Talk to me about Plantar Fasciitis...

[BearSoFair]

I've skimmed through threads before thinking 'that sounds awful', now experiencing pain that seems to line up with PF (will try to get an appointment next week) and it bloody IS awful 😭

Worse first thing in the morning. Sharp 'deep' pain in the bottom of my heel and where the arch ends, tender to press on but not agonising. Eases after 20-odd minutes of being on my feet. I work on my feet, anything from 6-10 hours depending on my shift, generally wear Nike or Reebok trainers. Not really aware of pain during the work day but it returns when I've been sitting down in the evening. I've ordered a foam roller and have been using a cold water bottle under my foot in the meantime.

What else can I do? I've got two trips coming up (June and August) that will involve a LOT of walking and I'm starting to worry about them!

Do your stretches. I found the ones on a stair the most useful along with squats to strengthen the legs.
I am not convinced by insoles other than custom made ones. I just where comfortable wide fit trainers.

Never ever go barefoot not even a quick trip to the loo in the middle of the night.

Mine kicked off when I went on three hikes in a week and lasted quite badly for six months. I was then very unwell with flu so was just knocked off my feet literally and was in bed and recovering for about six weeks. Made me miserable but it sorted it out just as much as the stretches. I also got DH to massage the bottom of my foot.

It does eventually go. Mine was linked to perimeopause I’m sure.

there are stretching exercises you can do, in bed make the shapes of letters of the alphabet with both feet. Always wear proper shoes or slippers with support.

My only useful advice,
Just keep trying different things, don't give up trying.

Everyone recovered who I talk to found a different solution that finally fixed theirs. There is no one perfect cure. Walking barefoot was irrelevant to mine while heel rise exercises helped me a lot.

Wearing good fit shoes helps me keep it at bay. Mine is linked to Achilles tendonitis, too, & maybe tight hamstrings. Not linked to my calf muscles at all. It's very individual ime.

The cure is rather dependent on the cause.

Mine is over pronation so calf stretches did nothing. However arch supports which corrected my foot position worked wonders.

I live in cloud sliders and Birkenstocks and avoid Skechers and all memory foam soles like the plague as it was those that triggered it in the first place. The memory foam remembers the poor foot position and actually exacerbates the problem.

I’m now back to being able to wear any shoe that I can get 3/4 sole arch support inserts into.

I did all the physio and it took about 6 weeks before the pain subsided. Google NHS plantar exercises.

I only wear brooks runners now when exercising and it has made a massive difference.

I have the Birkenstock Arizona with back straps !! I have plantar fasciitis due to psoriatic arthritis these are very good for walking x
im fibbing its the Milano with the back straps but they are the same i think as Arizona x

Fitflop are the absolute best for foot pain.

If you’re going to be doing a lot of walking you cannot beat these Allbirds Treeflyers in particular though any of their styles will work. I’am currently able to walk pretty much however far I want even when I have a particularly bad day with Achilles tendonitis. Recommend them to my friend with PF and she’s over the moon - her physio said they are probably the best thing she could have bought.
www.allbirds.co.uk/products/womens-tree-flyers-1

A nice surprise to have two pages to look at today, thank you all! Just home from a 10hr day so no doubt I'll be paying for that tomorrow...I'm off to look at the stretches now! I do wear flip-flop style slippers indoors so I'll swap to my 'winter' backed pair for a while and see if that helps.

Interesting you mention peri, that's definitely a possibility for me...

I have podiatrist made inner soles for my work shoes (expensivd) but it's all about the arch support and deep stretching to manage mine.

I tried everything then I had three sessions of shock wave therapy and it went.

alternate hot and cold for 20 mins so an ice bottle and a hot water bottle on base of foot a couple times a day helped mine

I have PF at the moment and came across https://angryorthopod.com/2016/03/calf-stretching/ on MN. Been doing it the last couple of days and it helps a lot.

I've got it. A cortisone shot might give you some relief.
Ask your doctor, you may have to go on a waiting list.
I've not managed to get rid of mean. Had it 18 months. I just put up with it
Currently waiting for cortisone injection.

I quite literally feel your pain.

I have had it for 13 months now. I’ve tried so much stuff, my frustration is as someone who has had calf probs and suffers with hallux ridigis I was doing all of the stretches / strength anyway and STILL bloody got it. I don’t think peri is a factor necessarily - I’m on a Reddit forum and there’s a load of youngsters on there with it (I feel worse for them in some ways).

oofos sliders are fab for round the house etc, as everyone else has said - no flat shoes! Some people recommend actually going barefooted to strengthen your feet but I think that has to come later.

I’ve had various physio, ultra sound therapy, shockwave therapy, acupuncture, lots of taping, various insoles, many types of stretching, various objects to roll my foot on, many types of exercise, total rest - none of those things has ‘cured it’. Mine has randomly eased (🤞) over the past couple of months, the only thing I’ve really changed is wearing my oofos religiously around the house. I’m back running now (slowly) and it’s no worse for doing that.

I was told not to have the cortisone shot as it masks rather than solves the problem.

I had this for 2yrs. Short answer is, that I woke up one day and realised it had finally gone! These are the things I tried though 😩:

• Podiatrist. I bought more supportive trainers with arch support and never wore heels during that time, plus started stretches
• Osteopath. Mainly for another reason, but they also advised stretches and massaged the foot which felt amazing- but did nothing.
• Spiky ball to roll my foot on
• A sock you wear at night with a tether that pulls the toes up as you sleep. The most uncomfortable thing I've ever had and could only cope a few hours before I ripped it off. A more rigid, boot type might work better.
• Lost 10kg, made not difference, then eventually put back on 5kg- no difference!
• GP finally referred me to physio for yet more stretches and balancing exercise.

I was waiting to be seen at the hospital for laser/shock therapy on the foot. I was never offered cortisone injections, but wish I'd asked at the time. The physio sessions had stopped and I took a break from all the stretching etc. It was then that I woke up painfree! I'm not saying the above don't help some people, they just did nothing for me!

That was 3yrs ago now. I had a twinge about 3mths later, but thankfully, it has never returned.

Following! I need this advice, please keep it coming!! Recently self-diagnosed and I’m absolutely gutted 😭

Another vote for oofos sliders here. My PF was awful (both feet) but slowly eased once I started wearing the oofos. I've continued to do so for around 6 years now, and have not had a recurrence of the PF.

Another vote for Fitflops shoes. I have a pair of FitFlop black boots that I live in for the winter. In the summer I wear their sandals. At home I wear their flip flops with thick sole. As PPs have said, NEVER go barefoot. Memory foam insoles are the work of the devil... looking at you Skechers!!! Mine was definitely triggered by the Go Walks. And recently almost re-triggered it when I wore my daughter's Slip Ins.

Chiropodist told me

Ice twice a day
High dose ibuprofen tovreduce inflammation for 2 weeks
Dont walk bare foot on floor,
Shoes with soft soles like fitflops

I've had it on off for years in my right foot. Sketchers shoes actually caused a part of my foot to "collapse" and ended up with custom made orthotics and physio to sort out.

It's worse again at the moment, have just bought new insoles for PF which work really well, the only thing causing discomfort now is a stiff big toe.

I have done the opposite of most people who have replied.

I tried all the custom orthotics and support shoes but what fixed mine was strengthening my feet and moving to barefoot shoes.

After 3 years of agony despite rest, orthotics, visits to various podiatrists my PF has gone and I'm back to running three times a week with no foot pain at all. I saw a functional movement PT and followed a guy online called Graham something....

I'm sure he will come up if you Google "barefoot and Graham"! He has a program for foot strengthening, I have developed arches after having flat feet my whole life.

I had it one summer it was agony. I altered my walking so my hip was also really sore.

I spend summers in flip flops, flat sandals,converse, ballet pumps and bare feet so everything that was bad for it. Every so often I would wear wedge sandals which seemed to help but it only got better once I started wearing my proper shoes/boots again that had proper support.