Have you had Plantar Fasciitis?

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If you have ; how long did it take to go away? Did it just stop hurting or did you do something to cure it?

I've had it about 6 weeks now and I'm fed up. I'd appreciate any advice.

Thank you

It took a few months of pain before I realised what it was as I thought it was arthritis. Stretches every hour or so, along with a elasticated ankle support and wearing sensible lace ups indoors as well as out improved it. It took a few weeks for any improvement. I still stretch twice daily and wear sensible shoes all the time. If I wear sandals in summer or wear soft lace ups, I get a recurrence.

Things that cured it for me:

• calf massage
• calf strengthening
• wearing a Strassburg stocking at night (takes a few nights to get it to the right adjustment so it's not too uncomfortable to wear, but still does the job). It helps with the excruciating pain of the first few steps of the day.
• wearing shoes with a slight heel all the time.

I never found rolling a tennis ball helpful.

Yes, it was really painful. I had it one winter and it got so bad that it was really painful to walk. I could only walk slowly because I couldn't take a full stride. I did exercises every morning before and as I got out of bed which helped a little. It completely disappeared in the summer and I thought it had gone forever, but then it came back in the autumn. And that's when I worked out that it was caused by bamboo socks. I had changed all my old and increasingly worn out cotton socks for lovely, soft bamboo socks the previous winter. I bought more cotton socks to see if it made a difference, and it improved again so I threw out all my bamboo socks.

I was telling a few friends about it afterwards and one of them said that her husband had recently developed pf and was wearing newish bamboo socks about half the time. She got him to wear only cotton socks and apparently his pain improved after that.

Yep - had it so bad when DD was young. Things that made it better:

Wearing the right shoes - Birkenstocks in summer instead of flat soled sandals for example. Boots with good arch support in winter. Proper trainers etc

Yoga - loads of downward dogs knocked it on the head for me, much better than regular stretching physio type exercises.

Yes I had it for about a year after a summer wearing converse to work all day on a hard floor. The frozen cans were good for relief but the thing that sorted it was really consistently never taking my proper supportive trainers off indoors except when in bed. I was doing it for symptom control but it actually seems to have fixed it. Stepping straight into trainers at the side of the bed even for a 10 paces walk to the loo in the middle of the night & never ever going barefoot. I did that really consistently for about a month or two & then realised it had gone. This was about 8 years ago. I still occasionally wear flat pumps but am careful not to overdo it & I don't have any problems now. It was a bizarre and excruciating condition - the doctor said it was textbook PF. I was about a stone or two overweight & 45 at the time which I think is pretty common.

Heel lifts. Tried a lot of other things to no avail.

The only thing that worked for me was guided ultrasound steroid injections in the sole of my foot.

Yes. Had it for almost a year. What cured it was doing a Yoga With Adriene 7 minute post-run yoga stretch religiously after every dog walk or long time spent on my feet. Just calf stretches might have worked, but you honestly have to do them A LOT. Plus wearing crocs around the house and never going barefoot or wearing thin-soled shoes. Taping, splints etc did nothing for me.

Yes it's horrible. Years in retail wearing ridiculous shoes broke me.

I fixed it by wearing Birkenstocks and nothing else for about 6 months. It occasionally comes back if I've spent too long in the wrong shoes and have to go back to religious Birkenstock use.

Properly fitted insoles, never walking barefooted or - worse - wearing flip flops or ballet flats, always wearing shoes with a strap or laces (nothing that makes you scrunch up your toes to cling on to your shoes when you walk).

Weeks and weeks. Then suddenly it was gone. I tried some exercises but they really didn't help.

Gentle calf stretches and trying gently moving/rolling a can of tinned food under your feet back and forwards whilst sitting. Gentle exercise walking when its not painful.

Always wearing supportive slippers/footwear in the house especially first thing on a morning or when going from sitting or lying down to walking about.

Varying footwear always wear comfortable shoes with good arch support.

I have had about three really painful bouts of this but thankfully haven’t had it for a few years now (touch wood).

Steroid injection sorted mine in 2 days after a year of pain and discomfort

Would absolutely recommend one

It takes about 2 months to go if I get it. I get it because I'm hypermobile which makes me walk funny, putting strain on my feet despite high arches. It's not necessarily always caused by flat feet. Physio to strengen muscles higher up had massively improved things.

Another advocate of the night splints here, and FitFlop slippers at all times in the house.

This kind of thing (hope the link works, I'm new here): amzn.eu/d/drarrFr

Hope you feel better soon, it is SO painful!

Stretching exercises and shoe inserts really helped me - I had it in both feet but fortunately not at the same time. One foot was worse than the other and it lasted about a year, the other foot only lasted a few months. I suspect the second foot wasn’t as bad simply because I knew how to treat it. It’s bloody horrible so you have my sympathy.

On and off for ten years in both feet. Only flairs up if I do a lot of walking or when pregnant. It does go but never seems to to completely.

Podiatrist measured my feet and made me walk on a digital Matt attached to his computer, it showed exactly how I walked pressure points
My arches had dropped
He had custom made insoles for my shoes
They lift your arches and re align your skeleton apparently, solved my agony
In 3 weeks, cost 125 quid made in the states
Best money I ever spent

I’ve had it and know your pain of getting up in a morning and trying to stand then walk. Mine just seemed to disappear but I have worn insoles in all my shoes and boots ever since.

Vionic trainers and exercises advised by physiotherapist worked for me. It did take 3 or 4 months to resolve but I have had no recurrence for over 5 years.

I found Birkenstocks made it much worse. I did lots of calf stretches/ downward dog and used heel gel pads.

I think mine lasted c.7 years.
Tried steroid injection, the electric pulse thing, exercises, orthotics etc.

Stopped almost over night when I started HRT.

I've had it since Xmas. Have been wearing insoles for the past 8 weeks. Also bought fit flops 3 pairs for my holiday. That's all I have with me and it's feeling much better now but still there slightly. Its not keeping me up at night or needing painkillers. Also been stretching.

Had it for ages, had a few steroid injections which only helped for a while. Eventually I bought a book The 5 Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution, written by a physio in which he recommended a night splint. I got one from physioroom.com and within a few days there was a vast improvement and completely cured in a couple of weeks.

I got this during lockdown and after as now WFH. I bought fitflop slippers and almost immediately it disappeared