I think I said all this before...but maybe someone missed it...

I had plantar faciitis (sp?) for over a year and didn't know what it was. My advice...as always...don't fool around with free advice from us...get professional help! I ended up with heel spurs because I didn't take care of the problem. Since then I've learned...

1) always wear good shoes. I get fitted at a running store. Swag, (the Englishman who says I have Prussian toes), always fits me in a wide shoe with very good arch support and heel cusions. (different brands) I've tried to duplicate the shoe at cheaper stores, but it just doesn't work. From my jogging days I learned that a good running store is usually on top of the latest technology for shoes, and they are familiar with plantar faciitis.

2) never ever ever ever go barefoot. I wear the athletic flip-flops with the thick soles for house shoes.

3) achilles tendon stretches (runners stretch) helps.

4) for an acute flare-up, roll your arch on a frozen water bottle.

5) orthotics helped Hubby immensely with fallen arches and bad knees. I think the ones he bought at the drug store were just about as good as the real expensive ones he had made. His problem is flat feet, though, quite different from mine.