Pain in My Foot

Hi R.,

It sounds like you have plantar fasciitis. The tendon under your heel is probably inflammed. If the pain is worse when you first get up from bed or after sitting awhile then I'd say you definitely have it.

To treat it you need to flex and stretch your foot before getting up, wear supportive shoes that have a one inch heel and use a soft gel insert. Since you are pregnant I wouldn't advise any anti-inflammatories (aspirin or advil).

That's all I can think of to tell you. Hope this helps.

Louise

Hi Randy,
I had triplets, so have a little experience. The cyatic nerve is being pinched by the babies shifting. The best thing to do is just change your position and after delivery it will end. You will survive this I promise. Good luck...

Hi R.-
I am also at 33 weeks expecting my first baby and I, too, have pain in my feet. I have been told that I have plantar fasciatis and/or a bone spur. I think that I may have had the plantar fasciatis for a while, but it has increased during my pregnancy. Not sure how or why the bone spur has developed, but it is a sharp pain in my heel on the underside of my foot.

Some suggestions: stretch your feet and calves a lot, especially before you get out of bed; rest your feet as much as you can; I have been seeing a chiropractor during my entire pregnancy and find her to be helpful with back pain and foot pain (often related); you can also do some research about the above conditions online or ask your health care provider.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck with the twins. How exciting!
L. Brereton
Medford

it could be stress from the weight of the twins.. talk to your ob about it and see if there's anything they can do..

R.,

I am a Nutritional Microsocpist, a holistic Wellness practioner who studies the body at a cellular level. I work with an amazing holistic Chiropractor who works with people on imbalances and structural issues. HE also focusese on Nutrition. We've found that pain in the foot is usually linked to an organ imbalance. It can also have a lot to do with circulatory problems and should not be ignored.

He is located on Main St in Osterville. His number is ###-###-####. You should come in and see what he might be able to do for you.

You may have plantar fasciatis which causes pain in the heel and numbness or tingling in the foot. I am 32 weeks and have it in both of my feet. With my last pregnancy the doctors told me just to spend as much time off of my feet as possible and elevate my feet. I am a very active person so this really wasn't an option for me. Instead I went to physical therapy where they did mostly massage work on my feet and showed me stretchs to do every day. This, as well as purhcasing inserts for my shoes worked the best for me. So far, I am managing better with this pregnancy b/c I already have the inserts in my shoes and know what stretchs to do. I also have had a few massages where I have asked them to focus on my feet. I bought the inserts at a running store as I was not convinced that spending $300-$400 on orthodics would make a significant difference.
Hope these tips helps - the good news is that though it probably won't completely disappear after delivery it will get better when you weigh less.

You should see a doctor about this. I had heel pain when I was pregnant. Turns out my open heel shoes (sandals, etc)where not giving my feet the support needed considering the extra weight during the pregnancy. Once I switch shoes, within a few days, I was fine...

R.,
This sure sounds like Plantar Fasciatis(sp). Mine started several years ago and I wasn't pregnant. Went to a podiatrist who first injected cortisone which helped but the pain returned 6 months later. After making the rounds of podiatrist, ortho, PT, special shoes, inserts,excercises, my ortho prescribed Lidoderm for another condition. When asked if it would work on the heel pain, he said it would be worth a try.
After so much horrible pain I was willing to try anything, so each night I applied 1/2 of a Lidoderm patch to my foot; wore it for 12 hours. After about a week the pain went away, and after several years, never returned.
You will need to wait until after you deliver your babies, but do give it a try.
Forgot to mention that I went to the chiropractor once a week, for months. It did help somewhat in the short term, but the pain always came back. If you do have Plantar Fascitis, it's NOT an imbalance in your body but the stretching and lengthening of a ligament in your foot. Every one is different and not all suggestions will work, but DO try the most practical, sensible ones before alternative solutions.

If it hurts when you first get out of bed in the morning, try doing some foot stretching exercises before you get out of bed. If the pain persists, ask your doctor.

I know you've gotten a ton of responses already, but I didn't see any that mentioned EARTH SHOES by ANNE KALSO. These are NOT the brand they sell at Walmart (Earth Spirit). They were developed in the 70's by a yoga instructor. I was having problems with my feet too until I discovered these shoes, now I will never buy another brand! They are quite expensive unless you can find a deal on your size on ebay, but worth it! By far the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn, my husband has even fallen for them. Look into the reviews online. Good luck with everything.

This may or may not have anything to do with your pregnancy, but you should have it looked at. Visit your OB and then perhaps either an orthopedist or a podiatrist. Don't live in pain, have it looked into and find out what the cause is so you know how it can be safely treated while you are pregnant. Good luck with your double blessing.

It may be that the extra weight you are carrying around these days is causing your plantar fascia to stretch and is causing this heel pain. Look up plantar fasciitis online and see if the symptoms match. If this is the case there are some stretching exercises that may help or you may get some relief from some innersoles in your shoes. Check it out and see what you think. If you are still having trouble I would recommend a good podiatrist. He/She may be able to apply strapping (adhesive tape) for support. An anti-inflammatory medication might help, but you would certainly want to consult your obstetrician before taking any medication.

Wow. I had very similar pain in my heel too while pregnant. I assumed it was the extra weight and/ or the way I was carrying my weight as I walked. It felt like a heel spur. I put special insoles/pads in that shoe and it made it feel a bit better out and about.

I have plantar fascitis(sp) and it can be VERY painful, started after I had #2. It sounds like it could be that, and it can come from all the extra weight on your feet and bad shoes. Buy some comfy sneakers and replace the insole with a good one, i bought mine from my podiatrist, just ask what brand they use or recommend, you can google them and find it MUCH cheaper on the net. also, ice you heels at night and stretch your tooties all around ( so u feel the stretch in your calves, watch out for the prego leg cramps tho) before getting out of bed in the am or from sitting for a bit. Good luck!

the babies are laying on your sciatic nerve and thats why you are getting that pain. I would mention it to your doctor at your next visit

good luck to you

Hey R. -

I have been experiencing the same type of pain and I think it's called plantar fasciitis. Check out this link:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00149

Hope you find some relief!
H.

Hi R.

I had the same thing when I was pregnant. It's most likely a strained planta facia (not sure the spelling on that one). Basically, I had to do stretching exercises 3 times a day. I had to wear a boot/brace to bed and anytime I was sitting with my feet up. Lastly, I was given an insert for my shoes to change the way the weight was landing on my heel. After seeing a podiatrist, I'd say it started to feel better in about a week. See if your OB can get you a referral appt with a Podiatrist so that you can get right in.
Good Luck (with the foot AND the twins).
Ali

Hi there R.,

Congratulations on the pending arrival of your twins! I am sorry about your pained foot. I am a birth and postpartum doula as well as a childbirth educator. I am always hearing about different aches and pains related to pregnancy. There are so many changes going on in your body right now, it could be that your foot is acting out from a shift in your weight, could be pressure on a nerve in your spine due to babies positions, could be a bunch of things. How do you feel about Chiropractic care? I have referred clients to a wonderful woman named Dr. Heidi Henrickson and I have seen her work wonders. She specializes in pregnancy and pediatric care. She herself is pregnant. I was recently with a client during a session w/Dr. Henrickson and I have nothing but praise for the way she works, very gentle and caring, very knowledgeable, and quite effective! The practice is Winchester Hospital Chiropractic and thier phone number is ###-###-####. They are located in Woburn, is that convenient to you? If you don't like the idea of Chiropractic there is also reflexology, massage, and accupucture. If you would like, I can give you some referals to these service providers as well. You might also get relief from an old fashioned soak in epsom salts. I hope you do get some relief soon!

Warmly,

A.

it's called plantar's facitis. i have it all the time but while i was pregnant it was more prominent. i went and had reflexology done on my feet and it did wonders. basically a fantastic massage. it should go away after you have your babies. good luck!

Good morning! Congratulations on your impending bundles of joy! I too have had a similar pain in my heel on and off over the years and it turned out to be plantar fascitis...a cortizone shot helps relieve th pain for years at a time....mine however had nothing to do w/pregnancy...my little man is from the Philippines...But, see your MD or podiatrist about this...

M. M.
sahm of a 6 year old boy

Hi R., I constantly got numbness and tingling in my legs and feet while I was prego, My doc said you have bad circulation when prego, and even now, its not as bad but I still feel like my feet fall asleep a lot more than pre baby. You should def mention it to your doc, cause in some cases it may be fluid and you just want to have that monitored. You are 33 weeks so you are almost there, CONGRATS!! Plus you are having twins so that is more pressure on your body!! Good luck and god bless!!

Hi,

I've also had that during some of my pregnancies, and it turned out to be plantar fascitis. There are some exercises you can do to help, and cortisone shots also work, but I never used them while pregnant. Postpartum it may just clear up on its own. Mine usually only lasted a couple of months in early pregnancy and then cleared up. Sometimes it's related to the shoes you're wearing. If you wear shoes that provide really good support (a good pair of sneakers, maybe), then it may stop the pain. Good luck!

R.,

I experienced foot pain late in my pregnancy. I went to a podiatrist and found that I had what is called a neuroma. It's a widening of a nerve in your foot causing sharp pain. I think it was caused from gaining weight so fast. You should probably have it looked at. After my son was born, I got a cortisone shot in the nerve and the pain was gone.

Good luck.

I had the same problem. Stretch exercises for my calves relieved it. Check "heel pain" on web MD.com for information on it. It is a shortening of the ligament that runs from your heel to the arch and manifests as heel pain. I did lowering on the stairs, as well as using a machine at a gym. The relief is almost immediate. Also, I switched shoes when pregnant to MEphisto Helens, and still replace them every few years. Expensive, but the best shoe made for heel pain. Not a girlie looking shoe, which put me off, but I soon got over that. I have old ones on right now, as slippers. Heel pain is dibilitating, hope this helps.

Hi R..
I am a PT and a former dancer...and had the same problem. It is likely plantar fasciitis...especially given the laxity of your ligaments in pregnancy and the added weight of twins. Your MD could refer you to an outpt PT for some pain relief treatments like ultrasound (totally safe on the foot away from the babes). I recommend ice massage (painful but effective, massaging it by rolling on a soup can or golf ball, stretching your calves, and never walking barefoot!! The pain is typically worse in the morning so don't even step out of bed without shoes (I used old clogs as slippers for support of the arch).
good luck...it can be persistent. I even had orthoses made for my shoes.

M.

Congratulations on your twins! By the end of my 20+ weeks I was in so much pain everywhere from the weight and pressure of my twins I didn't know what to do or where to get relief.
It sounds like some people have given you some good suggestions.
I would call the doctor or talk to the nurse about it. Make sure you are not having any swelling in your ankles (I'm sure they are telling you to look for this). I ended up with HELLP Syndrome and had to deliver at 35 weeks.
Good luck and rest as much as you can now :)