I've been trying to stick to a walking routine but my feet are killing me! It has been very discouraging. It's mostly in my heels, one more than the other. I've tried different shoes, I've tried arch supports, nothing seems to work. Has anyone else experience this? Not sure if it's an age thing or a weight thing or both but it's really putting a damper on my goals.

I'm right there with you! My problem started after a lot of walking on the treadmill. I'm not a doctor, but my hunch is we both have plantar fasciitis. Mine is killing me and really slowing my exercise down, though I'm still doing it. If you look online, there are a variety of treatments for it--most that can be done at home.

Thanks, I will. I am miserable, especially in the mornings.

I don't have any words of wisdom but is there any way you could do something else for a few days? How about a stationary bike? Also, you could get a great workout from lifting weights. Many studies argue that it's superior to cardio for weight loss. Just a thought. I hope you feel better soon!

My foot pain the worst in the morning when I first wake up. Classic plantar fasciitis! I think switching up the workout is a great idea. If you have gym facilities (I don't) you might consider the weights or something else low impact like swimming or the elliptical. I have also been stretching my Achilles area a lot, icing my feet by rolling them over a frozen water bottle, and wearing Dansko clogs. There is also some sort of sock thing to wear when you sleep, but I don't have it. Good luck to you. I feel your pain!

it definitely sounds like plantar faciitis (spelling? sorry) I had it a few years ago and it lasted about 6 months. It went away as suddenly as it appeared. My dr said a lot of people think they have a bone spur when it's usually plantar faciitis. Especially if it's that "first step pain" like right when you get up. When you first stand up it's horrible. I remember my feet would hurt at work because I worked in a restaurant at that time and was on my feet ALL DAY. Then I would leave work and get in the car to go home and nothing could quite prepare me for that first step pain when I got out of the car to go in the house. Good luck, I hope it goes away fast.

Those are exactly the symptoms I'm having! That first step out of the car when I get home is excruciating. I'm thinking that frozen water bottle sounds like heaven about now. And this will be motivation for my husband to put my Bowflex back up. We moved it to the basement and there it lays. Time to crack the whip! Thanks everyone for your ideas. I am definitely going to try every one of them. I'm desperate for relief.

OMG, I can so sympathize with the pain you are in. I had it so bad a few years ago that it was either cortizone (sp) shots or investing in a pair of ZCoils. I decided on getting the ZCoils. They are ugly and expensive but after wearing them for six months my problem went away.
There are exercises on the internet that you can do. The one exercise that helped the most, along with the Zcoils, was first thing out of bed, lean against the wall and strech the hamstring.
After getting relief wearing the Zcoils I was finally able to move into a shape up type shoe, when I would stand for long periods, these shoes help keep the pressure off your heal.
Good luck. Believe me, I feel your pain.

20 something here, but I've dealt with this. I dont think it has anything to do with age.

Mine is actually because I underpronate when I walk/run. I went to Big Peach Running Co and ran on a treadmill and had my fitted specifically for running shoes that would stabilize me. They're a little pricey, but definitely worth the investment since it relieves the pain.

Good luck!

It sounds just like plantar fasciitis. I tougher it out for 6 months before I went to the doctor. I was referred to an orthopedic doc who wrapped my foot, for about a week, and I was on 800 mg ibuprofen 3x a day for a week. The relief was amazing and fast, I could walk normally again in 2 or 3 days. Then I had a little slip on brace thingy until my orthopedic inserts were made. That was 16 months ago, and even though I've gained 35 more pounds, my feet rarely hurt. Stretching helps too, but the inserts are crucial for me.

I was wondering about wrapping the feet, it seems to me years ago when i was suffering with this the dr. put some tape like a thin triangle over the arch and then wrapped in an ace bandage, I also had a heel spur that he gave me a cortisone shot, but the shot hurt so much I wouldn't recommend it, for the amount of time it gave relief.

good luck, that pain sux, like a cramp in the arch is how I remember it, I've always been careful since then about the shoes I buy, can't wear anything without some support, like keds or some flats, don't work for me still.

Curious if you ever went to the Dr. for xrays? I thought I had a stress fracture - and after 8 weeks the pain finally stopped but xray shows a few bone spurs and the MRI shows arthritis. He told me that losing weight will only help but that the arthritis is mostly hereditary - sometimes trauma induced. I'm not walking as much but am now starting to swim more.

I had plantar faciitus once and the doctor sent me for physical therapy to fix it. One thing the therapist used was an ultrasound machine on the bottoms of my feet. This year, after tearing the tendon on the bottom of my foot, I thought about this ultrasound and how it could help with the healing. I found a portable ultrasound machine on the internet for about $60, a Current Solutions brand.

The ultrasound is supposed to help relax the tissues, in increase blood flow to the area. If you think about it, tendons don't have a huge supply of blood going to them, so healing could take longer.

Just tossing that out there as an idea.

I've been dealing with PF and a bone spur for about 18 months now.. ugh. A cheap, easy helper is: buying a stiff shoe insert on the cheap (Dr. Scholls vs. custom made) and putting that in a regular sock, putting it on your foot and then putting a -to the knee- athletic sock on over that one before you go to bed. It works like those more expensive PF braces for nighttime, but I find it doesn't bother me as much as those do. The braces really make my neuropathy issue flare up. Good Luck - PF is a monster!

I am soooo in this group! My feet are horrible! I think it might be plantar fasciatis (sp?) or spurs. Both run in my family. Also I spend a lot of time on my feet at my job, always have.

I find doing stretches help some. I stretch my feet & legs each evening before bed, before I get out of bed, before I go for my walk & afterwards. I stretch when I watch tv or sit at the computer, too. I has helped some. But I'm sure I need shoes with more support. I just HATE wasting money on shoes that don't help! I have like 3 or 4 pairs that I had to give away cause they just didn't work!

What's crazy is I also have sciatica! So there are times when I seem to hobble around like a little ole lady. Not pretty, but I'm working on it!!