Plantar Fasciitis

[turd]

Anyone have to deal with this? Serious pain and inability to do much. Physical therapy not bringing much relief. What to do?

 

[Ligase]

Two things helped me.
1) I stopped walking barefoot. With the exception of being in the shower, I have shoes or slippers on my feet all the time, especially when first getting out of bed.
2) I credit these shoe inserts with helping me heal my plantar fasciitis and keeping it away. They're low profile, half-length, and fit in all my shoes: https://www.superfeet.com/en-us/casual-mens-easyfit

Good luck, I hope you can find some relief soon!

 

[ned]

Stand on a curb or step, let your heel go negative, raise up. build up to 15 reps…slow, you’re stretching your calf….all connected somehow

 

[Acorn]

I used heel inserts in my shoes that had the centers open. Like a doughnut. It didn’t take long to help me.

 

[Mobuck]

As 'Ligase' said: I never walk barefoot. Even in the house, I wear slippers with arch supports and 'structure'. I have so many 'other' foot issues that I see no reason to introduce more.

 

[KIR]

Tatoo used to say, "The pain boss, the pain!"
Actually Dr. Scholl's inserts worked for me and within a week's time I went back to my regular shoes. However, one should wear shoes with an arch support.
If you don't trust what anybody says here, myself included, Google it, after all that's where we all get our info from anyway.
Good luck to you and if you are getting old one of the next steps is "trigger finger". Not pleasant at all and requires a shot which is very painful.

 

[noahmercy]

I'm a hefty boi, and used to carry large, heavy items, walking an average of over six miles a day on concrete, as well as spending a lot of time walking up and down metal stairs (often with a load). I got plantar fasciitis pretty horribly.

PT didn't do me any good...in fact I feel it exacerbated the situation (and I'm a great believer in good PT). I got custom orthotics cast, which cost in excess of $300 17 years ago. No dice. Wearing a "boot" on the worse side for six months did nothing. I suffered for over three years and visited several different doctors and specialists.

What finally worked for me was getting a pair of Lowa Zephyr GTX boots (they make low which look like sneakers, mid, and high models) and a pair of Dr. Scholl's inserts from Wally World, the ones where you stand on a machine in your socks and it measures your arch height and how you carry your weight. I also started wearing Fits socks. The boots were expensive, but lasted longer than any others I've bought (including some well-known and -respected leather work boots). The inserts aren't cheap, but after they wear out, rechecking on the machine may show changes in which insert is needed due to changes in foot shape or body weight, so I always have the right set. The socks are spendy compared to Hanes or Fruit of the Loom, but they wear like iron, my feet never stink or feel sweaty, and having them on feels better than going barefoot.

 

[bowzette]

Steroid shot in the arch. Be prepared to meet the ceiling :-( But it worked for me. Follow all the above suggestions. But you may need the shot to get there. See the doc.

 

[Dave P.]

Yes I have! As a runner went through one long painful season dealing with it. Basically fought with it for 3-4 months and wrote off
the whole season of training activity.
First thing is that there is no one cure that works for everybody. My suggestion is find a PT person and podiatrist that really deal
with the issue. Inserts depend on your foot sometimes they help by relieving some of the "pull" on the tendons as your foot gets older,
weaker and flattens. Other's find it worsens the issue by putting more pressure on the already inflamed facia because it puts more
local pressure on it, they are not a cure all. Two divergent schools of thought on them.
What worked for me was first off "resting" the foot cutting waaaay back on mileage, as in don't piss it off and it won't hurt as much.
Second thing was stretching 2-3 times a day both the foot and the Achilles tendon all the way up to include the soleus and gastroc
muscles. Went to PT 3 times a week for about 3 months...tissue massage, ultra sound and manual stretching of the foot. Also tried
Ionto patches with dexamethasone...some very strongly advise not injecting tendons with steroids. Also tried different shoes.
Lots of foot strength training done on Bosu balls. Iced the foot after every hard workout session by freezing a water bottle and
rolling it back and forth under the foot with plenty of pressure which also has a stretching action.
It was so bad for a while that getting out of bed first thing in the morning just really hurt, sit there and think about crawling to the shower,
and a mile or two of running became unbearable. I'd say it took about 6 weeks of the above routine to start to notice improvement and about 4 to 5 months to say it was "gone" I still do some stretching daily, and am pretty good about icing after long runs, keeping fingers
crossed it hasn't bothered me since.
Basically try and get rid of the inflammation and swelling then figure out and try to eliminate what caused it to start with...
easier said then done.

 

[Kevin]

Birkenstock shoes are the best. They make actual shoes too, not just sandals.

And they really aren’t that expensive, I bought a pair of lace up shoes this summer for $50.

https://www.birkenstock.com/us

 

[g5m]

Most people benefit from a high arch support. Some shoes have that. ECCO's used to but they don't seem to now. Tennis type shoes often do.

 

[fuzzyedge]

my wife bought me a splint type brace at the drug store you wear when you sleep, mine was healed in a week (Edited to correct description, looked the device again and its more of a splint than a boot )

 

[Dave P.]

my wife bought me a boot you wear when you sleep, mine was healed in a week

They also make socks that stretch the tendons while you sleep, some think they're more comfortable
to sleep in.

 

[kmoore]

Yes, I dealt with it. My feet hurt when sleeping and walking, they just kept getting worse. It ruined a top rated deer hunt. After 2 days I couldn't hardly walk. I went to a Good Feet store, they wanted to set me up with an appointment and avoided the cost every time I asked. Finally after I kept asking it was 900 bucks about 10 years ago. Will they work, likely. I am not putting them down. Next, I seen my doctor. He sent me to a podiatrist. Before that visit I got the Dr. Scholl's cheap inserts and they helped but needed to be tossed after a few months for new. Podiatrist did all kinds of measurements, some ex-rays. Gave me instructions on exercise and stretching the area as some mentioned. I was fitted with a 500-dollar pair of custom inserts. They really helped. BUT, didn't fix my case. After weeks I got the steroid shots in both feet. About 6 months later shots again. From the 1st podiatrist visit to the end of pain was nearly a year. I had medial insurance that paid most costs. If you are asking, I say go seek professional help. Yeah, it might cost some money. What's the cost of being able to walk, run, sleep without foot pain. Dr said some people need surgery to fix this problem because they let it continue.
The inserts I have are molded to my feet from carbon fiber and are made to last. I had the podiatrist check them out last year and there still fitting and working great. NO more pain in about 9 years. Best thing I did. I walk, hike, run etc without disabling pain.
One draw back on these hard style inserts, they can't be placed into any footwear with a higher sides than a normal low top shoe. Since they cannot bend. So, for all my hunting boots. I still use Dr. Scholls plantar fasciitis inserts and for the limited time I need to wear those they work.

 

[turd]

Thanks, guys. Lots of good ideas here. I did go to WallyWorld and got some of Dr. Scholls inserts. Those have helped. I also bought a device that stretches the foot you are supposed to wear at night. That didn't work, I couldn't sleep with it on, so now I have been wearing it for an hour or two at a time whilst sitting in my recliner. Also have been rolling a frozen bottle of water under it after exercising and lots of walking. That helps, too. I guess I just need to give it some time.
Thanks again for all the replies. This forum is a fountain of knowledge and experience.

 

[MADDOG 521]

Birkenstock BLUE insoles in several pairs of shoes. Rolling my foot back and forth on a frozen water bottle helped alot.

 

[Hvymax]

I started wearing Crocs. The cushion really helps. Have you recently added any tile floors that you walk barefoot on? Mine started a few months after a new porcelain floor. It went away after I stopped walking barefoot on it.

 

[davevabch]

I was a competitive runner for decades and later a coach. Very familiar with this ailment. You have a tendon that runs along the foot. It is attached at both ends. If you have it on one foot, look at that foot. It is flat. You foot is suppose to be arched. A number of things can cause it. You put on weight, you became pregnant or if you carry a heavy gun on one side of the hip that is flat. When you put weight on the foot, it tears the tendon at the attachment points. This can be mild or severe depending on the degree of the tear.
It is essential to come down on the effected foot with protection. You have to have a ARCH! The best are custom made and are made of a stiff plastic. They hurt to wear at first but you get used to it. You then ice the foot, roll the sole of the foot over a tennis ball or other device to break up the knots that have accumulated. There are also exercises to perform that will help. Go on line and do the study.
You MUST wear proper shoes! Do you over Pronate? Or Sublimate? (your foot rolls to the inside or outside). Do you have a imbalance issue. One leg shorter than the other? One Hip shorter? Address the issue why you have the torn ligament
I have preached for years of how carrying a gun on one side of the body can cause all kinds of issues!.

 

[ar15ed]

lots of good info here. i have battled it for several years, and will add one thing. one physical therapist told me when i wake up in the morning, sit up in bed, take a bath towel, hold it with both hands, and flip it down under the ball of your foot. pull it as far as it will go (don't pull til it hurts, and don't fight it with your foot muscles, just gently stretch your arch out) for a count of 10, then do the other foot. continue for 10 minutes. then stand up (with shoes on, as previously mentioned!). your arches tighten up over the nights rest, and you generally do a huge amount of the damage right when you hit the floor in the morning.

i honestly think this has been the most effective long-term relief i have had.

one other thing: my first physical therapist had me take ibuprofen for over a year. i really, really regret having done that. i don't think it did a thing to alleviate any pain, or assist in actually healing the damage.

i ride and race bicycles, and walk a massive amount for my job, so i understand that i will have to deal with occasional re-injury, but have been managing it for 15 or so years.

good luck. i feel for you!

 

[mirglip]

The fascia is too tight. You know what Indians made bowstrings out of? Fascia. Tough stuff.
Fascia is pulling the bone at the heel attachment point. Massage will lengthen the fascia. Stand on a golf ball. Hold 20 seconds, move to another location and repeat. It worked for me.

 

[coach]

I have had trouble with it but not nearly as bad as some of you or my wife. The morning stretch before getting out of bed helped me. My wife taught me that. She went through wearing the boot and orthopedic inserts in her shoes. She eventually got over it with only minor flair ups now and then.

 

[GasGuzzler]

My Mom had both feet operated on. Her feet are fine now. I expect to need such (or newer procedure) in the next 20 years.

 

[Watertender]

I used heel inserts in my shoes that had the centers open. Like a doughnut. It didn’t take long to help me.

Here is a die used to cut heel inserts. When I was Chief Engineer at a college I hired a new Engineer who was a steel rule diemaker by trade. He gave me this die as a gift one time because I went to the die shop he worked for to show me what he did there. I thought it was interesting because of the skills it takes to do the job. If I remember correctly this die was for the Doctor Scholl's company. It cuts either 15 or 30 pieces at a time depending on the thickness of the material being cut. They use a clicker press to make the pieces and when the die knives get dull he can make new knives for the die.