Plantars Faciitis

[NoHall]

:angry: I have it in my right foot. Grrrr.

As does everything in my life, it has a funny story behind it. When my show opened in April (April 24th, to be exact) I wore the cute heels that I bought when I visited BB. Serious spikes on those things.

At the end of the show, my stage manager was yelling over the clearcom for me to come down to the stage. The shortest, most discreet way backstage from the booth was through the catwalk (concrete floor) to the spiral staircase (30 feet or more, all metal.) Impossible to do in spikes, so I ran it barefooted. I remember feeling it stretch, but it didn't hurt until the next morning.

Anyway, my shiny new chiropractor says she thinks she can fix it--it's not really bad yet--but I can't wear heels or flip flops. I have to wear supportive shoes with a heel strap. I hope that she means that I only have to wear it until she's done with me in about a month. Worse--she doesn't want me to go barefooted, even in my house. How miserable.

I can't spend hundreds of dollars to cover all my color needs. I have options in black, so I'm not buying more black shoes. I can't decide on what would work better--tan, brown, white, or navy?

Has anyone else dealt with this trouble? I'm not ready for old lady feet!

(Another funny story--my uncle Wayne had it on both feet to the point that he developed bone spurs. One day he was on a ladder pruning shrubs, and he lost his balance and slipped off the ladder. He hit hard on his heels and broke the bone spurs off--problem solved! )

 

[SHELLY]

I "felt your pain." I, too, was (am) a victim of PF. As a matter of fact, I had it off and on for several years. I went through the "800mg Motrin" phase; the "shoe inserts" phase; the "physical therapy" phase; the "taping the foot" phase and in the end...the "cortisone shot in the heel" phase--3 times . Knock on wood, I haven't had a PF attack in a couple years--if I even start to "feel" any pain, I immediately take precautions (meds, ice, shoes, rest).

I warn you--catch it early and baby that foot back to health. Before you get up in the morning, or get up from a chair, stretch the muscles in your foot. Also, I found the best way to "ice" your heel is to fill a plastic (individual drink size) bottle with water, freeze it, and just roll it back and forth under your foot while sitting watching TV or at the computer. And I'll stress this one more time--stretch your foot by flexing it before you stand up or get out of bed.

Take it easy; PF can really make your life a b!tch!

Oh, and your question about what color of shoes to buy?.....Comfortable!

.

 

[Lynnie]

I hope it gets better! Sounds very painful!! And, during the summer....no funn!

To relate to your uncle: I had a pinched nerve in my shoulder and nothing worked to 'unpinch' it. I had a wreck (got t-boned), spun around in the road a few times (pre-seatbelts) and hit a tree. Pinched nerve cured forever!

 

[scooterbug44]

I vote for black and tan. Black for dressy/anything dark/evening and tan for light colors/white/daytime.

 

[Grayton Girl]

I echo everything that Shelly said. Excellent advice!

I, too, have been plagued by PF. I had it in my right foot for about a year and then, when that finally healed, I got it in my left foot. I am a runner, so I was absolutely miserable. I had inserts (I called them my "implants" ), I had a cortizone shot, I had stretching devices, I wore a boot at night, I stopped running. Hell... I got so depressed that I stopped doing anything, which made me gain weight, which is also bad for the PF. It was a vicious cycle .

Finally, I decided to try something new and I started yoga. I don't think I really knew what Yoga was (or is), but it turned out to be the best thing I have ever done. And best of all, it has cured my plantar fasciitis! I am convinced that it is the stretching that is required for all those positions - downward dog, warrior one, etc. - and the length of time you hold them during a yoga session (which, by the way, is waaayyy longer than I would do on my own) that has cured me. It's just way different than any other exercise I have ever done, and I am hooked. And it is soooo hard. What a workout!

I now run about 3 days a week and do yoga 2-3 times a week. No problems with my feet at all.

Oh, one other thing that helped.... I would walk about 2 miles (several times a week) on the "soft" sand of the beach barefooted. Not the hard sand next to the water, but the soft duneward sand. It helped stretch out the muscles in my feet. I read about this technique in a runner's magazine and since I live right by the beach, I thought I would give it a try. I do believe that it helped as well. But long barefoot walks on the hard sand next to the water?? Forget it. You will just KILL your foot doing that.

Otherwise, with regard to going barefoot, it is true that you just can't do that anymore. I got my original bout of PF after we renovated our house and I instituted a "no shoe" rule. I was constantly barefoot on hardwood floors, and because the house was new and fresh, I had renewed energy to clean it, so all that barefoot housework really did me in. I now have a maid , I don't obsess about housework , and I wear flip flops with arch support... all the time. I mean all the time. I love my Merrill flip flops and LOVE my leather flip flops from Clark's (go to the Outlet mall and buy some). I have 4 different colors and they are my shoe of choice. They have an arch support, which is crucial for PF sufferers.

I can still wear strappy cute heals on occassion, but I am very careful about my shoes.

Good luck, NoHall. I can really relate to your pain.

 

[Beach Runner]

I've got PF in both feet after running 25 miles a week for 9 years. I wasn't stretching before I ran, and sometimes I'd let my shoes get too worn out. I tried physical therapy at the local orthopedic group and doing stretching exercises after getting out of bed, but that didn't really help. Got custom orthotics and wore athletic shoes to work every day (very sexy ). It didn't really help. Plus I got a toenail fungus from wearing athletic shoes and socks all of the time. I can't take antifungal meds because they are contraindicated for a heart rhythm abnormality that I have (it's no big deal -- it's just that there is a long list of meds I can't take).

Just like you, Grayton Girl, I was depressed because I couldn't run, and not running caused me to be depressed (not getting the endorphins from exercise). So I gained weight. My internist fussed at me about this, and when I told him about my PF, he referred me to a doctor who had helped him, Dr. Perry Julien (orthopedic physician for the Atlanta Olympics and for the Peachtree Road Race).

I ended up with his new partner from Destin because Julien broke his leg while skiing. I got cortisone shots, new orthotics, small cushions to stick right in the arch area of my regular shoes (yay-- no more athletic shoes for work). The doctor suggested a night brace. That just didn't work because you can't walk in them, and every time I got up at night due to whatever reason, I'd have to detach the Velcro which would wake up my husband and the dog. So he suggested dorsal night splints that I could walk in, wouldn't work as well, but would be much better than nothing. Those help a lot, but still I have pain. And on sleepless nights they bug me, so I take them off. I bought two of these: Dorsal Night Splint - AliMed.

The doctor says the next step is extracorporeal shock wave therapy. I keep putting it off because it scares me. Someone I know had the procedure done, and she said it got rid of her PF.

Maybe I'll call for an apppointment next week.

In the meantime when I don't wear my splints, I am in extreme pain and limp when I first get out of bed.

I really miss running every day. And I miss being skinny.

So good luck to all of you who have PF. I feel like I could write a book.

 

[Lynnie]

BR, I went to Perry for a broken bone in my foot. He's really good, but I ended up with Errol Bailey - sports orthopedist for Braves, etc. Have stopped running, which is fabu because I HATED running.

GG, Yoga has helped my bone, too. Amazing! We opted for no surgery and determined ways I could live with it.....I wear high heels now, but no more high impact exercise. I did get a cortizone shot and I almost came off the table and punched him square in the face. That was unbelievably painful, but I could have run a marathon two minutes later. The next cortizone shot only lasted a couple of weeks and then I was done with that.

 

[Beach Runner]

JR, my arches are so high that no high-arched shoe helps. Those little pads that Julien's office gave me help a little, but not as good as wearing the orthotics. But, again, I can't wear the orthotics all of the time because I don't want to get a toenail fungus again. ARGH!

I remember that stairstep exercise. I should start doing that again. I should also do the frozen water bottles again like SHELLY recommended, especially now thatam getting ready for the Peachtree Road Race on the 4th. I plan to walk it -- running is just too high-impact for my feet.

Can't do yoga. I have arthritis in my knees from all of the running, and I am so ungraceful in my movements that yoga really hurt them. I got to the point where I had trouble getting out of a chair or out of my car. Very embarrassing. Doctor told me to stop the yoga.

Wish I could wear high heels. That was one of my trademarks. And there are so many gorgeous styles now.

 

[scooterbug44]

BR - Can't you wash your feet w/ something or change your socks more often to prevent the toe fungus?

 

[Beach Runner]

BR - Can't you wash your feet w/ something or change your socks more often to prevent the toe fungus?

The doc just said to change socks every day and every time I put on my shoes. He never mentioned any type of antifungal wash.

I even tried the Vicks remedy from the Dr. Gott column in the newspaper. Didn't work.

BTW now that I don't wear shoes and socks except when I exercise, I don't have the toe problem at least.