Not looking for advice but sharing of plantar fasciitis treatments

[uppityperson]

I am seeing a podiatrist and am doing what he advises. Taping, icing, heat, stretching, limiting use, shoe inserts. It is slowly getting better but we are also discussing cortisone injection into my foot. I am getting better shoes also (going to New Balance store to see what they can do for me).

Have you had this? What have you done? Have you had the injection?

[ananda]

1. I had it.

I never had injections, though.

I go with stretching and good comfortable walking shoes... and sometimes massage.

It's gone now.

[lillypaddle]

2. Try here, before elsewhere

http://www.footsmart.com/

On the left side of the website is a menu of sorts - under "Foot Health" is "plantar fascilitis."

Since severly fracturing my ankle several years ago, I have ordered shoes from them a number of times and have always been pleased. Can't hurt to check it out.

[uppityperson]

5. I'm going to a New Balance store tomorrow to get fitted for some shoes

have had a really good insert and heel cushion in my shoe. It all works for a few days then goes back to ouch. I need to get my correct shoe size since it varies. Thanks for the web page, will check it out for more later.

[LeftishBrit]

3. I've had it a couple of times.

I didn't need the injections in the end; my feet recovered with moderate rest, and soft insoles in my shoes. On both occasions, the trigger seemed to be walking too much and too fast in new shoes; since then, I've tried to break in new shoes more gradually, and haven't had it again, touch wood.

[kestrel91316]

4. My BIL, a distance runner, got plantar fasciitis a few years ago and solved it

with custom orthotics.

[uppityperson]

6. Those would be around $400, custom ones, since insurance won't cover

Thanks, it is a pain to hurt and not walk without hurting.

[kestrel91316]

9. Do they have arch support inserts at the drugstore that might work?

I started to get it recently, I think,but nipped it in the bud with a shitload of naproxen and a weekend off my feeet. I am car-free still, so I CANNOT risk it, too far to the bus stop, lol.

[uppityperson]

14. I got some there, then got a better pair ($40) from my doctor

I really can't afford $400 for inserts, but will go try some $100 shoes.

[mhatrw]

7. No injection. Lots of rest and hot/cold water treatments.

In my experience, the worst thing you can do is try to come back from this injury too soon. Just because you can put full weight on it does not mean that you should.

[kedrys]

8. Had it for several months

Stretched my feet very carefully several times a day, and it went away eventually. My insurance at the time didn't cover it, so I didn't see a doctor.

[Nay]

10. I have had the injections, which work almost immediately although

they are quite painful and done with a long needle. I have custom inserts ($300) and now have no problem.

[virgogal]

11. I had it, Went to the MD and he recommended shoes with

more support.

It went away gradually and never came back.

This was about 15 years ago.

[grasswire]

12. Had it. Horrible. It went away.

I couldn't not walk -- had to! It hurt a lot for a few months. It went away eventually.

[Davis_X_Machina]

13. New Balance 575 or whatever they're called today.

Good inserts -- quality non-prescription aftermarket inserts showed results as good as orthotics in several studies -- stretching, NSAIDs.

It's a lot like flu, though, in many cases. If you do nothing, it'll clear up in half a year. With all the measures you listed, it'll clear up in six months.

[uppityperson]

15. That is what I am looking at, am going to New Balance store in am to

see what they can do for me. It's been a couple months, figuring it is like a badly sprained ankle, takes time.

[uppityperson]

23. New balance 1101 and my feet feel much much better. The one that

is most recommended didn't fit my feet, but I found another that did. I tried on 4 and came up with this one and even better, was on sale so saved $60. Yay, my feet are tired but not painful!

I know, tincture of time is a good prescription also.

[mike_c]

16. I was plagued by PF for years but I'm utterly pain free now....

My impression-- after having half a dozen diagnoses and going through years of ineffective therapy-- is that everyone's feet are a bit of a special case and there isn't any one-size-fits-all treatment that works universally. Nonetheless what absolutely worked for me was two fold, and both parts are necessary to keep me pain free.

1) Arch supports to prevent pronation/supination of the feet-- I use Powersteps, way cheaper than custom orthodics, but still pricey at about $25 a pair. I have 7-8 pairs, a pair in every pair of shoes I wear, including my house slippers, cycling shoes, etc. I've gotten so used to the extra arch support that shoes feel weird without them.

2) The most important thing though, for me, was lengthening my Achilles tendon with standard Achilles stretches (the ones that look like you're trying to push the wall, LOL). This was the key to my recovery from PF. At first I held each stretch for two minutes, three times daily. It took several weeks for the pain to subside, but once it did, occasional stretches are all I need to maintain. Now I stretch whenever I exercise, which is one a day or once every couple of days, depending on my schedule. I stretch for a more usual 30 seconds or so each leg. I started doing this on the advice of an orthopedic surgeon-- I thought it was crazy, but I was desperate, so I figured I had nothing to lose. It worked, brilliantly.

[wishlist]

19. Just those two things are what helped me too

I was fortunate though in that my brother and a cousin had been to doctors and told me about wearing inserts and the exercise so that I could start getting relief very soon after the problem started, and never had to go to a doctor at all.

[Tumbulu]

21. I did exactly what you have described above and it worked for me

as well. I found that sleeping in the sling/brace thing that they sold me at the New Balance shoe store along with the many inserts for each shoe made a positive difference as well.

Never had to have injections, this program worked, within two weeks I felt a difference and it kept improving after that.

[RedEarth]

26. Powersteps have been the best arch supports I've found

..and I've tried a lot of them. It takes awhile to get used to them, but once you do it helps immensely. Also, I bought a pair of Orthoheel flip-flops and keep them by the bed if I get up during the night.

I also I stretch not only the foot/tendon that is bothered by PF, but both feet....the other one as a preventative measure. My daughter is a PT and she gave me a list of stretches to do and over the last few months I've done those at least 2 or 3 times a day and now I'm nearly pain free.

One other thing that helped was placing a tennis ball on the floor and rolling my foot over the top of the ball for a few minutes...which according to one of my daughters PT professors can also help loosen up calf and hamstring muscles since all muscles and tendons are connected by some type of tissue..so you loosen up the PF and it in turn helps loosen up everything else up your leg.

[SheilaT]

17. I got it about ten or so years ago.

I'd only been suffering for about a week, but could barely walk, when a friend saw me and immediately said, "Oh, I know what's going on and let me show you a couple of exercises." Basically they were variations of stretches you do in fencing -- I'd taken fencing in college a semester or two -- and so they were easy. The pain immediately diminished, was totally gone in a day or two, and for the next six months or so I'd remember to do the stretches every so often. I've never had a recurrence.

I suppose it went away so easily precisely because I started the stretching very soon after the problem occurred. I have absolutely no idea what triggered it, and made no serious changes in my footwear or walking habits or anything else.

[wishlist]

18. I got well using Spenco brand orthotic inserts in all my shoes and slippers

What helped me most was to always wear inserts with arch support, even in my slippers when getting out of bed in middle of night and shoes I wear around the house. The only good quality effective orthotic inserts I could find though in stores were the hard green Spenco inserts, that cost around $20 apiece and are only in a few shoe stores. But that was better than paying for custom orthotics since I needed inserts for several pairs of shoes. However a friend of mine has good Blue Cross which paid 70% of the cost of her custom orthotics but she had out of pocket for 30% plus some copays for the required doctor visits.
I also did the stretching exercise where you stand and lean against something, bending knee of leg with good foot, to stretch calf in leg of bad foot. And took some Aleve. It took several months to recover but I now have not even the slightest twinge of pain even with four hour hikes, etc. I got plantar fasciitis when I was doing a lot of work for weeks standing and walking on concrete surfaces without good arch support.

[ezrida]

20. plantar fasciitis

Hi
I have plantar fasciitis myself for a few months now. My podiatrist prescribed me with Custom made orthotics which did not work at all. I understood that treatment efficiency is very individual. If something works for one it will not always work for the other.
I have found Taping very useful. Taping helps to relieve the pain, keeps your foot from getting injured again and helps you get through your daily routine and exercises. There is a good web-page explaining the subject in this informative website-
http://www.plantar-fasciitis-elrofeet.com/plantar_fasciitis_taping.html
Sorry but I did not try the shots but I have heard good and bad things about the shots.
Take care & Good luck

[Abq_Sarah]

22. My husband has PF

He's found relief by wearing a night splint. If he wears it, he has no pain in the morning.

[LaurenG]

24. I had it a year or two ago

It was agonizing especially first thing in the morning. I think mine was from wearing heels all the time.

Stretching every day several times a day and ibuprophen helped but I also started wearing different heights of heels through the work week. It eventually just went away. My condolences it's a painful thing to have.

[Krakowiak]

25. Believe it or not - I solved mine the opposite way

With the vibram five finger shoes, basically a bare foot as far as support.

I wouldn't recommend this unless you are a runner sort, though.