Plantar Fasciitis

[helpmeiamatoad]

Christ. I can’t do this anymore!

I work shifts, up to 8 hours at a time, constantly on my feet. By the end of shifts I feel literally sick with the pain.

I do my foot exercises every day. I have spent over £100 on shoes and insoles. Ibuprofen doesn’t touch it.

Does anyone have any experience or advice? Short of quitting my job, I don’t know what to do

My mum has the injections & swears by Sketchers Go Walks

Sorry if you've tried them

I've not been shown any exercises.

I was also sent off to find supports on my own; I've wasted money on the wrong things but I'm now using the things which look like a black tubi grip which have a gel pad in the heel.

I don't leave the house without wearing it on the affected foot. I don't work but if I did, I would need to ask them to make sure I was doing a job I could sit and do when necessary.

I'm sorry you're in such pain. It's awful isn't it. I got to the point I couldn't walk on that foot one little bit and then decided I needed a doctor. But that's because I live with a severe pain condition and am used to being dismissed.

I hope yours improves.

I don't know if this will work for you, but it worked for me literally overnight. I had a splint made by an OT that held my foot at 90 degrees to my lower leg while I slept. Basically keeping my foot up. The next day no pain. I wore it for a week or so and it never came back.

I couldn't believe it, but hey...

My dd suffered really badly, she had q support we got off amazon a tiny grip type thing, that seemed to help. She also did heel raises and lowers on the stairs to strengthen her feet, used a bottle full of frozen water to roll underneath it.

You can get a splint on amazon for around £16. It helps me a lot.

*tuby grip

@CrazyCatLady159 Thank you for the sketchers suggestion! I have been reading about steroid injections but have been a bit nervous about them. Definitely need to look into that more though! I’m glad they helped your mum!

@WashingMyHair247 I’m sorry you went through that! Has it improved since then?

@tryingtobebetterallthetime @MadCap Thank you both for the splint suggestion I’ll definitely have to give it a try!

@andannabegins Sounds interesting, will have to give it a google! I’m glad your DD is feeling better! I do the same exercises but sadly they don’t seem to help more than temporarily :(

Since using the sockthing everytime I go out, and sometimes when I'm home if it's been particularly bad, yes it has improved and I can walk. I just can't necessarily walk far. But I have other mobility problems as well.

Have tou got flat feet? Mine are very flat, and the best footwear for me is flip flops & converse/vans.

I was in agony at work for months & months until.I tried lightweight Nikes, & Converse, Its like I have new feet.

Steroid injections are very painful and unlikely to solve the problem if the damage is in more than 2-3 spots, which if you're that desperate, is unlikely.

What sorted it for me was wearing a removable boot (think mine was called an Air Cast) that I had been prescribed for a large ligament rupture in the other ankle in preference to a plaster cast.

The moment I woke up, I put it on and left it on until I got into bed. That gave me time for it to heal without tearing more every time I put weight on it through the day.

And once it had stopped hurting, I gradually worked on strengthening the muscles in my legs and feet. And binned every pair of shoes that had no support, slipped or were anything but secure and supportive.

I'm still screwed by Psoriatic Arthritis affecting the entheses, but I can stand up without feeling excruciating pain from my foot. Which is nicer.

A tennis ball rolled under my foot has virtually cured mine.

My DM used one of these massage balls

massage ball

Rolling a frozen bottle of water under my foot, and then a spiky ball. Wearing flip flops or Birks in the house all the time and light Nikes outside. Keep stretching. It'll go eventually.

My GP referred me for physio but while I was waiting I found some stretching tutorials on YouTube and they seemed to clear it so I cancelled the physio.

Oh and I couldn't go barefoot at all

I had an injection from the GP that hurt and didn't work then paid for a private one where they massaged in the anaesthetic so that it didn't hurt at all. They guided the needle in with an ultra sound picture. Never had problem since and it was years ago.

Mine is so much better since I got shoes from shuropody that support my arches. The staff there were v helpful and knew all about PF.

Mine went after I spend 15 mins 3 or 4 x a day stretching - lie on bed flat, point toes towards head, lift leg to 90 degrees to bed, while still pointing toes towards head, hold for count of 20, relax slowly back to bed still pointing toes, then repeat....did't look for exercises but found was only thing to stop the pain

Brad and Bob on you tube's exercises stopped my last bout within a day.

Dig a Knuckle right into the sore bit and twist it around, hurts like buggery but gets rid of it.

Arch straps work for me. Also a foot massager off Amazon is fab for night time

Mine was better for barefoot, and calf massages, and proper foam insoles were better than expensive custom orthotics for me, but the thing that cured it was breaking my leg so I had no option but to rest. Rest really is the best thing you can do for it. Is recommended getting a different job where you can sit down.

And crocs. They were bliss.