Hi Everyone: I think I have Plantar Fasciitis. Ive read everything I can and Ive narrowed it down to this. I have tried heel pads, now up to 1" thick after layering many. At the end of the day I am almost crawling out of work. I applied ice packs, heat and also some stuff called Blue- Emu. I stretch all the time. I wished someone knew a secret to helping me... does anyone? Please help if you can. I would appreciate any feedback :) Thank you ---Gayle

Pink Bumble,
I feel your pain. I developed plantar fascitttis after having ankle surgery. It takes time and patience to get over. But one of the statements I have seen repeated over and over again is seek treatment early, otherwise it takes awhile to get over. I have had some luck with orthodics that were custom made for my shoes, as well as icing and stretching.
Nancy

:) Thank you for the encouragement!! I will look forward to recovering from this. I am a busy body type and this sure keeps me still more. (Hope I dont get to much more weight on me from sitting more lol...

Take Care :)

i had the surgery for this its been 1 year and i wished i would have done it alot sooner.the band under my feet were sooo tight that everyday was pain for me. i had both feet done at the same time cuz i didnt figure after one i would of went back lol but it truley was the best thing i ever did. mine had gotten so bad that i was overcompesating in walking to relive the pain that i was hurting my back in the process. so not only did my feet hurt my back was also.i now again can wear high heels!!! :D . which i hadent been able to do for years...good luck.

Hi Wendy 68: Thanks for the info on the surgury on your feet. I am happy to know that it can work, just in case I ever have to have it done. ;)
Take Care,
Gayle

I have found that the best help for me for this condition was custom made orthotics. But you must be sure they fit correctly.

Hi everyone !

Jean C: I would like to try the orthotics but dont know if I should trust the ones where they send you a box and you step in it for an inprint. Or should I go to the doctor and get one. Do you know if insurance covers the cost of them?
Thank you
Gayle

Pink Bumble,
From what I understand you should not be standing when they cast the orthodics. I got orthodics in late December, and they do help, but I just have to remember to slow down. I tried some light jogging last week and must have pushed a little to hard and now my feet are sore. Stretching and icing help as well.
Nancy

Gayle, I definitely would not trust those do it your self orthodics kits. It cn be tricky to cast the foot properly. The first time I had my feet casted by an aid at the podiatrist's office. I had to take them back because they did not fit right. The 2nd time an aid did one foot and the Dr. did the other foot. The Dr. saw that the aid still hadn't done it properly and had to do that other foot over too. You have to be off your feet, the foot in the correct position and relaxed.

My insurance covered it now. In previous years they would not. You will have to check with your own insurance company. The orthodics are very expensive. Also the problem doesn't go away immediately after getting the orthodics. It takes some time for your feet to adjust.

Thank you for the information. Now I think I have a bit of a ingrown toe nail from walking off my heels. I filed the toe nail back to far and now its a problem :confused: I stuff a very small piece of cotton sort of under that tonail area with a little tool I have from doing nails years ago and now its throbbing like a tooth ache...I cant believe how much alittle pain in your toe or foot can make you hurt all over .

I will check with my insurance to see if I am covered for the orths. I sure hope so. I may start looking for a different career too. One off my feet lol...

Thanks everyone for your input on here.
Gayle

Jean C: how do you know that they cast it wrong? By the way it feels when you wear it awhile? Or do you know immediately from putting on the shoes?

Maggietaz: I have given up on ever being a jogger again. I afraid to do it because I think I might have to start from grown level again if I get hurt. Im getting fat too from not jogging. TODAY is my start of cutting back on eating as much and losing this fat. :) I just loved the rush I would get from a good morning jog. I wonder if I got the orths, that I might be able to jog again.

Thank you
Gayle

Gayle, the orthodic should fit the contours of you foot exactly. I have very high arches and the incorrect orthodic was not supporting my foot properly.

Jean C: I also have very high arches. Do you think that is where alot of our problem comes from? I always thought it was better to have high arches then flat feet, but I guess it isnt that great. I am trying to learn alot about feet, never cared that much about knowing until I got this pain. wow,, woke me up.

Thank you
Gayle

Gayle,
I have high arches as well and the orthodics fit right into the arch, so that you get more support. I don't know what my issue is, but my feet have been hurting for the last two days. I didn't exercise at all Saturday, Sunday or today - can't figure it out! This is going to drive me crazy - as I still need to get back in shape from when I had my last ankle surgery - I think I just overdid it on the treadmill last week and am paying for it now. Oh, well, back to square one again! Take it slow, ice and stretch.
Nancy

Maggietaz: I hope your feet are better today!. I just got home from work and they are a bit sore. I have these heated booties from my pedicuring days and slip them on with some mineral ice and it feels good. I will find out if I have coverage on the orths and get them. I will do it even if I have to pay. Maybe while Im in Las Vegas the end of this month, Ill win some money lol... yeah right lol..... I really dont gamble, I just take advantage of their good food and activities. My husband has a business meeting there for a week, Im a tag-a-long. But,,,, I dont mind :cool:

I am 48 years old, I was wondering if all this feet stuff is age related lol :confused:

Take Care
Gayle

Gayle,
My feet still feel bad, can't figure out what it is, I am also in my mid forties, maybe it is age! Insurance companies and orthodics don't go well together, mine wouldn't pay - but I needed them so I had to pay. I have been rolling my foot over a tennis ball and over a bottle of frozen water. Haven't done the ice yet today as it is cold here, but will do soon, as it dones numb it for awhile.
Las Vegas is fun, been there on a couple of business trips, usually don't get to see much except for the hotel and a casino. Have fun and take care of those feet.
nancy

Maggietaz: Have you tried Blue-Emu yet? it is a deep penetrating cream. My husband and I have been using it for about 2 weeks now every night. Then we bake our feet in the heated booties.. I have to say, my heel dont hurt much anymore or not as much. Now its my big toe from walking off the heels and onto my toes. I dont know,, but I have to think it has helps us both. I thought Id mention it to you since it was helping us both.

Have a good day
Gayle

Gayle,
I haven't tried the Blue Emu - I will have to look for it. Can't figure it out, I haven't worked out in five days and have been doing a lot of office work, with some stretching in between. I have been wearing my orthodics. I am going to get some new sneakers on Saturday. Maybe that will help. Thanks for the info.
Nancy

Nancy: I bought new balance shoes, put 2 gel inserts in the heel and they are doing pretty good for me. One day when I was up and down the ladder at work carrying heavy boxes up and down. I went home in pain and the next morning too. When I dont over do it, Im ok. I use to jog on a mulched path in the park in Cincinnati where I use to live. Now i live in Gulfport, Mississippi and went jogging on the wooden board walks by the ocean. Ever since that jogging Ive had trouble. I wonder if the mulched path was protecting me (OR) slow it was tearing my feet down. I think my jogging days are gone now!!

Gayle

Gayle,
My guess is that the mulch was protecting you,it is ususally what they use on playgrounds to cushion the ground, if the kids fall. I put on my lace up shoes today, with my orthodics, heels feel better, just some soreness on the side of one foot. I am going back to the gym tomorrow, will try some walking on the treadmill. I need to make an appointment with the doctor, just need to find the time! Also, I did ice last night and I tried some biofreeze on one foot this morning to see if that helped, so I will see what happens as the day goes on.
Nancy
:)

Hi Nancy: Ive used biofreeze before, very good stuff. I used it on my stiff neck<<<<<another aging thing I think,,hehe..anyways...I use to hear mom and dad sit around and talk about their aches and pains all the time.. now IM DOIG IT :p ITS so funny to think it will never happen to you when your younger and then all of a sudden your in your 40's. My husband turned 50 last month. I told him we will stay at 49. If anyone ask, we are 49 for the rest of our lives lol....

Today I am soaking my feet :confused: . I was on a ladder today at work and that seems to stress them out. I have some kind of foot soak powder in here. Then Im going to bake them in the booties with the blue stuff.

Where are your from? I live in Mississippi where the hurricane just ripped our town apart.
take care
Gayle

Gayle,
Hope the foot soak helped your feet - must be the up and down that bothered them. I went back to the gym this morning - only did 10 minutes on the treadmill and 7 on the elliptical - slow start - but didn't want to over do. They feel o.k. today,still sore.Went and got fitted for new sneakers, bought two pairs that fit the orthodics, will see if that makes a difference. I live outside of Baltimore, MD. Supposed to have snow this weekend, haven't had any since December so should be a mess. How is the recovery from the hurricane going? Have a good weekend.
Nnacy

I bought some orthotics from a reputable shoe store that deals in hard to fit sizes. The ones that I bought are called "Sneaker Molds". These helped me so much by putting more of my weight into the arch area. These orthotics look kind of like cork............but very hard.

I've suffered for about 8 years with this problem.......and lo and behold, several years ago, I found out that I have had hypothyroidism for quite some time. Someone didn't read my results correctly the first time. Anyway,
After being on the thyroid medicine for about 6-8 months, my condition has improved remarkably. I have two sisters that are both hypothyroid and have both had plantar fascitis.........they have both recooperated completely. I'm still on the way to recovery hopefully. Janetto

JannetteBo,
Very interesting about the hypothyroid - I had this when I was younger and I was able to get off of Thyroid medicine - I am going to be making an appointment for a physical and will ask them to check. Thanks for the information. ;)

JaneettoB: Wow, it is so weird that you brought up the thyroid problem. I had a blood test about 2 months ago and the doctor said my thyroid was low, not real low though. I would never have linked the two together. I havent taken the natural medicines I purchased consistently, but now I will. I really am curious if there is a true link between the two.

Nancy: My husband grew up in Baltimore until he was in 9th grade and then moved to Virginia. He lived in the city limits and said there was fights in the school everyday. He liked Virginia a bit more since the kids were not rough there. Im sure that not all of Baltimore is like that. I lived in Cincinnati all my life and near the city it was rough too.

Gayle,
Well we got the snow - 18 inches in Ellicott City where I am. I am about 20 minutes from Baltimore, my foot and ankle surgeon is in Baltimore, and I hate driving into the city - I am definitely a suburan gal. I shoveled some this morning and now my feet are telling me. I can't fit my orthodics in my boots, so will have to wait till later to go and clean off my mom's van.
Interesting about the thyroid - what were the natural medicines that you bought? Have a great day!
Nancy :)

as a podiatrist, i would rcommend seeing a doctor early because chronic and repeated inflamation of the plantar fascia can lead to heel spurs.

Jagnut: Thank you for recommending we go. I will as soon as I can. Ive suffered for awhile now.


Nancy:
Here are the naturals medicines I got from the natural doctors office:
Product name: Thorne Research-Sulfonil

Heres what I purchased on my own, but being lazy to take, lol:
Product name: Syntrax-Guggul bolic
(this suppose to stimulate the thyroid and help
with weight loss).

Gayle :)

How long have you had the condition?