Brian,

Thanks for the input. I typically wear Ecco shoes. They have proven to be the most comfortable for walking and they look good when wearing business attire. I also use an insert for my shoes that I found years ago at a marathon (observer, not actual runner). The inserts helped the last time I had this so I figured they might help this time. I have also gone to flat shoes rather than anything with a heel. Not sure if that is helping but I thought it might be part of the problem.

Tom

No prob. Love the pic, btw. Darned evil cheeseburgers.

Hi,
I just got back in town but wanted to add my 2 cents worth. I have had PF for years. 2 years ago I was running so well on the treadmill I thought I would take it out doors. BIG mistake, I ended up at the doctors office, completed physical therapy, took all the cortisone shots, had special inserts made, and nothing worked. I slept every night for a year with a splint on that stretches the PF while you sleep. It was helpful. Then I ended up on crutches and the Boot- kind of like a cast but allowed me to drive. No pressure on the heal for 6 weeks. Well, as a last resort I scheduled surgery but cancelled it at the last minute. I found NEW BALANCE shoes made for this purpose, you can go on line to find out what is right for you. I have 1123 motion control NB. I only wear my inserts when I have to wear other shoes and never ever walk on the floor without slippers/support. Also, for the summer I found earth shoes are wonderful. If I stand to long in one spot,the pain returns and I may never jog/run outside but I don't have the severe pain anymore.
I always do the stretches before getting out of bed, in the shower and after working out. I hope this helps, I know the pain it is.
Maria

i think i may be suffering from this as well. . . it only hurts in the morning when i wake up. . . by the time i get to the gym and get started walking on the treadclimber . . . i dont really feel it.

Im taking L-Glutamine religiously. . . it helps with healing. .. so i am hoping it helps with that a little too while its working on everything else.

I've read some good advice on this thread i'll have to try some out . . so far i've just made sure to keep stretching it, take the glutamine (dont know if it helps but can't hurt. . i already take it to help with faster muscle healing). . . rolling the ankles in circles every chance i get.

I had it so bad when I would sit for 5 to 10 minutes and get up I couldn't put any pressure on my feet for several minutes. I 've tried everything including those $350 MBT shoes... that was a waste of money. What I ended up doing is what GOD designed us to do. I gave up shoes. I went barefoot up and down my driveway. I walked all over the house barefoot, and in just a few weeks my feet were strengthened, and now I only have trouble if I wear shoes too many days/weeks without going barefoot.

Try natural first - I feel shots and other things only mask the pain so you can make things worse (not all the time, but sometimes)

Best of luck to all of you with this ailiment.

Hello - I have plantar fasciitis. What has worked for me: Steriod shots, wearing a splint to bed to keep my foot stretched, anit inflammatory meds, and Birkenstock shoes & insoles. I've had plantar fasciitis for years and the pain can be quite dibilitating. Since my last steriod shot I've been pain free for 4 months. Good luck. The night splint works wonders and best of all my insurance covered it. (Royce Medical Formfit Night Splint with Tread) Good Luck - Tina

I feel for you! It SUCKS! Cortisone only masked the pain for a little while. Patience and consistency with the stretching/ice therapy is the only remedy that worked for me. I soaked my feet (had it in both) in really warm (as hot as I could stand) water to relax the tendon,then static stretched with a towel,then iced. Every night. For a year My podiatrist recommended Spenco inserts (advised against Dr. Scholl's) and also recommended New Balance sneakers....said to stay away from Reebok. That was 10 years ago and I still have minor flare ups to this day....but nothing like the constant pain I used to experience.

Great thread. I too suffer/suffered from PF. I didn't want the cortizone shots (also passed them up for my carpal tunnel, but that's another story). I also did not find the stretches to be all that effective, probably because I don't have the patients to do them every day. For me the only relief came by wearing a pair of tennis shoes that I retrofitted with some Dr. Scholls inserts ALL THE TIME. These old grimey tennis shoes don't go well with a tux, so I had to find a dress shoe that I could wear for at least a few hours without causing too much dammage. After much shopping and a closet full of shoes, I finally have two that work. I think I would have been money ahead to have a podietrist make me some special inserts, but the problem is for the most part gone (1+ year later).

Wow.. glad to see other people get PF from time to time. I have had 3 occurances of PF over the last few years. The first time I cured with just constant stretching. I used to stretch on the stairs every morning and my kids would help me go through a myriad of stretches in the evening. The second time it occurred I got some Orthotics for my feet and this helped alot. The last time though it definitely wanted to hang around for awhile and nothing worked until I got my second round of cortisone and I did what OldeHiker did. I started going shoeless. I found mine was aggravated by playing Ultimate Frisbee. You run backwards alot and this was causing alot of pressure on that tendon.

I don't know if what I get is PF officially, but the description is dead on. I get this everytime I start back up with a workout routine and I just force my way through it. Somehow it just goes away after a few weeks, thankfully!!

Angie.. the best way I can describe it, its like you have a huge painful bruise on your heel. It is tender to the touch and walking on it hurts like heck.

Dymond - it still works for me... if it even hints of starting up again, I shed the shoes as often as possible. Works like a charm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdx27 Anyone out there with plantar fasciitis? Has anything worked for you? I have done the stretches. I have rolled my foot on a frozen bottle of water. I have dunked my foot in an ice bath. And, I have now had my 3rd cortisone shot. Nothing is keeping the pain away. My doc is now saying he needs to have a scan done of my foot and will more than likely immobilize my foot for a period of time. I am guessing 4 to 6 weeks. This definitely will kill my cardio and some of my lower body exercises. I will continue to transform one way or the other.

Hi,
I had this problem and had gone to foot doctors, was prescribed very expensive orthotics and still was having a lot of pain. As I began to get in better shape through exercise it has completel;y left me. I believe what helped most was going to Jazzercise because we did a lot of movement getting up on our toes and I believe I actually strengthened the arch of my foot. Just since August I have lost 30 pounds and being lighter on your feet definitely helps also! Thanks to Kennie and the Cibola challenge for getting me motivated!
Teresa

I wonder if what I have is PF. It seems like whenever I am at rest or not wearing shoes my foot hurts in the worst way. There is not a pinpoint of pain; It seems like the whole foot is just really tight. At times I even limp from it. Once I have been up and moving around for a while, I am aware of it, but it is no longer killing me. I wear inserts in my sneakers and I think that it has been the most help. I am thinking about custom orthotics because my arch is so high that even with inserts my feet roll inward.

I suffered badly from plantar fasciitis for 3 years. The pain drove me mad. I tried orthopedics, custom vacuum packed foot molds, stretching, cold soda cans, niacin...etc.

I finally found my cure: Asics Gel GT 2112 ->2113 series running shoes. It was that easy! When I purchased them I made sure they were a 1/2 size smaller than I normally wear. They looked silly with my dress clothes but after 2 months I was completely pain free! I wasn't tying my dress shoes tight enough or my other lounging footwear. The fact that they were just barely smaller than I was used to kept my foot in alignment. My posture and gate corrected as the pain decreased.

Pain free for 2 years now.

I went through a couple years of that. I also had the cortizone shots, othodics and ice packs. The last time I went in for cortizone shots I didn't know which was worse, the pain of the shots or the pain from the ailment. As I started working out and losing weight, the pain started to subside. In the last year, the only time I feel anything is if I have been standing all day, it may feel a tad sore. I agree with macmmike, shoes are a huge contributor. Pay extra and get quality. It's your foundation!!

I've had plantar fasciitis for about 11 years when I noticed it during pregnancy. I had it diagnosed and treated about 6 years ago. I had a couple of cortisone shots then and my foot was wrapped. I had custom orthotic inserts made but have never used them because I wear Mephisto shoes and avoid running. I wear Birkenstock or Mephisto sandals indoors all the time because we have tile floors. The Orthopedic Surgeon said if it got worse I would have to have surgury so I do not run. If I were to use the inserts I would need to buy shoes that fit with the inserts inside them when I try on the shoes. I swear by the Mephistos. Sometimes they are discounted through Sierra Trading Post (a discount source for brands). The shoes and sandals I have, have an airbag system built into the heel that is so comfortable. I just did a search for Sierra Trading Post/Mephisto and they have quite a few Mephistos right now at Mephisto up to 54% off at Sierra Trading Post . The Mephistos really do last longer than other shoes. I use a recumbent bicycle and a Skiier's Edge for aerobic exercise.

I started getting the pain the end of last year. Tried stretching, heel pillows, different shoes - nothing really helped. I had hopes of it going away, but finally gave in to seeing a doctor as it's difficult to walk a dog when your foot hurts. I didn't want cortisone shots, as I knew that would be more pain that I currently had, and remembered that our chiropractic had some pamplets in his office. I started going for treatments at the chiropractor - he manipulates my foot, does acupressure on the Achilles tendon up the back of my ankle and I got orthodics. It's much better, but I'm hoping losing weight and exercise will eliminate the rest of the pain.

I had this when I was at my heaviest - waking up in the morning and putting those first steps on the floor were sheer torture. Losing weight and exercising did totally eliminate the pain for me.

I had plantar faciitis (still do). I don't know if it will ever completely go away. I think a combination of things is the answer. I did insoles, and jogging shoes. I wore them everywhere, even around the house. Sadly to say, I even wore them to church. I tried some medical boots, but that only made the pain worse. I also rolled both feet on a frozen bottle everyday I could. Once a week I went to physical therapy. I think that is were I had the most improvement. He did ultrasound therapy, and deep massage ( boy did that kill!). I am virtually pain free. My left foot is great , my right foot only has a short period of morining pain still. I can sympathize with the pain, it is almost unbarable! If anyone else has these same problems, I would love to hear from you.