Plantar Fascitiis

Newly (tentatively) diagnosed. Share any tips? Does this ever go away? Are my running days over (before they really began)?

Hurts%20so%20bad
• It usually does go away but just as unpredictably as it comes. Freeze a Poland Spring water bottle and use it to roll your arch over. The exercise and the cold should help. Try also different shoes with support.

• I got it this summer. Wear very supportive shoes and an orthodic insert that you can get a running store. It takes about 8-12 weeks to fully go away, depending on the degree. Wearing those supportive shoes and the inserts were expensive but saved my feet. I was able to exercise during that time but I took it easy if my feet started hurting. Good luck!

  anonymous

• I developed it in late Dec/early Jan. I had lost 50 lbs in the previous year and discovered my love of walking. Prior to that I had weight-related foot and back pain which gradually went away as I lost weight. During/After the loss I started to walk anywhere from 6-7 miles a day at a fast clip; it felt addictive. So now, I have this. New footwear helped (I wear NB). I got Dr. Scholl's gels for my slippers at home. I avoid walking barefoot altogether. I already had custom made orthodics (from other foot problems prior to the initial weight gain), so they will likely need replacing. Sadly, they are not covered by most health plans and they can be expensive ~ $600 about 5 yrs ago.) The thing I have avoided doing is icing. God, how I loathe it. But I know I have to eventually in order for it to go away entirely. And stop walking so much for at least a couple of weeks. The pain is so unpredictable and tends to travel from right between the heel and arch (moderate) to the back of the heel (OUCH). Some days, I do very little walking and have worse pain the next day. Other days, I walk 5-6 miles and the next day is pretty pain free. Oddest thing is that the worst pain of the day is in the morning right after getting out of bed. It feels better later.

• Thanks, R1. I've read that the "cold roll" is one of the few truly effective forms of treatment.

  OP

• Thanks R2 and R3. One thing that makes me a little suspicious of this diagnoses (one of several over the years) is that I have this on the pad of the foot, not the heel. I had always thought PF was on the heel.

  OP

• The PF extends all the way from the back of the heel to the area between the ball of the foot and the toes. It holds up the arch, so I suppose it can swell and become inflamed anywhere. If it's failing to hold the arch up properly, then you could feel strain in a number of different spots, I suppose. A lot if it can be affected by gait and weight distribution. When I had my initial contact with the podiatrist for my custom orthodics, he had me walk as normally as possible and had me step on an ink pad that was covered with white paper that captured the impression of my foot. One felt considerable better than the other, and it had the least collapsed looking impression. (or was it the other way around? the MD explained it, but it's been a while). I'm sure it varies from case to case.

• Try Ice and very deep massage aka friction (the ice should numb the area and lessen the pain)

  an%20LMT

• Not always, OP. It can be on the pad of your foot too. One big sign is if it is worse in the morning. Another thing that works to relieve pain and speed healing is taping with the foot wile fully flexed and wearing the tape all day and night.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DGe_K98lmUJc

• birkenstocks. there, i said it.

• Really, I've had one of these at the base of my little toe for twenty years. It never stops hurting, you just have to live with it. Unless you're lucky enough to have good health insurance.

• Keep a few of those Poland Springs bottles in the freezer.....before you use them, try some of these for a few minutes before icing down: Roll your foot on those little tennis balls you buy in the dog supply store. As hard as you can. Or, go to the hard ward store and get a 1.5 - 2.0 in diameter wooden dowel and roll your foot on that....as hard as you can. You can keep this under your desk at work..... After either of these methods of stretching the bottom of your foot, you can now ice with the Poland Springs bottle.....

• What everybody else said. I've had this on and off for about 15 years. Mostly off, but when it flares up there is no clear reason and it's agonizing. For me, it usually takes about a year before its gone completely, but I'm concerned about the current flare-up (which started at the end of August) I'm enduring. This one started off ten thousand times worse than anything I'd ever experienced before. I literally could not put any weight on that foot. I hobbled to the doctor who gave me a cortisone shot, which really didn't work. I spent about three weeks wearing a splint that was actually a walking cast, like they give you for a broken leg. The idea was to keep the foot rigid. It helped, but I'm still having problems and I'm worried that this time it won't completely go away ever. I take about 1600mg of Motrin a day and that helps. There is a brand of shoes called Aetrex that I've found very comfortable supportive, along with their orthotic inserts. Check them out on line, they're not as expensive as the custom made ones and they work very well. Go see a podiatrist, OP, and get a night splint that will keep your foot from flexing during the night - this will help with that first agonized step in the morning when you first get out of bed. If it's really bad, talk to your doctor about getting a cast (it's all plastic and velcro) like I was given. The unfortunate answer to your question of does this ever go away, OP, is no. It may disappear for long stretches of time (years) but you will always be prone to aggravating it and having it flare up again. Good luck!

• I went to PT for a few visits, he recommended the frozen water bottle trick as well as rolling a hard dog's ball under the foot. Exercises include lots of stretching and doing heel lifts on the edge of a step. Mine went away, maybe no coincidence but I lost 40 lbs around that time too. I have inserts for my shoes (over the counter was fine according to the PT because I didn't have a very bad case) but I stopped wearing them after a while. Don't walk in bare feet on hard floors, wear slippers. Or, if you're one of those that wears shoes inside, wear your shoes or sneakers.

• I got it really bad this summer from moving into a new condo. Going up and down the stairs (3rd floor) hundreds of times, carrying heavy stuff just killed my feet. Took a few months to fully heal.

• Don't spend a lot of money on Podiatrists and fancy shoe supports. It's permanent; you've worn the padding out of that area of your foot. Any prolonged pressure on that area will always hurt now. Buy some gel shoe inserts at the drug store or Big Lots.

  Aging sucks

• My Plantar fasciitis was basically CAUSED by a massage therapist who thought my calves were "too tight" and then took it upon himself to over stretch my foot and calf muscle. Fucking idiot. if I ever see that guy again I will punch him in the face. So I went to PT for treatment and was given some exercises to do and a few minutes of ultrasound and ems (both useless IMO). Basically a PT will only give you enough information and treatment to keep you coming back in until you reach the level of your insurance. It's a fucking racket. The BEST advice i can give is to do your own treatment. Seriously. YouTube has plenty of videos of stretches you can perform that help. Buy a splint to wear at night so your heal doesn't hurt in the morning. But R8 highlights the BEST advice of all: tape! Buy a big box of athletic tape and put it on before heading out for the day, or before a workout. The use of tape was the single most important thing I did to heal myself. It gave the fascia support and took the pressure off it, allowing it to heal (otherwise how can it heal if you're having to walk on it??). Why the fuck the PT never told me about this I have no idea. Oh wait I do: they want to KEEP you as a PATIENT! Good luck! I know it seems bad now but as we gays keep saying, it gets better!

  Amateur%20boxer

• Thanks for all the replies. I do *not* have this in the morning--only after running for a time. Anyone else not have the pain in the AM?

  OP

• Oh anD you don't need to use ridiculously expensive K tape, J&J Coach tape works fine and it's what I use. Check YouTube for different ways to apply it. Also, I bought some "semi-custom" Dr. Scholls orthotics from Costco. You stand in your sock feet on a machine and it analyzes your foot and stance, then tells you which orthotic to buy. $65 for two pairs and they're really good! Oh and try icing your foot after working out or a walk/run.

  Amateur%20boxer

• I had a lot of pain after standing for a long time. I used shoe inserts from the drug store (off the shelf, inexpensive) and it made a world of difference.

• So glad you started this thread, OP. Lot's of great advice, esp. about the taping. I had no idea since this is relatively new to me and I've been mainly hoping it goes away on its own. I hope my local Costcos have that orthodic machine R18 mentions. I'm off to buy some athletic tape and some hard ball to roll my roll my foot over. Still hoping to avoid ice because I'm such a weenie.

  R3/6

• The taping videos are great! Why hasn't one fucking doctor or PT ever mentioned taping??? Grrr.

  OP%20

• One podiarist suggested a mold at $500. Another gave me a heal cup at no charge. Worked beautifully.

• R1 R11 = Marco Rubio

• BECAUSE THEY WANT YOU AS A PAYING PATIENT FOREVER R21 / OP! Grr is right. It's the same shit with chiropractors and their bullshit Graston tools which are little more than expensive butter knives.

  Amateur%20boxer

• Get a cortisone shot, it helped me.

  anona the mouse

• The problem with cortisone shots for some folks is that the fascia could be so inflamed that deadening it places with cortisone places it at risk for further rupturing or breaking without proper recognition by the very medical personnel administering it. You know, the patient becomes annoying, so kill him... Folks just keep damaging it without the recognition of pain as something that will damage long-term livelihood. Million dollars per year athletes can play this risk because their salaries will cover them for years.

• I've had it this past year. The previous suggestions are all good ones. I put inserts in my bedroom slippers as well as my tennis shoes. I bought some Dr. Scholl's foot mapping inserts for my work shoes and they are great. You stand on a computer and it measures and determines what kind of insert you need. The insert is about $50. Here's a link:

  http://www.footmapping.com/footmapping/home/index.jspa

  Lou%20the%20Stew

• Had it for six months, didn't know what it was. Stood backwards on a stair hanging my heels off and very gently lowered myself just an inch and held for ten seconds. Did this a few times a day for two weeks. Pain was gone.

• Please just get properly made orthotics. I was first diagnosed when I was 19 years old. I am now 42. Since I got the orthotics at 19, I have been active - including competitive sports, running, cycling, xc skiing, you name it.

• I've had it on and off for a few years now. My best advice is to wear Chacos. I have no pain when I wear them. They also make shoes now, so you don't have to wear sandals all day long. Get a reduced-price pair on Sierra Trading Post and see if they help.

• Mine started in 1992 after I bought a pair of K-Swiss shoes to wear in addition to my Nike Airs. Despite splints, cold packs, stretches, expensive custom made orthotics, three rounds of *EXCRUCIATING* cortisone injections and surgery, I still have it. My plantar fasciitis will end either in the grave or an amusement park.

  6'1", 175 lbs.

• I'm wearing a Strasberg sock as we speak because the PF in my left foot has gotten unbearable. It's i the ball of my foor and fels like I'm stepping on crushed glass. There is no way I can walk much less run or work out. Very frustrating. I've had the socks for a while but really hate wearing them because they are hot and uncomfortable. It's basically a compression sock that holds your foot in a flexed position.

• OP, I can't recommend old school Adidas "addissage" sandals enough (the kind with the FRIM plastic nubs, not the foam soles!). They work so well for me that I dare say you should buy used ones if you can find them, and disinfect. It will feel uncomfortable at first but -trust-! But yes, I work in the health care field and like frozen shoulder symdrome, PF is very painful and inhibiting but sufferrers tend to wake up with the symptoms gone, inexplicably (repeat cycle). Just ice / use cold on the area when it's hot /inflamed; use heat only when it's subacute (not imflamed). Of course Google PF stretches for pain and prevention.

  medical disclaimer of course

• OP, I got it two years ago. I only had to do three things: (1) wear New Balance walking shoes for when I do heavy duty walking; (2) Put Dr. Scholls orthotics ($12) into my other shoes; (3) stop wearing slippers around the house. That was it. I have no pain. It went away for me almost immediately, and was completely gone in about three days.

• r34 Did you replace slippers with real shoes or bare feet?

• Plantar fascitis is for poors who wear cheap shoes (and flip flops).

  Cecilia%20

• I jogged in college. No problem. Then at 42 I started again. I was doing great for 6 months....running 4 miles in 36 minutes. Then I went to a running store where some moron assessed my gait and sold me new shoes. (Yes, that makes me a moron too!) Within 3 runs my feet were blown. I couldnt walk a crosswalk fast enough! Lasted for years because I was under an HMO and of course crappy doctors. Did get orthotic. Definitely helped. But now I am terrified to start running again.

• Had it for 6 miserable months. It finally went away. Had to wear inserts in my shoes.

• "Roll your foot on those little tennis balls you buy in the dog supply store. As hard as you can." Don't do this! I tried this and it made it 10x worse. Roll it on a frozen orange juice can or water bottle, gently. Don't push hard on it. It's an injury. Do you push hard on all your other injuries? Those roll-bottom shoes are supposed to be good for this but you have to make sure your heels don't move. Use heel cups or just make sure the shoes fit really well and are tied tightly enough to hold your heel still when you walk. It took about eight months for mine to clear up as much as it has. Just a few twinges now and then. And, if you don't have the pain in the morning, OP, it's probably not PF. If it's only after exercising, it's more likely a different injury or perhaps a bone issue.

• Solgar's Glucosamine & Chondroitin cleared it up for me. Read heelspurs.com as well for tips on shoes etc. No it never really goes away.

• It does go away, or in remission. I first got it when I was heavy, out of shape and wore shoes with bad soles. I've successfully treated mine with tennis balls, a wooden dowel roller and stretching exercises. When I feel it flaring up, usually because I've been too inactive, I immediately start my regimen. When wake up in the morning, I dangle my legs off the bed and roll my affected foot on the tennis ball. You've got to really stretch the fascia so you have to roll hard on the ball. Then I do stretches where I sit with my legs stretched in front of me. I take a towel and loop it around my foot. Then I pull my toes towards my shin. It stretches the calf muscles and helps limber things up in the lower leg (all of these exercises were suggested by the doctor). That wooden roller and tennis ball can be a life saver.

• I had it about 12-13 years ago. I run several marathons and races every year. I got custom made orthotics (insurance covered them). I keep them in my New Balance shoes (only kind I wear). Within a 1/2 hour of using them, the pain diminished significantly. Within several more hours, it was gone. I have not been bothered since. I wear sandals and flip flops a lot during the summer with no issues. I do stretch my feet every day. I am lucky.

• I was MISERABLE with this for 2 years. There is a tough fiberous membrane (the fascia)on the sole of the foot that helps support the foot bones. It gets little tears, when you sit or go to bed, the little tears begin to heal. You stand up, the healed spots tear open again from the weight, and it is very painful... by the 4th step, all the little healing spots are torn back apart and the pain dials down. But that is why the pain is so intense in the mornings. Finally I figured out what was causing mine. My little girl would want to me carry her but she was close to 80 pounds. I could pick her up if I evened up my weight on both feet without a problem, but walking put all my and her weight on one foot then the other and would tear my foot fascia as my foot would spread out too much. So don't carry anything heavy and if you do, wear TIGHT shoes... if your foot can't spread out, the tearing won't happen.

• I got shoes that have a spring in it. Solved the problem.

• R43, maybe your little girl needs to dial back the moon pies.

• Stop carrying Princess Suri around then, R43. You've been using her as a shield against the paps for years. She is not a baby and you look ridiculous.

  Tammi%20Cruise

• know so many people who have/had this in new york city, from all the walking i guess. when my boyfriend got it (and it took about 3 months to heal and go away) he was diligent about doing the therapy exercises, and that is probably the main piece of advice besides orthotics in your shoe or finding a shoe with major foot support. the exercise he did that made a difference involved a big stretchy band that he wrapped under his foot; then he stretched his leg out straight, and pointed his toes up and down, up and down, flexing the muscles in his foot. he said the therapist recommended this and it turned out to be the thing that made his foot feel better every day. the iced water bottle or tennis ball on the floor worked too. good luck!

  gertie

• Thanks for all the advice. I'm definitely taking notes! I already have new-ish inserts--maybe I need new. I'll revisit. I have ordered my night splint, K-tape. I have my water bottles, tennis balls. I'm developing a set of exercises. I see a new PT Monday for a set of home-exercises. As I said before, I've had a few differing diagnosis so I've never seen a PT for PF per se. Hopefully I can get some additional good ideas for stretching, but I bet all I really need I've already read in the preceding posts. I don't have this pain the morning. So let's all 'pray' it's not Morton's Neuroma, Tarsal Tunnel, or worse. But I'll give it some time and hopefully things will improve. Thank you again!

  OP%2C%20ever%20grateful%21

• R1 = Marco Rubio.

• I just checked the Costcos in my area and they don't have the Dr. Scholl's footmapping, unfortunately. It seems that Walmart has the monopoly on them around here. I'll have to bite the bullet and actually patronize a Walmart.

• Where do you live, R50? I can get them at CVS or RiteAid.

• R49 see R23

• Svacramento. If I swing by Davis (~20 miles) I can go to the CVS there. That's the closest of three CVS stores that carry them (per the website).

• I just did a little investigating about the Dr. Scholl's footmapping device. Here's a forum with podiatrists discussing the product. They think it's overpriced and that one could easily use other brands of orthodics: [quote]A patient is much better off buying a higher quality product such as PowerSteps which provide a "guarantee" of comfort and lifetime guarantee against breakage, for less money. Another poster. Couldn't help but laugh at the Walmart prediction s/he made three years ago: [quote]I was at a Costco warehouse the other day and you guessed it...custom fit orthotics for $89. I took a look at the product line and it was nothing more than a prefab that we used to pass out at CCPM's clinic. Here's an article by Dr. Douglas Richie (at the link) [quote]Who's next in line to jump on the foot orthotic retailing bandwagon? Walmart???

  http://www.podiatrytoday.com/blogged...tics-at-costco

• The forum.

  http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php%3Ft%3D678793

• Rocking shoes such as shape-ups and MBT's have helped me as well as countless others suffering from PF. While you walk you are flexing your foot. I have heard it has caused knee problems in some, but others have been released from the sharp heel and foot discomfort.

• mine went away in a few days. do calf stretches and dont ever go barefoot

• Mine got so bad I had my feet removed. It was a tough choice but worth it. With my crutches I can just about balance on the ankle stumps, and I have holes fitted into the floors in each of my rooms so I can lower my stumps into them and look normal when I entertain. Plus my boyfriend had the feet - with the insides removed so only the skin is left - made into slippers, which he says are very comfortable. It's lucky that my feet were a size and a half bigger than his - it made for a perfect fit once the cobbling was done.