Plantar Fasciitis
Posted , 7 users are following.
I started with this with sudden excruciating pain 6 months ago,my Gp gave me excercises to do and after 8 weeks of no improvement I went to a physio who has got me back on my feet. Now I can walk again but my feet are always sore underneath, though the PF was only in 1 foot....I have 3 pairs of shoes that I alternate,with arch supports and without. So after months of physio and doing exercise to stretch a tight calf muscle , why do my feet still hurt?( Oh and by the way, I kept on using the Voltarol cream for months unaware that it could cause thinning skin- till my heel cracked and I had to use a nutrient rich specialised foot cream ! ) Both my feet feel sore and burning if I have done any walking...but at least I AM now walking!
0 likes, 12 replies
cardiac_congo chris22820
Posted
Hi Chris. I too have been trying to stretch etc with seemingly little effect! Ive tried gel heels, insoles andy latest purchase is a night time brace to maintain the 'stretch', but early days to judge the result yet. I have several pairs of footwear with memory foam insoles which are a godsend! Useful to know re voltarol - Ive considered it! Im also trying hot n cold plunges, which are vile, but i will try just about anything! Thankfully, only one foot, but gammy knee on the other side means that limping on both sides!! Not elegant!
chris22820 cardiac_congo
Posted
The Gp put me on Voltarol to help with the inflammation in my foot and I am sure it helped- he just didn't tell me when to stop!
I tried gel insoles but they didn't help...will try memory foam.
?Ive had PF since last summer,improved a lot for xmas but was then very ill and forgot to do the stretches and my calf muscles tightened up and heels got sore again. How long have you been suffering?
I also bought a Heelease and found that useful for pain too
david12541 chris22820
Posted
PF can be in both feet but fortunately I've only ever had it in one.
Stretching tight calf muscles by pressing against a wall with alternate legs at an angle can help to stretch calf and leg muscles and remove the stretch factor on the plantar.
Memory foam insoles can be good but beware - I brought on a bout of PF by by constantly wearing Skechers Memory Foam shoes for over a week. I think think they were not supportive enough and a little too soft.
Ibuprofen cream can help but careful if taking other pain killers you do not take too much. Rest is most important, difficult I know if you are working, but the PF is the result of tears in the tendon which need to heal before the pain will go. Jury seems to be out on whether heat to encourage a healing blood supply is best, or cold to reduce inflammation. Unfortunately no absolute answers as it varies so much from person to person, However the only constant is good, supportive, very well cushioned footwear, personally I find Crocs, and Hoka trainers best, and shoes like Vans or Converse are real no-no's.
cardiac_congo david12541
Posted
Oh no! I love my sketchers!! When its bad, that's pretty much all I can wear!! The hot/cold currently does appear to offer some short time relief, but I must admit to having to resort to painkillers more than ever in recent months. Its got progressively more deep-set during this past year, and now, very painful by the end of the day, inspite of foot up etc.
chris22820 david12541
Posted
you need Heel Balm from the chemist to get your skin to heal!
jay7196 chris22820
Posted
chris22820 jay7196
Posted
I have always gone barefoot too and I have high arches- and a podiatrist said I should have arch supports- and I have to admit they do help though they take some getting used to! I have also had my foot taped by a physiotherapist which was a big help as my foot wasn't straight when hitting the ground. Having seen how they do it, I then was able to go online, having taken a photo of the taping,so I could replace t myself whilst on holiday .Flexitol heel Balm is what I was advised to use by the pharmacy to help counteract the VOltarol overuse
david12541 chris22820
Posted
It seems generally considered that people with either very high arches or flat feet are most at risk of PF.
The taping sounds good, and must admit I have never tried that.
Walking barefoot is also thought to be a no no, although it may feel quite comfortable it does to stress the plantar and so some form of arch support should always be worn.
JerryR chris22820
Posted
Chris, I am a retired physician and plantar fasciitis patient. I got plantar fasciitis around February 2016. After about four months, it completely resolved.
Here's what I think. Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel bone, and/or some minimal tearing of the plantar fascia - just a few fibers - that results, naturally, in inflammation . . . like a "pulled muscle." Inflammation hurts until it heals and resolves. So what's so difficult about curing P.F.? Well we walk on it!!! Let's say we take 5000 steps a day. Imagine inflammation of your elbow, (i.e. tennis elbow). Imagine taking your sore "tennis elbow" and wacking it against the wall, 5000 times a day. Think it would heal quickly? I don't either.
So my cure for plantar fasciitis is cushion, cushion and cushion!!! That's right - cushion the heel. Here's what I did. First, I wore the plantar fasciitis "relief bridge" gel-heel innersole in my shoes - that I got at Walgreen's for about $11. Make sure your innersoles are soft and preferably made of gel. (I plan to use mine indefinitely in my shoes.) Then I wore a pair (usually) of nice thickish sox. On my heel I wore fasciitis therapy wrap padded supports that I got on the internet for about $13. (I don't wear them any more.) So when I had my PF, under my heels I had 3 cushion layers. I wore this about 24 hours a day - except when in the shower or swimming. And after about 4 months, the PF was totally gone. And I would suggest to you, have patience, not surgery.
Chris, that's what I think. I hope this helps you and the many other sufferers of plantar fasciitis. Good Luck to you, doknabox/JerryR
chris22820 JerryR
Posted
Hi Jerry
?I am in Uk so don't have access to Walmart. I have had PF now for 8 months and have seen a physiotherapist for half of that,and I was making progress till I had a serious chest infection for 5 weeks....and didn't do my excercises ! What is a relief bridge ? I will try to find a UK one.I have some just ordinary gel heels but they don't seem much good. I have some PF SMART support socks that are tight and do help I think,and no I am not going down the surgery route. Can you give me brand names for the gel heels and therapy wrap supports and maybe I can get them on the internet ?
?Thanks Christine
JerryR chris22820
Posted
Good to hear from you Chris. I don't exactly know the brand of the wrap I have, but looking on the internet (Amazon, etc.) just search for plantar fasciitis wrap. I think you need mostly padding under the heel (where the pain is). In fact I sewed in some extra padding on mine. For the insoles, mine are called "Plantar Fasciitis Relief Bridge Cushioned Support Comfortable Gel Heel." I think AIRPLUS now makes them. Good luck
annette50946 chris22820
Posted
I started with pain in both of my heels 5-6 weeks ago. I attributed the pain to the leather boots that I was wearing and I then went out and bought new boots with more cushioning and no heels. After the pain in my left heel became unbearable, I could not walk properly and in the morning i would crawl to my dressing table on the other side of the room as those first few steps were agonising. I went to my general practitioner and he put me on anti inflamatories which did not seem to make any difference. He said I must rest my foot (which is very difficult since I run my own guesthouse). I tried not to walk too much. My calf muscles and my hip have also become sore and stiff due to the new way that I am walking. I have now just got inner soles with a bit of gel on the side of the heels.
My question is what do I do next. I cannot bare the pain when I walk.