Anyone suffer from plantar fasciitis?

[Dianne-TX]

I'm self-diagnosing because I've never been to a dr., but I think this is what I have. I'm too busy to go to the foot dr.! ;) It started a couple of months after having my ds8months. I was pregnant again after 7 years and older, so I'm wondering if that attributed to it. I gain 50+ pounds with pregnancy, mostly fluid, and can't wear anything but flip flops the last few months. It's so hard to walk sometimes. I'm wondering if anyone found success from losing weight? What else helped it go away for you?

[JFSinIL]

First off, stop wearing flip flops. You need some major arch support when you have plantar facisitis (I can't spell it either! Let's just call it "foot pain" :glare: )

 

I went to a podiatrist and got little help - he did try to sell me custom arch supports that would have run several hundred dollars.

 

At the local sporting goods store, a knowledgeable shoe salesman had me kick off my walking shoes and buy RUNNING shoes - not to run, he said, but because they have superior arch support!!! I have found that as long as I stick to my $100ish running shoes and replace them every six months - and rip out the insoles and replace them with the high-end $20 inserts that provide additional arch support - I am fine.

 

For my worse foot, I also bought (over the internet) a brace to wear in bed at night that keeps my from pointing my toe (you want to keep your feet at the angle they'd be in when you stand up - pointing the toes is bad for the plantar thingie.

 

There are other stretching exercises, etc. too that help - about every few months someone asks about "foot pain" on these boards, and lots of advice will be coming your way.

 

I know there are non-running shoes, too, one can get - but I am too cheap and unfashionable to go beyond my Mom Running Shoes. :001_smile:

[Dianne-TX]

First off, stop wearing flip flops. You need some major arch support when you have plantar facisitis (I can't spell it either! Let's just call it "foot pain" :glare: )

 

I went to a podiatrist and got little help - he did try to sell me custom arch supports that would have run several hundred dollars.

 

At the local sporting goods store, a knowledgeable shoe salesman had me kick off my walking shoes and buy RUNNING shoes - not to run, he said, but because they have superior arch support!!! I have found that as long as I stick to my $100ish running shoes and replace them every six months - and rip out the insoles and replace them with the high-end $20 inserts that provide additional arch support - I am fine.

 

For my worse foot, I also bought (over the internet) a brace to wear in bed at night that keeps my from pointing my toe (you want to keep your feet at the angle they'd be in when you stand up - pointing the toes is bad for the plantar thingie.

 

There are other stretching exercises, etc. too that help - about every few months someone asks about "foot pain" on these boards, and lots of advice will be coming your way.

 

I know there are non-running shoes, too, one can get - but I am too cheap and unfashionable to go beyond my Mom Running Shoes. :001_smile:

 

I know flip flops are awful and being barefoot in the house seems to aggravate it too. I have not tried arch support inserts, so I'll try those and wear shoes in the house. What $20 inserts did you get? Also, what running shoes did you buy? I bought Brooks a few years ago and was a runner more so during that time. I tried to start jogging again after being pg, and that seems to be when the plantar fascitis started as well as finding a degenerative knee problem. Hence, no running for me. Ho-hum, I'm falling apart.

 

I've heard it will go away on it's own, even without any treatment, but so far that's not happening. I would be curious to see if weight loss helps it. But, after all, doesn't weight loss help everything! I wish I could just unzip the 40 pounds I need to lose! ugh.

[Harriet Vane]

JFS covered the bases pretty well. I will add a few specifics.

 

For $20 you can buy wonderful inserts that are every bit as supportive and contoured as custom-made at Target. They are called WALKFIT. I used custom orthotics for years, and switched with no problems to WalkFit--they feel exactly like the custom ones did.

 

For sandals, I wear Chacos--I bought them because they feel exactly like my orthotics. I do not recommend the Chaco shoes, only the sandals--the footbed is different. Make sure you get sandals with the contoured, supportive footbed.

 

I have friends who swear by their Birkenstocks for this problem. For me they were a little TOO supportive and I prefer the Chacos.

[Alessandra]

Get out of the flip flops. My orthopedist says that he has a steady stream of cases when flip flop season starts.

 

A cortisone shot can works wonders. If your case is bad, it may awhile to kick in. When you get better, if you go back to flip flops, you will then need another shots. If you are good about shoes, you will be "cured", more or less.

 

When you are walking, think about what surface you are on. Going barefoot or with light shoes on a soft surface amy be fine, but watch out for sidewalks. And marble shopping center floors should be treated like a war zone -- wear protective footwear!

[brownie]

My birkenstocks, purchased for $70 at famous footwear are like heaven to my feet! Suggested by the podiatrist, I bought them so I could have 'indoor shoes' since we don't wear shoes in the house. Now I can't resist but wear them outside because they make me feel so much better. Brownie

[Pam in MA]

I suffered with p.f. for seven years which also started right after the birth of my second child. I lost weight and went to several orthopedists and it didn't help. Eventually, wearing the boot at night and a different pair of inserts finally got rid of it. Flipflops are the worst thing to wear. You need good arch support all the time, but the night boot is the best thing to get rid of it. It's miserable to wear and your husband will hate you for ripping it off in the middle of the night when you can't stand it anymore (the sound of the velcro!) but it really helps! Good luck.

[AuntieM]

Stretch, stretch, stretch! You've got to loosen up the calf muscles (especially the lower one) to start getting relief. Stand on a step and drop your heels off the edge. There are many others, but be sure and stretch all the time-- before you get out of bed, in the warm shower, ankle circles any time you think of it. The foot brace is excellent to keep it from cramping up in the night.

 

The pain is caused by inflammation. To get that inflammatin down, take ibuprofen and ice, ice, ice. I keep a tennis ball in the freezer to roll around under my foot, a can of orange juice works well too.

 

Honestly, the very best thing you cando is lose weight. I have a magic weight, below which my symptoms entirely disappear. I'm about five pounds over that now and feeling a bit twingy. At ten over, I hurt.

 

There have been a TON of threads on this, do a board search for plantar and you'll get a lot more good info.

[Carol in Cal.]

I started a thread about this last summer and got lots of helpful suggestions, many of which I have tried. I encourage you to do a search for that and earlier threads--there is a lot of detail posted here already about this, and it will jumpstart your research.

 

Those Walkfits have been wonderful for me--they have rescued some of my flatter pumps completely. Fit flops have replaced my flip flop type sandals. Arch support and stretching are key. When I go running or walking I wear shoes with good arch support and try to stay more up on the balls of my feet rather than hitting the ground with my heels so much. My running shoes are trail runners, suggested to me at REI because they are more stable than normal running shoes. I stretch my feet before each time I stand on them, whether I'm lying down or sitting down--I stretch the toes back toward my legs and hold for a while. I also stretch my calves before and after I'm walking or running, and hold that stretch for a while. And my most helpful shoes have been Dansko sandals with about a 1 1/2 inch heel--the specific ones that I have are not made anymore, but trying various Dansko products on when your feet hurt in order to find the ones that fit the best and support your arches the most would probably be really helpful. Generally a low heel is better than flats.

Edited December 2, 2010 by Carol in Cal.

[Dianne-TX]

Thanks for all the responses. I was wondering if any of you know of an indoor house slipper that gives support. I know someone mentioned birkenstocks. Are there others?

[LG Gone Wild]

Thanks for all the responses. I was wondering if any of you know of an indoor house slipper that gives support. I know someone mentioned birkenstocks. Are there others?

 

Yes, I special ordered some arch support flip flops, made a huge difference. Never do anything without arch support.

 

 

http://www.orthaheel.com

[springmama]

Danskos and Sanitas are what saved me.

 

They are expensive but can be found on a discount website for much less....clogoutlet.com is where I got mine.

[ChemMommy]

Trying to heal it up now. It takes MONTHS to heal up each time.

 

Wear NO shoes without excellent arch support or inserts! Throw those flip-flops away! Wear your shoes in the house. The nighttime foot brace someone else mentioned has really helped, too!

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Custom made orthotics, while expensive, have changed my life. I even wear them in my slippers around the house. I highly recommend arch supports.

[Harriet Vane]

For slippers, dh bought me a pair of really snug slippers. I wear the WalkFit inserts inside my slippers. If your slippers are too loose, this will not work well--they've got to be really snug so that it all stays in place.

[WagsWife]

This is what the doctor had me do (to try before he sent me to a specialist) and it worked!

 

First he had me on pretty high does of ibuprofen (for about 2 weeks I think.) I thought it was strange, but he said it would help help with the inflammation so that my foot could heal. What happens is that the muscle/tendon-whatever, tightens at night, with your foot in the pointing down position. When you get up in the morning and stand up, you put little tears in it because the muscle/tendon has not been stretched out. I was actually amazed at how well the ibuprofen worked! He also had me freeze water in a water bottle, and use it a few times a day to roll my feet on...this was to help with the inflammation as well.

 

Next, he told me to never get out of bed, or up from sitting (for long periods) without stretching. He told me to stretch my legs out, take the heel of one foot and use it to slowly pull the toes of the other foot up toward your knee...and then repeat on the other side.

 

Finally, he told me to wear Crocs (oh how ugly these things are) as much as possible. I bought a pair and wore them mostly in the house.

 

Lucky for me...all of these things worked without having to go to a specialist and without having to buy really expensive shoes/inserts.

 

I would suggest trying this approach...even if you just do it while you wait to get into a doctor, it may help you as well. It has been a couple of years, but now I hardly ever wear my ugly Crocs and I don't do my stretches much...but I can tell when that muscle/tendon starts to get a little tight, and I just start stretching and maybe wearing the Crocs for a few days...and all is good again.

[amydavis]

I was so excited to see this thread. I've self-diagnosed myself, and my mother (an RN) agreed. I didn't realize there had been previous threads, and I'm definitely going to go look them up!

 

I saw someone mention that crocs helped, but I felt like my pain started after I got my first pair of crocs late this summer. Any opinions? Are crocs good or bad? Were my beginning symptoms after purchasing merely coincidental? I also had recently started wearing a pair of Doc Martens. Any ideas; is there not always a direct cause?

 

I'm going to be checking in on the advice, but I'm going to try the ibuprofen and stretching to start. Can anyone tell me how much they were taking each day?

 

I've been in so much pain, and I can't even describe it accurately to dh. It just hurts so bad to walk sometimes; it's terrible. I was really just beginning to think I'd have to live like this forever. It's wonderful to know there is some hope! I had no idea it was as common as it seems, from the replies and number of threads.

 

:lurk5:

[Jann in TX]

Crocs come in an RX version that has a better arch support. You can order these online at www.crocs.com

Crocs.com has FREE shipping too!

 

I ditto all of the other advice. Ibuprofen, ice (I keep a 2 liter soda bottle of water in my freezer at all times)--roll around for 10-15 minutes a few times each day, stretching (VERY important), NO barefeet, NO flip-flops (unless they specifically have arch supports built in).

 

I have had the expensive custom orthotics--they were great. I've found great relief with this current round of fasciitis using 'Super Feet' insoles ($35).

I buy a new pair of walking or running shoes (good quality) every 6 months. Running shoes have more support but are usually too narrow for my extra-wide foot...

 

As far as house shoes go-- Crocs RX or a good slipper with a solid rubber bottom and an orthotic insert are a MUST.

[WagsWife]

I was so excited to see this thread. I've self-diagnosed myself, and my mother (an RN) agreed. I didn't realize there had been previous threads, and I'm definitely going to go look them up!

 

I saw someone mention that crocs helped, but I felt like my pain started after I got my first pair of crocs late this summer. Any opinions? Are crocs good or bad? Were my beginning symptoms after purchasing merely coincidental? I also had recently started wearing a pair of Doc Martens. Any ideas; is there not always a direct cause?

 

I'm going to be checking in on the advice, but I'm going to try the ibuprofen and stretching to start. Can anyone tell me how much they were taking each day?

 

I've been in so much pain, and I can't even describe it accurately to dh. It just hurts so bad to walk sometimes; it's terrible. I was really just beginning to think I'd have to live like this forever. It's wonderful to know there is some hope! I had no idea it was as common as it seems, from the replies and number of threads.

 

:lurk5:

 

I believe that my doctor had me taking 500mg 3 times a day. At the time, I thought it was crazy...but it really did work! Once you get the inflammation under control and use the stretching, you should notice a huge improvement in your pain.

 

I can't answer your question about the Crocs. I had never owned a pair until the doctor told me to buy some. They did happen to work for me.

[Melinda S in TX]

 

For my worse foot, I also bought (over the internet) a brace to wear in bed at night that keeps my from pointing my toe (you want to keep your feet at the angle they'd be in when you stand up - pointing the toes is bad for the plantar thingie.

 

 

 

Could you tell me where you got the brace? I sleep on my stomach and this makes my toes point. No wonder my pf hurts so bad in the morning.

 

Blessings,

Melinda

[Jennay]

I was so excited to see this thread. I've self-diagnosed myself, and my mother (an RN) agreed. I didn't realize there had been previous threads, and I'm definitely going to go look them up!

 

I saw someone mention that crocs helped, but I felt like my pain started after I got my first pair of crocs late this summer. Any opinions? Are crocs good or bad? Were my beginning symptoms after purchasing merely coincidental? I also had recently started wearing a pair of Doc Martens. Any ideas; is there not always a direct cause?

 

I'm going to be checking in on the advice, but I'm going to try the ibuprofen and stretching to start. Can anyone tell me how much they were taking each day?

 

I've been in so much pain, and I can't even describe it accurately to dh. It just hurts so bad to walk sometimes; it's terrible. I was really just beginning to think I'd have to live like this forever. It's wonderful to know there is some hope! I had no idea it was as common as it seems, from the replies and number of threads.

 

:lurk5:

 

My pain started after I wore Crocs while pregnant with my fourth.

 

I started Physical Therapy in Oct. because the pain was so bad I couldn't exercise. Can't lose my extra weight if I can't exercise!

 

Anyway, in my case all my Core muscles are shot due to 3 C-sections. Since everything is connected muscle weakness is what caused the pain in the first place and keeps it from getting better.

 

It might be helpful to get an evaluation from a physical therapist.

[amydavis]

I believe that my doctor had me taking 500mg 3 times a day. At the time, I thought it was crazy...but it really did work! Once you get the inflammation under control and use the stretching, you should notice a huge improvement in your pain.

 

I can't answer your question about the Crocs. I had never owned a pair until the doctor told me to buy some. They did happen to work for me.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

My pain started after I wore Crocs while pregnant with my fourth.

 

I started Physical Therapy in Oct. because the pain was so bad I couldn't exercise. Can't lose my extra weight if I can't exercise!

 

Anyway, in my case all my Core muscles are shot due to 3 C-sections. Since everything is connected muscle weakness is what caused the pain in the first place and keeps it from getting better.

 

It might be helpful to get an evaluation from a physical therapist.

 

I'm so bad about going to the doctor for anything. Dh has stated that he really wants me to go in over this, and it's bad enough that I probably will. I'm going to try some of the things written here, and ditch the crocs for now! :001_smile:

[JFSinIL]

Could you tell me where you got the brace? I sleep on my stomach and this makes my toes point. No wonder my pf hurts so bad in the morning.

 

Blessings,

Melinda

 

http://www.badbackstore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=U-25004&click=154

 

This looks like what I use - my other foot I just turn my leg to brace the foot against the lower leg (the leg with the braced foot) to stop from toe-pointing.

 

There are zillions of foot braces out there - some look more comfortable than others. You might have to kinda twist away from full stomach-sleeping to keep from toe-pointing at night.

[AuntieM]

I started Physical Therapy in Oct. because the pain was so bad I couldn't exercise. Can't lose my extra weight if I can't exercise!

 

Anyway, in my case all my Core muscles are shot due to 3 C-sections. Since everything is connected muscle weakness is what caused the pain in the first place and keeps it from getting better.

 

It might be helpful to get an evaluation from a physical therapist.

 

Water exercise is a wonderful way to get some weight off without putting stress on the lower leg and foot joints. Cycling is also very good.

 

In my exerience, pool classes/access to my local community center are much less expensive than physical therapy copays, even with generous insurance coverage. PT is a wonderful start but, IMO, not financially sustainable for the long haul.