Plantar Fasciitis

[OonaLoona2]

How can I make this better!
I've been suffering for about a year now, first went to Drs 5 months ago. I've been following their advice - doing the exercises, taking ibuprofen, supportive shoes, ALWAYS, even in the house - and it's getting no better.
It's making my life utter misery and I'm about ready to chop my foot off. I find most exercise impossible, even walking. And I'm constantly telling the children, friends, family that I can't do stuff because of the pain I'm in. Some days I'm actually reduced to tears.
I've been back to the Drs today and they've said to carry on with the things I'm already doing and try to lose some weight and it will eventually get better.
There must be a way to help reduce the pain while I'm waiting for it to magically disappear?
Any tips? Any fellow sufferers who want to join my pity party?

Fit flops. They have revolutionised my life. They are expensive shoes but they come in boots, slip ons, a whole variety. Not just sandals.

Unfortunately plantar fasciitis is notoriously slow to heal. There are a few things you can do to relieve the symptoms. Wearing properly supportive shoes all the time such as birkenstocks, fit flops etc will really help. What exercises are you doing? You need to be stretching out your calf muscles as much as possible as well as stretching and strengthening the feet.

You could get a sports massage as that will help to relieve tension in the calves and feet. Get a small spiky massage ball (they're very cheap on Amazon) and use it to massage the soles of your feet - I do this every day when I'm sitting and watching tv. If the pain is really bad, put a small water bottle in the freezer and then use it to roller the feet, the cold will help relieve pain.

Stretching your feet before getting out of bed in the morning helps prevent that acute pain when you first stand up.

Hope you get some relief soon.

Podiatry and physio helped me. I had it for about 9 months. Get your gp to refer you.

In the meantime do the exercise where you stand on a step with your heel hanging over and raise/lower you heel. And the spiky ball roll.

I feel for you, it was awful.

Unfortunately I'm already doing everything mentioned.
I wear fit flops all the time, even indoors. I never go barefoot. I use a tennis ball to roll my foot on and do exercises recommended (the one suggested above on a step and writing the alphabet with my foot) three times a day.
I went to a local podiatrist clinic today but they said there wasn't much anyone can do to help besides what I'm already doing.
It's so completely miserable but it looks like I've just got to wait it out.
Thanks for all suggestions anyway

It is awful but it does heal.

I will take this opportunity to recommend some fabulous shoes which I love with all my heart, the ASICS Gel Odyssey hiking shoes. Not beautiful, though I’ve seen worse. Not cheap, though you can get them cheaper on Amazon. But IME significantly better than Fitflops.

Sounds like you are doing everything although I would add in massage/foam roller on the calves as I would guess they're very tight and stiff. The calf muscles and the plantar fascia are linked together via the Achilles tendon.

Oh and the spiky ball. I find a tennis ball too soft, it doesn't get into the fascia deep enough.

When mine was really bad last year I did all the above plus calf massage with one of these roller and foot massage with a spiky ball or golf ball, tennis balls are too soft. I was pretty well crippled with it last spring (both feet) but am completely pain free again now.

Nothing worked for me until I bought a pair of addidas trainers. Ugly things but I love them. They are running ones with a bit cut out of the bottom where my foot pain is.

Cured over a year of pain in a couple of weeks.

It is really painful, Skechers memory foam trainers were a comfort for me. I hope it improves very soon for you.

I put a bottle of water in the freezer and roll my foot on that when its frozen.
That along with doing the stretching exercises usually sorts mine out in a few weeks.

Sorry OP. It’s incredibly painful. Just adding my ‘yes’ to the spikey ball.

DrMarten boots with plantar insoles (from Amazon) worm continually.

Also, the pain is often worse in the morning due to the foot relaxing and the PF shortening. I moved to the sofa for a while and wedged my foot against the end of the sofa so that it remained at 90 degrees for most of the night. You can actually buy something that mimics this without resorting to wedging your foot or sleeping on the sofa...but I didn't know that at the time!

Every time I walked upstairs I went slowly and stretch my calf on every step. It was the only way I could remember to stretch often.

My PF is 96% gone, but having limped for 6 months, I have now developed hip bursitis.

Freeze a small bottle of water and use that to roll under your foot. The relief is temporary, but some relief.

Writing the alphabet? Do you point your toe like a pen? I would have thought that would contract the calf whereas you should be stretching it. I'm no expert though.
I bought a night splint to wear in bed to keep foot at 90 degrees like PP and it did help although felt a bit like a ski boot and I did tend to clonk OH when I turned over.
Took a year to heal so I feel for you.

Yes that’s true - if you’re really really desperate you could try a night splint

Physio did ultrasound on my foot, can you get a referral? Otherwise I'm told that calf stretches can help, insoles, Skechers go walk (I've given up on most other shoes). Something like swimming might help with calf or feet muscles with minimal impact.

I would imagine there is one pair of shoes which is not helping you.

After 2 years of hell I have discovered that if I wear Asics trainers all day and birkenstocks in the house, after a few days it doesn't hurt at all. My wellies and an old pair of trainers cause it.

Have you asked about the steroid injection?

I struggled on with pf for ages (I felt it "go" on a beach run) and tried everything.

Had the injection and it cleared up in 3 days. Absolute fucking miracle and life changing for me.

I found exercises on YouTube that I do before getting out of bed that help a lot. And the spiky massage ball made a huge difference too, it lives under my computer desk and I use it a lot. But the thing that helped the most was to wear tighter boots, the lace up type. I didn't make the connection until I changed boots but I think that having a pair that were a little too roomy, allowing my foot to move around, were the initial cause of the plantar fasciitis.

I have this in my left foot and am gutted as I can't do my Fitbit steps at the moment and have started limping. My GP told me to self-refer to podiatry for a better shoe insole. The shop bought ones just aren't supportive enough. Ice packs and calf stretches only give me temporary relief.

yep blackamericano I think always caused by shoes

Another vote for Skechers memory foam. I have a pair of trainers and a pair of court shoes for work. The shoes came from abroad, order 1/2 size down if you do. Wore them all day, everyday for about 3 weeks and pain was gone.

Skechers Shape Ups
Plantar insoles ALL the time
Foot taping with kinesiology tape
NEVER flat shoes, ever
Mine is slowly improving - went dancing last Sat night!

My podiatrist specifically told me to avoid Skechers Go Walks, I seem to need a firm support rather than soft. Crocs are also a bad choice for me.

Apparently flip-flops and ballet flats are amongst the worst culprits for causing it.