Plantar fasciitis??

[goofy4tink]

Hi all...my dd (20) was just told she has plantar fasciitis. We aren't sure how it happened..could be her gait (it's kind of a weird gait), or her very high arches! She can't sleep at night due to the pain. The podiatrist put her on a strong anti-inflammatory (NSAID) but it hasn't kicked in yet. I have her doing some foot/calf stretches. I think she probably needs to look at different shoes. The doctor told her some really good sneakers...but, she says they aren't 'cute'!!! Heaven forbid they not be cute. She's wearing my Crocs now so she can at least put her heel down a bit. She was up this morning in tears!! Said she hadn't slept due to the pain. I think she slept a bit but was woken up by the pain in her foot!
I guess my question is....does anyone have any experience with this? She hasn't done anything different. She goes back to school next week and I would love her to have some relief before she leaves..at least some tools to help make it better!
Any suggestions or thoughts? I have no experience whatsoever in this area.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

Ask the doctor if orthotics would help. My podiatrist gave me custom orthotics for arch support.

 

[Thumper_Man]

Foot and calf stretches are good. My doctor recommended using a belt to do a certain stretching exercise that really helps.

Use a belt. Hold the belt with one end in each hand. Put the middle of the belt just under the ball of your foot and pull with both hands. Hold for about 15-20 seconds. Repeat a couple of times and do at least 3-4 times a day.

Another thing he told me was to get a water bottle, freeze it, place it under my foot, then roll it back and forth for about 5 minutes. This can be done while sitting down watching tv and should be done right after the stretching exercise.

Good sneakers that support the arch are a must. Even though they aren't cute, they really help.

The Dr. Scholl's custom fit orthotics really help as well.

 

[DisneyDebbie]

I had an experience with it last year. It takes a while to feel better. I NEVER walked barefoot for a couple weeks (even wearing my croc flipflops in the shower!) Good shoes are a MUST until she feels better. I froze a water bottle and rolled it under my feet every couple hours. I never missed a dose of Motrin. I did have a favorite pair of sketchers that I bought a better insole for (one with shock absorption & arch support). Before getting out of bed, flex your feet and roll your ankle around. Orthoheels are a good brand of footwear for this.

I've gotten slack in my footwear recently but it's easier to feel my feet getting sore now and I can tell when I need to pay attention. So she may only have to deal with this occasionally and not all the time. Good Luck!

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks guys! Looks like we're on the right track. She does that stretching exercise with a towel instead of a belt..says it seems to help. And she has the frozen water bottle too! She just has to be careful because they think she may have Reynaud's disease as well!!! Poor thing.

 

[anniemae]

When I had it, they wrapped my foot after giving me cortisone shotes. It helped a lot. The podiatrist also sold me some inserts, which you can get on amazon.

 

[mrsv98]

DD has a pretty good over-pronation and had a bout of PF last year. She used a tennis ball multiple times per day - the frozen water bottle or a can on it side are the same idea - and it really helped. She should stretch her foot/leg before getting out of bed or standing.

Also, never go barefoot. I purchased a pair of these: http://www.qvc.com/Vionic-w-Orthaheel-Gemma-Orthotic-Slippers-w-Adj.-Strap-Slippers-Shoes-Shoes-&-Handbags.product.A226263.html?sc=A226263-User&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-2-_-A226263&catentryImage=http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/a/63/a226263.001?$uslarge$

and she wears them in house and a good pair of sneakers when walking. She is in good shape now and knows the go back to her routine if the pain flares up.

 

[3Gsandme]

She needs splints she can wear over night!

http://www.amazon.com/Plantar-Fascitis-Night-Splint-Brace/dp/B001PB07S8

Worth every single penny. I don't know that mine is cured, per se, but I don't have problems anymore.

 

[mackeysmom]

Shoes with orthotics can still be cute. As a PP mentioned, Orthaheels from QVC are great. In addition to flats and walking shoes, they have some really cute flip-flops with great support.

They aren't cheap, but they have been lifesavers to me.

Over Thanksgiving I went to WDW for a few days and logged in close to 50 miles on my FitBit - my PF didn't kick in at all. I "blame" it all on these from Orthaheel:

Hope that helps.

- Laura

 

[Little Flower]

I have Plantar Fascitis for the second time right now and I'm going to try and heal it the same way I did last time. I will live in my Trainers (sorry, I'm English, I mean sneakers lol). Wearing my crocs for my nursing is what's given me the problem this time so I personally wouldn't recommend them. Being a nurse I can tell you that the anti inflammatories are awesome but they'll need time to build up a bit in her system. alternating between hot and cold on the sole of the foot is really good, as are hot baths. The most important thing is not to let them seize up as that's when it's most painful, when you're still and then you get up. Try and keep the feet moving with little stretches whilst you're still otherwise standing up is horrendous.

 

[daannzzz]

I have used this with great success. I got them at the local Beck's shoes store.
http://www.theinsolestore.com/birkenstock-blue-footbed-casual-arch-support-insoles.html

 

[jel0511]

For my PF the BEST and only thing that helped was getting custom orthotics made by my podiatrist. They cured me!!!! Anything I bought OTC never worked in the long term. They are expensive, but luckily insurance covered some of it. They are the BEST!!!! I'd talk to the podiatrist about that, and then you can wear whatever shoes you want, with those orthotics inside of them. You just remove the old shoe bed and put those in.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

I have very high arches and my plantar fasciitis is caused by this. I have tried the made for you orthopedics from my doctor and I did the cortisone shot. None of these work for me! I did some research and I bought a foot massager (amazon) and a stretch cord (PT people use from amazon). The massager and stretching truly have made the difference in my foot. Oh! I also changed my shoes - for sneakers I have Brooks Ghost 6 (my foot loves these) and I love all the shoes by ABEO. My foot is loving life again! She should also ice the foot for 15 min and wet heat on the foot for 15 min. Good Luck! I know how painful this can be for her!

I forgot to add - make sure she has the right size shoes! Having a high arch and wearing the wrong size shoes can cause plantar fasciitis.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have very high arches and my plantar fasciitis is caused by this. I have tried the made for you orthopedics from my doctor and I did the cortisone shot. None of these work for me! I did some research and I bought a foot massager (amazon) and a stretch cord (PT people use from amazon). The massager and stretching truly have made the difference in my foot. Oh! I also changed my shoes - for sneakers I have Brooks Ghost 6 (my foot loves these) and I love all the shoes by ABEO. My foot is loving life again! She should also ice the foot for 15 min and wet heat on the foot for 15 min. Good Luck! I know how painful this can be for her!

I forgot to add - make sure she has the right size shoes! Having a high arch and wearing the wrong size shoes can cause plantar fasciitis.

Thanks! She is wearing the right size......a 10! I've ordered the night splint....we'll see how that helps. And she is icing and stretching! Need to get out tomorrow and get some new footwear. The Converse and Toms are not getting it done! Big surprise there....NOT!

 

[malibuconlee]

There is NO support in Converse and Toms! I'd also suggest custom orthotics, they work wonders for me.

I'll also agree, no walking around barefoot even in the house.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hi all...my dd (20) was just told she has plantar fasciitis. We aren't sure how it happened..could be her gait (it's kind of a weird gait), or her very high arches! She can't sleep at night due to the pain. The podiatrist put her on a strong anti-inflammatory (NSAID) but it hasn't kicked in yet. I have her doing some foot/calf stretches. I think she probably needs to look at different shoes. The doctor told her some really good sneakers...but, she says they aren't 'cute'!!! Heaven forbid they not be cute. She's wearing my Crocs now so she can at least put her heel down a bit. She was up this morning in tears!! Said she hadn't slept due to the pain. I think she slept a bit but was woken up by the pain in her foot!
I guess my question is....does anyone have any experience with this? She hasn't done anything different. She goes back to school next week and I would love her to have some relief before she leaves..at least some tools to help make it better!
Any suggestions or thoughts? I have no experience whatsoever in this area.

Oh yes, the old PF.

My suggestion for you is to see a podiatrist, get custom orthotics and some physical therapy. Life saver there for sure!

After you get some custom orthotics go to a store like Good Feet, Brown Shoe, Natural Balance and see a certified pedorothist. They will fit her in shoes that will provide the correct support.

In the interim, you don't need to use a cold water bottle, esp. since she is cold sensitive. Use a golf ball and do the stretches with a towel, belt etc.

This will break up the scar tissue and help relax the foot. It hurts like HELL at first, I am not going to lie. Shoot I had the PT therapist taping my foot and using her medieval tools on me.

Tell her not to go barefoot at all right now. No more Tom's or Crocs. Stretch before she gets out of bed. You do not want to put your foot on the floor without doing that.

Good news is with dedication she will beat this.

I encourage you to get her some PT so she will learn how to do the exercises correctly. It is a very important. You don't want to do them incorrect and then wind up with other issues.

 

[j2thomason]

All of the previous advice is great. I've suffered with it for three years. Chacos sandals and shoes have really helped me. I also wear inserts in my other shoes. The night splint helped a lot also. I did physical therapy for about three months so they could show me how to do the stretches correctly. There is no quick fix. It's more about managing the pain until it finally goes away or dinimishes.

 

[mom2travel]

She needs splints she can wear over night! http://www.amazon.com/Plantar-Fascitis-Night-Splint-Brace/dp/B001PB07S8 Worth every single penny. I don't know that mine is cured, per se, but I don't have problems anymore.

DH uses one of these to sleep in. At first he wore it every night. Now just uses it when he feels a flare up coming on. He also does lots of stretching.

 

[Shutterbug]

I have dealt with this in the past. I had it so bad one point that I had to have steroid shots into the bottom of my feet( the shots hurt like heck).

I wear custom made orthopedic inserts which are better than what you would fine at a local store. They cost alot though. Now you can get the kit off the internet now. They send you a box that you put your foot into to make the mold. Then send it back out.

One issue with the inserts was find a shoe that they would fit into. I worn nothing but New Balance for the past few years. They have very good arch support.

There is NO support in Converse and Toms! I'd also suggest custom orthotics, they work wonders for me.

I'll also agree, no walking around barefoot even in the house.

I even wore flip flops in the shower so I wasnt having to stand on the hard surface of the tub.

 

[7165red]

When I had it, they wrapped my foot after giving me cortisone shotes. It helped a lot. The podiatrist also sold me some inserts, which you can get on amazon.

I had cortisone shots as well. It is the only thing that will really stop the pain.