Help, plantar fasciitis is kicking my ass. Or my feet. Anybody here who has successfully got rid

[raccoon]

of it, more or less?

I've tried: gel arch support insoles (I have high arches), a boot to wear at night that holds foot at a right angle, and I ALWAYS wear comfortable shoes (New Balance). Also I don't walk any more than I have to.

Ice helps when pain flares up.

[suninvited]

1. when I worked as a massage therapist

I took a class in plantar fasciitis treatment, and the only occasion that I had to use it it worked. My client declared me a genius and I saw her until I moved. She was completely pain free after just a couple of months.

Find a therapist that has taken a class specifically for that issue, and I think you will be amazed at the outcome.

[MissMillie]

2. I have had some experience w/ this

And of course the policy here is for us not to offer medical advice. I can tell you what has helped me.

My first suggestion is for you to see a podiatrist. The gel arch supports may cushion your feet, but they may not keep your foot in a position that keeps the tendon that wraps around your heel flexed in such a way to avoid pain. I had special inserts made for my shoes (of course, my insurance didn't cover it) but they have made a big difference.

There are stretches you can do. Stand on a stair and allow your heels to hang over the edge, and then lean back so that you feel the stretching around the heel of your foot (hold on to the stair railing so you don't fall). There are of course other exercises... I found some on this site: http://www.plantarfasciitisbraces.com/plantar_fasciitis_stretching_exercises.html


My sister had this so bad that she had to sleep w/ braces that kept her feet at a 90 degree angle from her legs. The idea, I guess, is to keep that tendon stretched.

A podiatrist may tell you that if you don't get this in check, you'll end up w/ bone spurs in the heel.... so please, see a doctor who can advice you on how to avoid that.

[femmocrat]

3. Yes, through stretching exercises and cortisone shots.

As soon as I feel a twinge, I start the stretches. This is an exercise that dancers do-- Use an old knee sock or athletic sock, wrap it around the arch and pull on the sock with a straight leg, pointing your toes toward your head. You should feel a good stretch and it relieves the shortening of the tendon that causes the pain.

Disclaimer: I am not qualified to offer medical advice. Good luck! :hi:

[raccoon]

5. Wrap it around the arch? First time I've heard that. I'll give it a try. nt

[femmocrat]

13. Yes. It helped me!

I tried the orthotics, ice, anti-inflammatories, etc. Even went to an orthopedic surgeon. I saw this simple exercise on a health feature on our local news. I tried it and after a few days began to see some improvement. I do it when ever it feels tight in the heel upon standing.. (I have heel spurs.)

[Bertha Venation]

4. I wear these, and they work.

They work very, very well for me! I hope you're able to get them and I hope they work.

One type, $20 the pair:

http://www.footsmart.com/P-Arch-Pro-Tec-10036.aspx


The other type, $13 each:

http://www.footsmart.com/P-FootSmart-Arch-Brace-10079.aspx


Good luck!

[raccoon]

6. I tried the lower one and maybe I didn't have it adjusted or didn't give it enough of a try.

But I also ordered the bootlike thingie from that site and it helps. :-)

[Bertha Venation]

7. Good!

Every little thing helps when the plantar "fascist" is kicking your ass. :hug:

[DevonRex]

8. You can try Low Dye strapping. I've included a link. It mimics orthotics.

Great for folks who don't want to spend the money on orthotics yet, or just to see if orthotics will work.

link:

http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~jnw/PlantarFasciitis/low-dye.html

[gmoney]

9. I had it years ago, but cortisone shots worked for me...

the first shot worked for about six months, the second shot seems to have cleared it up entirely. Maybe I lost some weight or changed some other foot habits along the way, too.

This is not medical advice. Seek shelter immediately.

[Dogtown]

10. Thanks, racoon!

I've been wondering what was causing the pain in my heel. You put a name to it and Wiki educated me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis

[raccoon]

14. Glad to hear it.

:hi: Hopefully, we can both get some relief.

[ccinamon]

11. Exercises from Egoscue Pain Free Clinics

really worked for me...also gave me better posture and got rid of my knee and hip pain. Worth every penny!

[grasswire]

12. mine went away

It was horrible, horrible for about a year. Then, for some reason it just went away. So I think there may be hope for people who are suffering. I didn't stop walking, because I had to walk and don't keep a car. I just endured. The gel insoles did nothing to help.

[mike_c]

15. maybe I can help....

First, have you been to an orthopedist? If not, I strongly recommend it. Let me tell you my story. It has a happy ending, I think.

I've been struggling with foot pain for five or six years. It's gotten progressively worse. I've been to podiatrists, GPs, physical therapists, and most recently, an orthopedist. Last year I had to use a cane about 50 percent of the time, and have been terribly restricted for the last several years. I used to be a runner and distance hiker. For much of the last several years it was all I could do to walk around the block, and that was only on good days. I'm talking debilitating foot pain. Sounds like you know that part of the story.

It was diagnosed as a variety of things, and I have occasional gout, which made diagnosis even more difficult, since "Oh your gout is just flaring up" was such an easy response when I'd end up in the doctors office begging for some relief. But when it was clear the gout was under control, the next most likely diagnosis was PF. The symptoms are completely congruent with PF. My arches DO pronate terribly when under weight, so I wear PowerStep insoles in all my shoes. Ice helps. The pain mostly moves around the underside of my feet, from heel to ball, and I get tendonitis in other parts from the resultant gait problems.

After YEARS of no relief, my GP finally referred me to an ortho a few weeks ago, who took x-rays, spent five minutes measuring my joints ranges of motion, and ruled out PF except possibly as an intermittent response to strain, certainly not likely to be chronic. His diagnosis-- remember, half a dozen different docs have been diagnosing and treating me for PF for years-- was "Achilles contracture," essentially tightening of my Achilles tendon. He prescribed another round of physical therapy, this time focusing on stretching my Achilles tendons. The physical therapist has gone even further, working not only my Achilles, but also my calf muscles and some scar tissue on the back of one heel from an old surgery.

I've been to SIX PT sessions, and I'm 99 percent pain free as long as I do my daily stretches as well (and I suspect the remaining percent or so is just from long inactivity). I'm walking better than I have in YEARS-- the PT guy showed me how bad my gait had become, and it improved dramatically after the FIRST session. At first the pain would return after a day or so, but now it's completely gone-- but I do have to do prolonged stretches three times daily. Remeber too that I've had PT previously, specifically for PF and gotten only minor (and shortlived) relief.

I was VERY skeptical about this latest diagnosis. It did not sound even remotely possible that "stiff calf muscles" could cause the range and severity of feet symptoms I've suffered with for years. I'd given up any thought of ever hiking again-- now my PT guy assures me that I'll be hiking again soon, and I believe it. The change has been that dramatic.

My advice, see an orthopedist, and if he/she doesn't mention Achilles contracture, ask whether it might be a factor in your case. My ortho says it's not a textbook diagnosis, but that he's seen it over and over in similar cases, and I can personally testify that the results are AMAZING.

Best of luck to you, my friend!

[UTUSN]

16. My first (& hopefully ONLY) bout lasted 2 months & I'm gratefully pain free

I don't know whether the remedies had anything to do with it or whether stopping bad habits is what did it.

First, I didn't know what the heck it was when it first struck, didn't know that it was a known condition with a name. My doctor sure didn't educate me, just told me to get inserts. His total advice was to use the full size, not the half or just-heel kind, and he had a particular brand. I took all this to mean it was inside, "doctor" knowledge from how they are on their feet all day and are known to wear "comfy" footwear in the office doing room-to-room rounds.

It was a "medical technician" at a Happy Hour who made the diagnosis. He said, "I know EXACTLY what you've got..." and went on to name it, plantar faciitis, and told me to loop a towel around the toes and pull back gently until fully contracted back and hold it there for 5 minutes. 3Xda. I was unconvinced until I Googled and found the whole schmeer--name, symptoms, treatment-------exactly like he said.

But actually I had a whole series of bad habits: 9 years of doing treadmill BAREFOOT. Counter-intuitively, I thought doing barefoot was better and more natural. Actually, it apparently leads to leaning IN into the insole, encouraging flat-footedness. Wearing THIN soled flip flops all day on a concrete and ceramic tiled floor. Standing 4 1/2 hours by choice instead of sitting, 4 days out of 7.

I *did* start the towel stretch thing after the first couple of weeks, but mainly started using sneakers with inserts while doing the treadmill. And got rid of the THIN soled flip flops and now comfortably use THICK, cushioned flips. I'm grateful I didn't have to give up flops entirely.

It has only been a few weeks of RELIEF and the RELIEF is palpable, you can't appreciate happiness/absence-of-pain without experiencing the OPPOSITE.

Since I first discovered this crap for myself and started talking about it to others, two or three such acquaintances said they knew about it and had had it, and they, like my doctor, seemed not to make the drama out of it that I did, like they've had (more than one?) bouts of it and get over it. But it is MISERY!1 I sincerely wish you RELIEF!1

[UTUSN]

17. Oh,P.S.: Wraps, bandages cut off circulation, esp. bad for diabetes. n/t

[Juche]

18. Lots of advice in this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x8781713#8782951

I had it, but doing some stretching exercises and using powerstep pinnacle insoles took care of it.