Plantar fasciitus... life after diagnosis?

[AuntieM]

After about 6 weeks of foot pain from what I thought was perhaps a bruise that wasn't healing, this morning I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitus. Bummer. Certainly derails my intentions to start that couch-to-5K running plan I've been eyeing to take off the 25 pounds I need to lose.

 

My doc really gave me a good diagnosis, explanation and treatment plan; I guess I am just sitting here discouraged by all the things I've been told I *can't* do - walk on uneven surfaces, wear pretty shoes, start martial arts class with my kids.... and that I must take anti-inflammatory drugs (I am SO not a prescription drug person...), sleep with a splint on my foot every night for the next 6 weeks....

 

I think, down deep, it's making me feel a bit.... old. There, I said it. That really bugs me, especially since I recently read an article that told me "50 is the new 30!" At 45, I feel like I am falling apart! I am certainly hobbling around like an elderly gal. (It's not only the p.f., in the last year I've had a few other medical issues and this is just the, "Oh brother, now what?!!" icing on the cake.)

 

Anyway, enough griping. I was just wondering if those of you who've had this can share a bit about whether or not you had problems with recurrence, and perhaps share some of your strategies for getting through the stuff you need to do in a day. Is it better just to plan to lie low until it's healed up (other than the daily morning exercises I will be doing)? If you're in a multi-level home with lotsa stairs - any tips for navigating those? Can you recommend shoes/shoe brands/shoe stores that offer cute, stylish shoes that are the type I need to wear to prevent future episodes? I am not a fashionista but I really don't want to wear my orthotic filled athletic shoes with every ensemble!

 

I look forward to your replies!

[TraceyS/FL]

Stretch, Physical Therapy, GOOD SHOES (pretty unsupportive shoes for more than an hour or so bring me to my knees).

 

Losing weight did help.

 

Overall, as long as i keep with the good shoes part i do ok these days. Keens, i live in keens. Birks worked well too.

 

:grouphug:

[kalanamak]

Stretch, Physical Therapy, GOOD SHOES (pretty unsupportive shoes for more than an hour or so bring me to my knees).

 

 

Yes, a lifetime of stretching and Birks, here, too. Just stay away from that metatarsalgia. Talk about nail driven into ball of foot!

[lmrich]

I tore a tendon in my right foot back in April and have gone through all (physical therapy, drug therapy, a cast, etc..) only to end up with surgery. I am unable to drive or walk for 8 weeks. The good news is that my kids have learned to laundry, clean the house, walk the dog, and cook. Sometimes it take an injury to keep a good woman down. Take this time to rest and let others pitch in and do more. Good Luck! Linda

[mom2a&z]

I've had plantar fasciitis off and on for over 10 years. Stretching exercises and good shoes worked the best. I've tried orthotics and cortisone shots which only helped a little.

 

When I shop for shoes, I look for cushioned support and a small heel (to keep the pressure on the ball of my foot and not my heel). Clarks and Birkenstocks are great.

 

There are times when only a cute shoe will work and I will still wear them knowing that the next morning is going to be painful.

 

Good luck with whatever you try!

[partyof5]

I understand what you mean about this making you feel older...I felt the exact same way. I'm not sure, but something about your body not working the way it has for years is really eye-opening and discouraging. It started me on a course of eating much healthier and just being in tune with how I treat myself...feet, spine, even skin. (sigh) It's all good though if it helps you make a move towards a healthier you.

 

To cope, I own several sets of shoe inserts with arch support so that I can get by in some of my favorite "flat" shoes, like crocs. I have some nice leather slip-on clogs as well and the inserts help in these as well. I am slowly buying the more expensive supportive shoes but am using these inserts to get by in the meantime.

 

Best wishes to you. The reduction of pain is worth all the efforts you're going through.

[JFSinIL]

I have had it - and even though it has been over a year since I felt better, I STILL sleep with the night splint on what was my worse foot - otherwise I tend to point my toes down while snoozing, which is bad for that pesky tendon. I also only wear quality running shoes now, after I rip out the liner and shove in a $20 arch support, too. I do not run - running shoes just have better arch support than non-running shoes.

 

I so do not want to have the p.f. flare up or come back ever again!!!! I felt so bad I had to be sitting by early afternoon...not easy to chase kids/do housework/cook if you can't walk or stand w/o awful foot pain. For me, it was the arch that hurt.

Edited October 13, 2008 by JFSinIL

[elegantlion]

I had it in 2005, it took about 2-3 months for it to heal correctly. I didn't feel old then, but I hobbled around a lot. I still make sure I stretch my feet correctly.

 

I managed a trip to Costa Rica while I was getting over mine, so you will get through it.

[TraceyS/FL]

One of the easiest, most painful (:lol:) stretches the PT had me doing was using a golf ball.

 

Sit and rub that around on your foot for a good 5-10 minutes. Oh did it hurt... i mean help! LOL!! I was seeing him for my knee, but my foot was impacting my knee greatly. Man could that guy massage my foot loose.....

 

Anyway, i thought i'd throw that out. I need to do that again myself!

[swellmomma]

I have this too but I try not to let it keep me from doing much. Mine has gotten severe enough that I have alot of hip, and knee pain in addition to the foot. A couple things I do that work, 1 is I wear shoes all day everyday, no more barefeet for me. Actually I wear cushioned flip flops all spring/summer/fall, and then in winter just in the house. I never wear full flats, a low heel actaully gives my foot the arch it needs to feel relief, so I often wear heels which I love and my dr has told me to continue. I do sole massage like TraceyS/FL suggested. If I am going to wear sneakers for a walk/workout I tape my foot first to give the arch more support. My dr assures me that once I lose some weight the effect of this on my feet will be greatly decreased, so that is a good thing to look forward to for you too, since you already had a goal of losing weight. I don't take anti imflammatories for it, and I don't use a splint at night. But when I first wake up I have to stretch and massage my feet or I will not be walking without looking like a 90 year old woman holding onto every surface for dear life because my feet hurt so much I feel like I can't stand on them for the first 30 minutes or so of my day. Taking 5-10 minutes to stretch and massage them is so worth it.

[Chris in VA]

Something that helped me was to freeze a can of soup (small can, like Campbells) then roll my foot on it for about 5 minutes a day. It helps to stretch and also lessens swelling.

[Paula in MS]

I started having trouble with this after moving into a 2 story house. The stairs got me, I guess. A friend with the same problem diagnosed me.:D I have problems with both feet. Severe pain. I bought a good pair of Asics running shoes last week and have been wearing those for a week and have seen tremendous improvement from just that. I have a habit of going barefooted all day up and down the stairs. I hope you get some relief soon!

 

Paula

[joannqn]

You might consider using bromelain instead of anti-inflamatory drugs. It's an enzyme found in pineapple. The supplement is used as a digestive aid with food and an anti-inflammatory taken between meals on an empty stomache. Dh uses it for tendonitis of his thumb. It healed it in three weeks when nothing the doctor did worked after four months. I use it for carpal tunnel and the same thumb tendonitis. It heals it after a couple of weeks. Because both are repetitive movement injuries, it comes back after about a year or so but then another few days (if we catch it early) or few weeks gets rid of it again.

 

It comes in various dosages. For anti-imflamatory use, get the high dosage. I googled it really quick and found it mentioned for plantar fasciitus. It is contraindicated for those allergic to pineapples, those on blood thinner (because it is a blood thinner similar to aspirin), and those going into surgery (because of the blood thinning).

[yslek]

My dad suffers from this. One thing he learned recently that has given him a tremendous amount of relief is drinking a lot of water.

 

One of the people at his local health food store told him that a study in (? don't remember...one of the western European countries, I think) found that drinking plenty of water (I think the ratio is something like half of your bodyweight of lbs. in ounces...so a 200 lb. person would drink 100 oz. of water a day) helped ease the pain.

 

It's supposed to take about 3 months to start working, but my dad noticed a huge difference within a week. (Huge difference as in no more pain at all. He been doing the foot massage stuff, he's not at all overweigt anymore, does yoga, etc.) Oh, he also said that it has to be pure water (Juice & other liquids don't "count") and caffeinated beverages not only don't "count" but up the water requirement. :D

 

Just thought I'd mention this as he's had such wonderful results...and drinking more water probably won't hurt anyway! ;)

[valkett]

Things he learned:

 

1. kept a belt by the end of the bed.... before he put ANY weight on the foot in the morning, used the belt to pull against his foot and stretch.

 

2. We had a couple bottles of water that we would freeze and re-freeze. Every evening, he'd roll his foot over the frozen bottle for a couple minutes.

 

3. He has custom orthodics that he wears in all of his shoes.

 

4. Losing weight really helped him.

 

When he was first diagnosed and it was at his most severe, the doctor told him that he couldn't exercise for a while. That was very hard for him and he actually gained weight. Hopefully, that's not the normal recommendation.

 

I have it - but not as severe as my husband did. I did find that wearing good shoes - Clarks, crocs around the house, etc... really helped.

 

Wishing you well with your treatment!!

 

Val

[Happy]

I'll second (or third or fourth....) the idea of good shoes and NEVER going barefoot for standing or walking. Great arch support is essential.

 

I do wear pretty high heels to church and fancy dinners, but often take a comfy pair of Clark's to wear to and from. ;) I garden in good Adidas slides or Nike running shoes. I exercise in Nike. I wear a lot of Clarks or J.C. Penny 925 dress shoes (harder to find these days.)

 

It took me months to heal, but I didn't have a doctor working with me. Foot massage, hot baths after a long day on my feet, great shoes, and time helped. I also believe exercise helps, too....losing weight, of course, building strength, and forcing more blood, nutrients, and oxygen into those damaged tissues.

 

We found a wonderful mat at a restaurant supply store for standing near the sink or stove. Our tile floors nearly killed my tootsies. The mat helps tremendously.

 

Be nice to your feet. They will feel better again in a few weeks. I've healed, but the condition is a chronic one. You will always need to be aware of your feet.

[Ruth in Canada]

I have been very impressed by my physical therapist. She has me doing the usual stretches, but she's also convinced me that it's not just my calf and foot that need stretching--I need to have better posture, stronger abdominals and stretch from hip to toe. In my case, I think part of the problem is in how I hold my hips, which causes tension all the way down my left leg. When I pay attention to how I'm moving and keep stretching, I have far fewer problems.

 

Other things that have helped: Superfeet insoles, Birkenstocks or running shoes as "slippers" in the house, and Nordic walking (with poles--takes some of the impact off the feet and is great for posture.)

[Jean too]

My dh has this. Some things that have helped him are losing a little weight, stretching as soon as he gets up in the morning, wearing Crocks Relief (made for plantar fasciitis) or a good pair of New Balance shoes with good arch support.

[Obi-Mom Kenobi]

Padawan Learner (13) and I both have it, too. New Balance and Asics running shoes every 6-9 months makes a world of difference, after putting in a new, supportive insole. Lots of water really does help. I can tell right away if I slip back into my dehydration habits. Losing any extra weight is absolutely essential. Sorry, but it really makes a huge difference to your feet. Yoga, swimming, bike riding and free weights will help without putting too much stress on your sore feet. Confession: I still wear nice, high heeled boots occasionally but only if I'm not going to be walking or standing too much or too long in them. 50 is the new 30? Well, *%#$, why don't I feel 23 then?

[Maria from IN]

These are all good suggestions. I'm especially eager to try the frozen water bottle thing!

 

It took me about a year to get over it, and there are some days where I still have pain. One thing I learned the hard way was not to take stairs on my toes (or the balls of my feet). Riding a bike too long makes my feet hurt, too. In fact, it was riding my bike that hurt my feet in the first place!

 

:001_smile:

[JennifersLost]

Mine was awful for awhile, but here's what cured it:

 

10 minutes of yoga every morning. That's it. I bought a book called Om Yoga that has a basic stretch routing and then different additional ones for each day. I pretty much only do the basic routine. It barely takes 10 minutes.

 

The best stretch is the "downward dog". Here's a picture.

 

(I don't know whose blog that is - it just has a good picture).

 

Anyway, my feet are back to normal. If I start feeling pain I think about it and usually realize that I haven't been stretching. I wear sneakers and other flat shoes more than I used to, but I can dance all night in heels if I need to.

 

HTH!

[Scuff]

Go to a chiropractor who does feet. :)

[AuntieM]

You have all made me feel better already! I am sorry that you (or your loved ones) have had to be-there-done-that to share all this good stuff, but I can tell I'm in grand company!

 

Two nights of sleeping with a splint has REALLY helped. I can walk almost normally today! I got some heel cushions and have been stretching. I have made a list of your shoe brand suggestions and types of exercise that are helpful. Glad to hear yoga & weight training confirmed, I was wondering about those, since it looks like I need to be in the "no-impact" category for a while. The anti-inflammatory medication is making me nauseated, so I hope to not have to do that too long. Thanks for the natural alternative recs.

 

Thanks again, you're the best!