Plantar Fascitis pain (doctor, insurance, exercise, specialist)

[gardener34]

I had this when I was pregnant only. Reeboks or Adidas only. And even when I was resting at home. To keep my foot supported so it wouldn't spread out.
Went away afterwards, and had no more problems with it. But I have heard of people getting steroid shots in the bottom of their feet for it.

[vpcats]

Originally Posted by Debsi

My podiatrist offered to give me a doctor's note about the sneakers at work if I needed it. You might want to ask about that!

My favorite way to buy shoes right now is zappos.com -- free overnight shipping and free return shipping if they don't fit. Hubby is really unhappy about this!

Oh dear! I was just looking at that zappos site. Not a good find I think

[Marylandkitten]

Originally Posted by vpcats

NOOOOO. Never heard about that. What happened?

Warnings Urged After Girl Dies from Sports Cream

FOXNews.com - Muscle Cream Caused NYC Teen's Death - Health News | Current Health News | Medical News (http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jun09/0,4670,MuscleCreamDeath,00.html - broken link)

NEW YORK - Arielle Newman was a high school track star who suffered from the typical aches and pains that result from a grueling training regimen. For relief, she covered her legs with large amounts of muscle cream.

The 17-year-old died from an accidental overdose of methyl salicylate, the wintergreen-scented ingredient found in liniments like BenGay, Icy Hot and Tiger Balm, the New York City medical examiner's office said last week. The death was the first of its kind in the city, authorities said. . . .(to be continued)

[_yb]

I have PF in my left heel also. It started to bother me about 4 weeks ago. It gets pretty bad after I have been driving for a good distance and when I first wake up in the morning. My chiropractor recomended some stretches. Also told me to use a tennis ball under my foot to massage and work it out. It is helping a bit. I have also outfitted my work boots and shoes with tulli heel cups for the padding they provide.
I went to my GP when I first started to get pain. The first thing he did was put me on prednasone. I did not like that at all.

[Nunyabiz86]

One of my relatives had plantar fasciitis. Luckily, it went away after several months. The thing is, she's been on statin drugs for the last few years. I remember reading an article where it was speculated that some statins might increase the likelihood of PF. I never found out for sure, though. Just out of curiosity: has anyone experienced an episode of plantar fasciitis while taking one of the statin drugs?

[citybythebay]

I've had it for a number of years due to running. I was an avid marathon runner for a long time. The constant pounding did a number on my feet.
It is manageable. As far as exercises for the feet. Stretch the tendons of the bottom of the foot. Flex your foot...point foot forward, flex it back....or stand on the edge of a phone book with your the tips of your toes and raise up X's 10 and flex the heel back down to the ground.
Cycling...either stationary or mobile, is another really good exercise for the feet and calf muscles.

My condition has improved. I had the shot treatments in the heel. It's not really a "shot". Feels like a slight prick. That didn't really help me though.

The exercises helped the most. I also wear a special boot while sleeping if it flares up. It keeps the foot in a flexed position.
It's not as uncomfortable as it sounds while sleeping.

Another thing that has helped me is having custom orthotics made.
A proper fit is so important. They should take a foam mold of your feet and take a current tracing of an insert from running shoes or whatever and also include your weight.

Personally, I have found that New Balance makes the best shoes with a variety of widths and caters to many foot issues, one being PF.
Find a sporting goods store with knowledgeable employees, try on some shoes and make note of what you find comfortable.
Chances are you can find the same shoe online for a lot less $$$.

[yellowsnow]

Used to have PF.

Deep six all the cheap shoes. No more and never again. Save your dress shoes for occasional wear and that's about it. Go get fitted for the cushiest New Balance available. After you know what size and width to buy you can find them cheaper online. Wear them all the time. They are indestructible and can be washed over and over. Just take out the laces and the footbeds and dump it all in the washer. And yes, the leather ones wash fine too.

Get 2 bags of frozen peas and ice your feet every night for 10 min or so. Then put the peas back in the freezer for tomorrow.

PF is so painful. I did all the treatments and spent a bunch of money buying all those braces and PT stuff. None of it worked for me. I'm pain free now and I run 20 to 30 miles a week.

[vpcats]

Wow thanks! I saw the podiatrist 10 days ago and he put me on motrin 800 and told me to alternate icy and hot soaks and to rub any muscle pain med in the area (I use IcyHot). He temporarily "fixed" the shoes I was wearing that day. I was supposed to return today with more shoes and to see if I had gotten better.

Honestly, I did feel better the first few days but I'm back to the same pain in spite of the treatment, so I rescheduled my return appt. for next week to try and do some more on my own before he wants to give me shots.

I bought a new pair of sneakers (Nike). Wrong choice. In the store they felt really good but when I started using them in real life, they are not.

I've bought cushioned heel gels, whole foot orthotic supports (Dr. Scholl's), a couple of pairs of Clark's sandals, one with a little higher heel than the other, I bought a pair of super soft and high arch Naturalizer's for every day work but they're making a blister on the back :-( of the painful foot.

I'm such a disaster lately but I will get it right eventually! :-)))

I think I need that boot for sleeping and I'm going to tell the podiatrist to give me that before anything else.

[plaidmom]

VP...so sorry to hear!
I used golf balls (yes golf balls!) when I had PF. Just roll those suckers around under your tootsies every night, followed by icing (peas or corn as mentioned above).

It hurts...but in a gooood way.

[OREGONRAIN]

This is what I did, It seemed to come out of no where, I went to the gym, did do alot of footwork during the workout, and stepped off a curb, and whatever happened, the planta just seemed to fall apart. I have flat feet, so this is what the podiatrist did, and it worked. I got orthotics, they are expensive, one good thing about diabetes which I have,the insurance covers them for diabetics. I took, tylenol, and this really seemed to work, The doctor recommended at least in my case not to stretch the foot as most podiatrist will recommend. He recommended that I put my foot on a bag of ice, I used a bag of frozen vegetables, and do it as much as 4 times a day for about 10 miniutes each time. The combination of rest, tylenol, the ice and the orthotics, took care of a problem I thought was going to cripple me. I literally could not walk for over a month with this problem, and took it slowly after that as I was able to walk normally. Now I walk 3 or 4 miles each day and I have no problems with planta fasicts, or however it is spelled.