Plantar Fasciitis help needed

[cat]

Does anyone else suffer or has suffered from Plantar fasciitis, and if so what treatment has helped?

I have been in pain with this for over 18 months. I am overweight (as my doctor keeps helpfully pointing out,) which doesn't help, but I am so crippled with the pain that it is difficult to exercise.

I used to run and horseride and walk my dog, work my garden etc but nowdays I sometimes have to stay off my feet all day.

The whole thing is making me really depressed as I am naturaly an active person and now I feel like a shuffling little old lady.

Any remedies, traditional or whacky would be apreciated. I am sure with such a huge wealth of knowledge on this site there will be someone who can give me some pointers.

thanks guys

 

[cluckychick]

My MIL was fitted with a custome made cast thingy she wears when she walks in public. It fits uner her pant legs and in her shoe. When she's home she wears the big black boot. It has helped her alot. She also has other tendon issues that developed because of an antibiotic the doctor left her on way longer than the maufactured recommended. The key is staying off of it, using ice and letting it heal.

 

[TXmom]

Me!!! I feel the same way! I'm overweight but can't hardly walk, much less jog or any other kind of aerobic exercise with my foot hurting. A couple things that I do that help a LITTLE: use your hands to stretch your bad foot...push all 5 of your toes at the same time toward your shin and stretch. Do it slowly but firmly...it will hurt your heel, but if you do it carefully a few times, it will feel better. The more you stretch, the better it gets...like a few times a day. I also started taking Coral Calcium and I swear my foot feels better now. I get it Walmart or GNC. It's not like regular calcium supplements, it is ground up Okinawan marine coral with lots of other nutrients besides calcium in it.

I hope this helps you a little bit.

 

[SunAngel]

I ended up with it last year from living in flip flops all summer and walking around barefoot. I would wear flip flops everywhere, walking around the mall, to flea markets, etc. I was told to get a good pair of sneakers with a good arch/sole and wear them constantly, even while in the house. When I didn't have them on, I needed to be flexing my foot...pulling the toes towards my shin and pointing the foot out straight. I was also told not to stand on that foot for long stretches, like while doing dishes. I got a little step stool to rest that foot on and only did so many at a time. The only thing I took was Aleve and it cleared up on its own within a month or two. It hasn't happened again, so far...but Summer is on the way.

 

[TXmom]

Oh, I forgot...I use Walk Fits in my tennis shoes. It's like an arch support thing, but MUCH better than the Dr Scholls or other brands. I got mine at CVS Pharmacy, but I think you can order them online too.

I also found some AWESOME flip flops that are specially constructed for arch support...they're called Olukai. They're really expensive but I found some on Clearance at Marshall's for $15...I bought 3 pairs because they were so comfortable and made my poor aching feet feel better! http://www.olukai.com/ Click on 'Design' to see how well they're made.

 

[FunnyFarmer]

Go to a medical supply store and get the good, heavy orthotic inserts for your shoes, and wear them all the time. Don't go barefoot. This did wonders for my plantar fascitis, although it does take time. There are also stretches you can do, but I don't know off hand what they are. Good luck--it DOES hurt like heck!

 

[mjane]

Cat I feel for you. Are you on your feet alot? It typically hits people that work on their feet such as nurses, waitresses ect. I suffered this for about 4 years. I'm a nurse by profession and my excess weight caused a big problem. Another problem is my high arches, another risk factor. There were some days I could barely walk when I got up, the pins and needles were horrible. Some days were better or worse than others but I just suffered after going from my family doc, orthopedist, foot doctor. Their first reply lose weight.
I tried new insteps first the cheap dr scholls and then the expensive ones from a store near me that made custom ones specifically for plantar fasciatis that caused me a whopping 300.00 per pair. Let me say no difference in my pain level though I wore them for about three months. Then the doc said we can try surgery which basically meant I would be layed up for at least 6 weeks in a cast with 6 months of therapy per foot and they could only do one foot at a time. I did not have that kind of time first of all to be away from my animals(I have horses and I do all their care), work ect. I also talked to a couple of patients that had the surgery and they said it did not help that much.
Here is what I found that did help. GET SOME NEW BALANCE 55O SHOES! These shoes made my job bareable. These were recommended by a foot orthopedist I work with and respect. They really support your foot. You might not notice the difference right away but after a few days, boy did I feel the difference.
I lost some weight. At the time I was over 100lbs overweight and so I lost about 35lbs on my own. I followed a really healthy plan of eating with whole grains(my md told me it is highly reccomended for people with muscular problems). I followed south beach through spark people and it has changed mylife literally. Guess what one day I woke up after losing about 25lbs and the pain was gone.
I also have some exercises you can do in the meantime. Take a towel put it under the arch of your foot and pull. You can do this before you get out of bed. It helps a little. I also aternated between a ice bag and heat in 20 min intervals on really bad days in the arch and ball of foot. Pm me if you like.
By the way I started a post with sprark people and we know have a team over there for backyard chicken members.
melody

 

[Lesa]

Hi! Dh and I have both suffered from this problem. If you can find the "boot" to sleep in, it can make a huge difference. Check google and you will see what it looks like... If you untuck the sheets and blankets on the bottom of the bed-it can help. Having your foot pointed all night, is a big cause. Try filling a small soda bottle with water and freezing it. You can then roll it under the afflicted foot- it feels good and helps with inflamed area. Inserts and good shoes are a must... It is a weird problem- it really does just disappear, so hang in there!

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Several years ago, I had an extreme case of this, first in one foot and then the other. After all the treatments, special inserts, cortisone, and my dear husband helping me do the stretching exercises religiously, I still couldn't stand to walk much further than from my car to the store before I was in pain. My world was starting to be measured in how many steps from here to there.

Of course, this results in depression and WEIGHT GAIN since my once active self was so limited. That just acerbated the issue.

My foot doctor was not very optimistic about surgery being a solution. My chiropractor suggested I see an orthopedic surgeon known to deal with a lot of sports injuries. Within days I had surgery. There was no cast, just a boot, and because I didn't stay off it long enough, it took a bit longer to heal probably before the pain went away.

The following year, when the second foot 'blew' ... I didn't even pause, got the surgery, took a bit more time off work to heal properly and it was much quicker. He actually did that surgery with just a local, no heavy anesthesia and I didn't even have to go through that whole baloney.

Today I walk without pain. I am careful to wear good shoes, but I can WALK WITHOUT PAIN. Now, I don't jog excessively on hard surfaces, keep anti-fatigue mats in my booth when I'm working, but my feet are no longer on my mind 24/7. Surgery can be a successful solution if your plantar fasciitis is severe.

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Quote:
SOOO TRUE!!! I even have a pair of indoor shoes now....feels alot better....plus when the pain was really bad I would roll my foot on a tennis ball and then a frozen bottle of water.....It gives you a purpose for sitting at the computer and checking out BYC....and not feel guilty...