Is there anyone who's had PF & found a cure?

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
I was diagnosed over 2 years ago. I have it in both feet (along with heel spurs & tendonitis) & it's starting to seriously affect my lifestyle. High impact cardio is very painful. I started taking ice skating lessons last March for FUN and it's not much fun anymore b/c of the pain. :( Oh & high heels--I do not want to give up my heels! I love my heels!

I've had countless cortisone injections & tons of PT. My podiatrist has been working on getting my insurance to approve a relatively new therapy (platelet replacement therapy--PRP--which is apparently successful in 50-75% of patients). Stupid ins. co. has been dragging this on for over 6 mos. now. He said my only other alternative is surgery. No way am I going there! :eek:

I'd be very interested in hearing others' experience with this and how/if you resolved it. Please help!
 
LauraMax,
Sorry, no real response to the PF but happy to see you are back!! Hope you had a Great Thanksgiving weekend.

JT
 
I think my case must be much milder than yours. Anyway, I've had PF twice and was prescribed the following things:

- stretching my feet (starting with pulling my toes back with my hands and progressing to flexing my feet & sitting on my heels) - 3X per day for 3-5 minutes
- rolling my feet on a cold Coke can or frozen water bottle, or a body bar if the pain isn't too severe - 3X per day for 1 minute each foot
- foam roller on IT bands and other muscles of thigh (part of my PF problem was due to poor body mechanics from muscle imbalance) - 1X per day approx. 3 minutes each side
- give up high heels (I hear ya Laura, but my PT said this was the single biggest contributor to my PF and I would continue to have problems if I didn't stop wearing them) ... I never wear anything higher than kitten heels now

The last two are the only two things that I do ongoing, even when I have no PF problems. I've been completely pain free for almost a year now.

Stebby
 
Stebby said:
I think my case must be much milder than yours. Anyway, I've had PF twice and was prescribed the following things:

- stretching my feet (starting with pulling my toes back with my hands and progressing to flexing my feet & sitting on my heels) - 3X per day for 3-5 minutes
- rolling my feet on a cold Coke can or frozen water bottle, or a body bar if the pain isn't too severe - 3X per day for 1 minute each foot
- foam roller on IT bands and other muscles of thigh (part of my PF problem was due to poor body mechanics from muscle imbalance) - 1X per day approx. 3 minutes each side
- give up high heels (I hear ya Laura, but my PT said this was the single biggest contributor to my PF and I would continue to have problems if I didn't stop wearing them) ... I never wear anything higher than kitten heels now

The last two are the only two things that I do ongoing, even when I have no PF problems. I've been completely pain free for almost a year now.

Stebby
Click to expand...

Thanks Stebby. I've been working on all that stuff. He even gave me stretching contraptions to wear 30 minutes a day.

My problem is no arch. Totally flat feet. Ridiculously flat feet. Probably if I gave up step I could ease the pain a bit (that's the tendonitis culprit, & my left foot is much worse than my right for some reason--I'm always feeling the tendonitis in my big toe). I think it's much worse on the PF than my heels (let's face it, I spend 90% of my day chained to a desk). But how can I give up step? It's my favorite part of my routine!

Getting old sucks. Being a long term exerciser has its health benefits for sure, but can also be harmful in some ways.
 
Hi Laura,

Sounds like your case is much worse than mine (PF left foot with small heel spur), but just in case - I did most of the things Stebby recommends, but I think the single best thing that cured me was custom orthodics. My podiatrist took a mold for "athletic" orthodics; I only wear them in my sneakers while exercising and within a few weeks, the PF was gone. I still wear heels sometimes, but he did specifically tell me to stay completely away from ballet flats (no support for feet and I have very low arches). Anyway, I have had them for almost 4 years now and no issues at all.

Good luck!
 
Hey Laura!

Just wondering - do you go barefoot at all?

I have had 3 cases of plantar fasciitis. The 2nd one was the worst of all and I done all the things the above posts have mentioned.

The thing that helped me is NEVER going barefoot. Even though I was doing all that other stuff, I never saw real healing until I started wearing shoes pretty much from sun up to sun down. I do have orthotics that aren't custom but I got from a women's fitness store and I have them in all of my day to day shoes.

I am a SAHM though, which allows me to wear supportive shoes all the time.

Don't know if that will help but that was my experience.
 
Lots of good advice given here, but as a veteran sufferer, you already know and have tried all of those things, I am sure.

I've had bouts of PF off and on for a few years, but never severe enough to actually do anything drastic about it. I stretch, wear the correct shoes and inserts and never go barefoot. I do continue my impact workouts and running. It seems that my pain is only first thing in the morning, and after those first tentative steps, I'm okay the rest of the day.

I hope the PRP therapy works for you. I know how awful it is to be unable to workout because of injury. Good luck!
 
Thanks everyone! I never go barefoot. The germophobe in me won't allow it. I still remember my HS health class when I learned you could pick up parasites by walking barefoot (yeah I do have my problems don't I? LOL!).

I have custom orthodics. For my sneakers, my work shoes and my skates. I really need to replace the ones in my sneaks but I just got the ones for my skates so I doubt insurance will cover it anytime soon.

So let me take this thread in a different direction. Are there any health care pros out there who can give me some tips on lighting a fire under my ins co's a$$?
 
Different Way of Curing PF

I have had PF twice. My podiatrist told me to wear shoes all the time with Superfeet inserts in them after my first go round with PF. He said I should "Never" go barefoot. I did that and then got it again. What a bummer. I did tons of research trying to find the best shoes to wear so I wouldn't get it again. Then I came across some articles on barefoot running and why wearing shoes is the problem. So, I quit wearing shoes. I rested my feet as much as I could for a couple weeks and then began walking and doing everything barefoot. It was amazing! I could literally feel my feet getting stronger. I would lay in bed at night and feel the muscles in my feet. You know--like when you start working out after a long break--you feel the muscles you haven't used for a long time. After many months of walking barefoot, I began running barefoot. Slowly and for only a few minutes. You take your time and build up the muscles and ligaments in your feet and legs that have been dormant for so long because of wearing shoes. I began running with my dog and broke my little toe when my foot bumped into his leg--twice, several months apart. So I had to make a decision-stop running with my dog or wear shoes. My dog loves to run--he is an Australian Shepherd. So, now I run with my dog and wear New Balance Minimus Trail Running Shoes. I love them. My husband even wears them now and he loves them. They also keep me from getting goat heads stuck in my feet--they grow in New Mexico everywhere. And are very painful. I still go barefoot at home and when I go for walks with my 2 little dogs. I only wear flat shoes with no heels or arch supports when it is cold outside. I wear flip flops when the pavement gets toasty. The rest of the time I am barefoot. My feet are healthy and strong. I do not need shoes or inserts to keep them immobile. I have well developed muscles and ligaments in my feet now. I have not had PF in ten years. I do weight workouts barefoot. If I do a workout with lots of jumping I wear my Rykas. They do have cushion, but I like some cushion when doing lots of jumping. Well, that is my story and I don't know if it will work for you. I just know I am PF free and love having healthy, strong feet. Hope something I have written helps. I know PF is very painful and immobilizing. If you have any questions about my recovery, please feel free to post them or send me a message. I know my way if different, but it worked for me. The proof is in the reality I am living now. God bless. Heather
 
I have had PF and posterior tibialis tendonitis for about 4 years. I have done PT, orthotics, stretching, icing, rolling and even been in two boots twice in the past couple of years. One foot surgeon said he felt he could correct the problem, but I wouldn't be able to work out any more. No Thanks!!

I started going to a very good chiropractor for some other issues and finally asked about my feet. She started adjusting my feet and legs and told me my tibialis had jammed into my calcaneus and that was why nothing could help fix the problems until they became unjammed. I was going to her once a week for other issues and after about 2 weeks my pain was 50% better. By a month 75% better. Now a couple of months in my feet are I would say 90% better and that is something I can live with.

So I would say if nothing else is working give a chiropractor a call.

Good luck.

Shayne
 
Hmmmm.....

I've got in on and off in my right foot, along with a bone spur in my right heel and the occasional bout of tendonitis in my right big toe. Right now it's off - YAY!

I am also a heel wearer, and found that most of my heels don't aggravate it, and got rid of the ones that do. Make sure your heels fit correctly, so your feet aren't sliding around and you're not trying to "grab on" to them with your toes so they stay put, or that your feet aren't crammed into them so they are all squished up. Ballet flats, flat sneakers (Chuck Taylor types) and flip flops make me want to sit down and cry they hurt my foot so bad. I mostly feel it the next day after wearing those. Athletic sneakers don't bother me, but I have to be careful of the ones I buy. Once I find a good pair, I get the same ones over and over again. I can't do kitten heels, they are hell on the knees. I don't know why. Most of the time at work, I sit at a desk, and can slip my shoes off and stretch my feet and wiggle my toes a bit too.

My Dr. also said they can do surgery, but often times it will come back, so no thanks. When it's bad I ice, roll it on a tennis ball, stretch my toes backwards, anything to get it to stretch out. Stand on a step with my heels hanging off helps too. I also tend toward tight calves which doesn't help either. Advil/Aleve and all that junk didn't work. He did prescribe Voltaren gel, and while it looks and feels a little nasty, it works. It's a topical anti inflammatory gel, and it works!!! YAY!!!!!!!

Are you sure you need orthotics? I've heard of cases where that made it worse, and when people stopped using them, they got better. Just a thought.

I don't have a good answer for you, but I feel your pain. I hope it goes away and stays away!!!!

Nan
 
Totally, 110% agree with Heather. I had PF while training for a few consecutive half marathons and stopping was NOT an option. I began doing some of the things many have recommended here (never going barefoot, stretching, rolling on a golf ball, etc) and got thru all my scheduled events. That was over 2 years ago. It slowly, VERY SLOWLY, went away. Then, once it was away, I have slowly been removing the stability in my running shoes, and began doing some workouts (LBWO, some step/floor aerobics) in only socks. Like Heather said, it's about strengthening the ENTIRE leg, not just the feet. Once the leg/foot are allowed to operate as they're intended to (instead of shoes "correcting" your form), the muscles are forced to take over...and THEY DO! Now, I'm running ultra distance in "minimaler" shoes (lol, NOT total minimalist shoes) and walk everywhere at home barefoot....all without pain. KNOCK ON WOOD!

Sorry you're going thru this. It does suck bunnies, doesn't it??? :)

Having said all that, everybody's different and your case really does sound worse than what I had.

motherofsix said:
I have had PF twice. My podiatrist told me to wear shoes all the time with Superfeet inserts in them after my first go round with PF. He said I should "Never" go barefoot. I did that and then got it again. What a bummer. I did tons of research trying to find the best shoes to wear so I wouldn't get it again. Then I came across some articles on barefoot running and why wearing shoes is the problem. So, I quit wearing shoes. I rested my feet as much as I could for a couple weeks and then began walking and doing everything barefoot. It was amazing! I could literally feel my feet getting stronger. I would lay in bed at night and feel the muscles in my feet. You know--like when you start working out after a long break--you feel the muscles you haven't used for a long time. After many months of walking barefoot, I began running barefoot. Slowly and for only a few minutes. You take your time and build up the muscles and ligaments in your feet and legs that have been dormant for so long because of wearing shoes. I began running with my dog and broke my little toe when my foot bumped into his leg--twice, several months apart. So I had to make a decision-stop running with my dog or wear shoes. My dog loves to run--he is an Australian Shepherd. So, now I run with my dog and wear New Balance Minimus Trail Running Shoes. I love them. My husband even wears them now and he loves them. They also keep me from getting goat heads stuck in my feet--they grow in New Mexico everywhere. And are very painful. I still go barefoot at home and when I go for walks with my 2 little dogs. I only wear flat shoes with no heels or arch supports when it is cold outside. I wear flip flops when the pavement gets toasty. The rest of the time I am barefoot. My feet are healthy and strong. I do not need shoes or inserts to keep them immobile. I have well developed muscles and ligaments in my feet now. I have not had PF in ten years. I do weight workouts barefoot. If I do a workout with lots of jumping I wear my Rykas. They do have cushion, but I like some cushion when doing lots of jumping. Well, that is my story and I don't know if it will work for you. I just know I am PF free and love having healthy, strong feet. Hope something I have written helps. I know PF is very painful and immobilizing. If you have any questions about my recovery, please feel free to post them or send me a message. I know my way if different, but it worked for me. The proof is in the reality I am living now. God bless. Heather
Click to expand...
 
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I also have it in both feet and what helps me is as soon as I get out of bed I roll my foot with a golf ball and put my weight on my heel. It hurts like all heck but it loosens it up and I am able to run, step and walk!

Like everyone else has said stretching everyday is really important, I use Cathe's Stretch Max with the band everyday and it seems to keep it in check.

Hope you feel better.

...Cheryl
 
I should also add that I found a very light weight running shoe and I would sleep with it on - I tied it so that it wasn't too loose where I would be able to kick it off and not too tight to where I wouldn't be able to sleep and it kept my foot straight up. I did this for about 2 weeks and that along with the stretching and rolling with the golf ball did the trick for me.

Good luck,

...Cheryl
 
When I had issues with planter fasciitis I just wore a night splint that kept my foot in the flexed position while I slept. It worked great! After so many nights wearing it, the problem went away. When it flares up, I just start sleeping with the splint again.

Sent from my iPod touch using CatheForum
 
LauraMax said:
I was diagnosed over 2 years ago. I have it in both feet (along with heel spurs & tendonitis) & it's starting to seriously affect my lifestyle. High impact cardio is very painful. I started taking ice skating lessons last March for FUN and it's not much fun anymore b/c of the pain. :( Oh & high heels--I do not want to give up my heels! I love my heels!

I've had countless cortisone injections & tons of PT. My podiatrist has been working on getting my insurance to approve a relatively new therapy (platelet replacement therapy--PRP--which is apparently successful in 50-75% of patients). Stupid ins. co. has been dragging this on for over 6 mos. now. He said my only other alternative is surgery. No way am I going there! :eek:

I'd be very interested in hearing others' experience with this and how/if you resolved it. Please help!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be so quick to rule out surgery. I've had it on both feet and am pain free.

Oops. Posted before I was done.

I was very much like you Laura, with chronic PF and no relief from any of the typical treatments. Really, surgery was the last resort and it fixed me right up.
 
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I've had it and I think what made the difference for me was wearing the BOOT to bed EVERY night for like 3 months straight.

Ask your PT person to give you one.....it was my cure!

Good luck
 
Hi Laura, I'm sorry to hear you're dealing with this. I know how it feels. I don't have the time to read thru all the replies right now but here is what I did and it made a HUGE diff within days! Plus, I never (knock on wood) got it back again!

I would either stand on our fireplace hearth or the bottom step of our staircase and let both heels hang down. I would take them lower then the step, no bouncing, just enough to stretch the muscles/tendons/ligaments, whatever it is in there! Ha! I would just hold it for like 10-15 seconds and repeat it 2 or 3X. I would do this at least 3X/day. I don't know if it was coincidental or if it was what I did but it solved my problem.

I also think stretching your toes back towards you before stepping out of bed will help and do NOT go barefoot.

I want to say get rid of your high heels but knowing you, I don't think that will happen! :p Good luck! Thinking of you!
 
Oh Well, I Tried

It has been 10 years since I cured my PF. I try to tell people that are bodies are "Fearfully and Wonderfully" made and that if we give our bodies time and allow them to do what they do naturally they will heal themselves and stay healthy and strong. Why is going barefoot such an awful thing. We were born barefoot. As kids, most of us ran around all day barefoot. Anybody get PF as a kid. No, we don't get PF, athlete's foot, bunions, and on and on and on until we stuff our perfectly healthy and strong feet into socks and shoes. They loose their ability to function properly and grow all kinds of yucky stuff in the warm and dark atmosphere inside shoes. I am not saying to never wear shoes. They have there place. But why must we stuff our feet into them 24/7. They are just going to get weaker and weaker. Can you imagine immobilizing your hands into stiff gloves all day and expecting them to stay healthy and strong? They would become just as weak as most people's feet have become.
So now I am done. Just my point of view. But I am not asking you to spend money on some quick fix or to buy something I am selling. I am just asking you to have faith in your body. God knew what He was doing when He made your feet. I don't think He was hoping for some shoe maker to come along and make a shoe that would fix His mistakes.
I feel better now. I just needed to get that off my mind. Hope you get better and God bless you.
Heather
 
I dealt with PF in both feet for almost two years. Finally after getting coritzone shots in both feet I'm pain free. I tried rolling my feet over frozen water bottles and tennis balls. Did anyone find it painful to roll your feet over things like that? Even though I've been pain free for at least two years, I try and be careful. I noticed my feet bothering me today while doing RS and while doing other workouts.
 
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