I’ve heard the women’s dress Superfeet are really good. I also find Clarks (brand as a whole) pretty great as well.
Have you given these little buggers a try? I ordered some a few days ago but have yet to try them. Arch Bandages.
This is probably true if you have something wrong with your feet - fallen arch, really high arch, etc. If you have relatively normal feet, then going barefoot is actually really good for you. Don’t go barefoot in the kitchen (use your slippers there), but go barefoot on the beach or in your backyard if you’ve got one. Soft, undulating surfaces will massage your feet, work the smaller muscles, and make your feet stronger. Wearing orthotics all the time can actually make your feet weaker because all that support means your feet don’t have to work.
Also, if you haven’t tried it, physical therapy might help. They’ll show you which stretches are best for you and how to do them properly. I’ve only needed PT a couple times in my life, but every time the specialists have worked miracles. It’s truly amazing what someone with a real understanding of the mechanics of the human body can do.
ETA: An interesting anecdote I once heard online - someone said they started scuba diving and discovered that putting their feet in those slippers and working the feet while diving helped the PF disappear almost overnight. Which just proves the point that splints and orthotics are only the answer when the pain is acute or when you risk re-injuring yourself. The real “cure” lies in regular exercise, stretches, and strengthening secondary muscles. (Note: Wearing slippers on hard surfaces is good, wearing orthotics while on a walk through your garden is not.)
I just bought a 2-pack of these at Costco ($29.99 for 2, instead of that much or more for 1 on the company’s own website - I love Costco!) The arches on these seem to be nice and high, which is my main issue (I have really high arches, which according to my ortho exacerbates my other issues…not PF, but reduced mobility from arthritis and scar tissue, and a neuroma in one foot). Clarks don’t work well for me for that reason; the arches just aren’t high enough. We’ll see how they work out, and hey, Costco has a great return policy. Haven’t tried the arch bandages, but I don’t know that it would make a difference for my particular issues.
One word: podiatrist.
I had pf. I saw the doctor. I followed the instructions. Now I am better.
That’s how it works.
After having Plantar Fasciitis for over 2 years, I finally solved it!
Qadgop the Mercotan’s list above looks accurate. I would normally follow those steps.
I did night splints, tons of stretching, golf balls, tennis balls, rest, and saw 4 physio therapists, for over 2 years with no results.
Finally I asked my Dr. who recommended shockwave (ultrasound) therapy which I did at Sinai hospital in Toronto.
Finally, back to normal! hope that helps,
Pat.
As mentioned in post 39 I did try them - and I do feel like I have gotten some relief. I don’t think it is the final answer, but I’m glad I got them.
The arch sleeves I mentioned above are great. I wear them pretty much always at home and when I’m out.
My usual shoe M-F is a pair of big leather Keens or a pair of motorcycle boots; great soles and supportive but no arch support, so I put in the 3/4 length Dr Scholl arch supports (that I’ve always had in my sneakers and my spinning shoes) and that’s helped immensely.
So 1) arch sleeve 2) insoles in ANY shoes I can 3) hanging off the first step anytime I go up the stairs (living in a row house makes that all the time).
I’ve started wearing high heels every weekend while out. I thought my feet would be murdered by 4-5" heels but actually my arches and plantar faciitis love it. With those ball-of-foot rubber pads, I’m comfortable all night long.
hey just came across this thread… and I desperately need to know what to buy as I am suffering plantar fasciitis as I speak. Iv been to the doctors and they just basically said “yep you got plantar fasciitis” and that was that… kind of useless gp. By my reckoning getting support insoles aint going to do much just further weaken my feet by making them reliant on the support… but what else can I do… just buy some insoles to cushion my feet more and absorb shock? Been looking online for some and some “branded ones” are just made from china cheap things just with a heavy price tag because they are branded…hmmm what you guys reckon to these?
My doctor wrote me a prescription for custom-molded orthotics that do a much better job of supporting my feet (I have high arches, which contributed to my PF) and have made it a lot more manageable than it used to be. They can be a bit pricey if your insurance doesn’t cover them, and not everyone’s does, but I ended up having to pay only $70 instead of the $600 they would have been out-of-pocket. You might want to ask your doctor about that option.
I tried the nightly boots, and they helped but where a bit of a pain. I ended up with a splint that lays above your foot, ankle and a bit of your shin. Velcro straps go under the foot to keep the angle. It really worked. And much more comfy at night.
It fixed it, about 6 years ago. I don’t even think about it anymore. Never had a flare up, nothing.
I had PF really bad, so bad I could barely walk. Went to the podiatrist who gave me orthotics, which helped for a bit, until they didn’t. I bought these and have had very good results.
I also bought this, which contrary to the name of it, can be worn at any point in the day. I often wore it in the evenings while watching television, or during the day when I was at my desk at work. Never did I sleep in it.
Learn to do the stretches (toes up and back towards your body) to stretch out that muscle and keep it from wanting to curl inwards. Do it every time you think of it.
Ibuprofen and Aleve work well (not taking together though), and don’t go barefoot. Have patience because it’ll take a bit to heal. (Mine took about 2-3 months until I could walk without limping.)
I had it pretty bad for a while about two years ago. I also bought the night splint but found it too uncomfortable. I just trained myself to sleep with my feet at that angle, mainly by folding my blankets up under them and not sleeping on my stomach with my toes pointed, which I had preferred. I also bought walking shoes with good arch support, and a pair of Birkenstock sandals that I wear all the time at home. The problem went away.
This kind of “sleeve” sock worked for me:
I was going to mention them too – and check qvc for pricing since they carry them and often have good deals.
Orthaheel by Vionic makes orthotic slippers of all things. Found them on Amazon or Zappos. I’m currently in physical therapy for my knee and the therapists have all remarked on my Chaco shoes, think they’re cute, and didn’t know before me that Chaco made anything besides sandals. I’m looking at a pair of hiking/runners to use for work right now.
A shotgun treatment plan including those modalities listed above should be tried and is often successful. Surgery should be a last resort, but if indicated, you should opt for the endoscopic plantar fasciotomy [warning: surgery]. EPF can be done outpatient, is minimally invasive, short recovery period and has very good outcomes (make sure your surgeon is experienced with the procedure). Avoid open procedures when you can.
I don’t remember if I posted in this thread and I’m not going looking for it. I got it a couple of years ago and I still have it, and the boot didn’t do a whole lot. I’ve stretched, rolled tennis balls under my arches, rolled frozen water bottles under my arches, and rubbed nsaid creme on my feet. Nothing seems to do much.
I’m at the point of asking my doctor about steroid injections, but I’ve heard that they hurt so much that you can pass out. That’s not sounding attractive.
My case isn’t so bad, but just sleeping in a pair of hiking boots works for me. I tried the sleeping boot, but didn’t like having to take it off whenever I got up at night.
The night brace never worked for me. Orthotics did, and wearing high-quality hiking boots (Lowa) most of the time help keep it under control. Though no hiking boots in bed, ever (sorry, cornflake).
I did have a couple of steroid injections when I was still playing soccer, but they only last a month. They didn’t hurt excessively. After they wore off you’re still relying on your other strategies to manage it as before.
Here’s a simple exercise that was shown as the most effective in a study: Ask Well: Plantar Fasciitis Relief - The New York Times
As someone who’s been dealing with plantar fasciitis and several other (mostly unrelated) foot issues for several years now, here are some things I’ve tried out as prescribed by my doctors. Maybe some of these personal insights are helpful in one way or the other:
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Silicone heel cups for pressure relief: They help a bit, but I find them sort of annoying to wear because they’re just at the back of the foot and not a perfect fit.
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Custom-made orthotic insoles with “pressure relief” heel area: Less annoying than just heel cups, plus they come with arch support and whatever else your feet may need. For me they’re generally painful to wear though, and it takes a long time to get used to them.
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Radiation therapy for the inflammation: Basically this is the same kind of treatment as for cancer, but at a much lower radiation dose. Doesn’t hurt, takes only a few minutes for each session, but several sessions are needed. After I’ve had two rounds of that, the pain has definitely been lowered to a more bearable level, though it hasn’t gone away completely. According to medical imaging done before and after, the de-facto inflamed area wasn’t reduced significantly though.
The doctors at the hospital said that if you’ve previously had shockwave treatment for plantar fasciitis, this treatment may not work as well. Other than that, nowadays this seems to be the preferred kind of non-invasive therapy for chronic heelspur pain around here because the success rate is better than with other treatments like for example shockwave therapy. Side-effects because of the raditation are extremely rare but possible, as it is with those things.
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Low Level Laser Therapy: This is a new kind of treatment for pain relief that’s still being investigated medically. I couldn’t say whether LLLT made any difference for me, but at least there are no side-effects to be expected from it - you just have to put up with the boredom of 10 to 15 minutes of sitting there with laser safety goggles on while nothing discernable happens.
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Joya shoes: I have one of the “soft roll” models and they’re ridiculously expensive but very comfy to wear. It feels a bit like walking on a yoga mat. This is purely pressure relief of course, but you can remove the insoles and replace them with orthotic ones for your other podal needs, should you wish to do so.
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Physiotherapy: Something you should definitely be doing to improve your health long-term. I have both manual therapy at the physio place as well as a bunch of exercises for at home.
Calf stretching is very important and should be done first thing in the morning after getting out of bed. Another thing recommended by my physiotherapist is to get one of those small bouncy rubber balls, then place your foot on top with the ball located in the middle of your sole and roll the ball around back and forth with gentle pressure. It will probably be uncomfortable but shouldn’t be painful.
- Further physio-related treatments: I’ve just finished a round of ultrasound for the plantar fasciitis, as well as electrical muscle stimulation for the other issues. This has only been very recently, so I can’t say much yet about whether it helped or not. I’ve had both these treatments every day for about a week, and I may give it another go soon if the new prescription is approved of by the health insurance folks.
I’ve also had a prescription for several sessions of manual lymphatic drainage, and the doctor said this was to improve my general well-being more than tackling any specific foot problem apart from the swelling (though I do have an actual lymphoedema on the other foot that benefitted from it, but which wasn’t the main reason for the prescription). It did feel nice too, like a gentle massage. If you can get a prescription for it, I’d say go for it.
- Medication: Mostly diclofenac as my primary NSAID, though the pills should probably best be taken together with pantoprazole or something similar to protect the stomach from damage if you’re using that pain medication over a longer time. There’s also a gel for external use containing heparin and diclofenac that I particularly like because you can keep that in the fridge for some additional pain-relief on application.
I’m only mentioning the meds because NSAIDs are a fairly common part of treatment for plantar fasciitis since they help with both the pain and the inflammation. Your doctor will know what medication is best for you, and it may not be the same as mine.
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Gel ice packs: The small ones aren’t that expensive and don’t take up a lot of room in the freezer, so definitely recommended if you need something non-pharmacological to numb the painful area especially after a long day on your feet.
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What I haven’t tried yet: I’ve never had shockwave therapy or cortisone injections, mostly because the doctor said that these are quite painful in themselves and he doesn’t like to prescribe those unless everything else fails. Surgery currently also isn’t an option, for various reasons.