Plantar Fasciitis,... WHAT?
 

Let's see...
I'm currently twenty-three years old and exercise has been on the back burner for about a year now. Even so, I have never been unable to not do any kind of exercise that I decided I wanted to do. I've been sore, and rolled ankles (I have weak ones) and sprained any assortment of limbs, and had to take it lighter for the next few days, but I've never been afraid of going back out and doing it again.

Even three months back I was in Chicago visiting family with my boyfriend and we went to the city and walked around ALL day at his brisk pace. I was sore the next day in my thighs, but my feet were relatively alright.

That said, moving to CO and wanting to get out and about while I am currently unemployed, I decided to volunteer with the humane society. I also decided to walk there since our cars are hit and miss with functioning right now.

It was a nine mile walk, there and back. Mind you, at a very leisurely pace. (10 miles, but my bf dropped me off down the road on his way to work). BIG MISTAKE.

By the time I go home, my feet were killing me. Stabbing pains in the heels and all such assorted madness. I hurt to walk after I got home and fell into the shower. The next day, I couldn't walk without extreme pain in my heels. I was sore, sure, but this wasn't soreness. This was serious pain.

I have never encountered this before and it really freaked my out. I did research and it lead me to the conclusion of plantar fasciitis. I am horror struck at the length of time people have said it takes for it to heal. So I promptly sat on my butt for two days straight, stretching my feet tentatively in between to keep my feet "in use".

After that (knowing many people said it wouldn't help) it was the weekend and I ventured out to the shops with my boyfriend and even after short stints of walking, I can feel my feet begin to ache dully.

I feel like if I attempt to do anything involving my feet full out, I'm going to be in a **** of a lot of pain. It's scaring me, honestly.

So, my questions are: Has anyone here dealt with this and overcome it, or are you actively dealing with it now? And what in the world did you do about it or are you doing?

-Really freaked out twenty-three year old.

I've had planter fasciitis before from running... I had to take a whole month off. The pain would be so bad in the morning that I could hardly stand up and walk to the bathroom... I was able to do some water running in the pool while it healed, but that was pretty much it.

They do make special braces that you can use that are suppose to help, but I've never used those... I just stuck with good old fashioned R.I.C.E. and some simple stretching, that and time off worked for me...

I've had injections (painful!) and taping, but honestly, what made it go away completely is losing weight. You might want to see a podiatrist to make sure it isn't something else.

I got it from running in old shoes- a month off, ice, and a night splint (basically a boot you sleep in that gently stretches your arches all night) some awesome new tennis shoes- and I'm mostly good as new! Hang in there!

i'm currently dealing with it. i have been for a few years, but just got diagonosed with it. i have the night splint to wear. i would go see a podiatrist.

Losing weight seems to have healed it for me. Before that I got injections in each heel, which didn't hurt too badly compared to the pain of my heels, lol. But if they don't get the injection in just the right spot the pain relief isn't so great.
Before I lost weight I actually did the Dr. Scholl foot scan machine thing in Walmart, lol. I felt like an idiot but I bought the inserts, at 50 bucks they were painful to buy as a possible help, but surprisingly they helped a lot. No going barefoot anymore than necessary helps too I think.
You have my sympathy, the agony of first thing in the morning forgetting about my feet and standing up full hilt and talking a step before the shrieking agony reminded me....shudder. Although you do learn some interesting ways of walking.
Also rolling my foot on a tee ball or tennis ball, the arch, the toes and heels helped. Good luck.

Hmm, it seems like most of you guys are saying that the stabbing pain in your heels was bad enough that you had to actually go to the doctor. I wouldn't hesitate if that were still the case for me. That pain wasn't anything to piddle around about.

However, I had that stabbing pain for two to three days after the fact and now I think I am more aware of my feet, and they get a bit achy when I go out for short stints.

I'm also leery of going to the doctor about it. I've never gone to the doctor unless I found it absolutely necessary and if what they're going to recommend is something that I can do at home, I'd rather just go ahead and do it as opposed to doing it and then paying hundreds of dollars for it. I'm poor. I have to be a bit choosey. >_<

Also, I'm barefoot for most of the day as of late. And having just thought about this, I'm wondering if the sudden transition of walking around in arched sneakers for roughly six hours as opposed to being mostly barefoot, triggered it. Hm.

A couple of you have mentioned a night boot for stretching and taping? Is taping something you learned to do from your doctor and the night boot something you were prescribed or are they available in stores?

I'm sure you could buy the night splint at a drugstore, I got mine at the doctor but wish I would've looked around first. I have actually seen them on amazon.com also.

I got plantar fasciitis from work wearing horrible shoes. I switched to good shoes, taped at night and it went away in a week. I found out how to tape from youtube. Now, I've pretty much switched the minimalist shoes. Sometimes I'll do feet strengthen exercises and roll a ball under my foot if I have random pain from standing up all day.