Plantar fasciitis

Plantar Faciitis can be agony. I had it years ago, and was told to wear trainers (I had to get rid of all my high heels, which the GP said was the cause). My job then involved a lot of driving, and I had to have 9 weeks off work.

I tried various painkillers, exercises, insoles. In the end, the only thing that helped was steroid injections.

Thank you all so much for your advice and suggestions - I will try some now and if no better the others when we come out of lockdown. I’ve looked online for advice for the last couple of weeks, but you Gransnetters have given me so much more. Thank you x

My DH used to suffer with it when he was working and doing a lot of driving. A Scholl special insert for this problem helped but it took a while, as well as foot exercises.

Do try the arch supports you can buy, as per my pp.
Maybe I was just lucky but they gave pretty immediate relief.

Crocs or Fitflops both worked for me.

Very painful condition and I have had it twice, first in left foot and then the right one. Firstly the hospital where I went told me to wear good well supportive trainers, not just outside but in the house as well and not to wear flip-flops or sloppy slippers. Also I found the exercise of rolling the tennis ball under the foot helpful. Mine was so painful that I was prescribed co-codamol which was also helpful.
I could barely put my heel down to walk so if you are doing one hours walking on it I would say to cut that down. Maybe do ten minutes at first and over the weeks build it up. It was weeks before I could walk without pain. I still only wear trainers up to this day and cannot wear any other shoes.

Yes as I said trainers. Good trainers for runners have a shock absorber built into them and are also excellent for protecting your joints that you use for walking. Expensive but worth it

Yes I've had it too in 1978. Lasted 2 yrs. Gp told me to see a podiatrist privately??
No internet at the time so
I used a tennis ball to roll my foot over and bought insoles from Boots. Used Nike trainers and threw away all my flip flops (worse things to wear)
It never came back but I can remember the pain was horrendous.
That cleared it up .

Had it for over six months awful condition and spent a fortune on different things that were the " miracle " cures. The only thing that totally cured it was shockwave therapy given by the physio . It's sound waves that pulsate through your foot and cause inflammation , which strangely in turn helps . Took five sessions, and has worked really well with no recurrence .

Just in case anyone reading this is confused flip flops, the type of cheap sandal bought for the beach or around the pool are very bad for your feet, especially plantar fasciitis. However the expensive range of shoes sold under the brand name Fitflops are wonderful if you are suffering heel pain. The deep cushioning makes walking bearable and I bought an unbranded copy with a similar type of sole which works just as well.

I’ve had a few bouts of it and it’s misery. I found steroid injection very effective while waiting for nhs podiatrist appt for orthotic inserts. Podiatrist advised never to wear sandals that didn’t have a heel strap as the toe action required to walk and hold them on aggravated the problem. So no flip flops or scholl type sandals. I find sketchers very supportive

I'm suffering from it at the moment and I've tried several different shoe inserts and gel heel cushions which haven't helped.
I'm really surprised that so many find that Sketchers help as it was wearing Skechers training shoes that caused mine in the first place. Apparently they are soft and comfortable to walk in but have very little support for the arches so not good for runners like me!
I went to a professional running shoe suppliers and bought a very good pair of proper training shoes for running. The relief was instant. I can walk (or run) for miles pain free.
Well worth the cost.

Thank you all so much for your very helpful suggestions. I have tried some of them. Also bought a pair of fit flops online - they are very comfortable. It’s got easier with some exercises but I think I will book an appointment with the Doctor after we come out of lockdown - hopefully he will recommend a podiatrist. I’m up for acupuncture as well.
Best wishes

I have had two episodes of plantar fasciitis and it is extremely painful. There are many exercises on You Tube which are definitely worth trying and sticking with, especially stretching your foot and toes as soon as you get out of bed. I also wear Fitflops and have just ordered my second pair of Uberknit F Sporty. They are not cheap but are the most comfortable trainers I have ever worn , so much so that that is all I now wear most days.
I also found that rubbing Voltarol onto my heel a few times a day helps immensely with the pain. It is important that you buy the one that is 2.32% Gel as it is the most effective.
I have seen several different physiotherapists and they have said that in the end it will just go of its own accord. Neither of them recommended an injection as they both said it can end up doing more harm than good as it can damage the ligament. Mine is definitely easing off, so for now I’m going to stick with the Fitflops and the Voltarol. Good luck .

Every sympathy. I think there are a number of different causes. My podiatrist said I have very tight muscles and tendons in my calves and gave me stretching exercises. That was the only thing that worked for me.

I suffered from it so badly that I could hardly walk - I know fellow sufferers will relate to that.
I got orthoric shoes, I did exercises - nothing worked.

Then I was away from home for 10 das, just before Lockdown and it all went away, no pain at all.

On 20th March I came home to total isolation and it came back with a vengeance and the reason? I was back at my computer.

In my case at least, it seems to be sitting too long in one position, which unfortunately is the best part of the day at the moment.

I've been trying a wheat bag, on the floor beneath my feet
(my PC is my lifeline, so it would be the end of me if I had to give that up) and of course taking exercise to get the blood going again.
It seems to be working but only time will tell.

My DS had this (he does a lot of running) and he went to see a pediatrist who sorted him out. He's never had the problem since.

This is what you need (photo). SB SOX They are not expensive and you can get them on Amazon. I take a size 5 shoe and the medium SB sock is a good fit. Wear one all the time on your bad foot including in bed. They are brilliant. My foot is OK now but I still wear the sock if I think it's niggling. I promise you will get relief.

Might be a non-starter if you have big ankles, or water retention though. Other support socks are available!

Insoles are the only thing that works. You need to put the arch back. All other treatments don’t last.

Has anyone tried Magnesium Cream, it relaxes the muscles of the legs?

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I had it in left foot a couple of years ago. At its worst I could hardly walk. I found some very helpful exercises on the website 'Heel that Pain'. I still get twinges of pain and sometimes a sharp pain running up from the inside of my heel into my ankle. When I get out of bed in the morning I still find walking across the bedroom very uncomfortable but it soon wears off. DH's NHS podiatrist suggested exercises for the achilles tendon (also in the downloadable booklet from 'Heel that Pain'. I bought Superdrug insoles which the podiatrist frowned at a bit, but I found them helpful. It was caused (as it was once before, many years ago) by wearing flat shoes with no cushioning for my heels.

I would recommend the site 'Heel that Pain'.

It is a while since this was posted but it is such an annoying condition that I have decided to add my two pennorth worth in case some poor sufferer comes across this post. No one seems to mention it but if you are carrying a few extra pounds, losing weight can help. A few years back after losing some weight I noticed I could walk long distances without causing a new flare up. Rolling my foot over a toddlers size football (similar to the adult ball) really helped to stretch out the bottom of my foot. I tried a tennis ball but it was too painful. . Along with its small size it had just enough give in it to be effective. I did this first thing in the morning and before bed at night. Stretching out the calves and heel. Sitting on a sofa with leg outstretched pointing the toe towards your head for about 10 secs about 5 to 10 times. Also if you do the calf stretch against the wall don't do it to the point of causing pain as this is counterproductive because its can cause micro tears apparently. Lying face down on the bed with feet over the side and get someone to bring both thumbs from calf to heel to stretch this area out. Decent walking shoes from clarks which have good support in the heel (though the ones I bought are no longer sold). Start off exercises with warming your foot up then cooling with ice afterwards. I can't tell you what a massive relief it was when this painful condition finally went away so that I could enjoy a good long walk.

I’ve had it - I was told by the Chiropractor to put an ice cold can of cococola under your foot and roll it. Do it 4 or 5 times a day for as long as you can tolerate the cold. Solved my problem. Hope you feel better soon.
1appleby, I’m surprised you’ve been having this painful condition for so long.....