Plantar faciitis (heel spur)

[Laura66]

I didn't have time to read all the replies - but I'm only 38 and I suffer from this.
I wear boots at night that keep your feet straight and was advised to wear NB tennis shoes with the orthotic inserts.

That said - I hate wearing sneakers - especially in the summer. I have TEVA Spoilers and let me tell you - I walked all around Disney and US/IO and didn't have any problems! They have a good arch and heel shocks - they're waterproof as well. Can't say they are the most stylish - but having pain free feet works for me!

I also use Aleve for the pain when I need to.

Good luck!

Laura

 

[SammieG]

Another vote for CROCS..

I have the same condition - and literally walk 50 paces before my feet are killing me. We had nearly three weeks at wdw earlier this year and my feet didnt hurt once!!! They were amazing. (My legs, back, arms etc might have hurt, but NEVER Once did my feet hurt!)

Crocs have changed my life... thats for sure.
Now I have six pairs.. all in different colours and I adore them all!

 

[ShhhQ]

After suffer 10 LONGGGG YEARS of heel pain, I finally broke down and went to see DR. I found out that my heel pain came from 2 sources, Heel Spurs (in both feet) and plantar fascitis (sp?)(also in both feet). My dr. started with conservative methods.... NSAIDS for inflamation, shoe inserts (had already been using ones over-the-counter), Shots in both feet, physical therapy (including ultrasound), and night splint. After 5 months of this with absolutely no improvement, my dr. gave me an ultimatum.... surgery (spur removal) or continue to suffer. I opted for surgery (no regrets so far) but I am still healing from the first surgery (have to wait till next Jan. for the other foot) and about to go back to work next week. But we are planning our first WDW trip for the end of Aug. I am doing this suffering or not! I just purchased a pair of Crocs Relief (specifically designed for heel problems) as my old pair of Beach Crocs are starting to become very worn on the sole. I hope these help. Have thought about possibly renting a ECV, but the other member of my party has a more pressing need for one and I don't know if it would be awkward with both of us using one (bus's and such)... not to mention the cost of renting a second one. Any advice for a newbie that wants to do as much as time will allow in 3 days? Who knows if I will ever be able to return, so don't want to skimp on my days by resting too much (I know even then I won't see and do everything I want)

 

[bytheblood]

Orthotics!!! They have made my life with heel spurs so much less painful. I use them with a good quality pair of walking shoes.

My aunt has this and she swears by this as well.

 

[ro80]

I have had plantar fascia pain for over a year. It started in both feet, but for some reason, the right one got better and the left was unbearable. My podiatrist gave me one cortisone shot in my left heel, and OMG - no joke, I couldn't walk for 3 days I was in so much pain with it. He wanted to give me another one recently, but I told him he'd have to knock me out to do it!!! I finally ended up having a plantar fasciotomy (laprascopically) last November. I still have alot of discomfort in that foot. I go to physical therapy (ultrasound, exercises etc.) and it really isn't helping. I have alamed orthotics that I wear in my sneakers and it gets a little better depending. My doc always tells me that clogs, sandals, flipflops, anything without a back to it is BAD BAD BAD. I am the type of person who literally lives in my flipflops in the summer. We went to Disney for ESPN weekend a couple of weeks ago. I wore my sneakers the first day and my feet felt not too bad. That first night, I switched to my flipflops and they started to hurt but I pushed myself through it. The next day I wore my Crocs and I was in agony. Again, I pushed myself through it. I did ALOT of walking. I might need to do the surgery again, but this time not laprascopically - alot longer recovery. I'm going to WDW again the end of April with my friends - planning to wear my sneakers, but we'll see how it goes. I'm bringing my Crocs and flipflops too against my better judgement. Also, while I was down there, I put heat on it before I ventured out and came back and iced it. It's very discouraging, but I hope it gets better!!! Good luck to you!!

 

[Pixiedust34]

I wore my crocs for a week in Sept. to WDW and did not have a PF flare up during the whole trip. I was also diligent about doing my foot stretches every day, and at every opportunity possible I propped my feet because I had ankle issues, too. The foot stretches help a lot.

If you do the stretches (your doctor can explain how to stretch) and wear the right shoes, that'll make a world of difference to your feet.

ETA: Ask your doctor for a shoe recommendation. You might want to experiment with which shoe is best for you before your trip.

 

[skier_pete]

Oooh, I actually developed PF after our 2000 trip to the world an I was only 30 at the time. (DW got chicken pox, not sure which was worse.) There's lots of advice here, but the best thing to do is see a doctor about it and get them working on it. Mine was only finally alleviated by two cortisone shots. The first helped quite a bit, but it came back, the second got rid of it for good, it hasn't come back (cross fingers). If it is still bothering you as you get near, see if you can line up a cortisone shot a couple of days before you go to get you through the trips..then exercises and good shoes are key.

SkierPete

 

[LittleMermaidsMom]

I've had the same condition in both feet since 2001. I've had cortisone shots and used to wear my custom-made orthodics to the parks, but I can only wear those with sneakers and sometimes in the summer it's too hot.

I tried Crocs last year and was able to do the parks with no problems. In fact, I wear Crocs most of the time now and my feet have been feeling better than they do with the orthodics. I would talk to your doctor first, but I would definitely recommed giving Crocs a try.

 

[Michigan]

Crocs have healed my plantar problems. I wear the all terrain in the winter and the regular ones the rest of the time. I never thought I would be without pain but I am

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I used to be bothered.
2) Not much pain to walk in the parks.
3) But after sitting, then walking again, OUCH !
4) Or, standing after doing a ride, OUCH ! (Plus limping for 2-3 minutes)
5) I used to try anything
. . . arch supports
. . . whistling a happy tune
. . . rolling cans under my feet
. . . heel supports
. . . thinking happy thoughts
. . . trying different types of shoes
6) I ended up visiting my friendly Podiatrist. (The x-ray looked like an upside down mountian.)
7) Two almost painless shots of steroids in the heel.
8) NO PROBLEMS AND NO PAIN for over three years now !

 

[Elisa]

I worried a lot before our September trip about what shoes to wear that wouldn't kill my feet. I have heel spurs and I usually wear orthotic inserts in my New Balance sneakers. As I was packing, I worried about how some of my outfits would look with sneakers. Not that flattering! I have 2 pairs of crocs but couldn't wear them all day in the parks. I also didn't want to get my only pair of good sneakers soaked in the rain. My best option then was to try the new Croc Athens flip flops. I was very sceptical about wearing them all day. Would I have to pinch my toes to keep them on ? Would my feet kill me?
Well all this was answered after our first day there. Day 1 was at Magic Kingdom. I wore my sneakers as I do everyday with no problem. I was going to carry my Athens in a backpack in case it rained and then would switch.
The 2nd day arrived and as we were headed back to MK, my feet hurt quite badly. As soon as we stepped off the bus I said I was going to do an experiment. I was going to switch to my flip flops just to see how they would work. I still had my sneakers as a back up.
Well... I couldn't believe how my feet INSTANTLY stopped hurting. They also never started hurting the entire day.I was scared about how they'd feel the next day though. Also no pain ! It felt like walking on a cloud.
When I first bought them. I wondered if the little ridges around the thong part would irritate between my toes, so I took a razor and scratched them away. They didn't bother me once.
I'm writing this on March 19th at home and I'm still wearing the Athens. In fact the whole trip I didn't take them off. I'm SOLD !!!
I hope you find something that works for you. Elisa

 

[laura001]

Can orthotics be used in sandals? Any sandal suggestions? I hate the thought of a closed shoe in the summer down there. I am generally barefoot and wear the least amount of footwar possilbe (probably part of my problem). I can't seem to get over the initial injury. I'll try the can rolling idea though, and check with my doc about the rest. Thanks!

Hey there,

I work as a foot specialist (make orthotics for people). I would suggest a couple of things....the exercises listed on here are great (you can even try a golf ball) and can be done almost anywhere. PF and heel spurs are two separate problems, if you are sure that you have a heel spur, then a pair of orthotics would be a must! They need to be made with a horseshoe shape in the heel area to relieve the pressure. Orthotics will also help greatly with the PF.

You can purchase sandals (or other footwear) that have custom made orthotics in them. Using a full length orthotic and removing the footbed in original sandals etc. is a good idea but they rarely fit the footbed.

If you aren't going to purchase orthotics, wear a good pair of running shoes, with a good arch but make sure that it isn't too much for you, when you have PF too much can make it flare up even more. I know this sounds crazy because the Crocs have no real arch support in them, but you may find that they help to relieve some of the pain you are feeling. ( I have a ton of expensive/very good sandals.......yet wear my crocs all the time)

Hope this helps!

 

[ms.ojo]

I don't want to completly dispute previous advice, but my mom and I both have this problem. For us, the trick is to wear a shoe with a bit of a heel, like a good pair of Clarks. In the parks, I live in a pair of Teva walking sandals that have a slightly raised heel.

As to the orthotics, my mom went to the doc and got fitted for custom made inserts and they did help her heel. Unfortunately, they threw her back so far out of alignment that it took about a year to completely heal. In other words, if you aren't really careful (and sometimes even if you are) these can cause a bigger problem. Mom now uses my "Clarks are the best shoes ever" theory and both her heel and her back are fine.

I couldn't agree more. My Mom and I both have high arches and very bad heal spurs. I've tried orthodics (measured to my foot by a professional) and my MOm has gone through this w/ various Drs MANY times. Hundreds of dollars later, & in my case, my back was thrown out of whack too, we find that doing the exercises and wearing inserts from Dr. Scholl in a pair of good walking shoes works the best.

 

[kbmoo]

I too had bone spurs, I tried lots of things, but the only thing that worked for me was Dansko shoes. Now I have many many pairs. I also have croc, but they work only for short trips. I have 2 differnt pairs of Dansko sandels with backs on that I alternate when I am at Disney. I walk all day 10-14 hours and have no problems. Unfortunately alot of the new styles for this year are not the most attractive. Last years styles were much better.

 

[LUVMICKEY]

I too have bone spurs on both feet. I know how you must feel. I also get the cortizone shots when I need them and they really work for me. I have to stand all day at my job so I can't have my heels hurting like that. I have to wear my sneakers in the parks everyday or I would not be able to walk. Last June when we were there my feet had been feeling great for a long time so I thought I would take a chance and where a pair of sandles one day because it was so hot, bad idea, within just a couple of hours I had to go back to our room to get my sneaks on. Everyone is different, talk to your doctor and ask him/her what would be a good solution for you.

Oh, I did also have the orthodics, but they didn't work for me.

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

A very good pair of New Balance Tennis shoes. I suffer from this as well, as I hesitated to buy a pair of these shoes as they are very expensive for a good pair. I finally bit the bullet and bought a pair. I wore them every day at Disney and have worn them every day since, and I currently have no pain. This was my 2nd time I have had pain for this and this time it has lasted for a year, the first time it was for 8 months. Let me say once it subsides it is the best feeling to get out bed in the am and not have pain in your foot.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

I skimmed the responses, but CROCS helped me. Not just wearing them out, but wearing them in the house too. Not walking barefoot on hard floors really helped me a lot.

You should certainly see a doctor for a diagnosis. But, it probably can't hurt to wear good shoes around the house and see if you get any relief in the meantime.

 

[LUVMICKEY]

I also wear New Balance tennis shoes everyday. I've tried other brands of sneaks, but for me, I have to stick to the NB, they are the only ones that really work for me.

 

[EpcotQueen]

From your original post I wonder if you've been to the doctor yet. Plantar fascitis and heel spurs are 2 different things with different remedies. As others have posted, for plantar fascitis, good arch support is key. The cortisone shots from a podiatrist are heaven sent! If your problem is heel spurs, then inserts which allow for less foot pressure on the spur may help. Ultimately, best bet is the foot doctor. The trip is too important and too expensive to ruin with foot agony. Trust me, been there. Have had miserable trips because of my feet.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

I was just at my Dr. last week and had an xray on both feet. I had a 9mm spur on my right foot and a small spur on my left foot. He gave me a cortisone shot in my right foot and it has felt much much better. I am guilty of wearing flip flops or sandals all summer long and I have to wear dress shoes for work.

I want to get a good pair of sneakers for our trip to WDW in July. What kind should I look into. I never buy good sneakers because they make my feet look HUGE, so I always wear Keds.

Also, I saw it mentioned a page or two back, but the Crocs Relief. Has anyone used them and how has it worked for you? Like others mentioned, I hate the idea of sloshing around in wet sneakers so was thinking of trying these, but I think they can only be ordered from the Crocs site.

What kind of exercises/stretches do you do? My Dr. saw me real fast before having to catch a flight out of town. I was so lucky, I got the appt told him the problem, got the x-ray, he got the results and had my cortisone shot and was at my office within 2 hours. I was so traumatized after the shot, I totally forgot to ask him about exercises.

Thanks so much!!