Foot Pain Relief: Foot Stretches, Shoe Insoles, & Pain Medicine for Plantar Fasciitis
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My Foot Pain and What I've Done to Relieve It ~
So I've been researching what can be done to minimize (and hopefully cure) the foot pain. My foot pain is mostly in the heel of the foot, and I think it is Plantar Fasciitis. This is also called "first step pain." It did usually hurt more with the first few steps, and then the more I walked it got better..... But then it got worse, and walking more didn't make it better...
For the last month, I've been doing stretches and it has made a tremendous difference. However, I still can't walk as fast I'd like without it hurting :(
These are not my feet, so I need to give credit bark for the above Creative Commons licensed photo. Thank you.
Contents at a Glance
- What is Plantar Fasciitis?
- The Foot Stretch I've Been Doing for Pla...
- May 2011 Update
- I also got a Kitchen Mat
- Anti-Inflammatory Pain Medicine Helps A...
- Natural Supplement for Pain Management &...
- Dr. Peter Wishnie explains plantar fasci...
- Over the Counter Orthotics
- How to Tape Your Foot to Prevent it From...
Tell me about yourself
(If you have a moment... I'm curious!)
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
A common cause of foot pain.
The plantar fascia is a ligament that supports the arch of the foot. Inflammation of this ligament causes pain and the condition known as Plantar Fasciitis. The pain is most often felt in the heel, although sometimes it radiates to other areas of the foot.I found Google's page on Plantar Fasciitis helpful. The good news is that with non-surgical therapies (anti-inflammatory medicine, stretching, shoe inserts), most people improve within 1 year. The bad news is that it can take a long time for improvement - at least 6-8 weeks and sometimes 9-12 months!
Not sure if this is what you have? Check out this flow chart for other causes of foot pain.
The Foot Stretch I've Been Doing for Plantar Fasciitis
I try to do this 3 times a day, including before I get out of bed in the morning.
Click here for detailed instructions.
I just love this stretch. It is easy to do and improvement was seen after only doing it for a couple of days. Consistency is the key. I have to remember to do this stretch before standing up in the morning. I also try to do it sometime in the afternoon and also before going to bed. If I've been sitting for a long time, I will also try to do it before standing up.
It definitely reduced my foot pain. So far it hasn't gone away 100% but on some days I hardly feel any pain at all. I think I just have to be patient and keep at it.
Before I started doing this stretch, my foot pain was so bad one evening that I could hardly walk on my foot. Now, I only notice foot pain when I try to walk fast, but at normal walking speed I feel pretty good. I do want to be able to walk fast again (maybe even run) so I don't consider my foot pain solved, but I will do all I can to stop this chronic pain!
May 2011 Update
Foot pain is better, but not cured
The Good News My foot pain is much less than it used to be.
The Bad News I still have foot pain sometimes.
Yes, I am still doing the stretches, however, I've slacked off and usually only do them first thing in the morning plus sometimes after taking an afternoon or evening nap. I should do them more.
I am walking again, about 1 mile at a time, up to 5x a week. However, on days when my foot is bothering me, I've decided to bike ride instead. This is working out nicely.
So, there is hope it will get better. Stretch and give it time.
I also got a Kitchen Mat
Another small change I made
Sublime Imprint Anti-Fatigue Nantucket Series 20-Inch by 36-Inch Comfort Mat, Cinnamon
Amazon Price: $45.19 (as of 05/31/2012)
One other change I made, is I bought a cushioned mat for my feet. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and washing dishes, and now I stand on a mat instead of the hard floor. I think it might be making a difference. When I do walk on a lot of concrete - like at the grocery store - my feet don't seem to like it.
Anti-Inflammatory Pain Medicine Helps A Lot!
I take ibuprofen.
Natural Supplement for Pain Management & Inflammation
Dr. Peter Wishnie explains plantar fasciitis foot pain and its treatment.
The Best Video Explanation I've Seen!
Over the Counter Orthotics
Dr. Peter Wishnie Recommends this brand in the above video
L405 Lynco Sport Orthotic Arch Support Insoles, Women's 6
Amazon Price: $44.50 (as of 05/31/2012)
Podiatrist recommended. Check out the customer reviews, too!
How to Tape Your Foot to Prevent it From Hurting
I haven't tried this yet, but it's on my to do list.
Shoes to reduce foot pain?
Earth Footware might be worth a try!
Earth Shoes Lazer - Womens,Size 9, Bay Leaf
Amazon Price: (as of 06/01/2012)
Product Description: The most defining feature of Earth footwear is Kals%uFFFD Negative Heel Technology - a unique inclined sole that positions the toes 3.7 degrees higher than the heels. The slight angle shifts weight subtly back over the heels, and can help strengthen and tone the body while also burning calories. To complement this technology, all Earth footwear features reinforced support through the arch, which maximizes the effectiveness of the heel design in promoting a natural walking motion. Signature BioFoam footbeds mold to the shape of the foot, displacing and absorbing shock with each step, and are environmentally-considerate with 70% recycled content.
Check out the customer reviews! People say that these help with plantar fasciitis and chronic pain.
Buy Earth Shoes at a Discounted Price
Snag a Deal on Ebay
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What have you done for foot pain?
Or just let me know that you stopped by... I love hearing from my readers!
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Topher Marshall
May 7, 2012 @ 9:57 am | delete
- Flooring is important to the overall look of the kitchen - and so is comfort. I highly recommend the WellnessMats you mentioned!. You are standing all the time in the kitchen, so you might as well be comfortable. These highly decorative, durable mats are great for your feet and you'll never want to move off of them!
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Lifeboost
Dec 9, 2011 @ 5:22 pm | delete
- Very interesting lens. I used to have really bad foot pain, but changing the type of shoes I wear has made all the difference. I make sure that most of my time is spent in comfortable, supportive shoes, and only wear heels occassionally. Blessed. :)
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MamaRuth
Jan 27, 2011 @ 7:57 am | delete
- I too use the stretching exercises...these do seem to help. I also notice that the shoes I wear do matter. Some shoes cause me a problem if I wear them a couple of days in a row.
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lasertek
Jan 17, 2011 @ 4:52 am | delete
- Thank you for the information. Usually I take pain killers & apply liniment on my aching foot.
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Big_Joe Jan 14, 2011 @ 10:16 pm | delete
- I wear work boots at my day job all day and sometimes I get feet pain.
Thanks for the great information.
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by hotbrain
Hi! I'm Heidi! I first came to Squidoo to write about bipolar disorder, and since then I've found that I enjoy writing pages about all kinds of things.
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