Plantar fasciitis

[Ruth]

You poor old bugger. Shall I pop over later with some cake grapes?

Are you taking plenty of vitamin I?

[Graeme]

Vitamin I?  Is it found in chocolate raisins?

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I don't think you should be ordering corrective insoles when you have no idea what the problem is. I think a podiatry referral and assessment would be wiser. You could end up making things worse by wearing the wrong sort of insoles.

[Graeme]

I don't think you should be ordering corrective insoles when you have no idea what the problem is. I think a podiatry referral and assessment would be wiser. You could end up making things worse by wearing the wrong sort of insoles.

I agree (even though I order one) and I doubt I'd be able to wear it as I can't put weight on my foot anyway.  The story of my foot pain is a complicated one.  I think I have had several different problems since the 25th May.  But we are now on day six of being completely unable to walk.  I've booked a Podiatrist to visit me on Wednesday.

[mcshroom]

Vitamin I?  Is it found in chocolate raisins?

'Fraid not. It's Ibuprofen.

As well as running shops for gait analysis, I know there are similar services for walkers to fit walking boots. I have no persnal experience, but some of the Live For The Outdoors forummers had corrective insoles fitted in walking boots which helped.

LFTO is rather quiet now*, but there's a recent foot pain thread on Walking Forum UK** which may cover something of use: -
http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=27323.0

I hope you are back on your feet soon Graeme, and good luck with the foot-doctor Ruthie


*It is run by Trail/Country Walking Magazines and went through a spell of being run very poorly with lots of posts removed because they were critical of the mags or equipment int hem, so people left
** Where most of the LFTO mob ended up.

[LEE]

I'm just getting over my PF after a year.  Basically my GP told me it may take a year to recover and it has.

It's been a slow process, so slow I only just realised that I don't need to hobble around the house first thing in the morning any more.

It's been very debilitating, feeling what I imagine it must be like to have 2 broken feet at times (it really was that bad, especially first thing or after being sat a while).

Currently the heel pain has gradually moved to the sides of my feet and has been fading there also.

Spent lots of hours with feet on tennis ball under desk.  I'm not sure though whether it all came down to time (the great healer).

You have my sympathies though, it's a bugger.

[hellymedic]

I don't think you should be ordering corrective insoles when you have no idea what the problem is. I think a podiatry referral and assessment would be wiser. You could end up making things worse by wearing the wrong sort of insoles.

+1

[Graeme]

So the nice Podiatrist came to visit today and he confirmed that the pains I've been experiencing are all tendon and muscular, nothing that I've described is gout related - so it is nice to rule out gout.  (He did say gout is 'painfully obvious')

He said that the extra walking I've been doing since moving house has torn or stretched or bruised my tendons and muscles, and this was probably brought on because he says I overpronate.  Although I have a good arch, my big toe is way off the ground when my foot strikes the floor, so that my ankle rolls over to compensate.  He said "forefoot varus".

The healing process?  Time, compression bandage and Vitamin I.

It is strange how the pain started in the ankle first, then over a period of weeks has migrated to the front top of the foot - sometimes felt not so bad, and recently felt awful.

But it is not plantar faciitis, as others here have pointed out.  I'm quite relieved about that.  I will heal, and perhaps I should consider some insole to help with the forefoot varus.  Certainly no more wearing converse trainers... and the DocMartens will need an insole.  He offered to make me an insole for £30.  He said insoles should be considered disposable, and replaced regularly, he warned me against £200 insoles... not that I needed much warning.

Talking about cycling he said it was less of a problem, because cycling doesn't involve a walking motion; I just need good fitting shoes with a nice firm base and some comfortable insoles to protect against some of the vibration from the firm soles.

Time.  I am very grateful that it is something simple that time will fix.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

The NHS will make you insoles for £0 and replace them for £0. I've worn them for approx 10 years now!

[Graeme]

The NHS will make you insoles for £0 and replace them for £0. I've worn them for approx 10 years now!

That sounds like an affordable option.  I have an appointment with the Physio this Friday and will discuss.

Still got the ultrasound appointment scheduled for the 23rd July - as part of the investigation into whether this is a ruptured achilles (which I clearly don't).

[tiermat]

I'm just getting over my PF after a year.  Basically my GP told me it may take a year to recover and it has.

Mine took the best part of two months.

I managed it by using calf stretches morning and evening as well as any time I could fit them in.  Changing shoes also helped a lot (mine came on after I spent a good while walking around in a really comfy pair of Merrell slip ons. Comfy whilst wearing, yes, good for my feet, no.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Yep, for months after I broke my legs, to prevent foot drop. No major dramas, just an inconvenience unless you thrash around lots in your sleep.

[hellymedic]

I don't think I'd want to share a bed with someone wearing that! 

I'd understand and tolerate for an acute injury but it would be a tall order for plantar fasciitis...

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Sounds like I was lucky I didn't ask you to share my bed then.

[woollypigs]

Last year I suffered from extreme pain in my feet, like PF, though the more I move about on my feet the better it got. Though if I sat down to watch a movie, read a book etc it was back with a vengeance. Walking to the loo at 3am down very steep steps wasen't fun. The physio gave me some stretches to do which didn't help at all, drugs like ipro etc the same. Until I had a middle ear infection that I couldn't shift and got some antibiotics from the GP. After three pills my feet were pain free, even my GP said "you got me beat" when I asked him how/why?

On days where I'm not drinking enough water and is working on my feet all day, I get it at around 50% the pain level of last year, though still stagger around in agony. But after a good night sleep and plenty of water I'm back to normal, which is more like sore/tired feet after a long walk.

[barakta]

Wasn't there a research study showing 50% of new onset back pain went away with doxycycline or something suggesting it could have been a bacterial origin... Late for work but will try and find citation later.

[Lady Cavendish]

I slept in one of those things for a couple of years in a desperate attempt to keep running, got used to it. It did keep it a bit stretched, but not sure quite how much use they are as mine never fixed. It totally ruptured and I've still got ongoing major problems/complications 4 years later. Top tip- for gods sake dont get cortisone injected into it.

[Ruth]

Successful visit to the podiatrist this morning.

I don't have pf either.

However, the pain of the inflammation in my forefoot, due to over-pronation, is such that the extra pain of breaking my middle toe about three weeks ago, didn't even register.

Anyhow, a new pair of insoles later (total cost of assessment and temporary insoles: £25.00) we'll see how we get on eh?

Apparently, if I self-refer to the musculo-skeletal service I should be able to get permanent insoles for free.  That's if these ones work.

[Graeme]

Successful visit to the podiatrist this morning.

I don't have pf either.

However, the pain of the inflammation in my forefoot, due to over-pronation, is such that the extra pain of breaking my middle toe about three weeks ago, didn't even register.

Anyhow, a new pair of insoles later (total cost of assessment and temporary insoles: £25.00) we'll see how we get on eh?

Apparently, if I self-refer to the musculo-skeletal service I should be able to get permanent insoles for free.  That's if these ones work.

You and I are ditto babe.  Went to the physio this morning and told me to HTFU.  No broken bones, and all the rest and elevation I've given myself have tightened up the tendons and the millions of ickle bones in my feet are gunged up.  The foot pain is now just pain she said... Get over it, walk about, stop lolligagging around and do some housework.

Called the podiatrist when I got home and asked him to make me an insole too.  Over-pronation.

All of this stemmed from moving to Durham and walking 4 times more than before, when we lived in toytown.  I need to toughen up and do some hill work.  And lose weight.  And get a haircut.

[hellymedic]

Get a haircut, TODAY!
It's something that will achieve instant results, unlike some of the other,more painful matters.
You will lose no significant weight this way. (Around 5-10 grams)

[air dancer]

I've suffered from PF and tight Achilles in the past and considered using a night splint, but went with the idea of wearing plimsolls. A cheap way of having reasonably sensible, zero heal gain footwear for toddling around the house etc. This with plenty of heel-drop stretches finally got rid of the pains.

[Graeme]

So I didn't have PF - but the pain induced restricted movement.  I hope you find a PF solution soon Air Dancer.  The impression I got was that it was exercise while supported by appropriate insoles which would resolve the problem... but I'll never know.  What I do know is that over-rest is possible.  It took me a week to recover from resting too much.  GWS!

[tiermat]

Stretches.

Stretches are good, very good. Keep doing them after you feel better, they are still needed to prevent reoccurance, dnahikt