As anyone who has ever had foot pain can tell you, when your feet hurt, you hurt all over. “The feet are the foundation of our ‘building,’ or body,” says Craig Gastwirth, a podiatrist at Podiatry Examiners of Michigan in Detroit. “If there’s a problem with that foundation, everything else – knees, hips and back – is thrown off.”
Heel pain, typically caused by plantar fasciitis, is the No. 1 reason people visit a podiatrist, says Dr. Gastwirth.
Plantar fasciitis, inflammation of a thick band of connective tissue called the plantar fascia, which runs along the sole from the bottom of the heel bone to the toes, can feel like the arch of the foot is tearing.
No Stranger to Heel Pain
Arthritis patients are prone to develop plantar fasciitis – particularly those with inflammatory forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and reactive arthritis, as well as in those with fibromyalgia. Other causes include being overweight, standing too long, having arches that are either too high or too flat, or wearing unsupportive, hard-soled shoes.
One of the biggest problems associated with plantar fasciitis is that everyday walking can be painful, yet walking for exercise is one of the best therapies for it. There are ways to heal plantar fasciitis, so you can feel better all over and keep walking.
Begin by using ice and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), if necessary, to reduce inflammation.
After a week or two of minimizing time on your feet, stretching the tissues (see below) and decreasing inflammation, you should be able to get out and walk comfortably at the end of each day, provided you wear a heel cushion in supportive, soft-soled shoes. After walking, stretch your feet.
You may not be able to walk as far or as fast as you did prior to developing plantar fasciitis, but continuing to walk will help you heal further. You can slowly work back to your regular pace and distance.
In 90 percent of people, heel pain improves significantly after two months of home treatment, according to the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons. If pain persists, talk to your doctor about wearing a night splint – a boot-like device that keeps your foot flexed while you sleep. If the pain is severe, a walking cast may be needed. Injections of inflammation-reducing corticosteroids can be considered, and surgery to release tension in the plantar fascia is an option of last resort for severe cases.
Heel-Healing Stretches
Before you get out of bed in the morning, and then periodically throughout the day, do the following exercises to increase flexibility and ease pain.
Slowly flex your foot and toes to stretch the tissue on the bottom of your sore foot. Hold the stretch for 10 counts. Relax and repeat.
Do gentle ankle rolls to keep the tissues around the ankle and on the back of the heel flexible.
Sit on the edge of your bed and roll your foot back and forth over a tennis ball.
Thank you,
Josephine Griffin
I have exactly the same problem and have come to find that it flairs up if I consume chocolate or dark colored soda. I am also unable to find any information regarding the ball of the foot and its relation to the issue of P.F. As a matter of fact my heels never hurt or both me in anyway. It is just the balls of my feet with the inner portions becoming the most sensitive spots. Have you gotten any insightful information?
Thanks,
Jenn
I am self employed and have no insurance. A doc at a low cost clinic gave me the quick answer of Plantar F. I don't know if he told me that just because it the easy answer or if its true. I have EXCRUCIATING pain in the ball of my feet and heel. I am female and only 105lbs. I do have Lyme disease, but in otherwise great health. I walk my dog often and hike & snowshoe about 12 times a year.
I can ONLY wear Schetchers shapeups due to the fact that the pressure in only on the mid area and relieves pressure on the painful parts. NO website EVER states pain in the ball of feet as being part of P.F.
I have been trying night splints but have not made it through the whole night yet, due to discomfort, but I do more hours each time. Last night I made it until 2:30am, but today I am in HORRIBLE pain. I can only walk on the outter edges of my feet. (My feet are on ice right now as I type this).
Questions- 1) Does this sound like P.F. to you? Do other people get equal pain in the BALL of the foot and HEEL?
2)When wearing night splints is it normal for the pain to get worse before it gets better?
Thank you for any help:}
Its odd, but my feet seem to be smaller than usual. I have a painful bunion along the side of my foot from that bone pressure on the skin. Without as much padding as I once seemed to have, its now painful for the bones being easier to feel. What would cause smaller feet? I seem to the same on the scale.
---Thanks!
Same way, if you can reccomend me another special shoes and tenis, to help her, I will appreciate it a lot. She is 42 years old. We live in México, but near he border, then we could by any brand you could reccomend me. Friendly regards
1.keep your weight down
2.excercise
3.chronicle what you eat that makes it worse
4.comfortable footwear
5.drink lots of water(don't be beef jerky)
6.sleep & relax enough
For the plantar fascitis it was good to massage my arches, pull towels with cans weighting them along the floor towards me by crunching with my toes, writing the alphabet with my toes in the morning, and standing on cold surfaces with lumps - the cement basement floor, patio stones and cold grass in the spring and fall, and after summer rain in the morning, ice bags in the summer heat.
Swimming has been wonderful, as well as slow walks on uneven surfaces - the boulevard beside the sidewalk, any trail I can find. Cycling has also been very good. Oh, and deep water aquafit, where you can work out as hard as you want without putting your face in the water, as hard as if you were running (as I once did but can't now without flaring up my sesamoid lumps). Sesamoid removal was an option that my Ortho Surgeon mentioned after the tomograms and bonescans revealed my healing fractures, but it would make my big toe wander with no anchor for the tendon in the removed sesamoids... At 21 I passed wanting pretty feet in sandals. Now I dont' regret it and can even sometimes wear low pumps over 5 years later.
The main thing is to get some kind of exercise, because it helps with keeping spirits up. I was SO depressed at 21 when I couldn't run or be active and was in pain. No-one understood at work, because I was young and not obviously injured, just gaining weight and slow-walking. PF hurts a lot, but after warming up it hurts a lot less. Flexibility can be regained, and strength. Even doing floor and chair exercises off the feet is better than nothing, and helps maintain mental energy and calm which is important once the first month or two has passed and patience is very frayed.
I've found my 'miracle shoes' that have completely cured the plantar faciitis and helps reduce pain in my knees,hips and back, (after trying all the usual stuff)
I worked out that thick cushioned support to my feet really helped so I found Italian
FLY FLOTS!(originally made by Scholl) Shoes,sandals slippers for male/female.Thick shock absorber soles full of compressed air bubbles so you literally walk on air, soft leather,reasonable prices and fashionable.I cannot wear anything else or the pain comes straight back!!I have over 20 pairs and they are the only things that keep me out of my wheelchair!
I also take flaxseed capsules(Omega3,6,9,)which help and magnesium which has got rid of my severe muscle cramps.Hope this helps as I know how bad the pain can get.Ps I'm not a rep for Flyflots, wish I was, as I might get a free pair!
I bought a few of the Sketchers Sandals this year they have arch support in them.. Also Rainbow Sandals have arch support.
for a pair of Sanduks that are make out of yoga mat material I bought a dr scholls insert from CVS and glued them on to the sandle and it works great..
I did this after the injection to both feet and all the other exercises as in my other posting... btw...the injection HURTS!!!
I bought: The Happy Company Foot & body Roller at Bed, Bath and Beyond for 15.00 approx.. it works great versus the tennis or golf balls i was advised to use...it doesn't roll away on hardwood floors...
I also just ordered a portalbe Ultra Sound Therapy machine on Amazon for 60.00 approx..
I am still a 30 lbs overweight between the Weight, the RA, and the FMS not to mention i also have one heel spur... i work these exercises and stretches into my workout routine even at the gym, i just carry my little foot roller in my gym bag....
I also asked my PT for the TheraBands to stretch my toes towards me with legs straight out it helps to loosen the PF..
I recently also went to one of the Dr. Scholls foot centers and tired the machine, i bought a pair of the inserts it suggested for me and it is amazing how i do not feel the pain when i am on the treadmill...now i need to get more of them but they are 50.00 a pair...
This comment is for you:
You said you were tested and show a negative RF but a positive anti-CCP--you are wondering if this means rheumatoid arthritis. In my personal(but unprofessional) experience, I'd say, unfortunately, yes. I had the same results 4 years ago and docs played around with mutiple drugs and diagnosed a bunch of smaller ailments like tennis elbow and carpal tunnel, etc.... Elevated anti-CCP is 98% specific for RA and my doc said this meant RA was a definite in my future. I knew from the way I felt that the future was NOW. Diagnosed with RA within the year. Newest diagnostic procedure for RA calls for EARLY, AGRESSIVE TREATMENT. I'd say get a good rheumatologist now and get your treatment started. This is your best chance at warding off damaging erosion of your joints. BEST OF LUCK!
The pain subsided for awhile then resurfaced. Last year it got so bad I had to crawl on my hands and knees around the house for one week because my foot pain was too intense and I am ashamed to say I had to urinate in a disposable cup because I could not stand.
Anyway- for plantar fasciitis, a couple of suggestions: Make sure you sretch before getting out of bed. Pull your toes up, towards your body. You can also 'write the alphabet' with your toes- outline capitol letters with your toes- helps to stretch and loosen everything in the ankle and foot. You can use a frozen juice can, or freeze a water bottle, and roll your foot over it, massaging the arch and heel with the frozen can/bottle to help with the pain and swelling. Also, make sure you stretch your calf muscles. You can push agains a wall, or stand on the edge of a step and hang your heels of the edge. You can also massage the bottom of your foot, focusing on the arch and the spot where the arch meets the base of the foot- about 1 1/2 inches up from the heel on the inner side of the foot- you may even be able to see it b/c that spot may get very swollen. It is not a fast healing pain!!!! It will take weeks to months for the pain to go away!!! Yup, it stinks - personal experience. When I get a 'twinge', meaning things are beginning to tighten and I have a minor discomfort, I step up the above mentioned things and so far have been able to keep it from becoming painful again. Good luck to all with it!
I have endured arthritis for most of my life...started at 7 when they first thought i had multiple-scleroris...I am 40 now and it took many years to diagnose both psoriactic and rheumatoid arthritis. (I also have oestio-arthritis of the knee joint, caused by a falling accident when i used to rock climb in my teens).
I've had several courses of Physiotherapy which have helped temporarily...but found log-term swimming was more beneficial(better in a pool without chlorine or low-chlorine, but a little embarassing as I had to wear leggings as the psoriasis on my skin covers my legs mostly...and I had several courses of UltraVoilet treatment with the skin psoriasis, but as soon as I stopped the treatment the skin psoriasis came back quickly (within a few months).
I found a good healthy diet full of fruit/veges; particularly the green veges (rich in Iron type) helped; especially tackling my mood swings (diet/energy drinks, caffeine and carbs made me a an irritable, hyper, stress-head!).
I also took the contraceptive pill because my hormone changes affected both my psoriasis and arthritis throughout the month (just before my period and just before ovulation), and found that Evening primrose/star flower oils, berocca vitamins, kelp, Zinc, vitamin D, B, E and Glucosamine all helped a little with many of my symptoms.
As a former dancer/rock climber, and being extremely active for most of my life, I noticed when I was least fit my arthritis was worse but it would mean enduring significant pain to improve my fitness which would improve the arthritis in the long term. Also many of my arthritis symptoms completely vanished each time I was pregnant and return with vengeance after I gave birth!
I am now on methratrexate for the arthritis...which hasn't really done much yet (I take pain killers nearly everyday for the pain at the moment...and found Anadin Extra the best), as my dosage has to increase to 13mg and its at 7.5mg a week now (so i'll give it a little longer)...had previously taken sulfarsazine (for 6 months) which gave me no benefits with the arthritis, just loads of side effects...but, it did 'completely' clear my psoriasis so it may work for some.
I would aslo add...'crocs' did help with the pain when walking around the house...but no good to try and walk any distance in...I need the heel and ankle support of my walking boots for this. Also my legs raised under a pillow at night helped, i also bind them (or get someone else to) with bandage around the heel sometimes at night...seems to help?
My arthritis has returned worse than ever recently (which has coincided with finishing University), it is in an aggressive state now, and every little knock seems to trigger it being somewhere else...and I am using crutches all the time outdoors now...but I know it will improove again...(seems to run in 3 year cycles) but it will be a fight again!
Yep! ...I'm sorry wrote an essay, but I hope some of this information has helped someone, somewhere...as we are a type of person who suffer in silence, I think? (I can be contacted through my webpage andromedaheightz.net or facebook if you need to chat. x)
Hope this may help you too.
Contributing factors are excess weight and flat feet. Here is some help that I have found. I buy diabetic, extra depth shoes. The shoes are fitted with arch supports and inserts until my feet feel supported.
I have sought the help of an orthopedic doctor. (He approves the supportive shoes I wear.) He has fitted me with a boot brace to wear during flare ups. I wore it consistently until the ankle was not tender. Exercise is riding a recumbent bike or swimming when the ankle is painful. Weight bearing activity is not recommended at these times.
I went back to Dr. he said he could not help me and that I was the only one who had gone back after just getting a cortisone a week ago. I felt so bad and will never go back to that Dr.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Any help out there ?
i am experiencing the pain everyday after i walk or work 4 long on my feet . I cannot give up working bcoz it is the main motive of my life , also i cannot take the pain killers everyday .
I am using ice for the treatment also resting my feet in the hot water with salt dissolved in it. I wanna get rid og it as soon as possible . please give me any suggestions
if i walk short while my pain is unbearable along the arch of both feet, also at night my toes are feeling like the are in a frozen lake? I am a ditabetic type 2
Any one i have seen can not help, and trying to sleep at night is unbareable, nuerothpy no i have spelt that wrong, but tried couple different tabblets but not helped, paid £200 for special insoles still no realief, please recomend some kind of pain realief. Kindest regards Mark
The soles of my feet feel like I'm walking on broken glass. I am very limited in walking or standing for any length of time.
Any help or suggestions?
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