Have you successfully dealt with plantar fasciitis?

[beagledave]

I know that pf can be a difficult malady to treat, but I'm open to "success" stories.

I've tried (since last spring)
- variety of stretching exercises (still doing those)
- cortisone shots from podiatrist
- orthotic inserts from the podiatrist (not the custom made ones, but off the shelf models)
- changing the shoes that I wear
- nighttime "splints"
- icing with frozen water bottles
- currently doing soft tissue "manipulation" and ultrasound therapy with a physical therapist

[rgG]

I have had it, and it is a real pain.
I did the exercises, changed my shoes to something with very good arch support, and tried to sleep with my foot in the upright position. After a while, the pain just seemed to lessen to where it is not painful anymore. I do have to make sure to still pick shoes with good arch support, but basically it just got better. I think it took maybe six months or so for the intense pain to go away.

[DavidS]

Ask about using Nitroglycerin patches over them. Certainly not first-line therapy and you need a prescription for them. It is obviously off-label use, but there is lots of data about how it works.

Other non-traditional treatments include platelet rich plasma injection or autologous whole-blood injection into the heel.

Of course, if you have heart problems or are on certain blood pressure medications, this may not be a good idea.

My wife is dealing with it right now. Very painful and nothing she is doing seems to help either.

[davester]

Yes. I had a horrible bout of plantar fasciitis a couple of years ago. New shoes, stretching, motrin, ice, heat and persistence were the things that worked for me. I used ice exclusively for a while, then switched to using heat (plopping my feet in a shallow pan full of very warm water). Cortisone shots didn't really help.

[beagledave]

Thanks for the feedback. I forgot to mention that the p/t work is via a referral from a foot surgeon. I see the foot surgeon again middle of March for a follow up, so I'll keep some of the ideas in mind.

[Rick-o]

I had intense pain for over a year and it really hobbled me. I finally tried the golf ball stretch technique and it really seemed to help. I have been pain free for a few years now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZz2AAlVaY0

[hal]

I just got rid of flat sandals and then wore shoes with very good support from the moment I got up to the moment I went to bed. No barefoot walking around the house even.

[graylocks]

i've posted about this before. i had PF for a number of years that had hobbled me and tried all the things you had to no avail. i needed a new pair of slip resistant work shoes and an Amazon search brought me to the page for Skechers Shape-Ups Work Shoes. there are a ton of reviews that speak to these shoes helping tremendously with PF. i was skeptical but needed work shoes anyway so i ordered them.

within three days my PF was improved. within 2 weeks it had cleared up entirely and hasn't come back in over two years. i was absolutely shocked since there were mornings where i could barely walk when i first got up or even after sitting at my computer a few minutes nearly collasping when i got up to move.

my recommendation only goes to the work shoes which are leather. the ordinary athletic shape-ups don't have the support. i bought a pair and found them unwieldly even though i was used to the fred munster design of shape-ups in general. the claims of losing weight and shaping your butt are bogus and Skechers has paid dearly for that. they legally can't make any medical claim but do look into the help many reviews on Amazon have found though you may have to research the reviews on the women's version to see what i'm referring to.

Skechers for Work Men's Shape Ups XW Athletic Shoe

[cbelt3]

Yes. A mild case and dealt with it with :
Weight loss
Morning Stretches
New shoes (My arches are in a weird place...)
Memory foam insoles.

Mrs. cbelt3 ended up with tarsal tunnel releases and plantar fascia releases. On both feet.

[Article Accelerator]

beagledave wrote: Have you successfully dealt with plantar fasciitis?

Yes, I have. I used Dr. Scholl's cushioning inserts in my shoes and patiently waited about 18 months for Mother Nature to clear things up.

All better now.