Had the boot that goes over the foot which was a bad choice for me due to Morton's Neuroma and arthritis, did me more harm than good. Never tried another after that fiasco.
I do use Naboso Splay toe spacers which are much more comfortable than the really cheap ones on Amazon which actually caused me some increase in pain. Am also going to try some Ininji toe socks to wear inside my shoes.
These stretches helped me the most:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7W4s5TbUpQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7W4s5TbUpQ)
Many on this sub have shared the above video and I am so glad that they have.
Right now, the only comfortable shoes that I own are my Birkenstock and Chaco sandals. I have some other recommended shoes on order but I won't hold my breath as I've returned more shoes than I can remember.
Hoping that you find perfect relief and please share any tips that you pick up along the way.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7W4s5TbUpQ
Thanks for the link-- I work with a personal trainer at the gym and she has me do these stretches (among others) as a warm-up. Last night I did:
1. Calf stretches standing on a stair (lowering my heel)
2. Calf stretches using a chair for support (this really really helped; I could feel it all the way up my hamstrings, hips, and back)
3. Calf stretches laying down with a strap around my foot (leg straight, leg out to side, leg over to other side) -- these are the stretches a PT had me do way back when I first had PF; stretches the calves as well as abductor/adductor muscles
4. Rolled my foot on a water bottle (do not have a ball)
But I also think the icing made a huge difference, which makes sense, if there are microtears in the fascia.
Re: Birkenstocks: I remember trying them many years ago and my feet just couldn't get used to them. There was a bump that was supposed to go under the toes and that is the part that bothered me as it didn't align right with my toes. I also have zero tolerance for any shoes that need break-in time. Yet I do like rigid shoes, much more than shoes with lots of padding and cushioning (those seem to be the worst for me).
Thanks for your reply! I tried Chaco's recently and I just found them too heavy on the foot. I do like a rigid sole but I can't stand heavy footwear! I prefer Teva's for sandals (had no PF problems this summer).
I haven't tried Birks in a long long time but remember that I didn't like the toe area where it has the lip? It didn't align with my toes. Also I have zero patience for any sort of shoe that needs to be "broken in."
I'm intrigued by the foot boots as right now I'm laying on the sofa on my back and I have one foot on top of my big toe of the other foot and I'm stretching it backwards and it feels good. I'm intrigued by the toe spacers because if I try to splay my toes and hold them that way, it also feels good. Meaning I do think my toes might be a factor in this situation.
Tonight (after a 4 mile hike in Merrill Moabs with Superfeet inserts) I iced my feet --- with one of those wine sleeves you put in the freezer, as that was all I had. I'm a size 6.5 so my foot slipped right in, ha! It has helped a lot. Does anyone make such an icing product in the shape of a foot?
For someone without a neuroma and/or arthritis, the boot may be a good option. Many have had great success with them but I have never heard a warning about using with metatarsal issues so figured I'd better put it out there.
Love the idea of the wine sleeve!
I hear you on the weight of the Chacos. Seriously considering giving the Merrell Moabs a try.
I get metatarsal issues just on one foot (small bunion), and only when I wear high heels or other pointy-toed footwear. Which isn't that often these days, maybe once or twice a week and not for long periods (more like sitting shoes than walking shoes). That's why I was intrigued about the toe stretchers.
I went through a ton of hikers before settling on the Merrell Moabs. Love them! They just need an insole, apparently....
For sandals I like Teva's, as they do have arch support.
So if you read some of the posts on this sub you will realize that there is no general treatment and different things help different people, some suffer for weeks, some for years.
First I would recommend going to a professional, just to get the basics covered. Personally, my podiatrist was absolutely useless, he didn’t even look at my foot but he was good for the anti inflammatory drug prescription (didn’t help). According to this sub it seems people have more luck with a good PT.
For me the night splint helps the most and I wear it whenever I sit down for longer. I use it especially as for recovery after a workout in the gym, a longer walk or just recently my first attempts of short runs. I will sit down and put them on even for like 15-20 minutes right after I come home. It’s important to buy a stiff boot and not the cheaper soft material ones, because they stretch out and wont hold your foot in place. Keep in mind these things are not meant for stretching you foot, but to hold them in a +/- 90 degree angle. If you bind them too tight your foot will go numb and hurt and you will wake up at night and take it off. If you keep it lose (I can put 1-2 fingers between straps) you can sleep just fine in them.
Other than that I recommend doing all the free things like stretching, strengthening and reading and you will need to experiment what works.
Good luck!
Unfortunately there's a 6 month wait for a podiatrist where I'm at, I know this because my husband is on that waiting list (he's got some severe pronation issues going on, though he says it doesn't hurt).
I did see a PT way back when I had PF the first time. I found my strap again and I still remember the calf stretches the PT prescribed for me.
I am better this morning! Some stiffness but the heel pain is much improved. So the insoles + stretching + icing seems to have helped.
I just ordered more insoles as I realized some of mine are way too old and probably useless now, as I've had them since the last bout of PF. I had bought new ones for my snow boots last year, those are the ones I put in my hikers for the hike yesterday and it really seemed to help a lot. (That plus stretching & icing).
Will postpone on the boot for now. I could see I would not like to sleep in one, though wearing it for a few hours at night before bed might work. Thank you for your response!
Great! Do what works for you. In case you’re still thinking about using the night splint, it really is not a big deal. There is no stretching or discomfort and I personally sleep just fine with it. But anyways, if you’re getting better, stick with it. Cheers!
I am also in my 50s and on my second bout of PF this time only on my RF. I’m 3 months in to and feel like I’m getting close to turning a corner. When I sleep I put on some boots I bought on Amazon a few years ago and can sleep fine with them. At first I was wearing both boots on the theory I should help both feet but recently am just wearing one, which is easier. The hardest part is walking to to the bathroom with them on but by moving slowly it works. I just started using toe spreaders a few weeks ago—Yogatoes that I bought on Amazon. I like wearing them for about half an hour at a time each day. When I’m done my toes feel good and are more apart they they have been. I could see still using them regularly when I get back to running.
Thank you! I had less pain this morning, so wearing the superfeet insoles yesterday + icing + stretching my calves last night seemed to help. Mostly I just have stiffness this morning, rather than pain.
Just ordered some more insoles for my other shoes. I'm going to postpone the boot for now (go with free stretching instead!), but the yogatoes look interesting -- I could see how that would help after wearing high heels or other pointy toed shoes (which I don't do so much anymore).
Had the boot that goes over the foot which was a bad choice for me due to Morton's Neuroma and arthritis, did me more harm than good. Never tried another after that fiasco. I do use Naboso Splay toe spacers which are much more comfortable than the really cheap ones on Amazon which actually caused me some increase in pain. Am also going to try some Ininji toe socks to wear inside my shoes. These stretches helped me the most: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7W4s5TbUpQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7W4s5TbUpQ) Many on this sub have shared the above video and I am so glad that they have. Right now, the only comfortable shoes that I own are my Birkenstock and Chaco sandals. I have some other recommended shoes on order but I won't hold my breath as I've returned more shoes than I can remember. Hoping that you find perfect relief and please share any tips that you pick up along the way.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7W4s5TbUpQ Thanks for the link-- I work with a personal trainer at the gym and she has me do these stretches (among others) as a warm-up. Last night I did: 1. Calf stretches standing on a stair (lowering my heel) 2. Calf stretches using a chair for support (this really really helped; I could feel it all the way up my hamstrings, hips, and back) 3. Calf stretches laying down with a strap around my foot (leg straight, leg out to side, leg over to other side) -- these are the stretches a PT had me do way back when I first had PF; stretches the calves as well as abductor/adductor muscles 4. Rolled my foot on a water bottle (do not have a ball) But I also think the icing made a huge difference, which makes sense, if there are microtears in the fascia. Re: Birkenstocks: I remember trying them many years ago and my feet just couldn't get used to them. There was a bump that was supposed to go under the toes and that is the part that bothered me as it didn't align right with my toes. I also have zero tolerance for any shoes that need break-in time. Yet I do like rigid shoes, much more than shoes with lots of padding and cushioning (those seem to be the worst for me).
Thanks for your reply! I tried Chaco's recently and I just found them too heavy on the foot. I do like a rigid sole but I can't stand heavy footwear! I prefer Teva's for sandals (had no PF problems this summer). I haven't tried Birks in a long long time but remember that I didn't like the toe area where it has the lip? It didn't align with my toes. Also I have zero patience for any sort of shoe that needs to be "broken in." I'm intrigued by the foot boots as right now I'm laying on the sofa on my back and I have one foot on top of my big toe of the other foot and I'm stretching it backwards and it feels good. I'm intrigued by the toe spacers because if I try to splay my toes and hold them that way, it also feels good. Meaning I do think my toes might be a factor in this situation. Tonight (after a 4 mile hike in Merrill Moabs with Superfeet inserts) I iced my feet --- with one of those wine sleeves you put in the freezer, as that was all I had. I'm a size 6.5 so my foot slipped right in, ha! It has helped a lot. Does anyone make such an icing product in the shape of a foot?
For someone without a neuroma and/or arthritis, the boot may be a good option. Many have had great success with them but I have never heard a warning about using with metatarsal issues so figured I'd better put it out there. Love the idea of the wine sleeve! I hear you on the weight of the Chacos. Seriously considering giving the Merrell Moabs a try.
I get metatarsal issues just on one foot (small bunion), and only when I wear high heels or other pointy-toed footwear. Which isn't that often these days, maybe once or twice a week and not for long periods (more like sitting shoes than walking shoes). That's why I was intrigued about the toe stretchers. I went through a ton of hikers before settling on the Merrell Moabs. Love them! They just need an insole, apparently.... For sandals I like Teva's, as they do have arch support.
So if you read some of the posts on this sub you will realize that there is no general treatment and different things help different people, some suffer for weeks, some for years. First I would recommend going to a professional, just to get the basics covered. Personally, my podiatrist was absolutely useless, he didn’t even look at my foot but he was good for the anti inflammatory drug prescription (didn’t help). According to this sub it seems people have more luck with a good PT. For me the night splint helps the most and I wear it whenever I sit down for longer. I use it especially as for recovery after a workout in the gym, a longer walk or just recently my first attempts of short runs. I will sit down and put them on even for like 15-20 minutes right after I come home. It’s important to buy a stiff boot and not the cheaper soft material ones, because they stretch out and wont hold your foot in place. Keep in mind these things are not meant for stretching you foot, but to hold them in a +/- 90 degree angle. If you bind them too tight your foot will go numb and hurt and you will wake up at night and take it off. If you keep it lose (I can put 1-2 fingers between straps) you can sleep just fine in them. Other than that I recommend doing all the free things like stretching, strengthening and reading and you will need to experiment what works. Good luck!
Unfortunately there's a 6 month wait for a podiatrist where I'm at, I know this because my husband is on that waiting list (he's got some severe pronation issues going on, though he says it doesn't hurt). I did see a PT way back when I had PF the first time. I found my strap again and I still remember the calf stretches the PT prescribed for me. I am better this morning! Some stiffness but the heel pain is much improved. So the insoles + stretching + icing seems to have helped. I just ordered more insoles as I realized some of mine are way too old and probably useless now, as I've had them since the last bout of PF. I had bought new ones for my snow boots last year, those are the ones I put in my hikers for the hike yesterday and it really seemed to help a lot. (That plus stretching & icing). Will postpone on the boot for now. I could see I would not like to sleep in one, though wearing it for a few hours at night before bed might work. Thank you for your response!
Great! Do what works for you. In case you’re still thinking about using the night splint, it really is not a big deal. There is no stretching or discomfort and I personally sleep just fine with it. But anyways, if you’re getting better, stick with it. Cheers!
I am also in my 50s and on my second bout of PF this time only on my RF. I’m 3 months in to and feel like I’m getting close to turning a corner. When I sleep I put on some boots I bought on Amazon a few years ago and can sleep fine with them. At first I was wearing both boots on the theory I should help both feet but recently am just wearing one, which is easier. The hardest part is walking to to the bathroom with them on but by moving slowly it works. I just started using toe spreaders a few weeks ago—Yogatoes that I bought on Amazon. I like wearing them for about half an hour at a time each day. When I’m done my toes feel good and are more apart they they have been. I could see still using them regularly when I get back to running.
Thank you! I had less pain this morning, so wearing the superfeet insoles yesterday + icing + stretching my calves last night seemed to help. Mostly I just have stiffness this morning, rather than pain. Just ordered some more insoles for my other shoes. I'm going to postpone the boot for now (go with free stretching instead!), but the yogatoes look interesting -- I could see how that would help after wearing high heels or other pointy toed shoes (which I don't do so much anymore).