HELP! plantar fasciitis?????????

[princess aurora]

Not surewhere to put this thread? I know lots of people have different strategies for foot wear and walking around the park. I also know several people have plantar fasciitis.

Well the idiot that I am, I've gone and hurt my foot less than a month before our trip.

I was exercising (walking on the treadmill) and now my left foot REALLY hurts. The pain is on the bottom side of my foot and seems to runs the length of my foot on the very outside. Does this sound like plantar fasciitis? Any suggestions?

 

[dimoe]

That is exactly what happened to me when I had it. I only had it once thank heavens. It didnt bother me at all at disney . THe doctor told me to go and purchase plastic heel caps at a sportings good store. They worked well and took the pain away right away.
Good lluck
Diane

 

[luvdiz2]

Going to Disney with this (for me) is very painful (but very worth it ) I have good shoes, nice inserts and ice at the end of the day.

 

[minkydog]

Yup. I've had two bouts of PF and it is so painful--I really feel for you. If rest, icing, Advil,and gel heel cups are relieving your pain enough, see your doctor. There may be stronger meds that will help, or even cortisone injections. Don't discount that--it saved our WDW trip once!

 

[malibuconlee]

I have hard arch supports that were custom made by a podiatrist. My friend's dad said he ordered some online for his wife not long ago. Same type of thing, they send them to you and you melt them in the oven to mold them to your foot.

Iceing helps. Freeze a bottle of water and run your foot over it while watching tv.

I'm one of those who ALWAYS wears athletic shoes at WDW for the support. I did the same at an amusement park last year.

I do reccommend you pay a visit to a doc before your trip tho.

 

[ozziewags]

Not fun. I have had PF for years. It comes from standing long hours on hard surfaces. It is possible that is what you have, but it might not be. Check with your Dr.
I have orthotics, and can never go barefooted. I wear New Balance and Birkenstocks only. I have had physical therapy and shots. It can be very painful but can also be kept under control.
RICE- Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation --- good for most sports injuries. At lunch I roll my foot over a tennis ball and put my feet up. Keep doing your exercises - stretch achilles. Stand on a stair step and lower your heel. Hold for 30 sec. 3x 30 rest between. Lean against a wall with feet back and stretch and bend knee slightly. Hold again. 30 sec 3x.
If you are getting ready for Disney, check with your dr. about what you should be doing. I also walk in water and swim....less stress on joints. Can you tell I'm getting old?! Good luck.

 

[princess aurora]

Thanks for your responses!!! Does anyone think getting a massage might help? I was thinking of going to aplace where they do pedicures and just getting a massage they do. Make things worse of better you think?

It does hurt to walk, resting is okay no pain. My Crocs seem to be the only shoe I can wear that doesn't make it hurt even more when I walk.

Is plantar fasciitis a strained muscle? Will it heal? Yikes!

 

[ozziewags]

Good idea! I have been told massages help. That is some of what my PT does. Only he goes deep and it hurts!

 

[phantom728]

Very Painful. I had PF several years ago and ended up having to have surgery after nothing relieved pain on permanent basis (did all the therapies.)

Definitely visit with your DR. They will be able to recommend a plan of attack to help alleviate symptoms for your trip. At my early stages, we were about a month away from WDW trip and the DR gave me a cortisone injections and some anti-inflam meds to help.

ozziewags has some great advice for stretching exercises that will help, so I strongly recommend those as well. Another suggestion that my DR recommended is if you sleep on your back to keep a pillow under your knees to help with tightening during sleep, as well as a pillow under your knees if side sleep. This will help keep your back aligned which could aggreviate the tendon.

Like everyone said, rest, ice and good walking shoes will hopefully help make the trip better.

 

[jann1033]

i'd go to a Dr first...if you haven't you are just guessing what is wrong.

not sure if it's the same thing but i occasionally get what they commanly call "heel spurs" and i never was told massage would help...i got some little heel pad type things and eventually it goes away on it's own although it hurts till it does. my mom gets them too and went through thehard insert, meds, shot routine and hers lasted about the same length as mine ( so much for that)

 

[ozziewags]

PF is an inflammation of the lining of the muscle in the foot. Seems to be degrees of it. If you do nothing and continue to abuse your feet you will hurt so bad you won't be able to walk. (been there....job related) That's when I get a shot! If you see your dr. and get it under control you will be fine....but don't wait. It may not be PF. Maybe you just strained that muscle, which will heal with RICE! (see above message)

 

[phantom728]

Quote: Is plantar fasciitis a strained muscle? Will it heal? Yikes!

Answer: It generally has to do with the tendon. My situation caused my tendon to rub the bones in the back of my foot causing the inflammation. I went through the meds, shots, physical therapy and even the TENS (electric pulses used with cortisone), which the TENS only helped to identify the exact source of the pain. I ended up with the surgery, which was not that bad. They've modified it in recent years and I was out of work for 2 weeks, but walking within several hours of surgery, obviously with pain, but much less than I had with the PF.

It's been 4 years now and I have been pretty much pain free from my bout with PF.

As my DR said, some everyone is different as far as healing. Some response to injections, some to therapy. Whether considered lucky or unlucky, these didn't benefit me, but having the surgery did.

Also, another suggestion, is don't walk around your house barefoot. My DR said that this also causes additional inflammation to the area. He recommended wearing good sandals or sneakers, even when just walking to the fridge/bathroom, anywhere. I keep my Birks by my bed and wear those around the house. This was a difficult change for me, as I like to be barefoot.

 

[phantom728]

My DR said Heel Spurs are basically the same as PF. The tendon rubbing the bone causes the spurs and the variety of pain levels.

If left untreated, then you get the more severe levels of pain.

Agree with others on seeing DR for proper diagnosis.

 

[kellypops]

My dr. also told me not to go barefoot anymore--I don't enjoy that, but it does ease the pain--and recommended a slip-in Keds-like shoe. That's my house shoes now. He also mentioned rolling my foot on a golf ball--I can even do that at work at my desk. I wore Crocs to DW and they worked wonderfully for me--my DH rubbed blisters with his, though. I just spent a week in DW with my first pair of Tevas, and they were perfect! They're my new comfy shoe of choice, and they'll be the only pair I take with me to DW in June! Had the shots, too, but I don't want to be a slave to cortisone shots for years and years--I'm hoping that the exercises alone will curb the problem. Anyone no longer have the pain after doing just exercises?

 

[princess aurora]

Anyone no longer have the pain after doing just exercises?

I'd like to know this as well. I hate wearing shoes in the house and I'm barefoot all the time (maybe part of my problem). Well I'll pull out the Hi-Techs (like Tevas) that I have and see how that helps.

thanks for the tips and suggestions.

 

[SnwflkCts]

With a month to go, the Dr is the best place to go. I did not have to do any shots but was given exercises. At night I wore a brace. Sort of like a big space bootie -- laying on my back with the boot on, my foot was straight up. It was a pain to do since I like to sleep on my stomach but within a month (and I would sometimes peel this thing off at night!) along with GOOD (expensive) shoe inserts I was good as new. Sometimes if I feel it coming on again, I lay with my foot straight up for a little while since it stretches the tendon that causes the problem.

Good luck - it's hard to want to go to the Dr but you should!

 

[Psychodisney]

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot-supporting your arch. The primary complaint is heel pain. The pain you are describing on the outside of your foot maybe something different. Definitely see an MD if your pain lingers. For Plantar fascitis I would recommend arch supports, stretching of the calf, hamstrings and the bottom of your foot. Put shoes on immediately upon getiing out of bed. stretch throughout the day. Losing a few pounds can help too. Heel spurs and plantar fascitis go hand in hand-the tension on the fascia pulls on the heel and can cause a spur. As long as the inflammation decreases the heel spur can be pain free. Good luck!

 

[Bill From PA]

I suffered through this back in the day when I ran road races competitvely. It hurts like hell, no news to you, but it can be overcome. Go to a sports store that has running gear. They have these small heel cups, very cheap, that you insert into whatever shoe you're wearing, I'd recommend a well coushioned walking or running shoe. Upon waking up, your foot hurts as badly as it will feel all day. Hot water helps first thing in the morning, but actually walking or running will really remedy it. Ice after a session on your feet works. It's not fatal, although it certainly feels like that. My best wishes to you.

Bill From PA

 

[keishashadow]

Try flexing your feet before you get out of bed in the a.m. (up, down, write out the alphabet in the air with your foot if you can - gets everything moving).

Misconception on the cortisone shots. I'm told sometimes 1 will work or, after it wears off several months later (as in my case) more are required. Most reputable podiatrists will only inject the spot a few times, too many more & it will go "mushy" (for lack of a better term). Surgery usually is the next step.

Before you go the cortisone shot route, get the work-up @ podiatrists including x-rays (possible facture/necrosis, etc.). You can't have a shot & walk miles the next few days either - they recommend that you go slow for a few days.

Beware orthotics, even PT's can make them. If your dr. says you need them, go to a prosthetic group, who have the most experience. Once you start wearing orthotics for a period of time, your foot can become dependent on them too.

I haven't needed injections since I started wearing mostly Crocs over a year ago. $30 & a week in Crocs might do the trick - good luck.

 

[minkydog]

Sorry, I never heard of anyone "getting over it" with exercise alone. It takes several different apporaches to get it under control. For me, it was stretching, bracing, icing, exercise, anit-inflammatories, a walking boot, and crutches& cortisone injections when i could no longer stand the pain. I'm sure losing weight would help, but its hard to do that when you can't move--my problem was i couldn't lose enough weight, fast enough to make a difference.

Good luck! call your doctor, or perhaps see a podiatrist. There isn't really a quick fix for this.