Plantar Fasciitis

[Anxious114tr]

doctor told me I have Plantar Fasciitis. Hasn’t been very helpful and told me to just buy suitable footwear. I’ve been trying to research but honestly my mind is all over the place with other issues so I can’t focus. Can someone please tell me what footwear I need to buy I can’t find anything. I’ve looked at Amazon but I’m confused what I’m looking for. Does this ever go away?

It’s horrid but it does suddenly go away. I’ve been fine with £10 insoles from Amazon in my shoes, and make sure you wear some shoes indoors, maybe buy some indoor trainers.

Stretching helped for me, the physio told me you need to activate the muscles. Hang your heels off the bottom step, raise up onto your toes for 5, then hang down again for 5, and repeat. Do this as many times a day as you remember. A physio ball rolled under your foot helps too, as does doing some figures of eight with your foot before you get up and bear weight in the morning.

Mine was awful for several weeks but then one day just started to feel enormously better. It’s frustrating but common and will get better if you stretch lots. Look online for some exercises too.

Vionics slippers cured mine

Agree with this.

My pain literally went overnight.

Welcome to the PF club.

have you got some physio recommendations or has gp given you exercises to do. If not google them. Loads of advice out there.

I have had to stop wearing the squishy stretchy slip on sketchers and the like and no more ballet flats.

im using some insoles that properly support my foot and more traditional shoes that support the sides and have a sturdy sole.

so some Next comfort range, hotters, Ecco, reikers. I’m a wide size 9/43 which adds to the issue of finding stuff that fits.

About 8 years ago I got referred to the hospital where I had special insoles made. Mine comes back every so often and I've found stretching and losing weight (if you need to) helps. Does anyone have a link to specific soles on Amazon? Might give it a go.

Oofos. They're like magic for PF. Expensive (although there's generally an offer/deal on somewhere), but they last and they work.

Yes to Vionic slippers and also FitFlop shoes - I live in their sandals in the summer and their boots in the winter - they make such a difference to pain levels when I'm wearing them!

PF is a total pain (literally). If yours persists, ask to be referred to podiatry - they can try treatments which might help. Steroid injections have worked for me (temporarily, sadly) in the past.

DH has got it.

The two things that help are standing on balls (stretches foot over it) and doing stretches that bring the toes up (like the heel dips off a step described above) or bodging together a portable slope so that when standing (eg cooking), you can have your toes up (I suggested one for under his desk for when sitting, but he's not got round to that yet)

I might have to treat him to a pair of those slippers though. Does the sizing run true?

Wear crocs. They really helped my partner when he was suffering.

I wear Skechers and insoles

I got Sketchers with arch support but can’t remember the exact shoe. I wore them from getting up to going to bed - no bare foot walking at all. It disappeared as suddenly as it came on (and - touch wood - has not returned since). Hope yours disappears quickly too.

Just insoles (I got ones from Boots), and before I get up, I stretch the leg out and point my toes upwards towards the leg. Saves that excruciating pain when you stand up

Before you spend a lot of money on footwear, do the stretches particularly the calf ones, for two weeks and also look at "plantar cure" device. It is about £25.

Skechers arch fit plus another insole

I had it in both feet a few years ago, absolutely crippled me so you have my utmost sympathy!

Never walk barefoot apart from briefly when you’re showering/bathing, straight into supportive shoes as soon as you wake up until the moment you go to bed (and nothing with a flat sole so no Vans/Converse), roll a spiky tumble dryer ball under your arch, I had DP massage my soles every day to try and get some relief from the pain also!

I had it for about 4 months, was just about to beg my GP for help and then it suddenly went away!

Standing on balls?!?!🥹🥹🥹

How the hell does that help?

You massage your foot over a tennis ball

Thank you so much everyone! I’m so sorry to ask this but I’m struggling to find footwear. I’m size 5, can anyone put any links up please. I just need outside shoes thst don’t look too ugly.

If you do a search there is quite a few threads about this. It is hit and miss what shoes work for you. I never found Sketchers worked for me. Others love Birkenstock and yet others late them.

For me it was Allegria shoes they cost a lot but really supported and finally helped cure my PF. I did a thread about sandals recently as I do get flare ups so still wear shoes that are for PF. here

I wore Scholl arch supports continuously for several weeks - £25 in Boots. Worked for me.
I had self diagnosed via Google, didn’t ask the GP.

Two BiLs also had it, each spent hundreds of ££ on custom made inserts, with no better results.

Give it a couple more weeks and you won't care about what they look like anymore.

Order some arch supports from Amazon and get some lace up flat shoes (you might need to go up to size 6 to fit the supports in as well as your feet, so best to order both sizes).

Trainers like Asics or Brooks where you can remove the existing footbed and replace with arch support insoles are also good. This means buying running shoes, rather than trainers.

You need the shoe to stay on your foot however you move and to make sure that you aren't rolling your ankle inwards and having it move around inside.

You can't mess around with PF, as it will progress if you don't give it a chance to heal.

Freeze a small water bottle full of water and roll along your foot provides relief

Get Insoles and you can wear anything you need to lift your arch so get insoles and shoes with arch support. Do not try to wear anything flat heels are better than flats .
Birkenstocks and sketchers are my go to

Oh gosh yes - little balls (golf to tennis ball sized) under the arch of your foot to usefully stretch the foot round it. You can also roll them around under. Or try a small spiky roller.

Did you instead get a mental picture of balancing on top of a huge exercise ball?

You basically want something with a substantial, fairly stiff sole (so not things like ballet pumps or Roman sandals or plimsolls) and some arch support. I find Birkenstock sandals work well for me but you probably need to try a few things on and see how they feel to be honest, as obviously everyone's foot shape is different with different arch height/position etc. I know a lot of people like Vionic and FitFlop trainers. You could also try a pair of arch-support insoles that you just put inside your normal shoes. I wear them inside my platform Converse for work and they really, really help.

If you're a runner then definitely go and get a gait analysis at a running shop and get them to recommend the right kind of running shoes.

Other things that have helped me: wearing a compression support bandage on my foot overnight, ice packs and a foot-roller. My PF hasn't completely gone but it's improved massively.

If you can afford to see a podiatrist, that might be a good idea as they can give you advice specific to your foot and may be able to get insoles custom-made for you - but I just bought mine in Boots and they've been OK for me.