Wedge heels and PF

[kiki02]

Is it possible that wedge height shoes are better for PF than flat or slightly flat? Just bought a pair and had little pain for one day.

Anyone or is this nuts? thanks

 

[Shagley]

I spent thousands of $ (through insurance) and about a year trying to get rid of of the severe pain in my heel (Plantar fascitis). After about 6 months of physical therapy and painful cortisone shots in my heel that never worked, my physical therapist finally said "have you ever tried heel lifts". He sold me a pair of $12 cork heel lifts to put in my shoe to raise my heel up a bit. That almost immediately made the pain go away. I have hardly had any pain since. I could have saved so much time and money if that would have been the FIRST thing I tried!! I'm sure the wedge heel on your shoe has the same effect. It raises your heel enough that when you walk, all the pressure doesn't come down right on your heel. It removes a lot of the pressure from your heel, and that is what causes most the the pain.

Sorry this post reads like an infomercial

 

[DizMe]

I don't have PF (that I know of) but I can't wear flat flats for very long without my heels getting sore. I find my heels and legs are much more comfortable if I wear something with just a little bit of lift and I completely avoid those shoes that have bottoms like a piece of thin cardboard. I don't wear true heels very often, but I like my shoes to have cushioning and a slightly raised heel.

 

[Orlando or Bust]

Yeah ballet flats are going to wreck our feet. So something with a bit of a lift is amazing. However, for anything long term I really love sketchers xx

 

[kiki02]

I spent thousands of $ (through insurance) and about a year trying to get rid of of the severe pain in my heel (Plantar fascitis). After about 6 months of physical therapy and painful cortisone shots in my heel that never worked, my physical therapist finally said "have you ever tried heel lifts". He sold me a pair of $12 cork heel lifts to put in my shoe to raise my heel up a bit. That almost immediately made the pain go away. I have hardly had any pain since. I could have saved so much time and money if that would have been the FIRST thing I tried!! I'm sure the wedge heel on your shoe has the same effect. It raises your heel enough that when you walk, all the pressure doesn't come down right on your heel. It removes a lot of the pressure from your heel, and that is what causes most the the pain.

Sorry this post reads like an infomercial

Fantastic Where can I order and can i use in sneakers? does the lift give you any blisters on closed shoes? thank you so much

 

[kiki02]

Yeah ballet flats are going to wreck our feet. So something with a bit of a lift is amazing. However, for anything long term I really love sketchers xx

Any sketcher? Some look very flat to me.

 

[pampam]

I had PF and went to a chiropodist for treatment. I had to bring some of my shoes so she could know what I was wearing on my feet. She hated my rebok runners. When she twisted them she could see there was no support in them. She approved of my crocks because of the cushioning it gave my feet. She liked my cowboy boots since the gave good support to my feet, and when she saw the dress wedge sandles she said she would likely wear dress shoes like that since the wedge went from the heel through the arch and supported the feet that way. The heel was about 1 1/2" high.

I should add that it took some weeks to get the appointment with the chiropodist and in the meantime I was doing exercises recomended my the chiropractor. My PF had improved about 80% before my appointment with her, so I did not need orthotics. She gave me a couple of other exercises, and said I might need to do these exercises when ever I had trouble with my feet. She was right. I no longer have PF, and if my feet start to complain I imediately do those exercises and in a day or two I'm fine.

 

[Shagley]

Fantastic Where can I order and can i use in sneakers? does the lift give you any blisters on closed shoes? thank you so much

The lifts I have aren't this exact brand, but any heel lifts like this will work. They are adjustable to whatever height is most comfortable for you (just make sure to get a lift for each shoe so you aren't walking uneven ). If you search for "heel lift" you will find more brands. You can order from Amazon, or you can probably find some locally in a shoe store or somewhere. I haven't had any problems with blisters, but I have had some problems with some of my shoes not being "deep" enough to be comfortable once I have the heel lifts in. It feels like my heel is coming out of the shoe when I try to walk. When I get new shoes, I have to try them on with a lift to make sure they fit comfortably with the shoes.

http://www.amazon.com/LevelSteps-Ad...UTF8&qid=1402408010&sr=8-2&keywords=heel+lift

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, higher heels (around 2" is best) will be more comfortable for most people, but be aware that you are going to be hindering your healing, says my orthopedist. (I dealt with PF for two years and tried everything. Only physical therapy and ultrasound really helped. I knew I was "hindering my healing", but after a year I didn't care anymore; I just wanted out of that &$%^$^ pain during my workday. Painkillers were making me a zombie.) It doesn't have to be a wedge heel, just something with a decent arch support built into it. (I prefer Born, BOC, or Clarks.)

I ALWAYS wear medium heels now except when I'm doing theme-parkish walking marathons in summer, when I wear supportive sports sandals. When I want high heels, I wear 3", but with a platform sole to reduce the difference between my heel and the ball of my foot. My PF healed eventually anyway, but I'm just more comfortable in a heel. I have *VERY* high arches, and shifting my weight off of them onto the ball of my foot and the heel gets the pressure off those ligaments in my soles.)

The reason why doctors will tell you that heeled shoes hinder healing is that they want you to constantly stretch that plantar ligament to make it more supple. Wearing heels all the time can let it contract and shorten a bit. I'm aware of that, and I chose to take that risk. I still do my exercises religiously, but I'm choosing comfort when I'm at work.

Oh, one other thing: backless shoes can make PF worse in some cases. You have to contract your toes a bit to keep them on your foot, and that can cause the spot where the ligament is attached to cramp. I wear sandals all the time, but always sandals with a heel strap, no mules or flip-flops.

 

[ecatzippy]

I recommend the Vionic brand of shoes. They are designed for people with plantar fascitis. It is so nice to be able to wear sandals again!

 

[elaine amj]

I can't wear those ballet flats that are the rage right now. my feet hurt like crazy. And yet, I often wear crazy stillettos. When shopping I look for shoes with at least a small heel and preferably a supportive arch.

 

[kiki02]

I had PF and went to a chiropodist for treatment. I had to bring some of my shoes so she could know what I was wearing on my feet. She hated my rebok runners. When she twisted them she could see there was no support in them. She approved of my crocks because of the cushioning it gave my feet. She liked my cowboy boots since the gave good support to my feet, and when she saw the dress wedge sandles she said she would likely wear dress shoes like that since the wedge went from the heel through the arch and supported the feet that way. The heel was about 1 1/2" high.

I should add that it took some weeks to get the appointment with the chiropodist and in the meantime I was doing exercises recomended my the chiropractor. My PF had improved about 80% before my appointment with her, so I did not need orthotics. She gave me a couple of other exercises, and said I might need to do these exercises when ever I had trouble with my feet. She was right. I no longer have PF, and if my feet start to complain I imediately do those exercises and in a day or two I'm fine.

can you post or pm the exercises for us ? thank you in any case.

 

[kiki02]

I recommend the Vionic brand of shoes. They are designed for people with plantar fascitis. It is so nice to be able to wear sandals again!

but do you wear the Vionic flip flops? i read that all flip flops are bad for pf.

 

[pampam]

can you post or pm the exercises for us ? thank you in any case.

It's been a few years, but I'll see what I can remember. I started off with pulling my toes up toward my shin before I got out of bed. This helped me to get out of bed. Before this I was crawling to the bathroom. As I watched TV, I would put a small towel on the floor, and scrunch it up toward me with my toes. I also rolled golf balls under my bare feet usually while watching tv. But the best exercise was from the chiropodist. She told me to stand on the bottom step, with my heels over hanging the step. I held on to the hand rail, and leaned back and pushed down with my heels, stretching out the arch. Sometimes I lean forward, or bend my knees. As I move, I can feel different muscles stretching and working, strengthening my feet, ankles and legs. This last exercise is the one I do if I notice a problem beginning with my feet. I dance about 6 hours a week (this is how I developed PF in the first place. I was learning a new dance with a lot of stomps, in my bare feet on the concrete floor of our basement, and ended up with PF in both feet at the same time.) If I can think of the others, I'll post them too.

 

[kiki02]

It's been a few years, but I'll see what I can remember. I started off with pulling my toes up toward my shin before I got out of bed. This helped me to get out of bed. Before this I was crawling to the bathroom. As I watched TV, I would put a small towel on the floor, and scrunch it up toward me with my toes. I also rolled golf balls under my bare feet usually while watching tv. But the best exercise was from the chiropodist. She told me to stand on the bottom step, with my heels over hanging the step. I held on to the hand rail, and leaned back and pushed down with my heels, stretching out the arch. Sometimes I lean forward, or bend my knees. As I move, I can feel different muscles stretching and working, strengthening my feet, ankles and legs. This last exercise is the one I do if I notice a problem beginning with my feet. I dance about 6 hours a week (this is how I developed PF in the first place. I was learning a new dance with a lot of stomps, in my bare feet on the concrete floor of our basement, and ended up with PF in both feet at the same time.) If I can think of the others, I'll post them too.

ugh - the new dance sealed the deal... Glad you're better. I do the exercise but walk a heck of a lot (love it).. so i'm torn. I need better sneakers i guess, have now spend so much $ on sneakers, none seem to be helping. thanks much.

 

[mblondie0509]

My favorite exercise for my PF is to keep a big can of Progresso or another large can of soup under my bed. When I get up before I even take a few steps, I put it under the arch of my foot and roll it. It stretches everything out. I find that if I can keep my calf muscles loose, it helps with the PF.

As far as the wedges go, there is no way I could wear anything with more than an inch heel. My pain is in my arch and not the heel. I am actually most comfortable in flip flops or ballet flats. I even have a high arch on one foot and no arch in the other (thanks to 4 cortisone shots in 6 weeks in the Army and a torn plantar fascia).

 

[ecatzippy]

but do you wear the Vionic flip flops? i read that all flip flops are bad for pf.

. I wear the Vionic flip flops all the time. They are my favorites! They have a built in arch and a special heel cup.

 

[NotUrsula]

can you post or pm the exercises for us ? thank you in any case.

The aforementioned toes-on-the-edge-of-a-step is the classic. Do NOT bounce, let your weight down slowly to stretch the ligaments under your feet. A similar exercise is to put both hands on a wall, stretch one leg out behind you and place your foot flat on the floor, and then slowly bend that knee about 30 degrees while puttiing your weight on the leg -- again, it stretches out the back of your calf and the sole of your foot.

A ball with bumps on it is good for rolling under your feet; I found that the kind meant as a dog toy was the cheapest, but you might want to plug the squeaker, LOL. Roll the sole of your foot back and forth over it, pressing down firmly. About 10 minutes per foot is recommended.

There are two that use a towel:

Sitting on a bench with your legs up on it, or on the floor, hold a thin towel by the ends, and loop it under the ball of your foot. With your knee slightly flexed (that's very important!), pull on the towel, stretching your foot up toward your calf. Pull and hold for a count of 10 on each foot, and repeat at least 6 times. (You can also use thick stretch bands for this, but you need to hold them with your hands at no more than 36" apart.)

The second towel exercise is to sit in a chair and lay the towel out flat in front of you on the floor, short side toward you. Put your foot flat on the towel, and use your toes to gather the towel in toward you, grasping with your foot. Keep working until the towel is totally gathered up, and then do the other foot. (You will hate this one, I promise!)

 

[usd2bmd]

I suffered from PF last summer and the only time I had relief was when I wore heals. the muscles and tendons that are aggravated and cause pain for PF are not as extended in heels as they are in flats which is why there is less pain. At least that is what the Podiatrist told me.

Now if they could just make heels as comfortable as slippers we would be all set.

 

[kiki02]

I suffered from PF last summer and the only time I had relief was when I wore heals. the muscles and tendons that are aggravated and cause pain for PF are not as extended in heels as they are in flats which is why there is less pain. At least that is what the Podiatrist told me.

Now if they could just make heels as comfortable as slippers we would be all set.

This is what I'm thinking. I'm just trying to find a decent shoe with a heel as I know heels can cause other problems. Sheesh. thanks all.