I had surgery to chink off part of the spur and also fascia release. Both worked to remove the pain but the results of the surgery have not been good. My ankle is very stiff and sore. It is about 18 months and no amount of exercising seems to help. My heel is numb, and so is the back of my ankle. I don't think this is common, but I went from a condition that might have been correctible without surgery to a condition which can't be corrected period.

I'm sorry to hear you still have problems with your ankle. I did read that surgery didn't always solve the problem. I found some exercises to do but they don't seem to help much. I'll have to do some more searching here on the web.
It sure hurts at times!

I don't have heel spurs (i.e., nothing shows on an X-ray, but I've had plantar fasciitis for 20 years. I manage it with all of the following:

1. Walking shoes from a sports medicine store, sold by a man who actually knows what he's doing;

2. Arch supports (I don't wear them to work because I wear heels, but the heels help my feet feel better - as an orthopedic surgeon told me they would. Just not good to wear all day.)

3. Stretching exercises meant for P.F. - especially important in the morning before you take your first step.

4. Never, ever taking a step without shoes, even in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom. I use Birkenstock slip-on sandals as slippers.

5. Anti-inflammatory drugs, whenever the foot starts to hurt. If no OTC drugs give relief, ask your doctor, as there are stronger ones available by prescription.

6. Steroid shots every once in awhile. They're so painful that I can barely make myself go to the doctor, but they work, at least for a few months.

Doing these things, I've gone from limping for 1.5 years to being able to walk normally with only mild pain. I can't imagine that it will ever go away completely, but at least it's bearable.

Good luck - it's so painful and so depressing.

Joanne, thanks for all of your good advice.

I have a pair of all walking shoes that I have by my bed but usually don't use them in the night. I will now! I have copied everything you wrote.

Hugs!!

Oh yes, I know PF quite well. Here are two more things you can do -

1) Place a towel on the floor in front of your chair. Scrunch the towel with your toes for a few minutes.

2. Put water in a small styrofoam cup and freeze it. Take the ice cube out of the cup, place it on the floor on the towel. Sit down and roll your foot over it.

Hope these help.

Thanks! The first one is a new one to me but the second one would probably be the same as using a cold golf ball or a cold rolling pin.

Thanks!

Oh, that's interesting about the towel, Housepro. I'm going to try that. Maybe it's a bit like the "make fists with your toes" thing from "Diehard".

LOL! Yes, that's what it's like, but please refresh my memory about the "Diehard" reference. That is one of my favorite movies, but I can't remember that part.

When McClane is on the plane coming to California, a nearby passenger says that he travels often, and that when McClane gets to his destination, he should take off his shoes and make fists with his toes. McClane does this, which is why he's left without shoes in the rest of the movie.

Oh yes, I remember now!

Joanne I didn't know you had had that problem for 12 years. My problem is clearing up. I have done much of what you said, but one thing I was told to do was to stand on a step (the ball of your foot) and let your heels go down. I was told that a major problem with PF is that the back of your leg and the achilles tendon need to be stretched.

gandbb, I have heard that you should not allow surgery if at all possible, and it looks like you are proof of that. However if a doctor told me that I needed surgery, I am not sure that I would resist. I have heard and read that heel spurs form when you have PF, but they can go away on their own - that they are not the problem. I am so sorry your heel is numb. Does the doctor think you will regain full feeling? My sister had a Plantar's Wart removed, and it was so huge that they messed up the nerve on her foot. I think she is ok now. That was about 15 years ago.

I often sleep with my feet hanging over the bottom of the bed - especially when I think my legs are tightening up.

Another source for good shoes is the online shoe stores. You need to ask an involved question to the first person you call so that he or she will put you in touch with the manager. I said that I am a pronator and need shoes that have the grey on the inside from the heel to the arch. I also said that I wanted real good running shoes. The manager told me the best brands for me, but said that you should not get a running shoe for walking. I had wanted a running shoe thinking that the wear and tear from running would require a shoe with better support. He said that when you run you land on the ball of your foot, so all the support in the shoe is for that pressure. But walkers need good support on the heel since that is where they should land. So now I know to get pronator walking shoes. Asics fit me well since my toes arch and I have a high arch. But I still put inserts in them.

Sammy

I had this problem for about 12 years also. I tried just about everything I could get, that was over the counter. Even saw a couple of doctors and their suggestions never worked. One wanted me to walk in a splint all the time. I eventually saw a podiatrist, who prescribed orthotics, and they have been an absolute godsend. My feet ache once in awhile, but very rarely. I always wear my orthotics in GOOD running shoes. I think the trick is to find the correct podiatrist. I tried several, along with several kinds of orthotics, and none of them worked. IF you can find the right podiatrist, things should start to look up for you. I wear New Balance shoes all the time, and replace them usually every 6-8 months, once the sole starts to break down. These things cost money, but worth it in the end. Hope you can find something to help you relieve this.

Glenda

Sammy - it wasn't bad pain for all that time. Usually just when I get tired or if I walk without shoes. But once in awhile I have a "flare-up." It was only that 1.5 years where it was constant. I thought I'd never walk again!

I'm glad to hear yours is clearing up.

I once talked to an orthopedic surgeon who said that P.F. would go away if you could stay off your feet for two months. All the rest is trying to compensate for the fact that you can't do that.

Thank You Everyone!!!
My family and friends told me that "everyone has foot pain sometimes". I would sit on my bed in the morning afraid to put my feet on the floor due to the fact I knew what kind of pain I was in for.
I have a question for everyone. If I have spurs should they be removed or are they treatable with ice, stretching..ect...
Also does anybody recomend an online store for the type of running/workout shoe I need?