Plantar fasciitis

[Ozarkwoodswalker]

according to my phone I may have this in my left heel. The symptoms listed are a exacty what I have. Bought some arch support inserts made for this problem. I think it was a pair of rubber boots i had started wearing that caused it. Anyway, what I read says it usually goes away (97%) of the time...but could take 6 or even 12 months to do so.
Any one here have experience with this tender, sore heel malady? ANY ADVICE OR TIPS TO SPEED THE HEALING?

[Sir Henry]

Yes I’ve had it and it was no fun. I was at the point I could hardly walk ten feet. A pair of custom inserts and six months later I could walk again. Now that it’s been two years it seems a distant memory.

[cooperhawk]

I got it a few years back from wearing a pair of cheap Chinese tennis shoes. They had no arch support.
I only wear Dr. Scholl's shoes now and no more problem.

Went to the Doc and he said take lots of anti inflammatorys. Ibuprofen or Aleve. It only took a couple
of weeks to get better. Hurts like the devil doesn't it?

[JEBar]

I've had it for years .... in a word, Orthotics .... with properly designed arch supports, no pain, no issues

[Ozarkwoodswalker]

Thanks for the advice guys!

[clovishound]

The symptom that usually nails it is when you first get out of bed in the morning it hurts like crazy, then gets better after a while. Often starts to flair up again later in the day.

I got some better shoes and good inserts. Taping also helped me. Lots of good info on the internet on how to tape your foot for this. Didn't take that long for it to get better, but a while to go away completely.

[ChefDuane]

Tell your wife she will have to massage your feet with scented oils each night as she feeds you grapes and you sip grappa. You will be up on your feet and running out of the house in no time! Of course, she'll be right behind you with a rolling pin, but hey.. whatever works!!!

[RetiredSeabee]

I have been fighting with it in both feet for over four years. Started back when I was teaching yoga and had a lot of standing poses. I eventually had to stop teaching because being barefoot aggravates the condition. I have used various orthopedic inserts. My wife works for a medical manufacturer and they have an orthopedic branch that makes them. I also have sleeping boots that are designed to keep the foot slightly flexed while sleeping. They help a lot but not comfortable for me to sleep well. Good shoes help a lot but they have to have a well supported arch. One brand I highly recommend is Hoka. They are designed for ultra marathon runners. I recently got a pair of shoes from a company named Orthofeet. They seem to work very well but I have only had them for a week. And one of the worst things you can wear are flip flops or any flat sole shoe. I have a pair of slip on shoes that I change to as soon as I get home that are by far the best things I have tried. They are made as a recovery shoe for distance runners. Made by Oofos. Weird name but they work, if I could wear them to work I would.
I have been treated by my GP and specialists and have been through all of their routines of exercise, stretches and icing. Cortisone injections work very well but there is a limit to how often and over time they weaken the tendons and risk a break. So I am at that limit now and scheduled to see another orthopedic specialist later this month. The only other thing that helps me is staying off of my feet as much as possible for days. That only happens when my back goes out and I am stuck on bed rest for a week or more. I much rather prefer to deal with foot pain than back pain.
Ozark, I wish you the best with this condition. Hopefully you will be able to heal up and not have anywhere near the trouble I have with it.

[Team Roper]

Mine came on at work wearing old worn out steel toe boots on concrete day in and day out. Had to have surgery on the one foot. I was to the point that I couldn't walk at all without terrible pain. I had to have custom supports made that cost $300. The doc said not to return to work for 6 weeks but the doc doesn't pay my bills so I went back to work in two weeks. Feet never seemed to heel much even after a year, UNTIL, i removed those expensive foot supports and went without. The wife had surgery on both feet and wore supports for many years after, she too, ended up going without. I had to retire at age 62 because I just could not take walking on concrete at work for 10 hours a day,6 days a week. The pain was just to intense.

[Keystone]

I battled with it when I didn’t replace my work boots soon enough. Footbeds broken down and left me with no support. I took anti inflammatory meds, tried the sleeping boots (I’d have them on when I went to sleep, when I woke up they’d be across th3 bedroom), and my dr suggested rolling my foot on a lacrosse ball. That is what helped me the best. The rolling acts like a massage but it opens up the tendons and stuff in your feet.

[JEBar]

that's a good fact to file away and hope I never need to use it .... thanks for posting it

[Team Roper]

I battled with it when I didn’t replace my work boots soon enough. Footbeds broken down and left me with no support. I took anti inflammatory meds, tried the sleeping boots (I’d have them on when I went to sleep, when I woke up they’d be across th3 bedroom), and my dr suggested rolling my foot on a lacrosse ball. That is what helped me the best. The rolling acts like a massage but it opens up the tendons and stuff in your feet.

Come to think of that, my cousin and his wife both used a ball rolling under their feet and it cured them both as well. I think I remember that he said they used a soft baseball or Tennis ball.

[zara_puppy]

Yep - Diamond plate, cement and old boots - bad combination. I dealt with it when I was young. Three 9 hole rounds of golf a week, walking, with good golf shoes and making sure when the work boots started to wear they were replaced. Made sure I didn't change my gate to keep my feet stretched and worked. What a pain. But since, I've made sure my foot gear was good. I've also not spent 8-10 days on diamond plate and cement for the last 20 years. They closed the doors to the factory and I've never gone back to the production line. Alpha Burley's for hunting, good jump boots for working big chores around the house and Merrells for everything else. Jungle Moc's for putzing around the house and yard and Moabs for walks. Yes - they're pricey - but they last forever so in the end they're cheaper. I got Moabs for going to the desert in Nevada and for everything the Moc's are too light for here in Indiana. I've got many, many miles on them and the soles are barely worn. I even got a pair of Merrell Sliders for hanging around in the neighborhood and having a brew with the neighbors.

Bottom line - keep your feet stretched out and working (the ball thing is a good help) and good shoes.