Anybody have plantar fasciitus? ( Heel pain or bone spur ) Update in OP.

[Papa Deuce]

What have you done for treatment? Did you get an operation? Have you tried those night time boots?

Mine started about 4 weeks ago and it wasn't bad. And somedays it still isn't bad, but on other days it is excruciating.

Any help or opinions welcomed.



Well, I have had the orthotics for about 10 days now. Some days are great and some are not. But at least it isn't every single day now. They say it will take several weeks before I see regular improvement.

 

[powellrj]

I used Daypro and had orthodics made. That seemed to really take care of the problem. Now if I could say the samething about my knees!! I have also heard that if you run your foot over a soda bottle in the morning before you get out of bed, it helps.

 

[emmoms]

try freezing a water bottle and use that to roll your foot over whenever. It feels really good!

 

[ahutton]

DH and I have both had problems with it. We've had great luck taking a few days of antiinflamitory (Advil) and doing lots of good stretching of the calves and foot area. Another good thing is to take a bottle of water that is about 3/4 full and freeze it. Then put it on the floor and roll it back and forth across the bottom of your foot. It is really uncomfortable, hope you feel better soon!

 

[skiwee1]

I have it in both feet. I had ortho insoles made and wear them in all my tennis shoes. I limit my time in flat shoes like my Keds because those kill my feet. Going barefoot to long also flares it up. Icing the arches helped a lot and also do stretches with feet pointed and then up, pointed then up before getting out of bed. I was taking Vioxx which worked like a miracle but now that it is off the market I take ibuprofen. The bone spur usually isn't what causes that pain. Many people have bone spurs and don't even know it. It is the tightening of the muscle in the foot that is the killer. Definitely get a good pair of insoles from a doctor. Don't waste your money on ones that are bought in stores. I went through every one of those without success. Now it just flares up if I do too much walking in shoes without the insoles.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I used Daypro and had orthodics made. That seemed to really take care of the problem. Now if I could say the samething about my knees!! I have also heard that if you run your foot over a soda bottle in the morning before you get out of bed, it helps.

What is Daypro? Nevermind, I will google it.

 

[minkydog]

I don't have it now, but I had it in the past. Plantar Facsiitis is one of the most painful injuries i've ever had and it took a long time to get over it. At one point i used an anti-depressant just to help me deal with the effects of living with long-term pain.What ultimately worked for me was ice, rest, stretching exercises,orthotics & anti-inflamatories around the clock, religiously.

Don't give up just yet, and don't let anyone start cutting on your feet! Most doctors don't recommend surgery for this, unless everything else has failed--be aware that surgery often fails as well.

 

[Pinnie]

I am going to second everyones suggestion of orthodics, rolling the foot over an ice water bottle, ice bath (take a styrofoam cup of water and freeze it, then peel back some of the styrofoam and ice down the area) and an anti-inflamatory. I was taking Bextra until it was pulled, but since have switched to Advil.

I think the professional orthodics I got from a podiatrist helped the most.

Good luck!

pinnie

 

[sweet angel]

Interesting info -- and timely! DBF has this and was on anti-inflamatories a few months ago. He has on and off pain, but, of course, hasn't bothered to follow up on it. I'll pass this along.

 

[clutter]

After seeing so many people talking about it on the boards, I googled it. Lo and behold, that's what's been bothering me these past 3 or 4 years! I generally only get pain for the first few steps in the moring and when I've been sitting a while, so it's not too bad. I haven't talked to my doctor about it, but I've found that flexing my feet repeatedly during the day (especially before I start to get up) helps a LOT. I also will stand with my toes on the edge of a step and stretch as low as I can. Really really helps. Haven't had one of those mornings where you take a step and start to collapse in a while.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I always figured this is what I have, have had pain for a number of years but military docs never did confirm it.

I went to an orthopedist on Friday for a ganglian cyst on my ankle. He did an x-ray.
Lo and behold I have three spurs on that foot!!!!!

Everthing being said here echoes what he told me......I have to get a brace and continue with the stretches.
He also said cushions for my shoes might help relieve some of the pain. Oh, and no more walking as exercise! He told me I should swim instead, he felt excessive walking could do some damage to a tendon in my foot.





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[PrincessCLM]

Also get plantar fascitis.
Resting, stretching, and icing either with the water bottle or freezing a little dixie cup and massaging it over the area are good for controlling the pain. You can also take some lotion and do a nice foot massage especially going over the area that hurts. Or get someone to give you a foot massage.
To try to strengthen that area walk barefoot for roughly 10mins a day, slowly and making sure to have correct steps. Only do this when you're not in pain and no longer than 10mins.
If you continue to have problems, orthotics would be the way to go to prevent more reoccurances.
The best thing to do is stretch, stretch, stretch.

 

[CamColt]

For those of you who went to the doctors for this, did they give you any restrictions?

I'm pretty sure this is what I have (as I sit here with ice on my heel, LOL) , but I'm afraid to go to a doctor in case they tell me I have to stop jogging and walking. I had to do that a few years ago for 6 weeks when I had tendonitis and it almost killed me. I NEED to jog daily or I go nuts!

 

[PrincessCLM]

I still try to go jogging 3x a week. If you're really inflammed they might tell you to cut down on the jogging to rest a bit and perhaps get an orthotic. With the orthotic you can go jogging as much as you want.

 

[Buckalew11]

Camcolt,
That is what they will tell you!
I was jogging at the height on mine!

Besides the frozen water bottle, try using a towel. Roll it up, lie on your back, put your foot in the air, towel across the instep and pull back on it. it also helps to stretch the fascia. I also got a little sticky cushioned pad from the ortho doc to stick in my shoes which helps (goes right on the insole). Planter's Fasciitus is extremely painful! Good luck! Once i had it, a heel spur and Morton's Neuroma all at the same time in the same foot. I thought my WDW days might be over!

 

[minniecarousel]

The ONLY thing that really got rid of it for me was the night splint. I used it every night for at least 8 hours at a time and used it for 6 months. (The podiatrist said I was probably OK to stop after 3-4 months!) The first few nights I used it, it seemed to get worse! Then...ahhh...relief! I did not stop going to Curves during this time - in fact, it was while at Curves I did my foot stretching exercises. The podiatrist was very satisfied with my results - he really believes in the night splint - obviously I do too! I sure didn't want surgery.

 

[malibuconlee]

I have arch supports the Podiatrist made for me, the hard plastic ones.

Are they the worst first thing in the morning? Mine were, and I found stretching before getting out of bed helped. Knock on wood, mine seem a lot better, havent' thought about them in awhile!!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

My mom had this and had surgery, unfortunately it has been passed on to me and I am trying to do stretches and now have orthodics because I do not want to have surgery.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I have arch supports the Podiatrist made for me, the hard plastic ones.

Are they the worst first thing in the morning? Mine were, and I found stretching before getting out of bed helped. Knock on wood, mine seem a lot better, havent' thought about them in awhile!!

Oh yeah, worst in the morning. Like I dread putting my foot down. But still, it happens all day if I don't keep moving.

 

[Amy]

I recently saw a podiatrist for mine. In addition to the stretching exercises everyone else has mentioned, he gave me Cortisone shots in both heels. Yowsa! I've never had more painful shots, but they did the trick! I had to get a 2nd shot in my left heel last week, and go back to the dr. in 6 weeks. But this is the first time in 7 months that my feet have been pain free!