Hannah,

I was diagnosed with Plantar Fascitis (seems that I'm getting more informed and have some knowledge about things like this because more ailments seem to plague me as I get older, thus making me more "informed").
I successfully dealt with it by buying the most expensive shoes I could, off-the-shelf but handmade, with great orthotics. I don't know if I should advertise a brand here, but the shoes are from Germany, and you can get them at a good shoe shop. They have worked wonders, and are worth every penny of the $235.00 I paid for them. I didn't have a shot.

Sorry, but I think you're going to have to wear shoes. For the house I got felt clogs with arch supports, but I love going barefoot in the house, and my feet don't seem to mind, as long as I wear the other shoes the rest of the time.

Good Luck,
Wendy

different things worked - The soft Spenco inserts worked for a while and then I needed the hard ones and then I needed custom orthotics and then I had surgery for fasciitis release and to chip off a heel spur. My operation didn't go very well. It is over a year now, and I can walk fairly well again but parts of my heel are numb and it feels as if I am walking on a wadded up sock. My ankle is very stiff despite my doing lots of exercises for it. The achilles tendon is very sensitive. I don't think that my results are at all usual, but I wouldn't advise anyone to go the surgery route unless they are desperate for relief.

I've copied and pasted an earlier thread. These comment might be helpful to you.

Are any of you familiar with Plantar Fasciitis? I guess it usually lasts about a year. The bottoms of both feet hurt when you first walk on them. There are other problems too, but I'd like to know what you do to loosen up your feet first thing in the morning. The long ligament that runs along the bottom of your feet tightens up and it really hurts when I first put weight on my feet in the morning. I think it would heal faster if I could figure out a good "therapy" to use when I first get up.
Sammy

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Follow-Up Postings:

RE: Plantar Fasciitis
Posted by: lazygardens (My Page) on Wed, Jan 21, 04 at 9:03

Have you tried ordinary massage? Just take some lotion and gently rub it into the arch and bottom of your foot.
Ask the doc about stretching exercises that might helkp without aggravating it.

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RE: Plantar Fasciitis
Posted by: MonaBlair (My Page) on Wed, Jan 21, 04 at 16:50

My orthopedist gave me some hard plastic heel cups (no padding) to insert in enclosed shoes and after a few weeks the pain was gone. Over the past 5 years if I ever start to feel it coming back I go back to enclosed shoes and tennis shoesand insert the heel cups and after 3-4 days it's gone again.

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RE: Plantar Fasciitis
Posted by: Sammy (My Page) on Wed, Jan 21, 04 at 19:26

My pain is gone if I wear an old pair of tennis shoes that they no longer make and has no equivalent. I wear shoes to work that are pretty comfortable, but at night the bottom of my foot tightens up and it takes a few minutes in the morning for me to get it to loosen up. If I get out of bed quickly to go to the bathroom, it can really hurt and I feel that I have reinjured it. I have done the stretching exercises, but not regularly. I friend said to stand on stair steps and let my heels hang down. This feels ok, but my morning it has tightened up again.
Sammy

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RE: Plantar Fasciitis
Posted by: daylilyfan (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 04 at 22:36

I have had p.f. for 25 years. It is finally under control, but still flares now and then. But, I went through a LOT to get to this point.... but mine was really severe.
One of the things I tried for it was physical therapy. One of the things they had me do was take a towel, or a sturdy belt, and while I was still in bed, lay on my back and put the towel around the ball of my foot, with knee bent. Then, straighten up your leg and gently pull on the ends of the towel, stretching the foot in the same manner that it stretches on the edge of a stair step when you have the ball of your foot on the step and...

Oh thank you!!!!!
I've just printed out all the material! LOL

I cannot believe this is happening to me...I just turned 56 last month (sshhhhh! LOL), and this is actually the first unhealthy thing I've ever had...been lucky, I guess.
The bad thing is, though, that my son is getting married on August 7th...how will I look gimping down the aisle to my seat, looking for all the world like Grandpa McCoy! LOL
I also just bought a home in SW Florida near the beach, for the second time, and was so looking forward to never wearing shoes again!
Damn! :(

Wouldn't Earth Shoes be a good choice?
I still have an older pair that I wore all the time, plus I was thinking of purchasing a new pair anyway.

I'm jes an ol' hippie, I guess...LOLAM

It is interesting to read what I have written over the past year. My feet are much much better. I still have trouble the first thing in the morning and when I get up after sitting for awhile. Still the step thing is best for me. The fascia is inflamed, but the cause as I understand it is the back of your leg - not even the achilles tendon. The stretching loosens up everything. It isn't especially age related either.
Good Luck to everyone. I grow roses and always wear shoes, so that is no problem.
Sammy

I did the cortizone shot, hurt like the dickens, but it went away. That was 8 years ago, no problems yet.

Vickey-MN

I've had two cortisone shots over the years - both were *very* painful. Each worked well - for a few months. After that, the PF was back, same as usual.

I manage it with a combination of OTC anti-inflammatories, stretching, and never taking a single step without shoes.

Absolutely NO SHOTS for me! (I'm such a baby!!! LOL)

The stretching coupled with the hard massaging has helped a little...Thank you all!!!
Tonight's my Son's wedding...I can only pray I don't limp down the aisle and embarrass him...hehehe!

You know, there's yet another shoes/no shoes thread on the flooring forum. I always post about plantaar fasciitis, and how it hurts to walk without shoes. (Well, even *with* shoes, but it feels better.)

I've declined invitations to the only no-shoes family I know because I didn't want to be in pain all night.

I get it on and off. I just walk it off. It usually takes a week to a month to go away.

Also, I have VERY flat feet and found that good inserts (Tacco) or shoes with good inner contours help (Teva sandals are great).

Wearing good inserts has helped tremendously. Also, I go barefoot almost exclusively- anywhere I can. But, when I walk several miles on pavement, the good shoes and inserts save me.

Yeah. PLANTAR FASCIITIS feels almost as good as the MORTON'S NEUROMA I have. That makes the plantar fasciitis feel like a walk in the park.

Oh...

Go to: http://www.tacco.com/produkte_page.asp?kat=1&spr=1&offset=0

Most shoe repair places sell these. They're about $20

Oh, I have a neuroma, too, bbaird, and it is true, it can hurt more than the fasciitis. Sometimes, when my feet get squeezed sideways, the pain is excruciating!

Sometimes I can't figure out what causes it to flare up. ( I know exactly what shoes started the whole thing, though) The first time it happened (the neuroma), I didn't know what the hell was going on but, I eventually figured out it was one particular pair of shoes that was extremely tight right over the spot where the neuroma would be and across my toes. It tooks years before I came across a website that described EXACTLY what I was experiencing. Needless to say, I got rid of those shoes.

BTW, Jazzy is beautiful

I just went to a foot dr I stepped on a dog bone right on my arch.I was comming down steps,all my weight was on this ,I almost fell, T hey said my ligaments were stretched.A couple times a day I was to put ice pack on.felt great,I bet that would help.They wanted to shoot steroids in but My kidneys are bad I cant have it or aspirin.They said aspirin.

You posted some time ago. Hope you have relief by now. You might try using a "wobble board" for exercises. If you search google for "plantar fasciitis" and "wobble board", you will find multiple references that say this seems to help.

Would strongly recommend that you not try any surgery. Seems most of what I read on the web indicates that you often are worse after surgery than before. But seems like there are a lot of doctors out there who really want to use the knife without trying other less intrusive things. Be careful.

--Alice

Here is a link that might be useful: Plantar fasciitis and wobble board (scroll down or page search)

I suffered from Plantat fasciiis for over ten years. I got custom orthotics, wore good running shoes exclusively, had physical therapy, did stretching exercises, used frozen soda bottles, wore the boot at night. Nothing touched it. Upon trying my third podiatrist, the doctor told me I had narrow heels. He told me to buy New Balance shoes designed for narrow heels. I left the office thinking "thanks for nothing", but I bought the shoes anyway. After two months, I was cured and three years later I am still totally pain free and can walk several miles daily for exercise. If you walk out of your shoes with every step-try this.