Plantar fasciitis

Author
Discussion

Stevemr

Original Poster:

729 posts

170 months

Saturday 7th June
quotequote all
So I have this in my left heel and it hurts!
And it’s been going on for 6 months now.
I’ve tried ice packs
Ibobrufen gel.
A whole load of exercises.
Resting it.
Insoles as recommended by physio
Seen doctor and physio.
Have seen no improvement whatsoever.
Is there anything else at all I should be trying?

21TonyK

12,352 posts

223 months

Saturday 7th June
quotequote all
I suffered badly with this when I went back to being on my feet 8-10 hours a day after covid. Took a few months to resolve fully but using proper insoles in *all* my shoes and trainers combined with a roller to exercise for a couple of minutes every few hours fixed it.

Keeping shoes with insoles on all the time at home helped as well.

No issues now.


The Gauge

4,575 posts

27 months

Saturday 7th June
quotequote all
I think I had it a few years ago, either that or a fallen arch. Lasted 12 months then disappeared.

I did get insoles made by the physio my GP referred me to, and bought those half length rated arch insoles from Amazon and put them in al my shoes and slippers. I also did the stretching exercise each day where you stand on the stairs (facing up the stairs) with the ball of your toes on the edge of the step, the rest of your foot hanging off, then lower your heel down as far as it goes, and then stretch up onto your tiptoes as far as possible. That elevated the pain for a few hours.

I always used to wear flat soled shoes such as Adidas Samba that didn't have any arch support on the insoles, I don't wear them now.

cliffords

2,469 posts

37 months

Saturday 7th June
quotequote all
I had it really badly for a good few months .
I paid for a specific podiatrist clinic to look at my feet and make me gell arch supports for my daily work shoe. It made a massive positive difference.
I then bought generic ones for all my shoes from Amazon, they worked just as well.

I have them in every shoe and for me I wear slippers around the house with them in . If I am dressed I am using them. My feet don't hurt anymore.

vindaloo79

1,139 posts

94 months

Saturday 7th June
quotequote all
There was an older thread on this about a year ago. Try find it as it may be worth a look.

A (pre-booked) snowboarding holiday fixed mine, and I nearly cancelled due to the pain of PF. The symptoms never came back but I’ve worn well fitting footwear ever since.

If I had it again I’d look to try an indoor slope or replicate the movements as nothing else helped me.

sherman

14,358 posts

229 months

Saturday 7th June
quotequote all
I had it for about 6 months many years ago in 1 foot then the other. I wore these compression socks and it relieved the symptoms quite quickly.
https://amzn.eu/d/82bu3Sg

Best thing you can do is get decent shoes.
I went as far as even getting Birkenstock slippers somy feet were never unsupported.
Also use a tennis ball under your foot to massage it. You can do whilst watching TV.
Ibuprofen gel will taken the inital pain away until it relaxes each day.

oddman

3,114 posts

266 months

Monday 9th June
quotequote all
I've had this a couple of times. The exercise I use is a sort of eccentric calf raise. Stand with one foot on the edge of a step on tip toe then drop the heel to below the level of the step (as far as you can go) repeat x 10 on each foot and do it every time you go up and down the stairs.

Frozen plastic coke bottle is quite a good roller.

Seems to have helped me but you never know with these conditions whether they were always going to be self limiting.

If you think about the function of the plantar fascia, it's one of the energy storage mechanisms that provides propulsion when walking and running (along with the achilles) I think of it as part of a connected system from glutes, hamstrings, calves, achilles all the way to the big toe. Maintaining strength and mobility in this entire system is required to keep it happy. Deep squatting and dealifts being hte primal movements. I suspect a lot of PF sufferers have limitations in other aspects of leg strength and mobility which trigger it. Shoes that fit properly are obviously important but I'm a bit dubious about footbeds being a 'cure'.

illmonkey

19,101 posts

212 months

Monday 9th June
quotequote all
21TonyK said:
I suffered badly with this when I went back to being on my feet 8-10 hours a day after covid. Took a few months to resolve fully but using proper insoles in *all* my shoes and trainers combined with a roller to exercise for a couple of minutes every few hours fixed it.

Keeping shoes with insoles on all the time at home helped as well.

No issues now.
This for me. I went to some specialists to have bespoke innersoles made and fitted, I think they wanted £100/set (this was 10 years ago too). I bought these from Amazon and every pair of shoes has them in. Don't get the pain anymore, granted sometimes it'll come back if I step funny on rocks or something but it goes quickly enough.



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orthotic-Insoles-Support-...

Amazon says purchased 8 times lol. That'll just be that one, there are others too!

Dave Hedgehog

14,884 posts

218 months

Monday 9th June
quotequote all
shoes with air soles, clarks sell leather work shoes with comfort soles

with gel (this is important IMO) inserts

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plantar-Fasciitis-Insoles...

exercise

https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads...

and if all else fails steroid injections (which hurt)

jimothyc

643 posts

98 months

Monday 9th June
quotequote all
My wife had this a year ago, tried everything, insoles, physio, ice packs etc.

In the end she went to a podiatrist and due to the severity; he recommended a cortisone injection. Cost about £200 in total and meant she was totally off her feet for a couple of days. But since that it’s cleared up completely.

Stevemr

Original Poster:

729 posts

170 months

Monday 9th June
quotequote all
Thanks for all the advice.
I have the Amazon insoles.
Will order those compression socks.
Got a different physio booked Thursday.
Really want rid of it now. Especially as going on walking holiday in Switzerland in 5 weeks!

zalrak

542 posts

99 months

Monday 9th June
quotequote all
From about eight years ago I suffered with this for about two years. Tried all the advice, boot thing in bed at night, rolling the tin under my foot, etc.

Eventually went to the doctors and had a cortisone injection on a Friday morning, kept it elevated as much as possible for the next couple of days and all the pain eventually disappeared over the next week or so. Nothing back since (touch wood).

I was warned beforehand that the injection could be painful, however the doctor put a bit of anesthetic on before she did the actual cortisone injection and I didn't feel a thing.

Animal

5,498 posts

282 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Have a look at The Ready State on YouTube: helped me enormously a couple of years back.

Boringvolvodriver

10,312 posts

57 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
When I had this problem, the podiatrist I saw gave(sold) me some tailor made insoles and a load of exercises.

For me, it wasn’t the heel per se but the tendon/muscle running down to it.

The exercise that worked is as follows

Standing up without any shoes - feet slightly apart

Put hands behind your back

Bend from the hip as if trying to get your chest as close to your legs as possible

When you get as far as you can, hold for 20 seconds

Repeat 5 times, 3 times a day.

Worked for me along with number 3 on this sheet

https://www.versusarthritis.org/media/21790/planta...


Gary C

13,659 posts

193 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Stevemr said:
So I have this in my left heel and it hurts!
And it s been going on for 6 months now.

Is there anything else at all I should be trying?
I had this and it went away after stretching and massaging the foot and heel after about 6 months.

Dave Hedgehog

14,884 posts

218 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
jimothyc said:
My wife had this a year ago, tried everything, insoles, physio, ice packs etc.

In the end she went to a podiatrist and due to the severity; he recommended a cortisone injection. Cost about £200 in total and meant she was totally off her feet for a couple of days. But since that it s cleared up completely.
my GP did them for free

Slothly

70 posts

38 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Insoles sorted mine.

Whichever approach / combination works but it will get better.

S100HP

13,282 posts

181 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
Weight often plays a part too. Not all the time, but is a significant factor in many cases. Might not be in your case, but worth considering if a bigger chap.

Shrimper

431 posts

208 months

Yesterday (19:50)
quotequote all
Decent insoles in all my shoes, I threw away a few pairs of well-worn flat footed trainers as well.

I also switched my slippers indoors for crocs after reading something random on faceache. It worked...

Jimbo.

4,073 posts

203 months

Yesterday (20:15)
quotequote all
In my brief but painful experience, weight and shoes were the cause/cure. I’d allowed my weight to creep up 20Kgs, and was moping around in either Converse, whatever trail shoes I could get at Decathlon or an old pair of work boots.

Shedding the weight (NOT easy!) and moving into old-school welted leather shoes and boots (which mould nicely to your feet in time) made all the difference.