Plantar fasciitis and walking

[WanderingWitches]

I've had plantar fasciitis for 3 months now. I haven't been the doctor yet but its definitely that. The symptoms started in one foot and have recently started in the other foot. I have the pain in the heel and it's worse first thing in the morning when I stand or if I've been sitting down.

I'm ringing the doctors in the morning because it isn't improved, its worsening. I'm now getting some calf pain on the right and the pain isn't disappearing when I rest, like it used to.

My issue is the school run. I have to walk 6 miles every day as the school is a mile and a half away. I have nobody else who can take them to school, we do not live near family and we do not drive. There is also no public transport that goes in the direction of school.

Will I need to spend time off my feet if they are ever going to heal?
I currently only wear either walking sandals with arch support or supportive trainers from Pavers.

Night splints are suppose to be good too.

Another stretch that’s helped me and I haven’t seen mentioned in any replies yet - keep a towel or something by your bed and before you get out if bed stretch the muscle by hooking it around the hall of your foot, sticking a leg up in the air and stretching your calf muscle by pointing your toes down towards you. Pull on the towel to try and get it a bit deeper and bold for 30 seconds. Really helps to stretch before you get out of bed and eases the initial pain.

I've had this horrible thing twice now and I feel your pain - literally! I tried all sorts of special insoles, shoes etc - cost a small fortune. After about six months of pain, I had a course of shockwave therapy and it finally went. It was an expensive treatment and I can't be sure if it was the shockwave that cured it, all the different exercises and footwear, or it just ran it's course. The exercise I did most (and found relieved the pain for a while) was standing on a step with just my toes and lowering and raising my foot. I did this as often as possible. I hope you get some relief from it soon OP.

I have found Pilates and swimming g if ave helped as I think it is stretching out my tight Achilles without putting any pressure on my foot.

Insoles and support socks are a must. I'm just over a year in and it's just starting to improve.

I found physiotherapy the best - I had PF for several months. He strapped my foot, and taught me how to do it. Plus I had some exercises. It was sorted in a week or so, and has never returned.

I walk a lot as part of my commute and I'm on my feet a lot at work, walking and up and down stairs, there was no way I could stay off my feet!

Try these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01524WXY4?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_1332NFG9CKY4GVZ6V2GY

and walking without heel striking

I've purchased all kinds of things to try to rectify plantar fasciitis...one thing I bought off Amazon that actually helped though were "heel seats" - sort of a gel cup support you put in your shoe - the ridge of it stretches your foot where your heel meets your foot. Quite positively impactful actually. I'm not sure what the rules are but the brands was "Heel that Pain". The other thing that worked pretty well was night splints but the ones I've tried have been uncomfortable to sleep with and I always end up taking them off.

Thank you everyone
I'll see what the doctor recommends tomorrow, get myself some insoles and look up the exercises

I’ve had it on/off for years and can recommend:

Fit Flop brand shoes
Never go barefoot
Freeze a bottle of water and roll it under your foot whenever you can sit down
Roll a tennis ball under the arch to massage it
Calf stretching exercises daily
Get a bike or adult scooter
Physio to do some deep tissue calf massage and advise on more specific exercises
A foam roller to use on your calves

Wear a plantar fasciitis night splint - these are amazing when you wake in the morning as you can walk straight away without pain. They hold your foot and calf in correct alignment overnight and should have a foam wedge for the option to add a stretch while you sleep. I got mine from Amazon and it’s similar to this one attached. Very important to note that you must never walk around wearing these as they are not a walking boot, unless you’d like to go for a spectacular skid like I did 🙈

I've had it for 3 years, both feet at the same time. Some days the pain is so bad, it makes me feel sick.

I've had physio, shockwave therapy, calf muscle lengthening, steroid injections and now the consultant wants to try PRP.

I have a pair of OOFOS for home, I slide my feet into them as I get out of bed. The rest of the time I wear new balance 327.

I had prolonged sciatica and found Sketchers Uno a saviour. That's cleared up now and I still wear them now and again but find them harsh on my sole. The 327's are perfect though.

Wear good shoes, all of the time. Literally no time barefoot or in unhelpful shoes until you're better.

I had a painful hip, saw physio who asked what wore during the day. As I now wfh I said barefoot or socks. She asked what I wore when I used to work from an office. Years ago it was heels but in recent years was the Skechers uno. So going barefoot was part of the problem.

I had it years ago, in my case it went with flat, pronated feet, and legs 1/2" different in length. I'd recommend seeing a podiatrist. In my case custom orthotics (which I have to wear all the time - no wandering around barefoot) fixed the problem.

I saw a podiatrist and had a gait assessment. Turns out I'm "walking wrong"!
I bought a foot massager unit from Amazon... Literally the best thing ever.

I sleep on my front, so my feet are stretched out at night, which I really don't think helped.

I had this for a year or so a long time ago and was getting desperate as it was so painful and inconvenient. I tried this https://heelease.co.uk/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw9-6oBhBaEiwAHv1QvMuxT-opsspx1ClLNqfgtXnV8yJPaXEI-x7e0m7Q56_v4VsIA9-GLRoC2oMQAvD_BwE and was mega sceptical but it actually helped me.

The brand of shoe Fitflop does every kind of shoe you can imagine and it totally sorted PF for both me and my father in law. I wear only fit flops now from slippers to sandals to walking boots to leather knee high boots to trainers. They are so good. I recommend looking into getting some to wear on your school run. Any. They are marvelllus.

If you have good supportive trainers or walking boots wear them for a while. I wore just running trainers for about a month and it cleared it up, then changed my shoes after to all more supportive ones. I also got one of those foot massage balls and used it anytime I was still in the house!

in the meantime I recommend a bike or adult scooter (bike preferable but not as easy for supporting the school run!)

Dh has this again atm and says it's very painful.

I paid for shock wave therapy after being recommended by a friend. Felt easier after one session!
I don't think the NHS do much for it

I've had it for years but have learned how to keep it under control and am mostly pain free. This is what worked for me.

Massage the painful part of the heel, really dig into it. Doing this standing by rolling your foot on a tennis ball is easiest, then stretch immediately after. Sit down and extend your leg, foot fully flexed, wrap a resistance band round the toes and pull your toes towards you. This is the main thing that really helped me.

Shoes with arch support, gel heel cups, KT tape (look up You Tube videos on how to do this) and never going bare foot.

Look up 'foot exercises for dancers' on You Tube using resistance bands. Doing these regularly to build up strength has also really helped.

Hey - I had this for years when I had put on weight is was like there was just too much weight for my feet to support now, given I’m pretty much flat footed etc. tried physio, custom insoles, taping…massaging…nothing worked for long…but when I lost 3kg through diet it all just went away.

The only thing that worked for mine was having it immobilised in a cast for 6 weeks. Mine was severe though, I couldn’t put my heel to the floor for months and was walking on tiptoe, and subsequently fucking up my hips and knee etc.

Single mum with school runs - was not fun! But my god the relief when I took the cast off and could walk normally again.

It has come back again (won’t ever be cured apart from with surgery which I desperately want to avoid) but it is nowhere near as severe.

Best thing is to do physio, strap your foot at night to keep your foot at a right angle to your leg, rest it in the correct position if you can, the best insoles you can afford and steroid injections if all else fails.

I self diagnosed with pf a few years ago,was convinced, night nursing and classic policeman/nurse heel. Went to a podiatrist,it was actually a trapped nerve in my lower back, she did a deep tissue massage on legs,then I went to the osteopath I have been using many years, got the back sorted.

My friend got insoles (thru a private
hosp) as nothing else worked. All physio, acupuncture, stretches etc.

Wow I bet you were so pleased you went to see someone. Glad it's all sorted for you.