Plantar fasciitis?

[susykt4]

I have a podiatrist appointment on Thursday and I'm hoping for some suggestions or advice beforehand so I can try for some different treatment. I've had horrible PF in my right foot since last April or May. The pain is constant, not just in the morning. I stretch on a slant board morning and night. I ice, tape, use a foot massager, stretch before getting out of bed or after sitting, have had custom orthotics since July, change shoes, you name it... I had it in my left foot as well, but that's about 98% better, only flaring up slightly every now and then.

I'm 37, female, slightly overweight (thanks to no longer being able to run or walk for exercise) and have a very physical job that keeps me on my feet all day other than a 30 minute lunch break. Any thoughts? Does PF really get this bad or could it be something else?

 

[claudia]

the dr. should be able to give you a couple of cortizone shots....it will help relieve the pain. Also, consider going to physical therapy....really helped me the most, but it did take about a year for it to completely heal.

 

[dejr_8]

the dr. should be able to give you a couple of cortizone shots....it will help relieve the pain. Also, consider going to physical therapy....really helped me the most, but it did take about a year for it to completely heal.

These are really really fun - right in the bottom of your foot but they will do wonders to relieve the pain. However, they are not a cure.

 

[AprilShowers]

The ONLY thing that fixed mine was wearing shoes with some sort of heel on them. I can't wear completely flat shoes. I don't mean high heels as in dress shoes, but I wear some loafers with a chunky heel on them. I wear them most every day. No flip flops or crocs! Good tennis shoes with the orthotics when you can't wear your chunky heels.
Good luck!!

 

[minkydog]

Yes, plantar fasciitis can feel this bad.I am naturally flat-footed, which is a hugely associated with PF and other foot issues. I had it in both feet about 10 years ago and it was debilitating. My gait changed enough that it ruined the right post-tibial tendon and I have had trouble ever since. I have been in and out of casts several times and had multiple cortisone injections in both heels.

The things that worked for me were stretching, steroid shots, icing and custom orthotics. And never going barefoot. I don't wear heels or flats. I have two pairs of shoes, both New Balance athletics in white and black. My heels no longer hurt but I have chronic tendonitis now.

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

Orthodics and shots worked for me. Cortizone - not alcohol.

 

[kimmar067]

the dr. should be able to give you a couple of cortizone shots....it will help relieve the pain. Also, consider going to physical therapy....really helped me the most, but it did take about a year for it to completely heal.

...ITA - it was totally painful...I had it in my right heel...after 2 cortizone shots it felt a LOT better, but the doctor didn't prescribe any physical therapy. Howver, it DID take a few months for the pain to finally go away - that was 4 years ago....

 

[treehugnmama]

another suggestion is to never be barefoot.( I miss being barefoot ) I have a pair of birks that I use for indoors. My orthotics come off and my birks go on.

No crocs....I always have ugly on because that is what fits my orthodics.

 

[abdmom]

I agree with the never going barefoot. My plantar fasciitis didn't start to get better until I kept supportive footwear on at all times. Another thing that I found really helped was a passive night splint I found . It goes on at night and keeps my foot perpendicular to my leg - so the fascia keeps a constant stretch at night. After just a few nights, my feet felt much better.

 

[minniecarousel]

Another vote for the night splint.

I suffered from my most recent bout for over 4 months. I was desperate to feel better before my Dec. WDW trip. My podiatrist prescribed Physical Therapy. I was given some stretching exercises (some were new to me) and they also applied cortisone using a trans dermal patch. I also got electrical impulse therapy.

I went on my trip, hauling along my night splint. I hadn't built up my walking like I had wanted to do, but did fine once there. I continued to use the night splint & my orthotics. I can use Crocs as a short time alternate shoe. But I generally wear my orthotics every day.

Good luck. It sounds like you might be ready for cortisone. See if you can avoid the needle. The patch worked great for me. The relief wasn't as immediate as the shot might have been, but it eventually worked.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

another suggestion is to never be barefoot.( I miss being barefoot ) I have a pair of birks that I use for indoors. My orthotics come off and my birks go on.

Birkenstocks saved me when I was suffering from plantar fasciitis. That's all I wear inside my house now. I sure miss going barefoot, but it's so not worth the risk. I hope to never suffer with PF again!

OP, I hope you get some relief soon!

 

[tekoa]

I had PF in my left foot that finally went away after about 10 months. I did all of the things that you are doing to find relief. However, I recently developed extreme pain in the same foot. An x-ray showed nothing and the podiatrist prescribed very expensive orthodics. Still no relief next step a MRI which showed that I had a broken talus bone (ankle) and bone contusions. I am in week 2 of a walking cast with 4 to 6 more weeks to go. If it does not heal right the DR is talking surgery. This time last year I was planning a trip to WDW. If it was this year I would be renting a scooter. Like you my job entails that I am on my feet 8-9 hours a day. Good luck with your appointment at the podiatrist.

 

[emma'smom]

I had it for a long time. It was miserable---I could barely walk in the morning. I'm 37 as well---and felt so old because of the PF. Anyway, I talked to my doctor who prescribed PT. I did the PT (which was mostly stretching exercises). I also had electrical impulse therapy at the PT--- just 3-4 treatments total.

I also invested in the stretch-wheel and two different night splints---but use none of these consistently any longer.

I was convinced it was a waste of money/time, but then it slowly got better and disappeared after a few months.

Now I never walk around barefoot (often wear mammoth crocs around the house) and invested in good quality shoes with good heel support (Dansko, Keen, Merrell, and Fit Flops are my top choices).

 

[susykt4]

Wow! OP here, Thanks so much for all the replies!

One question: Why no Crocs?

I certainly agree with not going barefoot so Crocs are my choice from bed to bathroom, from my recliner to the washer/dryer, etc. I always wear my New Balance tennis shoes or my work boots (both with orthotics) when going out or doing any "real" work around the house. Do you mean no Crocs AT ALL or just no Crocs as my main shoes?

Ok, I lied. Second question: Cortisone shots?

My pod has been offering me shots for several months but I keep refusing because I read they can break down the fat pad on your foot (that will never come back) and I figure I need that more than I need temporary pain relief. BUT, if walking funny due to the pain is going to cause me even bigger and more permanent problems, I imagine the shots might be worth it?

Again, thanks everyone for the replies!

 

[aprilgail2]

I have PF and the things that helped me were a cortizone shot which relieves it for a short time and orthodics....if I don't wear orthodics for one day the pain will come right back. Number one thing they told me was about shoes- no heels and no crocs. A good sneaker is what it takes to keep my feet feeling great. They do recommend no easy spirits but all the Dr's I saw seem to recommend New Balance.

 

[powellrj]

Orthodics and shots worked for me. Cortizone - not alcohol.

thats what worked for me too!

 

[bkaz]

I have to disagree about no crocs. I'm having a flare up of my PF right now and the first thing that I did was ditch all of my other shoes and wear my crocs. Granted, I have Dr. Scholl's inexpensive inserts inside my crocs...but they are the shoes that work the best for me. At WDW I will alternate between crocs and my Teva sandals...I would wear the crocs every day but I like the way my Teva's look better! I think each person is different depending on what caused their PF in the first place, so I would go with what feels best.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

These are really really fun - right in the bottom of your foot but they will do wonders to relieve the pain. However, they are not a cure.

Agreed - only time cures these things. I had one that lasted almost 9 months, including 2 weeks in WDW...

 

[dis-happy]

I guess everyone is different....crocs saved my PF life! I wear them all the time in the house (we have hardwood floors and the cushioning really helps!!!). When out and planning to do a lot of walking I switch to tennies. In the summer walking a lot I wear Teva or Ecco sandals. But the crocs are on my feet probably 90% of the time. Before I got them I could hardly walk at all; it took time--9 mos.-- but now I am pain free (unless I decide to wear a really cute pair of shoes to go with a special outfit).

 

[Aristomommy]

Did you have x-rays to rule out a bone spur in your heel? It is often associated with plantar fasciitis. I would also recommend a night stretching splint. You may also benefit from physical therapy. If you are hesitant of the injections, try iontophoresis in PT. It is the same type of medication (dexamethazone) but it is put on a patch and electrical current is applied with it to push it to the right spot. No needles required. Also ultrasound treatments could be helpful to break up bone spurs or adhesion. I hope you feel better soon.