Plantar fasciitis relief - what do you use?

[pugdog]

I have just started wearing the new Sketchers tone ups sandals and they are great!! NO pf pain in AM. Also stretch and roll foot over cold can or water bottle. The Sketchers sandals have a back strap, with lots of ankle support.
Also have velcro adjustable cloth straps in front so no bunion pain either!!

I have been walking a LOT in these!

Ready for WDW in 1 week 2 days with grandkids!!!

The Sketchers Shape ups is what finally helped me the most. I had tried several different shoes. 6 months of PT, 3 shots of steroids many pills and custom inserts. But after switching to the Sketchers and over a year of pain I am now pain free. Just hope it lasts.

 

[Leajess99]

The Sketchers Shape ups is what finally helped me the most. I had tried several different shoes. 6 months of PT, 3 shots of steroids many pills and custom inserts. But after switching to the Sketchers and over a year of pain I am now pain free. Just hope it lasts.

These actually hurt my feet more. I have used inserts and whatnot but I still deal with the pain. The best shoes I have found for me are Teva sandals.

 

[sameyeyam]

I have Morton's Neuroma and the best relief I have found is to have several pairs of shoes and several different types of inserts. Switch them constantly.

The podiatrist & cortisone shots didn't really help. So I sought my own relief. I own about 5 types of inserts and about 5 pairs of tennis shoes. Now that I've started switching them all the time, my foot feels much better. Sometimes I change my shoes and/or inserts mid-day.

I'm guessing it works because when you change shoes & inserts so much, you are always changing the pressure points. Whatever the reason, the last couple of months my foot has felt better then it has during the past year.

 

[bidnow5]

I have Plantar Fascitits in my left foot and bone spurs in my right. I used to use a Birkenstock sandals they had one that had a very high arch and it helped a lot then they discontinued them so I tried Crocs and fell in love with them but most others that I know with Plantar Fascitits they don't help at all.
I have about 10 different pairs of Crocs, shoes, sandals, and clogs it's all I have been waring for about 3 years and haven't had pain at all

 

[jemmouse]

Be cautious with the Sketchers Shape Up shoe or any other shoe like it. They are ok for people with high arches but for those with FLAT feet it will only worsen your pain...

 

[carrie1626]

My sister has PF and she wore Orthopedic CROCS when we went in AUG. She had on a thin pair of socks and the Crocs and all was good. That style had a much thicker sole. She bought them on-line.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I suffered from this for YEARS.
2) Finally, I went to a podiatrist.
. . . he gave me two shots with some steroid concoction on the heel
. . . he gave a me a brace for when I sleep, to be used 10-days
3) I have not had a hint of a problem for eight years !!!!!!!
4) Don't go to the appliance pushers and hucksters.
5) Go to a real doc and get it solved !!!!

 

[robinb]

I had had PF pretty bad and it's much better now. I stretch, stretch, stretch. Every morning and throughout the day. I lay in bed before I get up and I stretch my toes back toward me with a straight leg and then I point my toes. I do that for about a minute before I even get out of bed. I also stretch my calves throughout the day. I bring ziplock bags with me to WDW and fill them with ice every afternoon and evening and I ice my arches. I change my shoes every day. I wear supportive sneakers, Tevas and Fit Flops. I leave my Crocs at home now ... the just don't do it for me anymore.

I will also tape or wrap my arches when they are particularly painful.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

another vote for sketchers TONE UPS... (not shapeups)

2 trips to wdw no issue in the flops... got the fuzzy clogs for work and they're amazing!! i'm sad that it's no longer "fuzzy shoe" weather and i'm not sure how i'll handle standing on my feet without them

 

[lilwhiterabbit]

Be cautious with the Sketchers Shape Up shoe or any other shoe like it. They are ok for people with high arches but for those with FLAT feet it will only worsen your pain...

Actually, I have the opposite reaction with Sketchers Shape Ups/Tone Ups. I have fallen arches and they're the only shoes that don't hurt my feet.

 

[zumbergc]

anyone try the orthaheel sandles. I have super high arches, and these flip flops have a nice super big arch. Just wondering if it helped or hurt anyone.
thx

 

[ShhhQ]

Be cautious with the Sketchers Shape Up shoe or any other shoe like it. They are ok for people with high arches but for those with FLAT feet it will only worsen your pain...

I haven't tried Sketchers, but got a similar shoe (rocker-type) from Curves (via Avon) and they seem to help.
I went to the foot doctor (the most respected in our area) about 4 1/2 years ago for foot pain that I had for over 10 years that just seemed to get worse. He diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis in both feet along with heel spurs. My left foot (my dominate foot) the spur was roughly the size of my thumb while the other was a bit smaller. Started off with NSAIDS... minimal relief... custom orthotics.... caused more pain than they helped... cortizone shots... only helped for a couple of days... night splint... couldn't sleep very well with it and it still didn't help... physical therapy... helped some, but was still in quite a bit of pain... so the Dr. decided that due to the size of the spurs, that they were pushing on the nerve and causing it to be inflamed. We agreed to have the spurs removed. Since the left was bigger, it was done first... however, it was so painful and caused nerve damage where the incision was made that I never got the other one removed. Looking back, I guess it helped, but it caused its own kind of pain and don't recommend it. Gradually over the years, my arches have fallen and I barely have one anymore. This causes me pain if I get a shoe with an arch in it. Have tried many different shoes, but still at the end of the day there are times I can hardly walk. No treatment works the same on 2 different people, so you have to experiment with what works... I love my Crocs, but can't wear them to work. My Curves however seem to do me some good...
Good luck finding what works, but just because something works for someone doesn't mean it will work for you nor vice versa!

 

[aubriee]

anyone try the orthaheel sandles. I have super high arches, and these flip flops have a nice super big arch. Just wondering if it helped or hurt anyone.
thx

I have the Orthoheels flip flops in both the Wave and Tide styles and like them. In fact I am wearing my black Waves right now. (I never go barefoot around the house anymore and find my Orthoheels most comfortable). I have the Tides in tan and white and usually carry them to WDW. I have plantar faciitis with high arches, but hate to wear tennis shoes at WDW. What I've found works for me are switching my flip flops out every day. I usually carry Olu'Kai Ohanas (my favorites), Sketcher Tone ups, Orthoheels Tides, and Montrail Molokini's every trip. The Montrail Molokini's you put into a warm oven as soon as you get them, then immediately wear them around the house for a few minutes and they conform exactly to your feet. Yes that's right, you bake them before wearing and put them on warm. My favorites though are the Olu'Kai Ohanas, but just looking at them I can't tell you why exactly. They just feel comfortable to my heel.

Other than wearing comfortable shoes, when I'm at WDW I soak my feet every night, carry one of those small wooden roller thingys to use before bed every night, always stretch before even getting out of bed in the mornings, carry a small brace thingy to wear at night, and take a prescription my doctor gave me called Mobic (Meloxican). It comes in 7.5mg and 15 mg. I take 15 mg every morning and it's been a lifesaver. Also my feet tend to swell alot when I'm in Florida, so my doctor always give me a prescription for Lasix that I only take as needed when my feet swell.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I use the Power Step Pro-tech.. I love them! I use them all the time actually because of my feet.

 

[DVC96]

I suffered from PF for years. My podiatrist gave me custom orthotics (which I could never get used to). I saved my cortisone shots until two weeks or so before WDW trips and that helped alot (although it was temporary relief). Eventually, I went to PT and that helped tremendously. The stretching and the ice really helped over time, and so did one weird exercise they had me do over and over again - picking up marbles with my toes! I haven't had any real problems in years - when it starts to hurt, I pull out the ice and the marbles and it usually goes away. Good shoes help too - I wear NB 1132 for running - good support and a nice wide toe box and sturdy Clarks for just about everything else. Be consistent with the stretching and the ice and in time you will probably see improvement. Good Luck!

 

[momof2disprincesses]

Hi All,

I'm the OP and just got back from a week at WDW. On a whim right before we left, I stopped in our local Birkenstock store and got some arch supports for $39. It helped immensely!

I wore them in my Easy Spirit tennis shoes. It rained a lot while we were in Orlando, so we did take it easier than normal but we spent one full day walking the parks - about 10 hours in all. By the end of the day, my feet were tired and hurt a little, but NOTHING at all compared to the pain I used to feel.

So for now, this seems to be a good solution.

Now that our weather is finally getting nicer here in WI, I will start walking outside daily and am wearing the arch supports in my tennies.

Thanks for all the tips and helpful advice!!

 

[pampam]

I teach dance, so I use my feet a lot. I was learning a new dance in my bare feet on a concrete floor (yah, I know) and ended up with plantar fasciitis in both feet. It was terrible, especially in the morning. I went to my dr and he refered me to a chiropodist. It took several months for the appointment. In the mean time, I hurt my back and went to the chiropractor. As well as treating my back, he treated my feet, gave me exercises to do and showed me how to tape my feet like ballerinas and runners do. By the time I got the appt. with the chiropodist, my feet were 90% better. She gave me additional exercises and now my feet are fine. I had to stretch my feet while lying in bed before I got up, try to scrunch up a towel on the floor with my bare toes, and roll my feet over a golf ball. The exercise that helped me the mpost, was standing on the bottom step, facing up, with my heels hanging over the lip of the stairs. I would stretch my tendons with the weight of my body, hanging onto the railings. I didn't even need orthotics or arch supports. She recomended crocs in the house for their cushioning. She liked my cowboy boots for the support they gave, and for dress shoes she liked ones with a wedge heel, for more support under the arch. She didn't like my rebock princess runners because there was no support to them. She showed me how to twist a shoe to see if it would support my foot.

 

[AngolaHeartsDisney]

It really depends on your foot.

Thanks to my last pregnancy-I have flat feet and got a horrible plantar facistis before a big walking trip to NYC...

I have no arch anymore and the only shoe that really keeps the pain away is a birenstock- when I feel the soreness I pop on those birkenstock in the house and it really fixes it.
I also went to see the orthopediac shoe store for some sneakers- becuase I felt it flaring up this winter.. and they sold me new balance sneakers- and said most women are wearing the wrong size. I was! and I needed a wide. They also place a arch under the insole- my feet are great