Plantar Faciitis---Any Tips?

[SamIAm21]

It seems I've developed this nasty little problem called plantar faciitis. It involves the inflammation of a tendon on the bottom of your foot that connects your toes to your heel. It is definitely painful to walk these days, especially after sitting for any amount of time or upon waking in the a.m.

I stupidly put off getting to a podiatrist and I have a Disney trip coming up next week. I'll be living on Advil and the margaritas in Epcot! :thumbsup2

However, if anyone else out there has experienced this, do you have any coping tips until then? Thanks!

I have a good friend who had it, but I think she had it worse than myself as she went through surgery. I'm not sure I'm in the surgery category just yet. Well, at least not til after I get back from Disney which should really screw me over! :rolleyes:

[MS_mom_1965]

Before you get out of bed in the morning, flex your feet all around to stretch the tendon. Wear shoes with a LOT of support - I can't wear Crocs when mine are hurting. Good tennis shoes will be better.

[froggy5657]

I had the same issue when I was just at Disney. It was intermittent, so when it flamed up I walked on the side of my foot, or avoided flexing the tendon.

[WebmasterLeah]

We have both been having problems with this lately. A couple of things the podiatrist told us- stretch your foot before getting out of bed. The tendon tightens up overnight and this is what causes the pain. You can try wearing insoles- in good sturdy tennis shoes. Mine always hurt worse when I've been wearing sandals a lot. Last time we went to Disney I was in the middle of treatment for this and the doc had wrapped my foot with tape supporting the arch and that seemed to help.
My husband just had special inserts for his shoes made, but the only reason insurance pays for them is because he's diabetic.
Good luck! I know what a pain it can be!

[TXYankee]

Ouch! I have been there!

Only wear supportive shoes. My Doc recomended New Balance 900 series. Get good insoles and use them even in your slippers. Do not go barefoot.
Besides ask your doc or look on the net for proper stretching exercises. For me, I was able to wear Crocs with sox. Good Luck.

[KarlaG4Kids]

I find that birkinstocks are the best sandals for me. I hate tennis shoes personally. I feel for you. I found out the week before we went to Disney World a couple of years ago. Unfortunately at times I was walking through WDW with tears rolling I hurt so badly. If it gets too bad, rent a wheelchair or scooter. If I had to do that trip over again I would rent a scooter in a heartbeat.

[SamIAm21]

Thanks DIS'ers! I have been in flip flops all summer, probably adding to the problem the whole time huh? :headache: I didn't think that so many people right here on this board would have dealt with this. I actually developed this working at Target being on my feet a lot and one especially stupid day when I wore little ballet flats while shopping on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. By the end of that day, like you Karla, I was in tears!

I am taking all your suggestions to heart! Good shoes, inserts, stretching (any reason to stay in bed a minute or two longer works for me) and possibly taping my foot for support! Webmaster Leah, did you use actual medical tape or were you talking like an Ace bandage type thing?

Thank you everyone! I didn't realize that this was common. I thought only I came down with such oddly named conditions. :lmao:

[PixieFan]

Go to a foot Dr. I went to a podiatrist, he gave me a big splint thing to wear at night that keeps your foot flexed, the exercises, but best of all a cortizone shot in both feet. I could walk the next day. I was worried about the shot, had heard they really hurt. It didn't hurt at all. I wouldn't wait. It was well worth it! ;)Good luck!!

[WaltD4Me]

My sister has this, she is a nurse and on her feet all day, she wears shoes with really good support and she has an orthodic. When it bothers her she wraps it. She said at Disney good shoe support is very important, also the flexing in the morning.

[DavidandLeahZ]

Until I got my special inserts approved, I just used Gel Inserts in my tennis shoes while in the parks. They didn't eliminate the problem - but there was a noticeable difference in comfort.

[WebmasterLeah]

My feet were wrapped tightly around the arch with medical tape. If you could get an ace bandage wrapped tight enough, that may work too.

[Kae]

Do not go barefoot at all. I would slip crocs on when I got out of bed. Advil helps. I take a frozen water bottle & roll it under my foot that helps alot. Now I wear Keens, Dansko & Crocs as slippers. Some Merrells are ok. Not wearing the same pairs of shoes two days in a row also helps me.

Kae

[jacstangler]

Hi: two things. first go to a speciality shoe store that deals with special
orthopedic shoes. get the tennis show that gives you the best support and feel. they will cost you probably $150 or so. Not all styles or different brands are created equal so be careful of getting the same brand at a discount
store vs a specialtiy shoe store. The two running shoes I have and think are the greatest are the Brooks beast and the Asics QT 2110.. As far as dress shoes go to the foot doctor and get a perscription for a shoe incert. Check on your insurance to see what is covered. Again these incerts are about
$300 so insurance would help. The actual dress shoe is also important.

hope this helps.

John

[dizzy203]

I had the same problem. I used the Dr Scholls Heel Pain Relief Orthotics and it helped so much. It's hard to believe just adding them to good sneakers would help but it does. I also bought some for my son's baseball cleats and my nephew put some in his too.

[NonScents]

Lots of good suggestions here.
I was "afflicted" with this right before a vacation too, 4 years ago. It has been a long process to get to a pain free state, and now I am on a "maintenance plan"!
Supportive footwear is a must, not just when you hurt but all the time.
One thing that saved me, is Walk Fit inserts. They are like a generic orthotic, can get on eBay and some Targets/Walmarts, around $22 these days I think. Without these I would not have even been able to go to work, and now I only wear shoes they will go in. I "saved" a co-worker by rec. these, she had problems for years too.
Exercises and stretching, absolutely. Done with toes on the floor (sit in a chair) and raise your heel; then the opposite, keep your heel on the floor and raise your toes toward your shin.
Another stretch I found on one site and never found again, but it works.....
You can be seated, turn to one side so that you can gently turn your foot over so the top is pointed toward the floor, hold for a few seconds. BE CAREFUL with this not to put too much pressure or lose your balance and come down hard. But these 3 stretches have greatly helped my PF, as well as night time leg cramps! (Hope this all was clear).

Feel better!

(The Advil and Margueritas sound good too!)

[Minniemama350]

I wear Fit Flops. They have new mule shoes that work too. I can't wear my Crocs, they make it worse for me. Also, my special inserts do not help. I'm glad they work for other people. Maybe mine were messed up in the process of making them.

[airman]

I have had this problem for a while now, stretching is the best, like everyone is saying. I also freeze a soda bottle with water and roll my foot on the ice for awhile, that really helps, especially after a long Disney day. :hippie:

[kevrab]

My daughter is a Physical Therapist and my wife had plantar faciitis and they both said to tell you to check out Dansko shoes. Some of the shoes are made specifically for this problem.

[DCrockett]

My wife had this some years ago, a pretty bad case of it. She tried shoe inserts, wraps and special arch supports. The only thing that worked was Birkinstocks and it's the only shoe she wears to this day. She purchased the majority of them thru QVC. Buy a pair, wear them in the house and if you don't think they work you can return them.

[rtobe]

anti-inflamatory medicine, arch supports/insoles, stretching, good shoes. It took awhile to get it under control but it is managable. The frozen soda bottle (12 oz not the liter size) work. For me the insoles work best or my tennis sneakers.

[farmergirl]

I have been to WDW 3 times with this problem. Once one foot got better the next year it happen to the other one. The one thing that kept me going and got me through was an insert I bought at Walmart for $8 it was called Heel Halo. The center is hollowed out to take some presure off. Remember if it gets to painful. Just a day or two with an ECV or wheelchair can make the biggest differance between being able to get around slowly with pain that is tolerable or not being able to move much at all. I wish you all the best. I know that until a person has it they cannot emagine the pain that it can cause. Have a great trip. :)

[BlueBayou]

I have the orthodics, night splint and shots too and they are wonderful.

The one thing I have used not mentioned in this thread is the frozen water bottle. Roll it like a rolling pin under your foot - you may have to wear a sock and/or put a sock on the bottle because it is so cold.

That seemed to work for me.

[Mickeyflower]

New Balance shoes worked for me, as well as Sketchers. I too worked retail for 15+ years, and my pain will sometimes shoot all the way up to my knee. A FANTASTIC flip flop brand is BITE. But, your best investment will be to find a speciality shoe store and bite the bullet on a well made pair of shoes specific for this issue. I dropped $150 on a pair of Naot shoes 6 years ago that I purchased from a speciality store ( little dressier shoe, black leather with replaceable inserts). BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT. I could walk all day all over the store and my feet would not hurt at all. I had the same result at WDW with the New Balance shoes as well though.

Good luck!

[ms*mountaineer]

I have this problem as well. I went to see a podiatrist in July and the tips he gave me were:

Advil - twice a day to keep in in my system and reduce the inflammation
stretches - morning and night
rolling frozen water bottle with foot
wear good shoes

The Advil helped a lot - and the frozen water bottle does too! At the time I'm rolling it with my foot, I don't notice a HUGE amount of relief. But doing it a couple of times a day really did make a difference after a few days. When I stopped doing that, I got worse. So the ice helps the inflammation too.

Now that we're in the fall, I'm not in flip flops as much - I've been wearing my New Balance more - and my feet feel better.

[Cherinva]

I had the same issue a couple of years ago. My doctor wrote me a script for special inserts that I wore inside my shoes. I had to get it a special shoe store and I think it cost me somewhere around 25 dollars...worth every penny. I also did the exercises and in time it went away. Feel Better.

[SamIAm21]

Thanks everyone! Amazing tips!! I will be seeing a Dr. after I get home from Disney, but this will get me through the next month. My appt. isn't until October 26th (He's a popular Dr. apparently??). I have to buy a bottle of water so I can use it for my foot and I'm headed in just a little while to Wal-Mart to buy some shoe inserts. I'll be looking for those "Halo Heels" and Walk Fit and Dr. Scholl's. I figured, I'd buy a couple to see which works best.

I also have Fit Flops that I might try wearing in the parks as I am a flip flop junkie! I probably would not wear them to the White House, but I figure the Hall of Presidents might be the closest I'll get anyway! :rotfl:

I really appreciate the great information here. I really didn't expect so many people to be afflicted with this. And I'm really sorry that there are so many of us! Lots of people walking around out there with foot pain! That's a bummer!! I am the type of person that I want to be able to just get up and go when I want to, not when my foot tells me I can.

Keep the good suggestions coming!! I really want to enjoy this trip as it might be my last for a while. This trip was planned before I lost my job and I still haven't found any decent work, so it could be a while before I get to take a vacation again.

:cloud9:

[rotlex]

Lots of good pointers here, but wanted to add that I also suffer with this. It started a few years ago, and I never really bothered looking into it. Finally went to a podiatrist last year when the pain in my left foot was so bad I thought I had broken something. Not the case though, but rather this.

Anyway, he gave me a lot of the advice on this thread. The biggest thing he stressed was to NOT go barefoot at ALL, and where a shoe with a large heel if possible.

What worked for me was not ever going bear foot for quite some time. While not heeled, I kept a pair of crocs next to the bed, and wore them as soon as I got up. Right up to the shower stall, and right back on again before getting dressed. I also stretched it by doing calf raises on a 4x4 block of wood. I bought a pair of Dr. Scholls inserts specifically designed for this problem, they are only an insert that goes from the arch to heel area. Worked great, especially in my dress shoes, which I need to wear for work.

Anyway, a year later, the problem is pretty much gone, but I can feel it flare up a bit if I'm not careful. For instance, this past summer, I had a hard time after a long day at say a waterpark or pool wear I was walking a lot either bare foot, or in flip flops. I'm figuring it's just something I'm going to have to care for always.

[parrotheadlois]

I also have this, so do my sisters.
One sister had it really bad, she had surgery and now hers is cured.

I have had cortisone shots (they work for me, might be an option for you pre-WDW), I have the Lidocaine (pain-numbing) patches. They're also available by prescription only and are a nice relief option.

NO flip-flops! NO bare-feet - Birkenstocks are good, use them as slippers, always put them on immediately when you get out of bed.

Before you get out of bed, try to remember "toes to the nose" - lie on your back and flex your feet so your toes are towards your face. Do this several times.

I hated giving up flip flops and bare feet - but it's a necessity.

I recently had a new kind of treatment - shock wave therapy - it can take months to see if it really helps - so far, so good, the pain isn't as bad as it was.

Wear sneakers with good support (New Balance are good) and like rotlex said, buy a good arch support that says it's good for plantar fasciitis and put it in your sneaks (I have a custom pair, and take out the insoles that are in the shoes and replace them with the customs).

and if you have time, and if your insurance will cover it - go see a podiatrist - they can help you alleviate the pain.

:wizard:

[robinb]

The podiatrist will want to sell you a very expensive custom made (at a high profit for him/her) orthotic insert for your shoes. You might need it, then again you might not. I have had plantar fasciitis a couple of times and it goes away for me without all the expensive orthotics.

Make sure that you stretch the back of your leg before you get out of bed every morning: the "nose to the toes" deal that parrotheadlois suggests. You can loop a towel around the bottom of your foot near the toes and use it to increase the stretch. Also, stop and do a calf stretch against the wall or achilles tendon stretch on the stairs though out the day. I used to do calf stretches in the shower in the warm water.

You may want to try a commercially available orthotic insert for your sneakers.

If you have the ability to freeze a water bottle, do that. If not, a quart sized ziplock filled with ice works too. Make sure to ice down your feet as soon as you get back to the room. You want to keep the swelling down as much as possible.

You can also try to wrap your arch with the self-stick elastic wrap/tape.

Good luck!

[Dodie]

Me too.

1. Do the foot flexes stretches before you get out of bed and then do the ones on the wall (look on the internet) first thing when you get out of bed.

2. Don't wear slippers, flats, any kind of flip flops, or go barefoot at all, even around the house.

3. Wear supportive shoes with a good arch - often this means ugly running shoes - but it's important.

4. Some athletic socks have an extra bit of elastic in a band around the foot under the arch area. Those can help too.

5. Take ibuprofen or something to reduce the inflammation.

6. Use a can of frozen juice concentrate (that you will only use for this purpose, obviously, and refreeze over and over again). Place it on the floor, under your arch, and roll your foot back and forth over it until your foot is sufficiently "iced." Do this 2 to 3 times per day.

[UrsulasShadow]

I spent 2 1/2 years in pain with plantar fasciitis, so I can definitely sympathize!

Not all podiatrists charge an arm and a leg for the orthotic inserts. My podiatrist only charged about $150 for custom made Sports Orthotics (not full foot, only heel to ball of foot) which fit very well in my New Balance sneakers. Still, I had to have the cortisone shot in the heel a couple of times before it resolved fully, and because I spent so much time favoring one foot, the other foot developed a wonderful tendonitis, and I had to get cortisone shots in the TOP of that foot several times...and that is VERY unpleasant!

Now that I'm cured, I wear only good quality arch support at ALL TIMES when walking (I still go barefoot a lot around the house and yard...can't help myself!). I prefer Keen Monterey sandals...fantastic support on many Keen brand shoes.

[SamIAm21]

I spent 2 1/2 years in pain with plantar fasciitis, so I can definitely sympathize!

Not all podiatrists charge an arm and a leg for the orthotic inserts. My podiatrist only charged about $150 for custom made Sports Orthotics (not full foot, only heel to ball of foot) which fit very well in my New Balance sneakers. Still, I had to have the cortisone shot in the heel a couple of times before it resolved fully, and because I spent so much time favoring one foot, the other foot developed a wonderful tendonitis, and I had to get cortisone shots in the TOP of that foot several times...and that is VERY unpleasant!

Now that I'm cured, I wear only good quality arch support at ALL TIMES when walking (I still go barefoot a lot around the house and yard...can't help myself!). I prefer Keen Monterey sandals...fantastic support on many Keen brand shoes.

Mindy 2 1/2 years... really!! OMG! :eek: :faint: My hat's off to you girl for taking it that long. I just got back from Wal*Mart with some orthotics by Dr. Scholl especially for Plantars. It seems to be helping a little bit. I have a bottle of water in the freezer and I even found the cool socks with the arch support.

Parrottheadlois: I wish I could see a podiatrist before going to WDW!! I can't get in to see this guy til October 26th. :faint: I'll be really needing him by then eh?

[Claudia Kellenberger]

I do a solo WDW trip every early December. Two Decembers ago, I was totally miserable trying to walk on my Disney trip. Now I'm doing pretty well.
Honestly, at one time I thought I would need a wheelchair!

You need to do those stretching exercises every day for YEARS. I use a good fitting, good support, walking sneaker. ( HushPuppies) The inner sole is removeable so I can slip the special orthontics under it. Then I put the original sole back in. The support you need is arch support. There really is hope for the pain, but it can actually take a couple of years to really clear up the problem. Don't go barefoot.

Although the " As seen on TV" "Walk Fits" can take a while to get adjusted to them, they also work pretty well as long as you have them under a thinner sole. I'm wearing my "Walk Fits" right now.

[Buttercup26]

My dad & I both have PF, here are the things that work for us:

Good supportive shoes - New Balance have worked great for both of us
Super Feet inserts for your shoes (the bright green extra support ones)
Stretching your feet for at least 5 minutes before getting out of bed
Advil before, during and after a day on your feet

I also wear Fit Flops, especially around the house, when I might otherwise go barefoot.

When my DD and I went to Disneyland in May I switched between Fit Flops and my New Balance (with Super Feet inserts) I would wear one pair one day and the other pair the next. Switching shoes always works well for me when I do multiple days on my feet all day.

[mollyseven]

Im sure different things work for different people but this is what helped me.
I used to wear Birkenstock sandals..I think arizona model...the ones with no back strap. I would wear these from may to october every year and every summer I would have my plantar act up. I had a dr. tell me that I HAD to wear good sandals with a back strap. I know that birks are good but apparently the back strap was key. I bought myself some ECCO sandals last summer and took them to disney at christmas. They were 150 canadian but worth every penny. I wear them every day. In fact I knew at the end of summer i could get some new ones on sale and just bought another pair for 75.00 on sale. I love love love these sandals and haven't had a sore foot or limping morning since. Worked for me!:)

[bratmomma]

I just wanted to pipe in!

I also have PF and RA. We just returned from WDW on 9/19. I bought New Balance sneakers and paid $70 something for them. I got one in the 800 series and they hurt my feet WORSE. I ended up with a pair of cushy sketchers that really help me alot. I also have a pair of birkenstocks that I keep by the bed as my slippers/house shoes. I do NOT walk barefoot, not even to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

All of the suggestions here have helped me, stretches (do them almost everytime I get up from sitting), ice right at the front of the heel near the arch, ibuprofen, good shoes, etc.

I hope you make it through Disney with relatively little pain. I only had one day that it was really bad and I almost cried (and that was the day we spent 13 hours at MK). If I can do it, I know you can!!! Enjoy your trip.

[elemusing]

I have this problem as well. I teach on concrete floors all day and my "dogs are achin'" all the time! When at WDW, I take an Aleve every morning before I leave the room. And I never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. I alternate between two pair of tennis shoes at the parks that have very good support. Then at night, around the resort, or if we go to DTD, I may slip on Crocs flipflops or sandals, but I never wear them to the parks.

Hope all this advice on this thread will help! Good luck!

[SamIAm21]

Well, I've been wearing my Skechers pretty faithfully for the past few days. I've got the inserts in my shoes and for a few hours today while watching TV or folding laundry, I've rolled my foot over the frozen water bottle. I also took two Aleve this morning and I can say I've experienced a good amount of relief, especially after the frozen water bottle.

Just one question: I don't seem to get a whole lot of relief from Aleve? It's supposed to be the best NSAID that you can get OTC. I took it at like 10:00 a.m. and I didn't really get a lot of relief until about 2:00 p.m. Does anyone else seem to have a "big" delay in pain relief with this. It's working pretty good now, but it sure does take a while to kick in.

I just want to thank everyone for all the info! I'm actually walking at this moment with very little pain and I'm almost giddy!

The DIS is so great with stuff like this. So much support for everyone out there going through life's trials and tribulations. Many thanks and lots of proactive/preemptive pixie dust to anyone out there who needs it!! :hug:

[HillPete]

Another remedy is to wear shoes with a bit of a heel. When my PF first reared it's ugly head, I switched from sneakers everyday to loafers with a 1" heel. They kept my weight off my heels and allowed the swelling to go down. The 1" heel wasn't so high that the rest of my foot started to hurt, just enough to shift my weight.


Good luck!

--H

PS - Cortisone works, too, but the shot was worse than natural childbirth!

[mollyseven]

HillPete..... that is a good suggestion actually. It makes sense to shift the weight of the heel.
And I second the cortisone shot. I was getting them in my shoulders for osteo-arthritis. I was told the shot was agony....had the shot and thought...babies!! then about an hour later and for the next 3-4 days I was in agony..... then the pain would be gone again for a few months and it was wonderful and then the pain would come back and I would do it all again.

good suggestion!

[TammyAlphabet]

If you have a Walgreen's near you, or another drug store, they sell boots that you can wear at night to keep the tendon from relaxing totally and causing pain. They sell them in the same place that they sell wrist and knee splints. I saw them the other day.

[crw]

Night splints! These are widely available and really have helped me. All the rest of the advice I've read is also excellent.
Chris

[3DisneyKids]

You have already received lots of good information here. You may also want to post this over on the Events/Competitions Board (part of WISH) where all of us crazy runners post. This is a common ailment among runners and there will be TONS of support and advice there. :goodvibes Hope you heal quickly!

[DisneyCrazyX5]

I found a flip flop I could wear at Kmart called TheraShoe. I wear them as my house shoes and they make my heels feel much better. They also have a athetic shoe I am going to try.

[Tink rules]

Birks... worked for me... :thumbsup2

[mjtm610]

I know this sounds crazy---but it worked for me. I put a tennis ball in the freezer and then would "roll" my foot on it a couple of times a day. The cold helped. I had it in both feet and it took a while for it to go away...but atleast it was tollerable when I'd "roll" them

[ms*mountaineer]

Just one question: I don't seem to get a whole lot of relief from Aleve? It's supposed to be the best NSAID that you can get OTC. I took it at like 10:00 a.m. and I didn't really get a lot of relief until about 2:00 p.m. Does anyone else seem to have a "big" delay in pain relief with this. It's working pretty good now, but it sure does take a while to kick in.


When my podiatrist said I needed to take ibuprofen twice a day every day - he said it needed to "get in my system" to get the inflammation of that tendon to go down. I am not the type of person that like to take a lot of medicine. I don't usually head straight for the tylenol when I have a headache - so this is unusual for me to take something like Advil on such a regular basis. But he explained the need for it to get in my system to help "break the cycle of pain".

I'm sure it's not something I want to be taking twice a day forever! That can't be good for us. But to get over the pain so you can get some relief, you might try that.

[Nutty4Disney]

Wish I had found this thread BEFORE I went to WDW. We just returned on Saturday (10/3). One night my foot hurt so bad I woke up in tears. By Friday I had to rent a wheelchair. (Nothing was going to stop me from enjoying my vacation :lmao:) Mind you this was a combination of the PF and blisters. I got two new pairs of Crocs and broke them in before I left but by the second night I was in agony. At home I find the tennis ball works well. I keep one on my nightstand, one at work and one by the couch in the family room. I have to admit I am bad about wearing shoes all the time. I usually go barefoot April through October. I do find an Ace bandage around my arch seems to help, as well as an arch support (one or the other, not both). My doctor told me not to wrap it too tight though. I have trouble with my feet swelling and that was a lot of my trouble at WDW. My feet were so swollen that they rubbed places that they don't normally. I had blisters on my heels and my shoes didn't even have heels, they were backless sandals!!

[SamIAm21]

Well I've switched from Aleve to Advil. At least with Advil, you can take it several times a day. You can only take 2 Aleve a day and if that don't help, you're shot. I also found different shoe inserts from ProSport. They are way better than the Dr. Scholls. I wore my flip flops on Saturday because I was going for a pedicure, but by the end of the day, I was limping again.

I also got the brace for at night and it was difficult to sleep in. The brace itself isn't uncomfortable, but the blankets kept getting caught in it and I woke up a lot when I tried to roll over, so maybe I need some pajama pants now, so I can stick my leg out from under the blankets?? The brace was pretty pricey at $30.00, but I woke up this morning and was able to get out of bed without a lot of pain. So, it's worth it and it is very packable and is going with me to Disney.

Thanks for the continued ideas and thoughts about this nasty little condition. Someday, this will get better, I just know it!!

[KarlaG4Kids]

Mine are WAY better now. So there is hope. I do know that when I start feeling aching feet, I immediately start doing some of the things I know I should do, and I don't go barefoot hardly ever anymore. That is some of the worst pain ever and I felt like I was 100 years old by not being able to move when I would stand up. Good luck to all of your fellow PF sufferers.