Planter Facitis

Hi S.,
Sorry to hear about your feet troubles. I have PF as well. You've gotten tons of great advice regarding exercises which I think are key to healing. And I definitely recommend breaking down and getting CUSTOM orthodics. Just check around because my Dr. did accept insurance and they paid 65%. I was out around $200. But it is well worth it because they do last a very long time if taken care of. The only new advice I can give you that no one else has mentioned would be to purchase Z-coil shoes. They aren't the most attractive shoe in the world but they are simply amazing. They are shoes designed to absorb 50%-90% of your weights impact on your joints and feet. The heel of the shoe is an industrial size steel coil. Just search them online and you'll get all of the info. on a store near you. I used to live in Gilbert, AZ and I purchased jogging shoes there. I was told by my DR. that I'd probably never be able to jog again without pain. When I combined my orthodics and my Z-coil shoes, I never had pain again and that was 4 years ago. One more thing, a lot has to do with your arches. I happen to have very high arches and a naturally tight tendon. So..as my arches started falling (everyone's does to some degree), my tendon was already being stretched beyond what was normal and then I started jogging again and that is when I discovered I had PF. So for me it is key to have a very firm yet comfortable arch support. Hope I didn't ramble too much and you find relief. Just take comfort in knowing there are a lot of us out here who are living through it with you. Ha. Take care and God bless your feet! L.

I got it too with my pregnancy and it's been 10 months for me and gotten a little better. I did see a doctor and he wasn't able to help me tons since I am breastfeeding and he didn't want to give me cortisone shots or anti-inflammatory medicine. So, we did the other therapies that worked a little bit. I have surrendered (sadly) to having this for a least a little while and when I'm done breastfeeding I'll try again. I would see a doctor because they can give you the best diagnosis. Otherwise you could get inserts but you wouldn't really know what would be the best and might end up making it worse...Good luck, I hope it gets better for you!

If it's starting to affect your ankles and legs too I would advise you to be aware of it affecting your other joints. This was EXACTLY how my issues with arthritis (possibly rheumatoid arthritis) started to happen. If it does start to affect other joints go see a rhematologist, they will do lots of blood work to see if anything serious is going on. Good Luck and sorry about the pain, I know how you feel!

Hi S.:

I am dealing with the same issue right now myself! I injured my foot when I was 9 months pregnant with my son who is now 8 months old. It hurts off and on and got really bad about two weeks ago (when I started wearing my flip flops a lot). I ended up going to see a specialist and he gave me a huge splint to wear at bedtime, which is so big and uncomfortable I cannot stand wearing it. My suggestion would be to make sure that you wear good shoes, running shoes or just a good pair with and arched sole, not flat shoes like flip flops- I believe that is how I re-injured my foot. Also try to avoid walking around bare foot. There are also some stretches that you can do several times a day that will help and assist in the healing of your foot.

I know that this can be very painful, so hang in there!

T.

I've had the same thing. My solution was yoga. For my body, the stretching that I did with the yoga poses lengthened the ligaments in every part of my legs. I found that the cause, for me, was that I had very tight hip flexors and that tightness shortened my ligaments and the result was extreme Planter facitis. Give it a try, it couldn't hurt!
Good Luck, THe Mommie Mentor

My mom had this really bad, and she let it get really out of control before doing something about it (we were poor and she didn't want the expense). It got to the point where she had to crawl to get out of bed in the morning because it was too painful to walk. So she finally went to the doctor and they recommended cortisone shots which REALLY hurt to receive and the effects of the shot faded away eventually, so she didn't want to do those again. She wanted a more permanent solution. She has tried every kind of shoe out there, with only mild results in reducing the symptoms. I think they even cut her tendon in her foot once, hoping that would alleviate the pain.

SO the point of this story is she finally went to Dr. Lewis Freed, a podiatrist in Mesa, and he prescribed orthotics which GREATLY reduced her foot pain. She finally felt functional again, and it has been several years and she still feels better. She wears her orthotics faithfully and is amazed that she can walk around the mall or fair without having to get a wheelchair now. She was also prescribed a special boot that she wore at night for awhile and that also helped reduce the inflammation and pain. My husband was complaining about his foot pain and after she had him describe it for her, my mom was emphatic that my husband go to the doctor to prevent his problem from ever getting as painful as hers did. It has really helped his pain, especially while playing sports. So maybe a little money is worth getting your health back and living pain free. My mom would say so. Here is Dr. Freed's phone number: ###-###-####

I had it REALLY bad several years ago too. I had to take many weeks off running. The only thing that helped it go away was to ice cup massage for 5-10 minutes, at least three times a day, for a week or more. It sounds like a lot of icing but it really did help speed the recovery. Ice cup massage is better than just strapping an ice-pack to your foot, because as you numb up you can dig in at the scar tissue.
I also tried to be done with orthotics for good because I am not sure that they are not part of the problem! (especially the ones that are only 2/3 the length of the foot) I have used other inserts like Superfeet and DownUnders, which run the whole length of the foot and are not so rigid/bulky. You can get them at a running shoe store.
Now to prevent reoccurance, I try to walk around at home in bare feet as much as possible, and swore off any casual shoes that are not flats (to strengthen my feet). It has been 3 years with no serious return! I run up to 80 miles per week at times, with recent half marathon times sub 1hr 18. I am able to do up to half my mileage on natural surfaces now too which might be helping.
I totally agree that regular deep tissue massage on you calves and feet will keep you running, you could also be tight all the way up your hamstrings and back too, which would contribute. So regular stretching of all of these areas is key too.

I got the less expensive insoles from my Dr. ($30) and they really seemed to help. Plus icing my feet and stretching excersises...like putting your toes onto a step and letting your heel drop down slowly. I eventually did have to have cortisone injections, which hurt like you know what, but helped tremdously in the long run! I do have a wonderful podiatrist if you need a referral...let me know! Good luck...hope this helps!
K.

My mother-in-law has this problem too. Her dr showed her stretches to do, and suggested she wear Birkenstocks. She also got the orthodics though. I know if can be costly, but if you can just get at least one pair of shoes that is comfortable and have good support, it will make a world of difference. You deserve to feel better...go see the dr.

I did a lot of stretching to help relieve the pain from this condition. The most important stretch for me was to sit on the ground, extend my legs, and then loop a receiving blanket (or towel) around ball of my foot, and then gently pull my foot towards my body. I also stretched my calves and praticed pulling things toward me with my toes. It hurt at first, but I kept at it four or five times a day until the pain was gone.

I also purchased a really good pair of New Balance walking shoes and wore them all the time until my foot was better. It's important to replace your shoes every six months so you keep getting adequate support and cushioning. My doctor also advised me to wear differing heel heights each day so the muscle in the foot doesn't get used to only one position. Some days I wear Teva-like shoes, some days my walking shoes, and other days I go wild and wear sandals. It was helpful to wear shoes while in the kitchen also. We have tile floors and standing on them for a while would aggravate the plantar fasciitis. Anything you can do to support your foot with good shoes will help.

I have this! I had gone to a orthopedist about 5 yrs ago after I had my baby. At first we did shots in the arch of my foot, then he gave me a boot/brace to wear at night and this helped a lot. But what worked the best for me was losing all my baby weight. Now I wear orthodic inserts purchased at CVS and it works well. I wish you all the best!

Hi S., I have the same problem in both feet and have had surgery done on both feet. If you need a good podiatris I would be happy to reccomend mine (I live on the West side of the valley). Have you tried any foot excerices or stretching your feet before you get out of bed? There are night splints you can use on your feet when you are sleeping. My doctor's office charges $60.00 for them (each not a pair) but I found some at CVS for about half the price that the doctor charges. You also should try some orthodicts possibly. You could always try the store bought kind first but they didn't work for me. My feet were too bad. As far as shoes go, you need good arch support. No flat shoes. You need at least a little bit of a heel. I can no longer wear high heels. I can get by with some wedge shoes. I love my FitFlops that you can get from Macy's and from the Bath and Beauty shop (both on-line or in some of the stores) Another shoe I do well in is believe it or not at Walmart. They are called Earth Shoes. Alternate hot and cold on your effected area of your feet. 15 min. hot, then 15 min. cold. Three times of each is what my doctor has me do. If you are interested in the foot excercises let me know. I hope this has been helpful. If I can be of anymore help just let mr know. Take care, M.

Go to the doctor! It's probably never going to go away. For a home "remedy," you can order a splint of some sort through running magazines. My husband has had this for over 20 years -- goes away for a while, then returns. My daughter-in-law has it now (a former marathon runner) and she swears this splint has helped immensely (but it's not cheap). As far as we know, there is no surgery you will have. If all your foot/ankle tendons are super-inflamed, you may have to have a cortisone shot to reduce the swelling so the doc can get a better idea of how inflamed the primary tendons are. That is painful, but it does provide a few hours of relief.

Hi S.,
Ouch, I know plantar fascitis is painful! I am a Chiropractor and see it in my office quite often. This is not a sales pitch, just wanted you to know I speak from experience:) With my patients, I check their feet to make sure all the joints are moving properly and adjust those that are not. Then I go to work on the plantar fascia with deep tissue massage. This helps to break up any scar tissue/adhesions that have formed around the tendons. To do something similar to this you can use a a golf ball, place it on the floor and GENTLY place your foot on it and roll the golf ball under your foot. Finally, the homework I give my patients, which I think you can use to get some relief, is to fill a small water bottle, freeze it and roll your foot on it for 20 min. every 2 hours as often as you can. This will also work to break up any scar tissue/adhesions as well as reduce pain & inflammation.

Sorry for the lengthy explanation but hopefully it will help you get some relief. Also, if you are a runner, be sure you're wearing the proper running shoe for your foot and invest in a good pair of running shoes!

Good luck!

Yours in Health,
M. Six, DC

My mom had accupuncture. She was very sceptical at first but gave it a try as nothing else had worked. She has not had another case since (2001).

Hi S.,

When I had it the doctor gave me a cortizone shot in the foot and it went away entirely. That was seven years ago.

D.

My feet hurt quite a bit and I did end up having to get orthodics from a foot doctor and they were almost $500 (insurance doesn't cover them unless you are diabetic). There are severel items at skymall.com that look like they would be helpful. Here is a few links:

Custom arch supports - http://skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=69640041&c...

Arch Brace - http://skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=69751722&c...

Plantar Fasciitis FXT - http://skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102118828&...

Plantar Fasciitis Kit II - http://skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=101899005&...

Passive Night Splint - http://skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=13177693&c...

Plantar Fasciitis Kit - http://skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102591972&...

Step Stretch - http://skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=82084168&c...

Hopefully you can find some comfort. I know how uncomfortable it can be when your feet hurt. Lynn

My son had this and I took him to an orthopedic surgeon. The guy gave him two exercises that took care of it quickly. Take a small hand towel and hold one end in each hand. Sit down and place arch of foot in it. While pulling the towel towards you with your hands--press your foot down as hard as you can (like you're stepping on the gas peddle). Also, lay the towel on the floor--while seated, grab the towel and pull it toward you with your toes. This stretches all of those muscles and warms them up. Especially helpful to do first thing in the morning when your muscles are "cold". He did recommend otc inserts--I found some really good ones at Target for $20. My son didn't wear them though. I think they would have helped too!
Hope this is helpful!
K.

from what I understand this is a viral condition - I am good friends with a naturopathic doctor and his wife and know of an excellent anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial herb formula that is very powerful but completely pure and natural - it is called Arcozon and is offered by the Amazon Herb Company - it can be used internally as well as topically - if you want more information feel free to contact me or visit my website: www.shootingstarherbs.amazonherb.net

Have you tried wearing motion control running shoes or orthotics? New Balance has a shoe for Plantar Facitis. Also, I've had luck with Croc's. I where them all the time, and even use them as my slippers. I'm a nurse and lucky that I can wear them to work also!!
Try taking shorter steps. Long steps can contribute to tight calves and plantar fasciitis.

This is from a print out that I received:

You should back off of your walking distance and not walk or run through the pain.
2. Icing: Use an ice pack on the foot for 15 minutes after walking.
3. Self-Massage: Massage the foot before getting out of bed in the morning. Use long strokes from the ball down to the heel.
4. Night splint: This device holds your foot flexed at night so that the plantar fascia doesn't tighten up and cause that horrible pain as you stretch it first thing in the morning, which can in fact re-injure it.

Stretches
Once the pain and swelling have begun to subside, perform these static stretches three times a day. Continue to use this stretch to prevent recurrence of plantar fasciitis and heel spur.
1. Plantar Fascia Stretch
2. Rolling Stretch
3. Step Stretch
3. Calf Stretch
You can find these on the internet with directions on how to perform them.
There is a ton of info on the net.
Hope this helped some!

Hey S.- I work at a small podiatrist office in Sun City West/Surprise and I see this a lot. Why not go see a Dr and see what he/she suggests. They cant MAKE you buy or try anything your not willing to spend the money on yet. Besides if you have insurance A LOT of insurance companies will actually cover a huge % of the cost of custom orthotics. It doesnt hurt to try!? Besides most custom orthotics are supposed to last 7-10 years. thats not too bad of an investment. if all else fails some dr office carry over the counter orthotics at a way cheaper price that have a lot of the qualities of the customs. we carry them in our office and I actually wear a pair everyday. I love them. Well whatever it is you decide to do, good luck!!!!!!

Tee tree oil and alot of lysol spray in shoes. Saturate shoe soles nightly. My son had it bad-Call the foot doctor and schedule an appointment and work out a payment plan. Most doctors will accept even a low dollar a month if necessary just so bill gets paid.

S., I would recommend some professional massage to address this issue and daily stretching of your calves.

I have suffered with plantar fasciitis for many years. The first time I saw a doctor I was sent for physical therapy after getting a cordisone shot. I'm not sure but I think I went for about 6 weeks (maybe 2 x's a week). Anyway, it did wonders and I had no pain whatsoever for many years until recently. I went to a doctor again and had a cordisone shot and did my therapy at home with lots of icing. The ice is very important since plantar fasciitis is a swelling in the foot. The colder the better and for as long as you can possibly stand it. This in conjunction with the shot (I've had 2 in a month and a half time) has worked for me. I have no pain at the moment and just got back from a cruise where I did a tremendous amount of walking. Funny thing...I worried about having pain in my heel for my trip so I worked hard to get better and (such is my luck) the 2nd day of my 10 day trip I fractured my pinkie toe (same foot) hitting it on my luggage!

Hope this helps. Good luck...I feel your pain!

Hi S.,

I worked for a foot dr. and in order to really get rid of this you need to go in and see them. You are really not going to get rid of this by "home Remidies". Sorry

S.,
I read through the other responses because I didn't want to repeat any good advice that you have already received. I had PF so bad that I couldn't walk when I was pregnant with my first child. I did go to the podiatrist and the cortisone shots in my feet made a huge difference within a day. I also had physical therapy once a week.
That being said, I think the thing that made a difference in the long run was icing my feet a couple of times a day and using the "Strassburg Sock" at night (http://www.thesock.com/) . My podiatrist prescribed a night splint which was huge and awkward, I found the socks at a local running shoe store and they were a little awkward at firs too, but I got use to them qickly and returned the splint to the Dr. I didn't want to spend the money on expensive orthodics either- I invested in some good sneakers and a couple of pairs of Birkenstock sandals and quit wearing flip flops. I am happy to say I am 9 months pregnant with my second child and have had no problems with PF this pregnancy.
Good Luck!
E.