I love my iJoy massage chair! I'm wondering if something similar would be helpful to you folks with FMS and other assorted nasties? I have a couple of chronic problems (interstitial cystitits, arthritis) and my insurance used to pay for massage, which I found of enormous help in the overall pain management scheme. Well, no more, so Dh bought me a massage chair for my birthday last year and while not the same as human massage, it is a great help. It is wonderful just for relaxation and getting your circulation going; I always feel refreshed and invigorated after using it. When I have been gardening, painting, etc. and feel my back twinge I go straight to the chair and it seems to put everything back in the right place. (I don't have the leg massager - I imagine the full sized massage chairs are even better.) DH bought it off CL for less than the cost of 2 massages. Like I said, it's not the same as a real massage but on the other hand it is always there when I need it. I use it daily - sometimes more. Truly, a worthwhile purchase. I try to walk few miles everyday and practice yoga (a little every day and one long class per week.) My weight is low, probably due to genetics and cystitis killing my appetite. I should do some weight training but I hate it (and much of yoga is weight bearing anyhow.) BTW, I'm almost 52 and no sign of menopause (and I'm very ready to get over my moon times!) I have also read the Sarno books and took them very much to heart. I *want* to believe, but the long term effect has been negligible. The idea that I have the power to easily control my pain is so tantalizing! Here is a link that might be useful: iJoy massage chair

If your toes are curling, do you think that is PF or a cramp? I have all hammertoes except for my big toe. It isn't a problem if they are all hammertoes like it is if only one is a hammertoe. I have a problem with my feet cramping. Fortunately I teach school, and am required to walk. If I were required to sit at a desk, it would be a greater problem, but I can walk out the cramps, and I can wear comfortable shoes. Stretching on the step made all the difference with me, but I had no injury, just the PF. My bone density is not good, and I am taking Fosamax to improve it. I do think that doctors like to fix something immediately rather than give you a long term change that will fix it. I have never heard of someone getting more than a slight instant brief relief from the shots, so I have tried to avoid the early morning injury, and exercise. However if my doctor gave me a good reason, and really wanted me to have a shot, I would take it. But I do know that those shots contribute to lower bone density, and that is a harder fix than the Plantar Fasciitis. (It is early in the morning, and I never have been happy with the way I spell that. I do firmly believe in doctors, and would do almost anything they said. Mine have just suggested the shot, so I chose to exercise. I think anyone with other things going on rather than the PF are in a different category, and shouldn't try what I try. By the way, I almost forgot. If I sleep on my stomach, I usually allow my feet to dangle off the end of the bed. Sammy

Don't make one mistake I did and buy ice packs before you know whether ice is going to work well for you. (I get painful muscle spasms.) Mark a bag of generic frozen peas or corn with a big X so no one eats it, and use that for your cold pack. Wrap it in a thin dishtowel so you don't get cold burns. If you do want to buy gel ice packs, the ones in the sporting goods department at Target or Walmart are better and cheaper than the ones in the drugstore. Since a waist pack is out despite its practicality :-) consider a tiny bag called a "shoulder wallet". I used to use one of these (until it fell apart LOL) and it really was a godsend for forcing me to pare down my stuff to the absolute minimum. About all I could carry was cash, credit cards, my cell phone, sunglasses, a tiny pillbox, and a chapstick. If I really crammed or left out the sunglasses I could get a packet of tissues in there too. :-) MIL 1.0 brought the one I had back from Italy when she visited there and I can't find one identical to it, but I spent a little time hunting around and this one is pretty close.

I have sesamoiditis that causes massive pain (like walking on glass) shooting into my big toe. Podiatrist and pediatric surgeon were not helpful. BUT the shoe store owner in NY was wonderful. Try the men's equivalent of NB Fresh Foam slightly rocker sneaker the most rigid one. My women's is light grey mesh top with orangey neon accents. I added my usual GreenFeet orthotics for my high arches. THEN I discovered carbon steel (super thin!) inserts online (Amazon) that would make my OTHER shoes/sneakers RIGID. Very proud of that discovery - made for those who work construction sites and needed a puncture-proof sole. Finally, step two of shoe therapy was to add a dense foam pad with a cutout for the sesamoid area, to my standard orthotic..again by the terrific shoe store owner. This definitely helped even more. Note that I would not get a cortisone shot, which podiatrist had strongly urged. (Note that they treat the pain and not the cause, which a PT figured out.) I then discovered DANCER'S pads (amazon) that are similar. I hope that helps. Let me know if you can't find any of the above.