Thursday 10 September 2015

Ouch!

I have been very irritated over the last few weeks due to suffering from plantar fasciitis. This is an inflammation of the tendon that runs from the back of the heel across the arch of the foot. I have no idea what started it, but I can't seem to get shift it! I'm probably supposed to be resting it, but it actually seems to hurt more first thing in the morning and after I have sat down for any length of time, so I'm trying to carry on as normal. It blinking hurts though and it is seriously getting on my nerves.

Anyway, moan over.

It's a beautiful day here so I've popped a load of washing out. It never ceases to give me pleasure to hang washing on the line :)
I've managed a bit more in the garden this morning too, with some help from Jet who was shredding all the prunings for me on the lawn. Shame he couldn't then put them in the garden rubbish bags too. He and I went for an hours walk along the canal. He had a funny half hour part way through the walk, skitting all over the place in and out of the water - it was hysterical and I just stood there and laughed at him. Fortunately no one else was around or they would have been drenched!

Next on the list was plum jam. The plums were frozen, so I had to first defrost them, then painstakingly pick through them to (hopefully) de stone them all. My mum used to make the jam with the stones in, figuring you could pick your own out after you'd spread it on the toast!! It was like playing Russian roulette with your teeth every breakfast!

Only three of us for dinner tonight so I can feel baked potatoes with beans and cheese coming on! Simple things are sometimes the best aren't they?

23 comments:

  1. Hello! I suffered from Plantar Fasciitis as a student and I remember how painful it was. I think in the end I had to have steroid injections into my heel which were excruciating but did cure it. I hope you get some relief soon.
    Yes, I agree, the simple meals are definitely the best. Tonight we had toast with scrambled egg, bacon and beans - breakfast for dinner! It was delicious :)

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    1. I'd like to avoid the injections if possible - Mr D has just had them in his shoulder. We a both getting old I fear!
      I enjoyed my baked potato very much :)

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  2. Hi. I also suffer from plantar fasciitis (self-diagnosed), and discovered that it was probably caused by wearing old trainers while taking my daily one-hour walks. I'm now on my second pair of Clarks wavewalk trainers, which are well-padded and support the feet really well, and the condition has improved a lot. I still get a little pain when I first get up in the morning, but I can put up with that. I hope you manage to sort out this problem soon!

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    1. Thank you. Yes, I think that with all my dog walks, I will need to invest in a better pair of shoes to walk in. I don't want to be putting up with this for much longer - it's getting worse :(

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  3. Oh dear, I feel for you. I believe I had an attack of this a couple of summers ago. Those first few steps to the bathroom in the morning were so painful. I found a couple of things helped me - maybe they might help you too? While still lying in bed, I would flex my toes upwards (as if to point up to my head) and push my heel downwards as hard as I could (so that the muscle in the back of my leg pulled tight). I held that for 4 or 5 seconds then repeated a few times. Then I got out of bed. The other thing that helped was to sit in the evening with my bare foot on a golf ball, moving my foot around so that the golf ball massaged the underneath arch of my foot - it was agony to do it to begin with but I think it did help. It gradually eased off over the weeks. i am very careful about my shoes now though because I don't ever want it to come back. I really hope you feel better soon. Helen

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    1. Thanks for the tips. I did the stretching before getting up today and it was better. I'll try the golf ball thing this evening. I need to look into some decent shoes for dog walking too.

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  4. Ouch indeed, I hope it starts feeling better soon, but it usually takes a while and a lot of care to fully heal. The tips above sound brilliant, I've none to add sorry :-(

    It can be hysterically funny watching a dog have a funny half hour can't it., it makes the worries of the day go for a while and the world seem a much better place. Oh to only have the worries of a dog!!

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    1. I'm really grateful for all the tips. This started a while ago now, but it's definitely getting worse, so I'm keen to try anything to help it heal. It bloody hurts!!

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  5. I know how that feels. Policemans foot my doctor called it, I'm not a policeman!. Mine was as a result of wearing steel toe cap boots all day. The boots had no flex in them as they had a steel mid sole too. Its so the Home Office don't have to pay if I have an accident.;0) The boots have got better over the years and I no longer suffer. I found gel innersoles helped plus rolling my foot on a rolling pin to exercise the tendons under the foot. Hope you fell better soon.

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    1. Thank you. I'll try rolling something under my foot and doing lots of stretching. I've found a hot water bottle helps and I should probably try icing it too. Weird, I've been wearing the same shoes all year, but it's only come on in the last couple of months...

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  6. I too am a plantar sufferer. I sleep in a "boot" each night that helps keep the foot stretched, I wear better shoes and never, ever go bare foot. This has helped tremendously. Hope you get better soon.

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    1. Oh dear - I spend most of my time bare foot - always have. I even used to teach bare foot! I will look at buying a pair of supportive shoes for walking in though.

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  7. I had never heard of plantar before until I read about it in a book last night. And then saw your post. The lady in the book said it started due to pregnancy. I hope it gets better soon. You still seem to be getting heaps done!
    I have been drying washing inside by the fire all winter and today is the first warm enough spring day for washing on the line. So glad to get back to the washing line. Having washing all over the lounge room makes it seem so small and crowded!

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    1. Weird thing about coincidences! Mine is certainly not pregnancy .... Or at least I hope not!!!
      Glad you've had a better day of weather - it's such a nice feeling :)

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  8. Poor you, I do feel for you, my husband's got it too and he's in agony, especially first thing in the morning (apparently the tendon tightens up overnight when you're not stretching it by walking). He's been doing stretching exercises and rolling a can under his foot, but so far nothing's helping. He's going back to the GP next week to ask for a cortisone injection or shockwave therapy (I read about it online). Our cat used to have a funny few minutes too.....she'd all of a sudden race round like a mad thing, jumping and twisting sometimes too. So funny to watch.

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    1. Amazing just how many people have personal experience of this condition! I'd like to try and avoid the injections - not pleasant, but it may come to it if I can't heal it with stretching and exercises! I hope your husband finds some relief from it soon too - it's very painful :(

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  9. My teen son used to suffer with pains in his heels and soles of his feet, especially after PE. It started off wearing a pair of very hard trainers and he's 'heavy on his feet' when he walks and runs. I started buying Asics gel trainers with gel in the heels and fronts of the trainers and he's had no problems since. Just an idea. Hope you feel better soon x

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    1. My son suffered with it too when he was in his early teens. He could barely get up the stairs, but he seems to have mostly grown out of it. I'm going to do some research on better footwear!

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  10. Better shoes and if not better shoes then good orthotic inserts that support the bottom of your foot. We have a greater chance of developing plantar faciitis as we grew older. Ice only. NO heat. Inflammation is the problem so heat just makes it worse over time. Stretching, light massage, ice especially at the end of day and biggest help NOT walking without footwear with good support, not even to the bathroom in the middle of the night and not first thing in the morning!! The fascia contracts when resting and when you stand and walk it develops little tears in it making the inflammation worse. That is why it hurts after sitting or sleeping. When severe barefoot ONLY when showering or bathing.
    Good luck.

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  11. Just a few short months ago I was in agony with PF. I suspect it was caused by wearing my walking boots continuously for months on end; I now make sure that I swap shoes regularly. We don't have a car and the pain was so bad that I was on the verge of becoming housebound due to the excrutiating pain. I've rolled my foot on a bottle of ice, done stretching exercises, used taping ( details can be found online )and bought supportive insoles ( they cost around 6.99 from A*azon) and memory foam heel pads( from the pound shop). My foot is now much better and whilst I get the occasional twinge if I overdo things, I am abe to walk decent distances again and recently took up high impact exercise with no ill effects.

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  12. I too suffer from this condition but found wearing fitflop boots and shoes helps a lot. Also as previously suggested gel soles and memory foam inserts. Hope you are better soon.
    P.S I look for fitflops when they are on sale

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  13. I too suffer from this condition but found wearing fitflop boots and shoes helps a lot. Also as previously suggested gel soles and memory foam inserts. Hope you are better soon.
    P.S I look for fitflops when they are on sale

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  14. If you find it painful to go barefoot in the shower, buy a cheap but cushiony pair of flip flops for in the shower. That's what I did anyhow and it seemed to help.

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