Is anyone dealing with heel spurs and/or plantars fasciitis while trying to exercise? What a pain!!! Literally! I just had my feet x-rayed by my general practitioner (due to heel/foot pain) and found that I have two spurs, one on each heel. The left one is HUGE! That's why that foot hurts all the darn time. I also have underlying plantars fasciitis. I have to go see a podiatrist on the 21st. I had this problem 13 years ago when I was pregnant with my son. I ended up with cortisone shots and orthotics (which I misplaced many, many years ago). I gained weight with the pregnancy, of course, but I was already heavy, so that probably triggered it then. Off and on through the years, I had problems, but was mostly sedentary (and still gaining weight) so it didn't bother me too much. My top weight was 285 four years ago. I am now down to 227-230 (varies) and having mega problems with my left foot, and now also some with my right foot. Started up again about September of last year (05) when I started getting more active, taking Tae Kwon Do (barefoot, which aggravated it), Curves, walking, etc. Now I can barely walk, so something has to be done. I am trying conservative therapy which is what the podiatrist will probably tell me. I also have over the counter inserts, and heel-that-pain heel seats which seem to be helping. Guess I have to wait one more week to see what the podiatrist says. For now, my doctor told me to rest them, take the meds she presribed (antiimflammatory, cause regu. ibuprofen wasn't cutting it) and lay off the exercise for now to give the plantar fasciitis a chance to start healing. So, I am still taking Tae Kwon Do, but going very easy with my feet the rest of the time. And, no kicking boards, etc. right now. Just mostly working on learning the new form.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else was dealing with this. It's a catch 22. I still need to lose lots of weight, cause that will help my feet (and back - bulging discs in L4-L5) but it hurts to do anything, walking, etc. so much and it continues to injure the feet. So, what am I to do???

Kathy B.
Merritt Island, FL

I can sympathize! I had a heel spur recently. I didn't see a doctor at first because I thought it was just arthritis. Eventually I was diagnosed and given a cortizone shot in the heel. Ouch! I won't lie, it didn't feel good, and for a couple of days afterward, it hurt worse than ever. But by the end of the week I was pain-free for the first time in over a year.

I'm still very careful to do lots of calf/heel stretches and to wear arch supports & padded insoles. I do my stretches throughout the day or even when I'm just lying in bed.

What about non-weight-bearing exercises, like swimming or spinning? When I could do nothing else, I found that I could still use an exercycle.

When I was heavier and had PF, the podiatrist bandaged my feet, which was helpful, and I took the anti-inflammatories. Then I had custom orthotics made, which helped the most. I highly recommend custom orthotics, but they aren't cheap. They do last a long time, however (over 5 years for me), so over the long-run, they are pretty reasonable.

I was able to quit wearing the orthotics once I lost weight, and I haven't had any foot pain since. Hopefully that will be the case with you once you get this flare-up fixed.

Please visit heelspurs.com . It's an awesome site and contains a ton of information. I recently discovered this site when I had my periodic bout of PF.

I have a small spur on my left heel, and have had PF several times. The last time it happened because I was at a conference at a place that was all hills, and I was going up and down several times a day between the cafeteria, the dorms and the classrooms - and I was wearing sandals! I really know better. What I've learned to do over the years is to always, always, always have shoes on - don't go barefoot. My original doc says at least 1" under your heels, but any shoes with good support work for me. I haven't had a flare-up in nearly 4 years (crossing fingers here).

I have been having this problem with my right foot. I workout and its ok but then I go to the steam room at the ymca and my heel hurts. Maybe its spurs??? I am going to have to go to doctor and check it out. I stay in the steam room 5 minutes most of the time and can't walk when I get up to leave.

I have to second this: swimming is the only exercise my mom can do without aggravating her PF. Other than that, shoes with REALLY strong arch support is all I can suggest (this is the way I can avoid pain) and getting off your feet.

I have both heel spurs and pf. When I finally broke down to see a podiatrist it was very bad. I had the cramping feet in the early mornings, hobbling around in the AM and could hardly walk until I had stretched the feet alot. I think it's deceiving because as you warm up, the pain tends to recede a little and you can convince yourself it's getting better especially if you are sedentary.

I got the orthotics, did all the exercises several times a day, invested in good shoes, threw away the sandals and flip flops and took prescription strength anti-imflamitories for close to a year before I could walk without pain.

Now after a few years, it still flairs up but not to the extent I allowed it to get before. Losing weight helped tremendously, always stretch each and every day, wear good supportive shoes.

Until it clears up your best bet is to do some non-impact type things, bike, swim, rowing things like that.

Right now when it hurts, freeze some water bottles and roll them under your foot/feet. You've basically irratated the tendon that runs along the bottom of your foot and it needs time to heal.

Massage (not a foot rub-but one of those deep tissue massages) is supposed to be good, but I had a sample foot massage and nearly kicked the guy doing it, it hurt so bad. He kept telling me it was because my PF tendon was so tight and needed to be loosened. It didn't hurt until you started jabbing me!
here are some good sites with information:
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/gene...heelspur_2.htm
http://heelspurs.com/index.html

Sarah

I had terrible heal spurs before I lost weight. I would wake up in tears every morning when I tried to walk. Orthotics and cortizone shots gave me relief for a while, but nothing was permanant until I got the weight off.

Besides the antinflammatories your doc prescribed, make sure you're wearing good shoes with good arch support and do lots of stretching.

Your podiatrist will most likely fit you for new orthotics and/or give you a cortisone shot when you get in. If he/she doesn't suggest it, you might ask to get your feet taped up. They can put a little pad under your arch and then wrap your foot up with tape. Mine showed me how to do it to myself as it takes a while to get custom orthotics, and taping can really help in the meantime.

Talk to your podiatrist about exercising. I was never told that resting my feet would do any good. I always tried to get as much exercise as I could. I second the recommendation for swimming in the meantime.

I alos had a problem several years ago with PF and found out that when I bought a really good pair of tennis shoes ( for me, I think it was Nike airwalks)it got better. I have been really bad about buying shoes for my kids and me just getting something cheap from Payless.

I have PF after some backpacking (huge packpack.. chubby woman - you get the picture) and I have some orthotics that were made up to give my arches some support and I started cycling instead of walking - it is just too painful!!

I hope you get some relief, it is so debilitating.

I also have a spur plus a broken joint in my big toe, which I neglected till a bump of new bone appeared after a few years and made everything so painful. Surgery to clean up the joint, orthodics and Nikes with springs changed my life. The orthodics were wonderful fo the spur and broken toe, but the Nikes let me be on my feet all day, without any pain at all.
Laura

I had PF that is mostly under control with Orthotics and good running shoes, which I wear all the time, even if I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. When it was really bad, I learned how to swim for the first time and swam every other day. I also did some stationary cycling and graduated to the elliptical machine.