If you have/had plantar fasciitis, where do you feel the pain?

[garlictwist]

My pain came on incredibly suddenly. There are some very tender areas that hurt to touch located sort of on the inner side of the heel. But the whole heel area aches and throbs.

Everything I've read talks about it being painful in the morning, but mine is painful ALL THE TIME, even at rest.

Does this sound like PF?

I'd be interested to hear how others' PF manifested.

Thanks :)

Mine was painful all the time. I wore plantar socks and did the exercises with the rolling pin and it has gone completely now. Lasted about a year.

It's awful. I used a foot roller, stretches regularly (you can find stretches to help on YouTube) KT tape on my foot (this offered the most relief for me again instructions on how to do this on YouTube) and also used a pulsing machine thing I bought online. Something in this combo worked and it's now gone but I feel for you

Thanks. So did you all have pain in the heel itself rather than elsewhere on the foot? I can't believe it lasted a year!!

Mine was right in the arch of my foot. My doctor told me to take ibuprofen twice a day for 14 days to ease the inflammation, then I did the stretches etc. Also NEVER went barefoot, not even to the bathroom first thing in the morning. Used supportive New Balance shoes for ages.

It can last a long time. I’m mostly fine now and don’t need supportive shoes every minute, but do tend to wear them if I walk a lot.

And I got it in both feet at different times.

I had something that seemed to be PF, but wasn’t showing classic symptoms (eg it wasn’t worse in the morning). Podiatrist eventually diagnosed as some sort of nerve issue, although the cure was v similar (calf stretches & strengthening).

Mine manifested as pain in my heel. What really helped was:

Lots of stretching (downward dog or standing on a step and lowering my heels down to stretch the back of my legs and ankles)

Rolling my entire foot over one of those spiky ball massagers.

Never, ever walking barefoot.

Supportive shoes with arch support. I bought insoles from Amazon for my existing boots and shoes. Birkenstocks or similar in the summer.

Crocs as slippers to wear indoors at all times, even when getting up in the night to go to the bathroom.

It can take an absolute age to go, mine was bad for about 8 months but slowly started to get better doing all of the above.

I can walk barefoot now but try and be really careful and not do it too much.

Pain under the heel. Fitflops cured mine - I wore nothing else for months. I even had the slippers.

I have this at the moment... it's absolutely excruciating. Even at rest my heel is painful. I also get sharp stabbing pains. I am doing all the things other posters have said,, but its really getting me down. Thinking of seeing a podiatrist in the new year to get some custom orthotics made. I think I have a good pain threshold but this awful. Sympathy with fellow sufferers.

It’s usually in your heel. I have it right now again (after having it a few years ago). It can take a while to heal and is horrible.

Wear crocs/oofos/fit flops indoors ALWAYS. Try not to go bare foot. Replace all your shoes with new supportive insoles with good arch support. I find these from amazon best https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/6040791624/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

Try calf raises on a step and rolling a ball under the arch of your foot. Also loosing weight helps if you are overweight. Mine has definitely been triggered by putting on a few extra pounds and walking too much over a one week period in flat unsupportive shoes!

My pain is mostly in the inner part of the heel up towards the ankle bone, not under the foot. It was more widespread initially. I have had it several years and nowadays keep it under control by twice daily stretches and always wearing supportive laceup shoes indoors as well as out.

Thanks all. I already have insoles for hallux limitus (arthritic big toe) so unsure whether I should faff around with new ones just in case it makes the big toe worse.

I can't believe how painful this is....I will try all the suggestions and just settle myself in for the long haul.....

I had it in my heel and it was like someone was sliding a knife into it. Excruciating ! It came on in May and has only just now subsided to occasional twinges. I didn't do any special exercise and kept up my 10k steps a day but did those on a softer grassy surface rather than hard pavements.

Under my heel

I had it in both feet for about a year and a half, but after doing all the stretches my podiatrist gave me the right foot is now happily pain free.
My left foot is on its way to being fixed, but the pain I felt for around a year was just excruciating. I can't believe I got around like that.
As others have said - no walking barefoot - ever. I religiously do my stretches (stretching my calf out - no toe raises - this makes mine worse)
I suggest you see a really good podiatrist who will take the time to sort your orthotics properly and listen to your pain.

Oh and sorry the pain I had when it was at its worst was all through my foot but centred in the middle of my heel. And at rest they would throb and would be so painful. Walking was awful.

Mine was my entire foot. However it started off just parts of my feet then spread to the whole foot. I struggled with it for about a year/year and a half.

i bought stabilizing boots that I wore 24/7 and I would roll a tennis ball with my feet. It was painful but it worked.

Mine strangely started off on the outside edge of my foot, then moved to my heel.
I can only liken the pain to having a bad split in the heel skin while standing on a piece of Lego, especially when getting out of bed on a morning or standing after sitting for a good while.
I have insoles that the podiatrist made for me, which are a huge help.
I also rolled my foot on a bottle of frozen water, which also helped a lot.
It lasted in severity for around 12 months, reduced to just the odd bearable twinge now.

I went to a podiatrist (not an NHS one) and he diagnosed the problem and had some custom fit orthotics made up that fit in my shoes at all times. They make me stand a different way. If you don't correct your stance, you can end up with knee problems and having knee replacements. Act now.

My plantar fasciitis has never returned, although the podiatrist appointments and custom fit orthotics came to nearly £400.

omg - I have woken with this! It is sooo painful!

It starts off as pain in the heel when you first get up, but once it gets bad it's all along the arch and all the time, although the first steps are still the worst.

I don't thinks yours sounds like PF though. If you have bad PF you'll be able to feel a lump on the tendon that runs under your foot.

I had pretty bad PF mainly on the heel. Went to podiatrist. Received acupuncture which was incredibly painful . But it worked . Instant relief . Continued to do the exercises and everything recommend here and so far it has not returned.

Yes mine was painful all the time. Went on for months. But then stopped and I haven’t had it since which is why I’m posting this. I never thought it would get better and it truly did! I’m not sure why or what worked but I think flat shoes may have triggered it. Walking far with no support at all. Trainers are much better for walking.