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AIBU?

Plantar Fascitis - AIBU for help and advice

49 replies

marriedinwhiteagain · 19/07/2013 22:00

Started last weekend - arch has dropped, ve painful (not my heel though). Ouch, ouich, ouch. GP has said sensoible shoes, slight heel - if still this sore in a month needs a referral to a podiatrist. Have one swollen foot - yuckity yuk.

Any further advice? Please, pretty please. What can io do to make the swelloing go down vain

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Laquila · 21/07/2013 09:31

Just to say, Married, that Earth Spirit sandals are amazing!! Sooo comfy. You used to be able to often get them cheap in places like TJ Hughes, Amazon etc.

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EATmum · 20/07/2013 19:22

Ive had PF because of a heel spur for years, but much better these days. Fit Flops definitely helped a lot. I also had osteopathy to treat the spur.

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pointythings · 20/07/2013 16:29

Your shop lady sounds spot on - true PF involves the heel, not the arch. If you really have PF then FitFlops will really work because they cushion the heel and promote the same rolling movements that you would perform in the prescribed exercises - I've been in FitFlops for 2 years now and my PF is gone to the point where I can now wear normal shoes again.

It sounds as if you have injured the arch, for which I agree FitFlops would be disastrous.

Shuropody are a chain and they sorted out my PF for me too, can't recommend them enough.

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BlingBang · 20/07/2013 14:52

Yip I love flats and spent 3 yrs in flip flops and walking on tiled floors in my bare feet.

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marriedinwhiteagain · 20/07/2013 14:20

I suspect it's the ballet flats that are the culprits here too :(

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BlingBang · 20/07/2013 14:08

Funny, was just talking about the Bowen technique with someone who highly recommended it this morning. Going to give it try.

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ilikecooking · 20/07/2013 13:32

Bowen Therapy

www.bowen-technique.co.uk/

For 12 years I tried everything the NHS advised me to do. In the end I gave up & sought help privately.

After 3 one-hour sessions, the pain went & hasn't come back for 4 years now. These 3 hours cost me £105. Wish I'd done it 10 years ago.

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SpiderCharlotte · 20/07/2013 13:28

I also suffered for months and months with this. I lived in ballet flats and my doc reckons that had a lot to do with it. I spent months in clarks airs (still wear them to work), taking ibuprofen and rubbing ibu gel into my foot. My doc then recommended trying cortisone injections in my foot. Oh. My. God the relief is amazing. It took a few weeks before it really felt loads better but now I can hardly feel it at all unless ive had a really busy day or worn silly shoes.

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SageYourResoluteOracle · 20/07/2013 13:23

Fab news, Married. Good to know re shuropody- I'm near Kingston!

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Jaynebxl · 20/07/2013 13:12

Nancy that's what my DH said until he started wearing the night foot brace.

Hope it all clears up soon OP.

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marriedinwhiteagain · 20/07/2013 12:55

Earth spirit, not fired earth. And not bad value at 42 although the ortho supports were 36!!

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marriedinwhiteagain · 20/07/2013 12:43

Am back. A shop called Shoon sent me to a combined shoe shop/chiropodist/podiatory centre called shuropody in kingston. They haved fixed me up with some fired earth sandals and oK'd a pair of gabor shoes I bought in shoon and have sold me some ortho supports. The discomfort is melting away.

The lady in the shop was well trained and unbelievably helpful. She thought it was just a dropped arch and overstrain rather than true plantar fasciitis but she went through some exercises with me. Can't recommend this shop highly enough if any of you need shoes/help and support. It's in Kingston btw.a

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Nancy66 · 20/07/2013 10:34

I also had this - the worst time (for me) was first thing in the morning when I had to get out of bed and put my heel down..ouch ouch ouch.

It went eventually after about two years.

The most effective exercise for me was:

Stand on edge of a step with your body positioned as if you are going up the step and not down. Then let your heels drop over the edge so you're sort of hanging there - then feel the stretch in your calf. Hold for a while.

Do several times a day

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lynne999 · 20/07/2013 10:06

I was under orthotist for this and found the insoles really in comfy. But I bought a pair of toms with leather built in arch supports and they cured it Grin

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shewhowines · 20/07/2013 08:40

Steroid injections.

First one at the gp didn't work. He didn't have long enough for the anaesthetic to work properly so it was a bit sore and I don't think he put it in the correct place.

Second one was done privately. They massaged the anaesthetic in, and I didn't feel a thing. They guided the steroid in, using an ultrasound machine. Never felt a thing in my foot since. 100% cure. Have lost weight since too, which probably helps.

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Artyjools · 20/07/2013 08:38

My sympathies, OP. this is so painful. I had it really badly for several months a couple of years ago. It was so bad, I had to hold onto the furniture to get from the bed to the en suite every morning. I felt like I'd aged 30 years.

What worked for me was inserts provided by a podiatrist. I wore them inside trainers for about 6 months. I still wear them during the winter and if I can feel discomfort returning. During the summer, I wear fitflops or something else with a well built up insole. You need to stabilise your feet first though, so shoes with laces that can be tied up tightly and good inserts from a podiatrist is the way to go.

By the way, children tend to inherit this from their parents, so we should all be encouraging our daughters to ditch the totally flat sandals & ballet pumps, as they are the work of the devil!

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SolomanDaisy · 20/07/2013 08:32

Fitflops entirely cured both mine and DH' s.

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chosenone · 20/07/2013 08:25

Ive suffered on and off for years so really do sympathise.Fitflops I found to be a complete lifesaver.

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Jaynebxl · 20/07/2013 08:21
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Jaynebxl · 20/07/2013 08:19

My DH had this for months. He did the exercises and wore the sensible shoes but the main thing that helped was wearing a brace at night. Apparently part of the problem is how we relax our joints when we sleep and keeping your foot at right angles to your leg stops overnight scarring of something or other. Will try to find a link to the brace he had because he also got one that was no good. He found that he had a lot of pain stepping on to his foot in the morning if he didn't wear the brace.

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marriedinwhiteagain · 20/07/2013 08:11

Thanks for all your advice. I'm off to get a pair of sensible shoes/sandals with lots of arch support; maybe a good insole/support from the Scholl shop and I'm going to see if I can get to a podiatrist next week to make sure this is sorted out quickly. If it was a tear I am sure I'd be in a lot more pain but I think I want to be sure.

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vintagecakeisstillnice · 20/07/2013 00:05

Yes to most of above but mostly to the cold therapy.
If I had a long day I also applied deep freeze to my foot.

And I know they're hated on here but Crocs were the only thing I could wear. Was in a job where I was on my feet all day, and these were the only footwear that I could not only tolerate but that I was actually comfortable in.

But again as said above this will depend on if its a tear or a strain. It's worth getting it properly diagnosised in the long run.

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DramaAlpaca · 20/07/2013 00:05

I would second getting prescription orthotics from a podiatrist or physiotherapist.

They have solved all the problems with my feet, including PF, and I no longer have pain in my knees or hips. They worked for my teenage son as well. We both now have perfect gait and no foot issues.

You have my sympathy as I know from experience how painful it is. Steroid injection only worked temporarily for me - and it was absolutely the most painful thing I have ever experienced, including labour!

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LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops · 19/07/2013 23:59

My Dad had this and orthotics from the podiatrist sorted it out pretty much straight away.

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Budgiegirlbob · 19/07/2013 23:42

I had this recently, it lasted for two years! I really sympathise as it is really painful.

The most important thing is to get good support for your arch. I wore arch support insoles in all my shoes and trainers, all the time, and it really helped. Never walk barefooted.

The NHS website has a list of exercises, these really helped, but you must do them every day.

In the end though, I had a steroid injection at the doctors, I put it off for ages, as everyone told me how painful it was, and I hate needles! But actually it was far less painful than the plantar fasciitus, and I wish I hadn't put it off for so long. It worked perfectly, and I have been completely pain free for over 3 months now.

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