Ann.without.an.e Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 It is going on a year. I stopped running in October because the pain was too awful. I still lift weights but stopped running or doing any training that included jumping, hopping, etc. I can only wear Brooks Glycerin tennis shoes and must work my wardrobe around them. I miss my activities and cute shoes. Is there anything else I can do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Did you go see a podiatrist? If not, that would be my next step. They have some that have a sports focus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
history-fan Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Sorry you're having to go through this. I have had it twice each time lasting 18+ months. I went to a sports Dr. and he offered some help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 What have you already tried? That would help us give better answers. I am not one for shoe inserts but rather for strengthening your arches and feet. However you should probably see a podiatrist to make sure it's PF and get a scrip for physical therapy. You may also need cortisone shots for ST. They hurt but then help. The PT will help you pinpoint your specific underlying issue and give you exercises to fix it. If budget is tight, tell the PT and they'll give you a list of what to do at home. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 My bout was almost exactly a year (pretty much all of 2012). The other shoes I could wear were Birkenstocks and keens. The Birkenstocks are now my favorites and I tend to always have them on in the house now to try to prevent a relapse. I did not seek medical intervention, though I did talk to my doctor when I was seeing him for something else. I was pretty sure running caused mine--running on a treadmill was a relatively new habit and I had been trying to increase my speed. I also ran with a heel strike and I worked hard in 2013 after recovery to learn a mid-foot strike. I still walked on the treadmill while I had PF. I finally noticed significant improvement when I took 2 weeks off from walking around Christmas time. I don't know if that complete break sparked the recovery or if it would have happened anyway. And it was gradual improvement--not overnight. No pain for the last 2.5 years now which I credit to improved running form (based on Chi Running), only good shoes (nothing cheap), and wearing shoes basically all of the time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 :grouphug: I have no advice. I'm sorry you're suffering from PF. Feet pain is so awful. I hope it improves or you find something that helps. :grouphug: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acadie Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I have completely flat feet and get plantar fasciitis and shin splints if I'm not wearing shoes with arch support the majority of the time. After doing that for many months, I can wear other types of shoes for a few hours a day--wedges are much better for my feet than flats, which are the absolute worst. I've seen a podiatrist in the past for shoe inserts (both running and dressy shoe inserts), but last time I saw a sports med doc who sent me for PT as well, which was great. They did a gait study and gave me exercises to build back up slowly to running. I wear Asics running shoes with prescription inserts for running, walking, and as much as I can around the house. I only go barefoot very briefly--definitely not if I'm cleaning or running up and down stairs. Sandals that work for me are Birkenstock and Chaco. For hiking and winter boots I get boots with ankle laces because good ankle support helps prevent my feet from pronating--my hiking boots don't have arch support per se, but the ankle support is so awesome that I can hike miles and miles without issue. Occasional wedges or heels are fine now that I've healed, but I've thrown out all my evil flats. I've slowly expanded my shoe wardrobe and feel like I finally have a range of cute options that work for me other than running shoes, though they're still the most comfy. You can add OTC inserts to many closed shoes; open shoes/sandals are trickier. Whenever I get a little twinge again, I just up the hours in my running shoes w/inserts. My hubby does foot stretches every morning for plantar fasciitis, but the key for me was getting my arch stable by wearing inserts most of the time and giving my feet and shins plenty of time to heal. I'm intrigued by PT or yoga to strengthen arches and feet, but wonder if it would work for me. My feet seriously look like flippers--no arch at all! Inherited from my dear dad. Prescription inserts are expensive but completely covered by my health insurance as long as it's coded properly. I'd be seriously immobilized without them. One other thing I've noticed is that I need to build up slowly when I start running after a break, or I'll have problems again. Instead of jumping in and running a mile or two, I need to do Couch-to-5K type intervals with very gradual increase. Good luck, Amy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 It is going on a year. I stopped running in October because the pain was too awful. I still lift weights but stopped running or doing any training that included jumping, hopping, etc. I can only wear Brooks Glycerin tennis shoes and must work my wardrobe around them. I miss my activities and cute shoes. Is there anything else I can do? I had that for a year some time ago too. I bought expensive orthotic inserts from a highfalutin' shoe store and they seemed to help. At a little over a year, it went away. Praying the same happens for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 My chiropractor gave me exercises to do a few times a day and my plantar fasciitis gradually went away. That was several years ago and it hasn't come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Dealing with the muscle knots in my calves and shins is what helped me. (Foot doctor wanted me to do shots, inserts and never barefoot.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantmeawish Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I wear Birkenstock sandals 90% of the time in the summer. I am never barefoot. In the winter, I wear my Birkenstock sandals around the house and cute boots out. I run 15 miles a week in brooks ghosts or adrenaline. For me, the Birkenstocks are the key. As long as I wear them as much as possible, plantar fasciitis is kept at bay and I can wear cute shoes for short periods of time without much problem. By the way, I think my Birkenstock gizehas are super cute and people wish they could wear them. But I guess they are afraid of looking hippie.😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Yes to much of the above....good shoes, no bare feet, etc. I'll add I went to my chiropractor and he helped some. One foot was worse than the other because my hips were out of whack. Keep a water bottle in the freezer...when your feet hurt, sit down and put your feet on that bottle. ( wrap it loosely in a thin towel.) Rub your feet on that cold bottle....it helps. It really helps a lot more than I thought it would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 so sorry I regulary put ice on my aching feet; it helps tremendously. I have a host of feet problems and have stopped walking for exercise. Use your pain as a guide. This is not the time to push through the pain. Tendons do not work like muscles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 It is going on a year. I stopped running in October because the pain was too awful. I still lift weights but stopped running or doing any training that included jumping, hopping, etc. I can only wear Brooks Glycerin tennis shoes and must work my wardrobe around them. I miss my activities and cute shoes. Is there anything else I can do? I spent almost $400 on some crazy-looking, German-made sandals, which I wore almost every waking moment for several months. I also bought some FitFlops (to wear to hula shows, because I could easily slip them off to dance and put them right back on), and some Keens. I also iced my feet often when I was at home. I don't remember exactly how long I wore the Frankenstein shoes, but I'm sure it was less time than a year. Today, I can wear almost anything, although I do spend big bucks on shoes with good arch support for daily wear; sometimes I even go barefooted. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Night splints helps me the most. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingaway Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Keeping the knots out of my calves, wearing one of those boots that stretches my foot up and a cream called Penetrex all help me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 See a podiatrist. I waited almost two years when I had PF. Wish I'd gone sooner and not suffered with it so long. I did end up needing orthotics, but my problem is a congenital arch (or lack thereof) issue. No amount of exercises or strengthening will fix my feet. However, since I've had my orthotics (about 7 years), my feet are pain free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 do you do anything to relax the muscles in your calf? My chiropractor was able to do adjustments to release them. it only took a few visits before it was a thing of the past - after dealing with it for more than a year before seeing him. I now have an injury (the original injury twisted a bone in the socket in my lower leg) with similar pain, that will get better if I start walking. (though still limited. quite perverse - it hurts to walk, but helps to walk. until my leg decides it's done walking.) but in the morning, it's excruciating just to stand up and put any weight on my foot. my chiro was able to help (the bone is restored to it's proper orientation) - but I also have to do PT with it daily. I have a "roller" - for physical therapy and you can find it I fyou look for that. I do four muscle groups on my leg. (I have an IT band injury, and a muscle on top of my thigh). they will get very very tight, and start pulling on everything else. the affected muscles are so tight, and so deep, the roller is the only way I can get deep enough. He has me doing them 10x per day, for 30 seconds. My arms don't last that long. I roll on my quads, the IT band, the calf and then a non-injured leg crossed over the injured leg at the ankle at a slight angle calf. full length from hip to knee, and knee to ankle. when I started - it was tears it hurt so much, but it's making progress in getting them to relax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Mine hasn't come back in quite s while. This is my routine to keep it away. 1). Stretch legs before getting out of bed. Toes toward you to stretch calf. Ankle circles. Full straight leg in the air stretches. Massage feet. This all takes about 2 minutes. The muscle that connects to the plantar fasciitis must be loosened. Mine tightens up overnight because I sleep on stomach, toes pointing away and the muscle shortens. 2) I wear the big old crocs in the house. No other shoes work for me. If I still had it, I'd add in foot rolls on a can, do more stretches, and if Superbad is see dr and get ultrasound done on my foot. That works miracles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) . Edited November 19, 2015 by Love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I breezed through the other replies so I know some of this has been said. Shoes - all.the.time! I wear crocs in the house. And shoes with arch support the rest of the time. I don't buy new shoes unless they have arch support. It's been almost 2 years since the last time and I can wear non-supportive shoes now, sometimes. I have a pair of orthaheel flip flops - boy did it hurt to spend $80 on flip flops. But they helped big time. Since when it flares it is summer. Stretches. (already mentioned) Shoe inserts for those with arch support. Special arch sleeves (from footsmart.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbi in Texas Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The exercises that were best for me were the one where you sit in a chair, and use a towel around the foot and pull toward you. Another is to pick up marbles with your toes (or coins, or those glass beads used in flower arranging). Another was stretching exercises I did pushing against a wall. I also love the FitFlop shoes. They are worth the price. You can get a lot better explanations of the exercises by googling. :) Hope you feel better soon. I also got the injections, but there was very little pain for me. Dr. sprayed numbing spray on the area first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto4Js123 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I stretched first thing (I could barely walk in the mornings) and periodically throughout the day. A frozen water bottle is great to rub on it. My husband also would massage my feet almost to tears, but it helped tremendously. It lasted about 18 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I agree with what many others said. Having dealt with PF a number of times I can say there's no one thing that fixes it. What helps are night splints, stretching exercises, the right shoes (for me that means Birkenstocks), inserts for closed shoes, and sometimes a cortisone shot. Oh yes, and the frozen water bottle thing. I keep one in the freezer for just that purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I agree with what many others said. Having dealt with PF a number of times I can say there's no one thing that fixes it. What helps are night splints, stretching exercises, the right shoes ( abeo's are also a wonderful shoe- especially with the metatarsal support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I had them very badly. I saw a podiatrist and did exercises as well as night boots. I also wore Saucony running shoes and other shoes with arch support. Dansko's work for me. They got better but still were not gone. I mentioned this to my chiropractor after a couple of years with pf and he said he could fix it. I honestly silently thought he was full of balogna, but thought I would give it a try. It actually worked and after one more visit I have never had another problem. He is a sports chiro and works on athletes quite a lot. Maybe that has something to do with his experience in being able to fix my feet. I don't really know, but I am so glad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The students at my daughter's dance studio roll their feet on golf balls to prevent it or to heal if they already have it. The studio owner gets it pretty bad, and her chiro does some kind of scraping thing on the bottom of her feet. At one point, she was told by her ortho dr that she needed surgery, but she was able to avoid it because of what the chiro did. She said that it was pretty painful, but worth it to avoid surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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