made a huge difference and I very rarely wear any other make of shoe these days.

I started having this about a week ago. The pain is excruciating! I'm currently using gel heel inserts and doing a daily yoga routine I found on YouTube by simply googling "plantar fasciitis yoga". The yoga is very helpful, I'm now back to walking the dog without tearing up.

I’ve had bouts of it and your DH has my sympathy. It’s like walking on daggers. It’s largely a matter of time, but what worked for me was:

• never going barefoot,
• always wearing supportive shoes with shock-absorbing soles, even in the house. (I wear Clarks ‘Unstructured’ - ugly but so so comfortable!
• Gel inserts in my slippers.
• Taking anti-inflammatories for a few days to take the edge off the pain.
• When sitting at my desk, rolling my foot over a hard ball seemed to ease it the worst of it.
• Also, the first steps after sitting or lying are the worst - try stretching your foot out - toes to shins - before putting any weight on the feet.

Hope it settles very soon.

Insoles and supportive shoes and slippers will change things almost instantly, great recommendations above

Arch support helps. I tried a night brace (which had solved the problem for a fried) but I couldn't sleep with it, hated using ice and tried stretches but was never especially tight.
In the end I put arch supports in all my shoes and/or wore Birks every waking moment.
High arches and tight calves/hamstrings will require a slightly different solution to flat feet and no tightness so he may have to experiment a bit.

Tut, 'friend' not fried 🍳

Rolling pin and roll the underside of his foot out, it'll be awfully sore to begin with but it'll loosen the plantar out and the more days he does it the easier it'll become. Also calf stretches on that side as most plants fascitas comes from tight calves to begin with as the calf muscle tightens which then tightens the under side of his foot. He needs to wear well structured shoes for the time being, ideally ones that aren't fully flat so a trainee rather than a pump type shoe as this will take some pressure off the sole of his food. He can also massage the underneath of his foot with his hand.

I have it too. Have got custom made insoles for a knee issue but they are not helping at all! I wore heeled boots the other day and it really helped surprisingly enough. Rolling a foot on a tennis ball or harder helps a lot. Have had it for around 4 months now and it is better one day then terrible the next! Have to grin and bear the pain as I cannot do my job sitting down (teacher)

I had this for years. Support insoles in my shoes plus steroid injections in my feet eventually cured it. I’ve not had it return but I cannot wear flat hard shoes. They must be supportive or have cushioned soles.

I don't know how to do links but if you look on Amazon for spiky foot roller, the first result worked wonders for my pf within a couple of days...