plantar fasciitis: when does it go away?

the pain might not go away on its own, even with orthotics. you might want to get a cortisone shot to clear up the inflamation, so you can start with a clean slate and be able to really monitor the new orthotics.

learn to cope? wrote:

Well, i got the orthotics. I'm wearing them around now just for walking. they feel very weird especially in the foot that didn't have PF! I wonder if i really need them.

I have been beating the crap out of my PF with the golf ball. Boy does that feel good! I think it really has been helping. I have also been stretching my calves nonstop for a few days. Everything feels good. I will gradually build up mileage now with my fingers crossed.

Question: with orthotics, do i now buy ANY shoe (even neutral) or should i continue in the "support" type?

Stick with a support shoe. A "neutral" or "cushioning" shoe can be too mushy for the orthotic to work its best.

I had PF for several years and tried almost everything. What finally worked was seeing a good massage therapist and getting deep tissue massage on my feet and calves. It was incredibly painful at first, but it drastically improved my PF right away. I continued to wear a night splint, stretch my calves as much as possible, and massage the area with a golf ball, but after my first massage therapy session, I was able to run with minimal discomfort. It took about a year of massage therapy (starting about once a week and gradually spacing it out to about once a month) during which I was able to train, but for all intents and purposes, the PF is now gone.

We need a $1B national investment in a cure for PF. Heart disease and cancer can wait.

In my case, I had PF for ~18 months.

Things that alleviated the pain and kept me running: the sock , tape, ice, and advil. The sock was the biggie here. Otherwise my feet would hit the floor in the morning (even if I put them directly in shoes) and I'd be in pain even before I started running.

Things that didn't seem to help much: superfeet (inserts), always wearing shoes, heel lifts

What I credit with ridding me of PF: going to more minimal shoes.

I gradually went from Mizuno wave creation, to riders, to precisions and now mix precisions and Nike Free 5.0's. I've been pain free for 18+ months. Knock on wood.

That said, everyone seems to be different with PF (different causes?) and heelspurs.com has a good menu of options.

you guys think you got it bad? I had this terrible affliction in the early 70s, when nobody knew what the hell it was and it seemed like I was the only one around who had it! (no internet then, obviously). Now it seems like 'everybody' has it.

Been wearing new orthotics to walk around in the past few days. Haven't run yet.

The plantar fasciitis pain is mostly gone!

However i now have strange pain/discomfort in the ball area connecting to the big toes in BOTH feet!

Wtf?

Anyone have similar issues? Is it a matter of acclimation or are the orthos not right for me?

I have been wearing orthorics since 1984. I still use support shoes- ASICS 2130's mostly. I once tried cushion shoes and felt problems in my PF and shins.

I do wear racing flats and use my orthotics in them. I have even used them in spikes.

It works for me. Sometimes I wonder if I really need the orthotics, but I have remained injury free since 1984- notable exception- right NOW. I got a new pair of orthotics last September and had problems since. I never blamed the orthotics because I never had problems. A week ago, I put my old orthotics in and my problems disappeared (except for a soleus problem that developed because of the incorrect orthotics).

I had PF, shin problems, sciatic nerve pain, runners knee. Ran in pain from 1971-1984. Got my orthotics and have not had an overuse injury until this soleus problem.

one already exists: eswt

it's fda approved, noninvasive, near zero side effects, high cure rate.

if you've tried all the conservative treatments for more than a year, then you're a candidate for eswt.

I went out for my first run tonight and bailed out after one mile because i felt discomfort from the PF. It felt good all day but when i started the run it came back. Not pain, just discomfort, so i wimped out and stopped.

I have become totally paranoid about this problem and don't want a relapse. I prefer for the problem to disappear entirely rather than to run in fear.

(I also noticed discomfort in the soleus as well and i am wondering if the orthotics are off)

you have nothing to lose but the pain. and about $1500 if your med insurance doesn't pay.

I had a cortisone 2 days ago in my heel. It is my second shot this year. The first shot worked great, after the 3 days dealing with the "flare" it responded great. I was pain free for nearly 6 months, but it has come back. Just had the second shot and no flare this time. It feels a little better, but still getting sharp pain if i go up on my toes. not sure how long before the shot will take total effect. Different from last time for me. Anyone who had the shot and no flare, have a comment on how long before the pain subsided?

it goes away next tuesday at 3 o'clock

marijuologist wrote:

it goes away next tuesday at 3 o'clock

is that next tuesday July 22nd or the following tuesday July 29th?

next means next.

when the cashier at cvs says, "next in line!" does it mean the person behind you?

Just got shot wrote:

I had a cortisone 2 days ago in my heel. It is my second shot this year. The first shot worked great, after the 3 days dealing with the "flare" it responded great. I was pain free for nearly 6 months, but it has come back. Just had the second shot and no flare this time. It feels a little better, but still getting sharp pain if i go up on my toes. not sure how long before the shot will take total effect. Different from last time for me. Anyone who had the shot and no flare, have a comment on how long before the pain subsided?

yes, I had, probably 5-6 shots over a 2 year period in both arches due to painful p.f. I always rested my foot for a week after the shot, to let it do its work and for the inflamation and pain from the shot, itself, to subside. The shots are a good start, but if you are a serious runner, running more than 50 miles a week, then you will need to get orthotics to really address the problem.

Traditional Chinese Acupuncture. I actually had plantar release surgery after mine got so bad, but it was the acupuncture that got me back on my feet. The acupuncturist said I might have avoided the surgery completely if I had the right kind of acupuncture first. Worth a try. Good luck.

I go to Dr. Ma in Boulder, CO

I struggled with PF for years and then i started wearing the nike frees all the time. Not for running just in my day to day life, but it made all the difference. It's worth a try

-Cheyne

I have taken 2 days off completely. Started with some pool running today. I have a big race in 7 days. I took the shot to get me through the race and will book an appointment with a podiatrist shortly after. I am a serious runner doing 80 + miles a week, and I am ready to try anything. I'm just hoping the shot will kick in before the race so I can run it in as little pain as possible.

how long before you noticed results from acupuncture?