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BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!)
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Subject: BS: Plantar Fasciitis - It's stopped hurting! From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:29 PM Well, I got PF first around 18 months back, but it disappeared pretty fast, thank heavens. Recently however, it came back and this time FAR more painfully. I've had it for around 5 months this time..and acupuncture helped a great deal to start with, but it soon wore off and ended up not working any longer at all. Heck, I was so desperate I'd have tried anything, because on a pain scale of 1 to 10, this foot pain was around 19, 24/7. I started to feel very sorry for myself...made worse because I don't drive, so I need my feet...a LOT. I've been blessed with very happy feet all my life, duck shaped, but very happy, and I've always taken good care of them, put them in good shoes etc... But Plantar Fasciitis changed all of that. For those who don't know about it, it can strike anyone, at any age, for no reason at all. It's a pain that starts under the arch of the foot, right deep inside the arch, where the tendon is, and the pain from the inflammation reaches right around the heel, often making your feet/heels feel as if they're on fire...and..you get shooting pains that make you literally wince. Now, I gave birth to both my children with no pain relief at all, so my pain threshold, trust me, is pretty darn high, but this floored me...even more so when my job/s have involved standing up, often all day long...tears were never far away..and a desperation of 'how am I going to manage with this for the rest of my life, if it doesn't go!' began to creep in... They tell you to wear trainers, good fitting shoes that give lots of support, basically. And so my quest began....and the pile of shoes grew ever taller...as the pain persisted..as the shoes and calf/foot exercises didn't work...and my bank balance grew smaller... The feeling of desperation grew even stronger... And then......THEN, one day, I walked into a shoe shop called 'T Reds'. It's filled with funky shoes and funky people, and a pair of shoes caught my eye...Black patent, with golden roses on...and next to them were more black patent ones, with purple tiger/tortoise patterns on...ones with butterflies and flowers, gold, scarlet..Ohsobeautiful! The young funky lassie walked up to me..."You'll like those" she said, "They're so comfortable!" I sighed..and told her of my plight..."My Dad has that!" she cried..."And he's diabetic and has arthritis in his feet too. So I bought him a pair as they're specially made for these kind of foot problems. At first he wouldn't wear them, but then he tried them, and he's never taken them off. He's got loads of pairs now." So, I put one. Then I put the other on. They felt of....heaven. But I'd been here before..'seemed alright in the shop'...but something made me decide to take them...and I paid the most I've EVER paid for a pair of shoes in my life! £79 (!!!) Hell, I was desperate.. Three weeks later, my gorgeous, beautiful, funky scarlet patent shoes have given me my life, my shine and my sparkle back! I have no more foot pain, no more burning heat..and..my legs feel like teenage legs again!! Also, I can stand ALL day long and not get tired..and I can go for long walks again, ride my bike, the whole caboodle. I....am a Very Happy Bunny! :0) Anyway, I thought I'd come in and tell folks about these magical shoes, just in case anyone else is suffering...and even though they're expensive, they're worth every single penny, and more. They're made by a firm called PG Lite, and the ones I have are from their Alegria range: Alegria Shoes (Women's range) by PG Lite Alegria at T Reds shoe shops The men's ones don't seem to be quite so funky...(sorry guys!) :0) The Alegria Shoe Shop online...(men's are in here) Anyway, that's the story of my Happy Feet, so I thought I'd pass it on. I hope they can help you too. Lizzie :0) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Richard Bridge Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:35 PM Oh, I've got that too. I find that the worst possible thing I can do is to support the foot. Feet are designed by nature to bear weight on the ball and heel (and a little round the outer ridge) NOT TO HAVE THE ARCH SUPPORTED AND BEARING WEIGHT. The less I wear shoes the better. If I must wear shoes - wholly flat insoles with no supports are best. Recently I am finding that proper leather "office shoes" (oxfords, or brogues) are pretty good too. I might try your version out though just to see, as I have had this for about 18 months and that's the sort of time span they start talking about PAINFUL injections or operations with a significant failure rate. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: olddude Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:38 PM they hurt, had one on my heel. I tried that freeze stuff you buy at the Pharmacy .. worked oK then it came back ... no kidding the last time, I froze it then went to work on it with a knife .. Its gone ... but I do not recommend doing that yourself as I did .. The foot doc guys use acid and they go away for good. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:39 PM And I forgot to mention this bit. Inside the shoe there's a removable inner sole, specially designed to support the arch and give tender loving care in all the right parts. Underneath this inner sole (insole) there's a sort of springy foundation, which absorbs the shock from the foot hitting the ground. All their shoes are on a sort of rocker base, which makes you walk slightly more upright, putting the weight of your body in the correct alignment for your foot. Tonight I even kept up, speedwise, with my 16 year old, six foot plus, long limbed, long legged son, when we went to the shops... "Those shoes are amazing, Mum" he said, when he noticed that he wasn't having to walk slowly in order for his poor old Mum to keep up with him... Yup, they are...AMAZING! I'm just off to write to the PG Lite folks now, to thank them for all their research and hard work... :0) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: olddude Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:47 PM Oh sorry I am thinking of the plantar wort things. This is something else... boy I would be a rotten doctor huh |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:55 PM LOL, Dan.. :0) xx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: VirginiaTam Date: 22 Oct 10 - 05:21 PM yeah... I looked at them.. have the PF off and on as well as rheumy arthritis. But I also have serious balance issues due to osteo arthritis in my cervical spine. Tendency to fall backwards not easy to right myself as hips have RA too. Wish they could make them a little less rocky and less high. Standing on the shower board (3 inches off floor) in my bathroom disorients me sometimes. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 22 Oct 10 - 05:32 PM I don't even notice the 'rocky' bit any longer, Tam. They just feel normal. And...they keep my feet lovely and warm. They have memory foam in them too. I seriously *love* these shoes! :0) I hope you find something that helps you. xx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Richard Bridge Date: 22 Oct 10 - 05:38 PM Olddude, you mean veruccas. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Sawzaw Date: 22 Oct 10 - 05:45 PM It could be a bone spur. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Mingulay Date: 22 Oct 10 - 06:53 PM There's really nothing new about this type of footwear, English shoemakers Frank Wright made something very similar around 25/30 years ago which had the same 'rolling' action when walking. They didn't catch on back in the day. Clogs have a similar sole profile as being made of wood they don't flex and would otherwise be pretty much unwearable. Mingulay A (very) old cobbler. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Bluegrassman Date: 22 Oct 10 - 07:21 PM Hi all, I had Plantar Fasciitis for a month or two about six or seven years ago. My first steps after being sat down were very painful and nothing seemed to give me ease. Then I went on the Atkins diet just to lose a little weight and that worked very well and strangely the Plantar Fasciitis went away about three weeks into the diet and has not returned. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Jack Campin Date: 22 Oct 10 - 07:22 PM Marion here had that, very painfully. (Mainly a result of working on hard floors with hard-soled footwear, but stuff like step-dancing didn't help). She went through umpteen different kinds of shoes and insoles, but the ones that REALLY made a big difference were a new kind of insole. These have air cushions under the foot (mainly just in front of the heel) connected by a tube to a reservoir of air round your ankle. The air gets pushed up into the reservoir as you put your weight down and then flows back when you lift your foot. The firm that makes these is Aircast, www.aircast.com. They last much better than you'd think from the odd design. She now uses a variety of footwear and insoles - often using MBT shoes and sandals though they're helluvan expensive - but the Aircasts are the last resort when the problem threatens to come back seriously. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Jack Campin Date: 22 Oct 10 - 07:26 PM Should have added: in the UK, the Aircasts are prescribable by an NHS foot clinic, if you can get a referral to one. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: John on the Sunset Coast Date: 22 Oct 10 - 07:39 PM In 2004 while on vacation I experienced PF so severe that I was sent to the infirmary at the Louvre. Upon returning home, several days later, I went to my GP to see what we could do. Option 1--Stay off it as much as possible (fat chance!). Keep it elevated as much as possible, and roll my foot over a soda can to stretch the ligament. Prognosis: It may clear up in a couple of months. Bad idea. Option 2--Wear a walking boot if I really need to be mobile. Otherwise keep it elevated as much as possible. Prognosis: It may clear up in a couple of months. Too long. Option 3--Flood the plantar tendon (ligament) with cortisone by injection. Prognosis: Complete relief with a couple of hours. Sounds about right to me. Well, I had the shot. It was so painful that I would have given atomic secrets to the Soviets had I known any; it was the longest short time of my life. By the time I go home--about 30 minutes later--the plantar pain was gone, and has not returned at all. I'd call it the best 15 seconds I ever invested in. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Kent Davis Date: 23 Oct 10 - 12:38 AM Sometimes stretching the foot really well BEFORE the first step of the day helps. My wife and I have both gotten relief from this. For it to work, you must stretch the arch, really get it limbered up. Take at least a full minute, two or three minutes is even better. This must be done while you are still in bed. If you stand up first, before the stretches, your weight will force the plantar fascia to stretch too far while it is still stiff and shortened from the night's rest. This irritates the problem further. Kent |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Manitas_at_home Date: 23 Oct 10 - 02:09 AM I was lucky enough to be able to use a simple heel pad. Opinion about cortisone injections seems to be firming up against them. You may be relieving the pain but you don't know if you're casuing more danage. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: MAG Date: 23 Oct 10 - 11:23 AM I had this awhilem back and it IS a real problem. Tried everything recommended; the soda can. the orthotics, etc etc. Good 'ol Dr. Scholls wooden clogs saved the day, after so long that I was walking on the outside of my feet. A catalog gadget helped, too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Art Thieme Date: 23 Oct 10 - 05:38 PM Woody had a sign on his guitar saying that "This Machine Kills Fasciitis!" Give it a try. Nothing to lose, right? Art |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 23 Oct 10 - 09:18 PM Walk each evening - barefoot - on sunlit sands.
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 24 Oct 10 - 04:22 AM "Woody had a sign on his guitar saying that "This Machine Kills Fasciitis!" :0) LOL Oh, ONLY on Mudcat would you get wit like that! Well done, Art. From Gargoyle "Walking also cures almost every ailment you pathetic souls gripe about down here in the "lower kingdom"...diabetic, over-weight, depressed, obsessed, public and pubic problems....and cluttering." Er...'walking' just so's you know, mate, is one of the major things in my life. The foot problem *stopped* me from doing exactly that. My new 'amazing' (and funky) shoes have helped enormously with the foot problem that *stopped* the walking, thus enabling me to now continue with my life. Go figure... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Richard Bridge Date: 24 Oct 10 - 05:03 AM Well, it can't hurt to try a pair, since the men's ones are not wholly silly in appearance. After rent day I think! However, I believe I am right in saying that plantar fasciitis is often triggered by repeated minor injuries to the foot (eg from a lumpy or misshapen insole). Mine is only a mild nuisance mostly, but is concentrated at the rear attachment of the plantar fascia, although sometimes there is a slightly "scrunchy" feel in the general area of the front attachment. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Richard Bridge Date: 24 Oct 10 - 05:23 AM Since there appears to be no way to get to communicate with alegria on their website and their UK website seems non-functional, largely, I have left the following on their facebook page. What a way to run a business! "Apparently I have to "like" this page to be able to communicate. First black mark. Second, I'm here on facebook doing this because I'm damned if I can find a way to communicate with you from the alegria website. Second black mark. Third, I can't see a way to enable you alegria to reply to me without exposing my private facebook profile or publicly posting an email address. Fourth, I can't find anyone selling your men's shoes in the UK. Bah!" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: maeve Date: 24 Oct 10 - 06:59 AM Richard Bridge- I found links in grey font at the very bottom of the Men's Shoes page, including "About Us" with this email address: scrubwagon@triad.rr.com and a "Help" link with information on International shipping http://www.alegriashoeshop.com/help.asp. I hope this is helpful. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: maeve Date: 24 Oct 10 - 07:24 AM My previous post referred to Lizzie's Men's page link in her original post. Looking at the UK web page, I see this link for "Contact Us", again at the very bottom of the page: http://cheerfulsoles.co.uk/contacts/, where I found this information: "We know that sometimes you just need to speak or write to someone with a burning question that just won't wait. So please feel free to contact us using any method below. You may contact us by email at info@cheerfulsoles.co.uk Phone Phone us on 01756 753858 Telephone calls to and from Cheerful Soles may be recorded or monitored as part of our efforts to further improve service to our customers. Post Please write to Cheerful Soles with your enquiry at the following address: 29-31 Main Street, Grassington, North Yorkshire, BD23 5AD. Our office hours: 09:00 – 17:00 Monday to Saturday" ***************************** Again, I trust this is useful information. I hope you gain some relief. Plantar Fasciitis is painful. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Richard Bridge Date: 24 Oct 10 - 07:28 AM Good heavens. Well found. Mine is only a minor nuisance, but it would be worth improving! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: maeve Date: 24 Oct 10 - 07:52 AM I'm glad the information is helpful, Richard. Even if yours is mild, it can readily get worse. Good luck in finding relief. My only option is the stretching Kent mentioned. Maeve |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Crowhugger Date: 24 Oct 10 - 08:43 PM Maeve or Kent, How does one actually do such stretches? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 24 Oct 10 - 08:57 PM Walking also cures almost every ailment you pathetic souls gripe about down here in the "lower kingdom"... No. I used to walk and walk. (wore sensible shoes, too.) Then I went to the foot doctor with pain and he said, "You have walked on concrete so much that your Achilles tendons are like steel cables, and they are pulling on the delicate parts of your feet." So spare me the platitudes. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Kent Davis Date: 24 Oct 10 - 11:05 PM Crowhugger, I did my stretches by sitting up in bed, grasping the "bad" foot with both hands (one palm on the ball of the foot, the other on the heel) and repeatedly pressing "up" (toward the ankle), thus flattening* the arch. Alternating with the flattening stretch, I curled the foot, bringing the toes closer to the heel, exaggerating the arch. I also used my hands to twist or wring the foot. My more creative wife imagined that she was on a beach writing in the sand with her big toe. She "wrote" the alphabet every morning. As she "wrote", she took care to repeatedly alternate between movements that flattened, and movements that exaggerated the arch. Either way, it is the same idea as doing "warm-up" stretches before an athletic event. If you use this method, remember to do the writing with FOOT motion, not just ankle motion. Ankle motion doesn't stretch the arch. This does work for rehabilitation, up to a point. My case was caused by wearing "bargain" $10 shoes. I also stopped wearing the shoes. I used a custom orthotic for awhile, and it helped, but I still had pain. The pain didn't go away until I started doing the stretches. Kent * Standing up would also flatten the arch, but with excessive force. Supporting my weight generates much more force on the arch than I can generate with my hands, which is why it is so important to do the stretches BEFORE bearing any weight. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: VirginiaTam Date: 25 Oct 10 - 01:51 AM Exercise the physio told me to do was to put the balls of my feet on a step and drop my heels. Maybe that was for the achilles tendon? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Richard Bridge Date: 25 Oct 10 - 03:24 AM http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Plantar-Fasciitis.htm |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Richard Bridge Date: 25 Oct 10 - 04:31 AM "Hello Thank you for your enquiry. Currently Mens Alegria Shoes aren't available in the UK. They may be available in the US as this is where they come from. However, I do understand that the plan is that Mens Alegria Shoes will arrive in the UK in the next couple of years, so watch this space! Many Thanks Kate" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 25 Oct 10 - 05:07 AM Richard, I've just spoken to the Torquay branch, as I'd assumed, with the lassie telling me how she bought some for her Dad, that they kept them. But you're right, she too had to order them from America. I've phoned TReds to tell them about this, and asked if they'd consider bringing the men's range into their shops as well. They're going to discuss it. In the meantime, they said they do a similar range called 'Shape Ups' which are specially made for plantar fasciitis problems...they're from their 'Sketchers' range, so it may be worth trying those on. They said they can order the Allegria men's shoes for you, but they'd not be able to return them, so that would leave you a bit up the creek...Grrrr! They have branches in Maidstone and Canterbury...and also Worthing. Not sure if any of those are close by, but I think they're in your neck of the woods. TReds site |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Bobert Date: 25 Oct 10 - 08:03 PM Shoes and inserts are a must... Exercises that stretch the tenden is also a must... Here's how it's done... Remeber doing a back dive off a diving board or at least seein' someone do it??? Find a step and put yer toes on the step and let the hell portion of you foot rock downward... Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 5 times... Takes about a minute a day... Do it!!! B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 26 Oct 10 - 04:11 AM And...stretch the calf muscles too. Stand with both legs together, then stretch one leg behind you, keeping your heel on the floor, now bend the other leg, putting the weight on your knee...and you'll feel the calf muscle really stretching in the leg behind you. Stand with both legs together. Move one leg just slightly behind you, then bend that leg at the knee, taking the weight on it. You have to bend your other leg, just slightly too when you do this. Another one for the foot is to stand on tip toe as high as you can, then lower each foot down alternately, very slowly. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: GUEST,PeterC Date: 26 Oct 10 - 12:10 PM I used Orthoheel insoles, available from Boots, for years and it seems to have gone away. I still do calf stretches before a ceilidh. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: Lizzie Cornish 1 Date: 26 Oct 10 - 12:34 PM A very informative video all about Plantar Fasciitis |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 26 Oct 10 - 01:23 PM thanks Lizzie, Virginia and Bobert for sharing the exercises. Here's another one. My doctor told me to stand about 3 feet from a wall, put both hands on the wall, then bend the arms at the elbow so you lean into the wall. Lift one leg to relax it and keep the other in place. This stretches the calves of the leg. NEVER BOUNCE. And make sure your shoes won't slip out from under you. If you prefer, you can stand one meter from the wall rather than 3 feet. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Plantar Fasciitis (Ouch!) From: GUEST,leeneia Date: 26 Oct 10 - 01:27 PM And thanks for the video, Lizzie |
