Plantar Fasciitis

Use some heat on it and do some calf raises going on your tip toes, thats the only thing that helps to strengthen it and bring more blood I was told by my osteopath. Turmeric also helped with the inflammation and pain

I can only wear backless shoes - mules now. I don't understand how plantar fasciitis affects the back of my heel though! Any answers?

Thank you all again for the help with this. Much appreciated.

I had it too. Lots of heel supports available from that well known internet supplier, these help a little. Also put a small bottle of water in the freezer and when frozen roll it under your foot. I have to say your symptoms don't quite tally with plantar fasciitis. I would check with your GP. Good luck.

had it for years, plus arthritis, plus bunions, plus very wide feet. And yes, I get sharp pain in the balls of my feet plus stabbing pains in my toes, Nothing to do with the heel.
As I understand it PF is a thinning of the flesh under your feet and there is nothing you can do about it,

Learned that I could only wear backless shoes.
There are two companies I use - 'Fit -Flop', which are very expensive but fantastic, and 'Fly - Flot ( very easy to get confused) which aren't cheap but less expensive and are very good too.
Other people recommend Hotter.
All of these are online and will send catalogues. Didn't want to buy shoes online but have found that it's fairly painless to send back the ones that aren't suitable.
Good luck

PS Sometimes I get a really bad dose of pain to the extent I can barely walk and the docs think that might be gout - have Naproxen available for such occasions.

I understand trials with Botox have been very successful for Plantar Fasciitis.

Insoles sound good, but £25. Just as well they helped.

I had this a few years ago, right foot only. Very painful, I could barely walk.
I self-diagnosed via google and got some arch support insoles - Scholl I think - from Boots. They cost about £25 and helped a lot. I wore them non stop - both feet - for several weeks - foot eventually recovered and it's been fine since.

Two BiLs of mine have both had it, and have spent hundreds of £££ on specially made insoles. Maybe I was just lucky, but my cheapie ones did the job perfectly well.

Oh pressure socks didn't know they might help.
I don't seem to have the pain in my heels but it's very painful like electric shocks in the rest of my feet especially when I get up from sitting. I will have a look at 'heel that pain'.
Thank you once again to everyone for all your help.

Rascal - I had pain on the balls of my foot (only one foot affected) but when I stood for any length of time my heels felt as though red hot needles were piercing them, really, really painful. The website 'Heel that Pain' has a useful booklet to download and you can watch videos of how to do the exercises. A friend told me of someone who had PF and strapped her feet up, sort of swaddled them tightly - you can find out about this on the internet.

Exercises really helped me.

You can also buy pressure socks on Amazon for Plantar Facilitis.

After reading all your posts, very kind of you all, I'm now wondering if the Podiatrist's diagnoses of Plantar Fasciitis is correct. The Podiatrist was very young! In fact she looked like a school girl! She gave my a sheet of exercises to do. I'm not having terrible pain in my heels as some have mentioned. I'm having horrendous pain in the balls of my feet and the joints of my toes. It's worse when I begin to walk after resting. It's like electric shocks to begin with, then it's difficult and painful walking. I also have horrendous pain in the top of my feet that wakens me during the night and I can't move my feet for the pain. It feels like the duvet is far too heavy but I know it isn't. I will try the things you have all mentioned. Thank you for the very helpful advice, it's very much appreciate.

I was cured, one session of acupuncture and gone???

When I had PF I tried most of the above. The only shoes I could wear were Skechers, rather expensive but you can find bargains on Ebay. I also used a Heelease, after which the condition went away, but may have gone anyway! On their own website you can avoid paying VAT just by stating that you have PF and there is also a money back guarantee so what would you have to lose? Here is a link:
Heelease

It is so painful isn’t it. The things that worked for me.
Scholl heel gel pads you can move from shoe to shoe cheaper ones didn’t work for me
Never flat shoes
Ask your GP for a cortisone injection mine worked
Do the exercises really helps
Hope you get relief

I had it so badly - then a friend recommended Fit Flops and I bought a pair and wore them all summer and the pain disappeared and (touch wood) has never come back. I am sold on Fit Flops now and even have Fit Flop pumps and boots. Good Luck.

Mine has been with me for about two years now. I went to my doctor and asked to be referred to an nhs podiatrist.
I had custom made insoles, and was given exercises to do.
So,it is manageable, so long as every pair of shoes I buy I can fit my orthotics in. It's most painful in the morning and as others have suggested rolling balls under the feet and excercises do help. As do any sort of small heel... I have been known to say of an evening on getting up after a sit down ' pass my boots with the heels so I can get my feet comfy'. I don't think it will ever go away for me, years and years of walking miles in wellies did it. But nhs insoles and appropriate footwear do make it a lot more manageable.

My specialist recommended crocs and fit flops, both quite reasonable and work a treat, I wear them all the time and don’t get that awful pain anymore.

Horrible condition.. Feels like your heel has a sharp pin in it.. Get prickle balls (used in pilates) and step hard on them, push down and roll them along the length of your sole, do that as often as possible. Dont wear flat shoes, flip flops or ballet pumps. It's a condition common in older age as the fibrous band in your foot becomes less flexible. Being overweight also contributes. But the good news is, it can be treated but you must be aggressive with the treatment.. Prickle balls

I sympathise.I have had it for nearly four years in both feet, last year I had shock wave therapy which helped a little. I wear sketchers with insoles in when it’s raining but mainly I wear orthopaedic flip flops all year round, they are the only thing I can really walk in.
Like Nannytopsy I have been told it’s my calf muscles that are too tight.
I have been offered an operation, but that’s not an option for me at the moment .
My husband is really good he massages them for me when they are particularly bad.

I had PF a couple of years ago......it disappeared as quickly as it arrived. I was advised to put a cold , full lemonade can under the foot and roll it backward and forward. It worked for me. Hope you feel better soon.

I first had that about 15 years ago, in both feet. I had special insoles, and exercises from the podiatrist. No use. I tried lots of different painkillers, none any good.

I was advised to wear trainers. I ended up having 10 weeks off work (my job involved lots of driving at the time, and I couldn't do it), and the only thing that worked was steroid injections in the heels.

Good luck.

p.s. and yes to the calf stretching

Buy the hard insoles from Boots - the ones that fill about 2/3 of your shoe and cost approx £25 a pair. They are the only thing that did the trick for me and believe me I tried everything including expensive physiotherapy on BUPA etc. They were amazing - I had the blasted plantar fascitis for approx 2.5 years and it made my life a misery. Within a very short time I was (and continue to be) pain free, but I always wear my insoles as I wouldn't want it back again.

I think I got it from wearing crocs incidentally.

Some 30 years ago I had plantar fasciitis diagnosed by my GP and she suggested going to a podiatrist which I did but all he suggested was a heel cushion. Actually it cleared up quite quickly when I cut down on walking.

My left foot became uncomfortable last May and in June and most of July last year it was excruciating. Knowing what it was I didn't go to the doctor and self-diagnosed. I bought insoles from Superdrug and got exercises from the internet - from podiatry/NHS sites and also downloaded a booklet from 'Heel that Pain'. My foot is much better now but is very stiff in the morning when I get out of bed so I roll my foot over my Elnet hair spray on the floor - any cylinder will do. DH goes to NHS podiatry regularly so I mentioned it last month to the podiatrist and he stressed the importance of stretching the Achilles tendon - in the Heel that Pain booklet there is a stretching exercise against a wall. He didn't seem keen on my plantar fasciitis insoles without a proper diagnosis.

I wear inner soles in my shoes (from Superdrug), they help to cushion my feet because I do a lot of walking not having a car.