Plantar fasciitis

[Rkh]

Anybody out there have a good remedy for plantar fasciitis?

 

[Fawteen]

I had it. Doctor told me to go to a good shoe store, step on their analyzer and buy whatever inserts the machine recommended.

Did it, paid less than $60 for a pair of inserts figuring I'd just flushed $60 down the crapper.

Much to my amazement, the relief was nearly instant and as long as I don't go barefoot for long periods it hasn't come back. I keep a set in my every day shoes, another in my barn boots and another in my "go to town" shoes.

Other people have tried and didn't get the relief that I did but for $60 it's a good first step. (har...humor!)

 

[Bob Bancroft]

It takes a while to develop, and it takes a while to ease the symptoms. I've heard of rolling a baseball, or a soda bottle under the arch of your foot. What works for me is to get the most serious arch support I can find I can put in a shoe. Walking on it at first feels strange, but it's a whole lot better than the stabbing pain in the heel.

 

[wfw]

good shoes and an insert to help the arch. roll a tennis ball under your foot while sitting putting pressure on the foot. you should feel it in the muscles. a foot doctor can get you some medicine to help also. It will take a while to get over it.

 

[sms]

Had it, fixed it. As others said roll a hard ball or something under your foot, I used the sock at night to hold your toes up, and good insoles for arch support in your shoes. They also make socks that help support your arch. Research, their are a lot of gimmicks that don't help much.
Mayo Clinic page

 

[Russ from MN]

You really should post this under Tractor Tales, it's not tool related! But yes I have it in one foot, it seems like half my friends have it too. It is caused by wearing cheap shoes or going barefoot. I was disappointed with the podiatrist I saw, but I got a lot of good advice from friends and mine is getting a lot better. Mine started last fall after wearing rubber boots and Sorrels during the fall hunting season. All winter in AZ I wore better hiking boots with prescription orthotics, and it got a little better. The Dr gave me a cortisone shot that helped a lot, but no advice on exercises or shoe brands, I got that from friends. I am going to get some top of the line hiking boots next winter for hiking in AZ. These orthotics were recommended by a friends Dr, and wear Crocs around the house, and roll your foot on a piece of pipe!

 

[Stephen Newell]

The only thing that has worked for me is not wear the same shoes every day. The innersoles help a little but it wasn't until I did a job where I was spraying paint often and wore a different pair of shoes on those days it went away. Now I have three pair of work shoes from different makers which I alternate and don't have any more problems with plantar fasciitis.

 

[Bob - MI]

I developed it due to bad support from cheap tennis shoes. Went to a shoe store that caters to those with foot problems and they sold me a pair of Power Step supports. Pain disappeared almost instantly and I have never had it again. I use them in all my shoes and I have several sets of inserts that I swap back and forth.

I get them on EBay which is where I found the best price. I also switched to better tennis shoes from New Balance. Even though NB claims to have better support I use the Power Step supports in them and it's all good. I have been pain free for almost 10 years now.
Power Step on EBay

 

[Russ from MN]

That's what mine are, my wife got mine on Amazon. I have been wearing prescriptions orthotics for 30 years, I think my insurance paid about $300.00 for them, but I think the powersteps are better.

 

[Billy NY]

I think that everyone's condition varies a bit, what works for one, may not work for another. I had this P-F in '16, took a year to heal it. I'm thinking what caused it was not wearing the right shoes, that and extra weight ! I needed shoes with insole cushions that really cushion, many are poor quality, that just don't work very well when new, let alone with some wear.

I tried the inserts that raise the arch, felt good at first, and for awhile, but did not help overall. I bought new shoes after figuring a type of shoe that would work. I've been wearing Timberland Pro Valor Tactical shoes at the office where I work. They are light, they allow my feet to breath and are very comfortable. Basically a black sneaker like shoe. They do have Vibram soles.
I also wear one of their work boots with the same anti-fatigue technology with good results. I cannot wear shoes that don't have this kind of insole. These last me 6 months or so. I take the insoles out every day, put the shoes and those on the boot dryer, so it's just shoe wear. Boot dryer is a wonderful thing to have, makes sure your shoes are dry and keeps odors down for a long time, the 110 degree heat is supposed to kill off what makes them smell bad. In between my toes sweat all winter, so often times I take them off while at my desk, otherwise this will ruin shoes prematurely.



That awful pain has been gone a year and a half now, hope I never have to deal with it again. I can recall, just sitting at my desk, the flare up, let alone while walking, this condition is no fun and can antagonize a person a good long time. Hopefully you find relief.
Timberland T90667

 

[grizz02]

what every body else said , I bought lite weight hiking boots with heals not flat , but I doubled the gel inserts inside the shoe who knew you could have more then one its like walking on cotton balls all day

 

[JK2]

When I had it, a friend told me to stand with my back away from a set of stairs with my toes only on the front edge of the step and bounce up and down. The object is to stretch the area in the lower foot. It worked for me. Sometimes I will feel it coming back but with a few bounces, it goes away again.

 

[DaveBN]

Mine just went away after about 5 years, don't think I did anything to cause it or cure it. Hope yours does too.

Dave.

 

[tomNE]

accupuncture; I had it in both feet. took one visit to cure the left one and 3 visits to cure the right one.

 

[kencombs]

This worked for me:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=taping+heel+plantar+fasciitis#kpvalbx=1

Mine was so bad I went to a foot doc. He tried the shots, worked for a few days and was just as bad. Went back and he taped me up. Felt great. I went back to a followup and they retaped them. Once I watched the process, I just did mine at home for a while. Took about 2-3 weeks to heal to the point that it didn't hurt in the morning.
While taped the pain is gone, but when the tape is removed it will come back until healed.

Also, I was advised to sleep with my foot off the bed, toes down. That keeps the tendons stretched a night and helps with the morning stiffness.

 

[kencombs]

OOPS, copied the wrong link. This one should work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRWvsL3MPW4

 

[johndeere720GA]

I saw the recommendation of rolling your arch on a piece of PVC pipe but, instead, I froze a bottle of water and rolled my foot on that a couple of times a day if I felt discomfort. It felt good to have the ice and after a few weeks I noticed that I didn't need to use it as often. The bottle is still in the freezer just in case.

 

[Kid Shileen]

Ice,anti inflammatory,and good supporting shoes. My Dr. sold me some orthotics to put in my shoes and those have been very helpful. Avoid sandles flip flops and crocs like the plague. Use the ice at least 3x per day. Also do not walk without shoes. Mine is about 95% gone.

 

[Russ from MN]

Some podiatrists recomend Crocs, but maybe they're not all the same. I always thought they looked stupid and were for people to fat or lazy to tie shoes, but now I'm wearing and liking them!

 

[Brian Dan]

My foot Dr. told me that your foot has a cold more or less and takes time to heal.
Stay away from soft sole shoes. I started wearing a good pair of western work boots, The pain went away in a short amount of time.
Brian

 

[Jaden]

When I had a bout of it, I found if I massaged the bottom of the foot while pulling back on my toes with moderate pressure, it gave me relief after a few days. Anytime it starts to return, I just do a few times and it goes away.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Dave, that's my story.

Studied up on it, realized there wasn't much to do but wait it out.

Much misery, but finally went away.

And that's all I have to say about that lest to tempt fate!

 

[JK-NY]

I am dealing with it in my right foot and also have a bone spur on the right heel which is either causing or contributing to it. I have a set of prescription orthotics in the shoes I wear for work and some off the shelf ones in other shoes. I was given a " night splint" to wear and doing some stretching exercises and roll a a frozen water bottle under the foot. The pain is improving when I get up first thing in the morning but still bothers me a lot as I am on my feet most of the time for work in a garage on concrete floor. I recommend going to a podiatrist if you have a bad case of plantar fasciitis as I have. They can X-ray the foot and scan it to make the orthotics. I would not have known about the bone spur without the X-ray. If you have no bone spur and a milder case stretching exercises and the frozen water bottle may take care of it. Another option the doctor told me is getting cortisone shots in the foot. Also aspirin or ibuprofen can help with the pain. Good luck.

 

[504]

Spend a grand with a doctor, or $150.00 for a good pair of shoes with good arch supports. BTDT

 

[Rollie NE PA]

My wife suffered with it. Did the shots, wore a brace at night and used a frozen bottle of water to roll under her foot. What worked was Diclofenac Sodium Topical gel. It is a prescription medication. After two weeks her pain went away and has never returned.

 

[BigPapa53]

(quoted from post at 11:30:01 04/21/19) Another option the doctor told me is getting cortisone shots in the foot.

I ll get my foot amputated before I let them give me another cortisone shot in the bottom of my foot! Felt like stepping on a 16 penny nail.

- Scott

 

[Dale in WV]

mine was a doctor visit - and what i'd call minor surgery years ago - he went in on the base of my foot, nicked away at some of the tendon. a couple days of discomfort, of course, but not too difficult. I had good insurance back then...

 

[johnlobb]

What worked for me was drinking Montmorency tart cherry concentrate. It is a great anti inflammatory and has some melatonin in it so drink it right before bed. I get it st the grocery store near me. Start out with a 1/2 oz, it will clean you out! Work up to 2 oz a day and a lot of your arthritis pain will be gone also. When your plantar pain goes away, you can cut back. This stuff is miraculous!

 

[miangus]

Put good arch support insoles in all your shoes especially your barn boots. Good ones are not cheap.

 

[dhermesc]

I had issues for a couple years - then I started stretching my feet before I get out of bed. That seemed to fix 95% of my heel pain issues.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

All good advice so far . It really does vary from one man to another .
I walk the European network of Caminos each year . Sometimes over one thousand kilometres and I see many poor sods crippled by this affliction . Ice for sure , arch support yes and the step trick certainly . What really works is walking backwards . Try it down a hallway so you don't trip on anything . Do it often and for ten minutes at a time . I've seen 70 year olds lame as walk well after doing this .

 

[K Effective]

I had it from the cast time after tearing my Achilles tendons, and re-tore one last summer trying to hook an empty wagon to the baler. The overnight orthodic helps, but the tear last summer didn't get better until I tore it all the way through.