Plantar Fasciitis hell

[SMLSML]

Need a hand hold, had PF since March and it's been getting steadily worse even with treatment. Currently getting weekly shockwave therapy, halfway through the course and it's gotten so bad again, I'm struggling to stay on my feet as it's so sore and they're constantly burning and painful. Doing all the recommended things, you name it I've tried it. Seem to be just burning (pun intended) money away trying to solve it. Anyone who has had it, do you just have to ride it out and it'll go on its own? Need reassurance as really struggling, have two kids under 5 and a demanding events job where I need to be on my feet for 12 hours plus at a time. I've lost a stone, not overweight, I've got autoimmune conditions but nothing drastically out the ordinary. Just looking for reassurance I'll get better eventually and idea of timescales that others experienced 🫠

@SMLSML

I sympathise - PF is awful. It’s one of those weird conditions that often seem to resolve on their own, but it might take ages and there are things that can help in the meantime:

What has ‘worked’ for me:

Stretches - all the time
Roller stick/rolling pin
Prickly ball
Ice bottle for rolling under foot
HOKA trainers - I have several pairs of Clifton 7 as recommended by podiatrist
HOKA slides to wear in the house - stupendously ugly, but do the job
Orthotic inserts via podiatrist
Physio exercises
Wearing heels/wedges

I was lucky in a way because I had it just before the pandemic so lockdown forced me to rest and I didn’t have to wear proper shoes for a while. I had an old pair of Fitflops and a pair of ASICS so wore those for a few months and did the calf stretching exercise and it disappeared.
I’m very careful what I wear on my feet - never go barefoot or wear anything too flat. I wear mostly Fitflops and Birkenstocks these days.

I’ve also got a fair few autoimmune things going on. Frozen shoulder - ugh.

Weirdly, the thing that helped mine, was wearing a £2 pair of flip flops from Primark, around the house. They’re very cushioned and I wear them all the time at home. I also rolled my feet on a frozen water bottle and wore Skechers when out and about. It went away for me and hasn’t come back. I do still wear Skechers and Primark flip flops!

Supportive shoes all the time is what resolves it the best imo. I use Allegria Paloma shoes (loathe trainers with a passion) then Birkenstock or fitflops for more casual wear.

I didnt find ice worked at all for me but in general I am quite off ice for pain relief find it doesnt work (like heat but that doesnt work e PF)

I find if I slip and stop wearing shoes or go barefoot too much it returns. Ive now lived with it on and off for 7 years.

What helped me the most was stopping the job that had me on my feet for hours on end.

I have way too much experience of PF - had it for a year, got it back again earlier this year - in Feb fell on same foot and ended up tearing my facia and breaking 3 bones in same foot. Could not do the excerises or have any injections due to breaks ... this shoe recommended by podiastrist gave my life back. Seriously I still have both brokem bones and torn facsia (about to have platelet injection) but I am dancing around on this shoes on the meantime. I can not wear anything else. You should get 10% off as new customer.

OOFOS Women's OOahh Sport Flex Recovery Slide Sandal - Matt Black – oofos.co.uk

https://youtube.com/shorts/3Rx2vUnFAM4?si=U7GrQMaQvhMZS7Fh

The last time I had a severe PF episode, I ended up having to use a walking stick because my knees were affected by trying to compensate for the hobbling gait. Eentually my hips were affected too. This went on for 9 months.

It was cured eventually by Covid. Or to be clearer, lockdown. For nearly 2 years I wasn't able to keep up my previous frantic pace. I worked from home and barely walked anywhere. Yes I put on 3 stone (now mostly gone again) but it was taking seriously the need to rest and recover that finally worked for me. I've since given up running and unsuitable shoes.

Been there. I was on crutches for 4 months when I had it.

I can re-iterate what others have said. ASICS gel mission trainers for daily wear. A pair of footbed sandals or slip on trainers with arch support for around the house.

Calf stretches several times a day. I know it seems weird when the pain is in your foot, but if you can improve flexibility in the calf it reduces that tight pull against the inflamed tendon.

I saw a physiotherapist in the end, who recommended the most effective exercises. If you PM me I’d be happy to send you a copy of the exercise plan. I can’t post it here as it has identifying data on it.

I did OMG agony. It was months and months. Put on the list for surgery as physio didn’t work.

I paid the price for cheap shoes (factory shop) etc for a few years.

I brought expensive £100 shoes from Clarkes similar to these https://www.clarks.com/en-gb/torhill-bee/26172084-p
I had Birkenstocks - good ones for the summer. I used a foot spa when they were bad and took painkillers. About 3-4 weeks after buying some decent shoes it just disappeared and I didn’t need surgery and I haven’t gone back, yes sliders at the beach and Birkenstocks (buy them when I see them) I have pair of those Clarke shoes in black, brown, green suede and brought them for my older daughter for school shoes.

Someone at work also had PF and brought the same shoes as me as mine cleared up and hers did as well in about 2-3 weeks.

I used to wince at paying £30 for a pair of shoes in the factory shop and now I just think sod it and I will buy new pairs as and when needed. Currently have three pairs of pretty much identical those Clark shoes and three pairs of Birkenstocks and rotate them.

Forgot to say I didn’t do it at the time as it was too painful to do anything but once it does stretch your calf once a day using a step and do 5 up and down and then ten and I now do 50 a day - mine never came back

I am not a doctor but will tell you how I fixed mine and it wasn’t with the expensive products I bought.

I put a firm pillow at the bottom of my bed with feet resting up to it overnight so feet remained in a right angle to legs all night - even if I turned side to side or back - then rotated and flexed legs and feet gently before standing and standing gently first thing in the mornings. Always wore the same shoes till it recovered and then very careful wearing feet into any new shoes very gradually thereafter.

Mine had been cased by factory shop super flat shoes I believe

The main issue is likely to be your job - 12 hours on your feet. If you have a good employer and pain is impeding you a lot it might be helpful to seek adjustments at work.

I’ve had PT for six years, never to the point of pain impeding daily activities.

Oh OP I feel your pain!! It’s agony isn’t it? No other suggestions to add, as others have already given all the usual advice about things that can help. I do second Crocs around the house though…not sure why or how they help but they do, and calf stretches as often as you can!!

I’m 5 years into my second big flare up…the first time it lasted 2 years, then I was free of it for around 4 years. As soon as menopause hit, it came back with a vengeance!

This time it just isn’t going away though! I’m a teacher so on my feet all day, and some days I’m in so much pain I sit and cry at my desk during lunch time!

I have been under a consultant at the hospital for 3 years…he’s tried all the conservative treatments now, including shockwave therapy (so bloody painful!!) and two rounds of cortisone injections.

I had an appointment last week (3 months after the final shockwave therapy) and he’s finally agreed to surgery. So I guess I’m now on a long NHS waiting list for that 🤷‍♀️ He is going to do calf-release on both legs.

In addition to PF in both feet, I also have Achilles tendonitis and Ledderhose Disease, so essentially my feet are fucked! 😢

Is it definitely plantar fasciitis?

I have been having treatment for plantar fasciitis on and off for a few years, but it turns out it is actually peroneal and achilles tendinitis, as well as a subluxing cuboid bone, so the exercises have been making it worse!

Anyway, yes to crocs, but only proper crocs not rip off crocs. They're firmer and have better arch support.

I had this in both feet for about five years. I didn’t even go to the doctors about it as I just thought it was normal as I worked on my feet in a manual job and just thought I was unfit 🤦‍♀️.
no I went after about 4 years, doctor just shrugged and told me to take painkillers and there wasn’t anything else he could do. Useless.

the only thing that cured it (for me) was changing my job, I had a sitting job in a factory which rested my feet and it just went. First in one foot then the other. Haven’t had it since.

Did you try Vionic trainers? They worked for me and you can get them on ebay under £50.

Sorry, I haven't rtt but having had it in both feet at the same time consider myself an expert! It was the worst pain I'd ever experienced and affected every aspect of my life.

In the end I concluded that all the recommended things do help, but you need to do the much more often than seems reasonable, like very hour! Once I started that it cleared up within a week or two, having plagued me for nearly 2 years.

It also helped a lot to do the first round of exercises before first putting a foot to the floor in the mornings.

Roll on a rolling pin for minute.
Massage the planta fascia with the side of your hand, back and forwards, hard,
for a good minute.
Stretch calf using a strap
Ice, for as long as you can bear as often as humanly possibe.

Before you get up and every hour all day.

As a previous poster said, mounjaro fixed it for me. Within a couple of weeks I'd say. Not a twinge since. Also lots of general lower back aim and stiffness completely gone - and it's not because of weight loss, it happened almost immediately when I started on the lowest dose.

Just want to vote with others for shoes with supported heels like the Fitflop slippers/clogs, and Birkenstocks.

And exercises, and foot raising at night.

Good luck.

(I know this will sound like anathema to just about everyone here but once mine was over I went back to barefoot shoes because I suspect that long term it's better for your feet.)

I see a physio regularly for a different issue and he helped me by massaging the tendon up the back of my ankle and calf. That gave some relief from it.

My PF was bad, I tried everything like you.
After a while I bought a pair of crocs from Asda and things improved massively.
I have hardly any pain now when I wear them.
It's because they are wide at the front and plenty of room for your toes. Also the sole is soft.
Try them if you haven't.
Sometimes it's the simple things.

I had this a few years ago. Saw a specialist who gave me weird moulds to put in my shoes. Nothing really worked.

Long story short : IT WENT AWAY ON IT'S OWN (IN UNDER A YEAR).

In the end I concluded that all the recommended things do help, but you need to do the much more often than seems reasonable, like every hour!

Yes, very much this! I did the exercises recommended by the physio, but only a couple of times a day. When I started doing them (or my very short runners' yoga routine) much more often, the PF went away.

Mine went away after 6 months. I did the stretches throughout the day and wore Merrell walking trainers or boots everywhere, (expensive but the foot bed is very, very supportive.) Hope yours goes away soon.