Plantar Fasciitis Pain: Holistic Treatment

I have had terrible foot pain off and on for 15 years. I am very fit and active 40 yr old woman. My pain fit every description of plantar fasciitis. I am typically on my feet 15 hours a day. This last year I had to work on a bare concrete floor everyday for 6 months. That was the last straw for my feet. It got to where I could barely walk across the room. I am very healthy and believe in preventative care and tend to avoid the doctor, and seek natural remedies. Nothing I tried worked. Stretching worked a little. My regular active life just came to a halt.

I had to make my decision on what to do according to how much walking it would require. After 6 more months of suffering, my husband gave me a pair of orthotic type inserts bought on ebay. Nothing expensive...just Wa-- Fi--. anyway. They were not comfortable, but I noticed immediately that my heel pain lessened. I was able to make it on my feet for an hour...then several. Today I made it all day shopping in town! Tired feet, but NOT striking unbearable pain like before. I wish that I would have just gone to a foot doctor years ago and got a decent pair of orthotics...it would have been worth the $$$. I don't know if it is true, but I have heard that if you let foot pain go on long that it can actually lead to bone spurs, because the body is trying to protect an area that is inflamed. In my case it must be that a ligament or something just needed support. I am sure a foot doctor knows the correct answer...but for now I am content with the results.

I suffered with painful plantar fascitis for quite a few years. After being diagnosed with celiac disease and adhering to a strict gluten-free diet, all of my plantar fascitis problems vanished. Not sure if this is your problem, but if you or anyone else in your family (it's hereditary and some people have NO symptoms) have digestive issues such as bloating, gas or abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea or both, migraines, anemia, bone or joint pain, you might want to get tested. Good luck!

Try taking vitamin d. I was in so much pain couldn't put my feet on the floor. Unrelated to my foot pain my doctor put me on vitamin d after a blood test showed it was low. My foot pain was gone the next day. If I stop taking it my pain returns. The planter fasciitis was diagnosed by an mri. Now it is gone. Since then my mom was told she had the same thing. I had her take vitamin d 2000 mg and she called me within 3 hours to tell me she was feeling better.

The blood Type works like a dream. May I suggest that you read the Book "live right for your type" its more up to date and takes into account many more things. although the first book is still brilliant. Secretor status is one of the most important things. This can change the foods that are beneficial. The blood test is not expensive. Feel free to contact me if you need further info.

While you are at it I would also get an "MN" blood group test done to see if you are MM, NN or MN... that can make a bif difference to especially if you are "MM or NN". Good luck and lucky you for finding the blood type diet.

People don't pay attention to the blood type diet, because nobody makes money on the diet, but it works. I have the blood type diet typed on paper, so it's easy to follow, trying to copy and paste, if I can figure it out I'll send it.

I am a sufferer of heel spurs. I am desperately seeking help and natural help, no doctoring. I had a cortisone shot in my heel about 20 years ago and believe me when I say DO NOT let a doctor do it to you. Oh my gosh it is the most horrific pain you can endure. I'd give birth to ten kids at once before I ever do that again. Believe me it won't be repeated. So if there's a natural solutionI'm all for it. What's everyone recommending.

I acquired a raging case of plantar fasciatis that actually crippled me. I was driving long distances constantly - for years - in a small car with no cruise control. Every time I reached my destination, I would have to crawl on my hands and knees and would have extreme pain for days and weeks on end. My brother built me a pair of sandals with a donut hole in the heel of my right foot... That did no good. Coincidentaly, I had a friend who was undergoing a series of steroid injections to the heels and described it as the worst thing that she had ever endured. I said, "Self; I ain't doin' that. "

What worked like magic for me: I borrowed my husband's 2 inch belt and fastened it into a loop. I would lay on the sofa and put part of the belt on the ball of my foot and pull upward. My goal was to see how far I could pull my foot toward my shin bone, pretending that I was going to touch the shin with my big toe. My timing was for as long as a set of commercials last on t. V. Programs, then give it one, last, long, strong pull - release. I did that for 2 weeks - but the fasciatis was 75% better within 72 hours.

Oh, I also put a can of soup on the floor on my side of the bed and forced all my weight onto my arch first thing in the morning for 5 minutes. From Internet research, I found an illustration that explained this disorder so clearly. The foot being in a 45 degree angle for many hours (on a gas pedal) had allowed my plantar fascia to shrink; the calcaneous (heel bone) was building a calcification ledge trying to reach for the facia. It is not exactly a 'spur'. Don't let anyone give you injections - or God forbid surgery - without trying this remedy.

I developed plantar fasciitis (no heel spur), which I suspect from running in worn out shoes. I initially got the orthotic from the podiatrist but it was just a bandaid that didn't heal anything.

I'm a yoga practitioner and I unwittingly healed the plantar fasciitis by doing yoga about 3x a week for about 6 months. I talked to a yoga instructor who studied plantar fasciitis and she said that yoga heals plantar fasciitis by making the feet bigger. Worked for me!

I have plantar fasciitis due to bilateral bone spurs. It's excruciating pain when I walk. Do u recommend Apple cider vinegar? If so how should I take. Thank u

It never occurred to me that my plantar fasciitis might have been caused by a heel spur in combo with some microbial infection but it makes perfect sense. Especially when you think of how much mildew might be hiding in the shower.

I had a year of difficulty walking - so much so that I thought I was going to become lame. I couldn't wear any shoe without an arch support. I had tried stretching, ice, exercises, massage, ibuprofen, castor oil and was still getting progressively worse.

After a year and a half of suffering I tried MSM every two hours for a few days like directed on this site. The MSM didn't seem to make a difference but then I tried soaking in borax/clorox just a couple of times. Within the week, I could put my weight on my heel in the morning - a huge improvement. I can now wear high heels for an entire day again and it's been years since I could wear them.

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!

I had a heel pain and swelling in the planter fascia since four months and looked like it was increasing with tingling sensation in the heel and it was difficult for me to walk, I tried physiotherapy for 6 times where I got eswt plus applied ice packs for 10 min morning and evening for one month but no improvement, took neproxin for inflammation, but the symptoms were same, so I came to know about this site and read about apple cider vinegar and cold water remedy, just after 3 days after using apple cider vinegar twice a day my pain was all gone, but after a week it came back 30 percent. I am still applying apple cider wrap at night, and drinking it with baking soda, and I am feeling much better and I think ice cold water remedy really works. I will post after I get fully cured . |Thanks to earth clinic, I simply love this site.

How did you do the apple cider vinegar wrap?

More instructions please. How much mag oil to water? Hot, cold?

In excruciating pain both feet with PF. I'm desperate for relief. Thanks.

Micheal from Boston, Ma: Can you please post the formula or recipe on your weak bleach solution soaks on foot, wil b highly appreciated.thanks

Thank you anak!

I had Planter Faciitis for over a year and found walking to be extremely painful. My doctor told me that I may need surgery and the thought of that made me cringe. As luck would have it, I moved and began seeing a new doctor. I asked him what he would suggest and he pointed at my sandals and told me that his first piece of advise would be to get rid of them. He said to get myself a good pair of supportive shoes and wear them all the time, both indoors and out. I bought a new pair of good runners for outside and a pair just for inside. It felt funny wearing shoes in the house, but I kept it up and within two weeks the pain had lessened and within a month it was completely gone! Who knew that the cure would be so easy? Obviously not my first doctor.

Thank you. This was so helpful - I took your advice and modified it a bit for me. My walking shoes have a broad toe so with each step I spread my toes out wide and stretch my foot as I take my next step. The pain has moderated considerably and I now think I'll be able to take regular walks again -- after not walking regularly for over a year and seeing my health suffer accordingly. I found this site by googling plantar fasciitis. I sure do appreciate all the helpful tips. I started with the easiest one I could find and it helped! I'm going to start taking tumeric also.

Sketchers have now come out with a newly designed shoe that is awesome! If purchasing the heavier, larger profile "rocker", please use caution with wearing these - you need to break them in gradually - meaning gradually wear them longer each time you put them on. I've talked to a few people who have had pulled tendons and other problems from putting them on and wearing them for long periods of time without slowly breaking them in.

The newest shoes are softer, the sole is split to make it very flexible, and they weigh next to nothing. I am very pleased with them and didn't have to break them in much as the profile is smaller. After my raves, two other friends of mine bought them and love them as well. I am hopeful that this will help me continue to walk regularly and that they soft soles will hold up and not break down quickly. Koodos to Sketcher for coming up with these shoes!!

I am dealing the a heel spur now along with tendonitis in my elbow. Both occured at the same time after a minor accident from getting trapped beneath a large trash can that was filled to the brim with rocks, soil, and grass clumps. I figured the shock to my system may have been the cause of the two. I am going to give some of the ideas here a try and will post my results as things progress. After reading many suggestions, and because I am cautious as to what I put into and onto my body, I believe I'll begin with taking the AVC (hope I can handle the taste! ) and increase my calcium, magnesium (aids in calcium absorption), and vita D - all of which you need more of as you age anyway. I will strongly suggest purchasing only good quality suppliments and stay away from drug store, grocery store brands. Do your homework when shopping for suppliments and consider only using those purchased from natural food stores or Shak.... products (don't know if I can name specific companies or not).

To Cathy from Roanoke: I also developed plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow around the same time, early last year. I am 45 now.

I asked, but the doctor and physical therapist told me that these two conditions had nothing to do with each other, but I just felt that they did.

It seems that all my connective tissues have suddenly taken a turn for the worse, without an obvious reason. I feel that my entire body is more fragile than it was, and don't know why. Maybe I'm lacking some substance (mineral or vitamin etc. ), or maybe I have taken too much of something in the past few years (I do take quite a few supplements), or maybe there is something going wrong within my physical structure.

The physical therapist said that it was just aging, but I don't know if aging (in the early 40s) happens that fast, like from going to feeling just fine and pretty resilient physically, to feeling like things were quickly breaking down due to only minor stresses and strains being put upon them -- from one month to the next. And then not getting any better, even after a year of living very healthfully and trying several treatments.

Could you tell me what type of "Sketchers" you got? I was wearing the Go Walks and my foot doctor said this is what caused my plantar fasciitis. Thanks so much!

I had Plantars Fascitis for a couple years. I used shoes with high arch support, a sandal made in the US, Chaco sandals. I never walked without them in my house even. After a few months it finally went away. It came back a year later, mildly. I made sure to walk only in the shoes indoors too. All gone now. No problem w/ fascitis for 5 yrs. The other problem I found was using a shovel in your garden. DON'T use your foot to press the shovel down.. that is the ultimate insult to the fascia! DO stretch your feet w/ straps, or standing on your toes, like you're reaching for a top shelf, or standing at the edge of a step and stretching your foot that way. Best wishes.

I agree. ACV did nothing for me.

I am developing plantar fascitis again after a couple of pain-free years.

Can you specify this is GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT and not GRAPE SEED EXTRACT?? Some of the other posts are saying Grape Seed Extract which is what I bought and it's not helping at all after 4 days. Is this capsules or an oil???

Lysine for canker sores works wonders! My son had a mouthful after having his wisdom teeth out and they healed up quickly. Recently I had plantar facitis and found 5 star reviews for lysine and tried it and it worked in 24 hours! Amazing stuff. I don't know what the chemistry behind it is, but I am grateful!

Intetesting therapy. Where did you get the LLL treatment? Can you buy the device and do it yourself? Are PEMF special socks?
Thank you.

I suffer from plantar Fascia for more than 18 months. Have tried everything under the sun, nothing responds. I wish I can find a natural cure.

Tried this for 2 weeks. Did nothing unfortunately.

Can you tell me how much Apple cider vinegar do you use for heel pain and how many times a day?

I'm really going through it with this heel pain now both of my feed her but the left one really kills me. Sometimes I get up just to go to the restroom and it's just so painful to walk across the floor.

Get you a massage gun from Amazon - many to choose from. It will cut the pain almost immediately and begin the healing process. My daughter-in-law and I both had it at the same time and it worked for us both. She delayed getting one about 6 six weeks and was sorry she waited. Go slowly and on low speed and keep it moving over the bottom of the foot and over the calf muscles - beats anything else that I tried by far!!!!

Do you think that iodine and lugals would work for people with altheimerzs? You said your memory and brain activity had improved,

I am curious what types of cleanses did you use to get rid of candida over growth and the leaky gut?

My 19 year old son said he had pain in the arch of his foot. He said it felt like he had a splinter but didn't think he had one. And then he realized that sometimes he has the same pain in the other foot.

My first thought was plantar fasciitis since his dad and grandmother have dealt with this and many in my family have pretty flat feet. He is on his feet all day (forestry and farming work, so at least not concrete.)

I bought him a pair of insoles with an arch support for under $10. He put them in the shoes he wears all the time.

A few days later he realized that he had no more pain!

So happy for a cheap solution for him!

Hi can you please tell me from where you got pair of insoles with an arch support for under $10.

How did you take the potassium chloride? like a teaspoon a day? and how? mix it in water? did you add anything else?

John says he use to teach doctors how to make orthotics and regrets it now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JAdAOfJYeM

I bought two books on the blood type diet and also found the cards that you can carry in your purse. I'm learning pretty fast what foods to avoid but hate not eating some of my favorites such as bananas, oranges, mangos and coconut!

It's a good thing I love eating more vegetarian but I need to figure out how to get in my carbs, protein and good fats. I also try to avoid eating anything processed so the blood type food plan should be easy once I get the hang of it!

Thanks for offering to forward your info but don't worry if you can't copy and paste it.

I can totally sympathize with what you're going through. In my line of work I'am on my feet all day, everyday. For the past three years I've been in constant pain. I have tried everything that my foot doctor recommended. The expensive foot insoles, cortisone shots and foot exercises. I feel like this is ruining and running my life. Nothing works. I use to be very active. Not anymore. Please tell me that the Apple cider vinager and baking soda has helped.

I had a cortisone shot, physical therapy, done various stretches to try to quell the terrible pain in my heal when I walked. Finally, after reading all the comments I bought the inserts on the website https://heelthatpain.com within 2 days wearing them, my pain vanished.

What brand and what dose of cod liver oil did you take? Thanks

I was suffering from a particularly bad case of plantar fasciitis and heel spur that had caused severe leg cramps in my calf. It was 10:00 at night and I was desperate for relief. I had vet wrap left over from my dog so I wrapped it firmly around my foot from the ball of the foot to the heel. The relief was almost instant and the cramp in my calf went away soon after. The vet wrap is self-adhesive, cheap, and available at any farm or pet supply store. It comes in wider widths for horses and narrower widths for dogs so it's easy to find the right size. It's also thin enough to wear under you socks and shoes.

I would love to know more about this toe pad solutions. Just what are you using and what are you doing with these. Please share. I'm needing self help as I'm on my feet all day so to get help would be great. Thanks.

This book saved my feet! I found the information here and went up on Amazon to look at Dr. Schuler's book. He is such a humanitarian that you can preview the book and get the basic information you need. I got so much relief from the toe pad that I bought the book. Thank you Earth Clinic and Ted!

El

I have just ordered this book but have been going to a nueromuscular therapist and having her work on my posture issues - has helped immensely.

How much borax do you use to soak your foot in the water. How much water? Is borax a poison?

i have had severe plantar fasciitis for some time now have tried the following orthotics, wearing a boot, cortisone shots, weekly massage, weekly Physio, intensive acupuncture, taping, dry needling.Currently taking calcium and magnesium, my diet is very good.

I am now trying the ACV drink soaking my feet in a bucket with borax, black molasses and ACV, and massaging my feet with turmeric and olive oil then arnica. Basically all the tips I have learnt from this site. Will let you known how I get on. Not sure how to do the foot sock with the solution if someone wishes to explain please I will try that as well.

Have non stop pain in feet and legs that makes everyday activities difficult to impossible. Just wondering abut how much calcium you took ? My nails are extremely thin and fragile so I am wondering if [like in your situation] calcium is the issue ? Thanks for any help.

I thought it was a plantar fasciitis but I think know is more of a splut heel. Anyway, I want to know specific which Molasses to buy? & how much ACV, molasses & baking soda do I put in the glass of water? Pleeeease help. I've had this pain for 5 months or more.

How do you wrap your foot with the ace bandage? I have tried 4 braces and they all hurt me, I am not sure how to wrap with the ace but I want to try. Jeanne

I have been having success also with the Vionic shoes.

Lol,,, I love it what you said,, I do same thing,, I did pour apple cider vinegar cotton balls then put on my right heel and tape around my foot,, over night,, I hope it help pain goes away in the morning,, my first day,, what u said drink,, I haven't yet,, I'm try it tomorrow mornings before I go to work,, I hopefully feel better tomorrow,, thanks

Rocker shoes are awesome and offer much needed comfort to those of us with Plantar Fasciitis. I have had shots to kill the nerves, surgery to repair, 400 dollar insoles, steroid shots, Tens unit and so on. My doctor is recommending a new treatment to use ultrasound waves to damage my heal further and cause it to be extremely inflamed so my body will heal it. This is the first I have been on this site. gonna try ACV.

Is there ANY cure for Tarsel (Tarsal) Tunnel Syndrome? I take Lyrica (Gabapentin) and Tramadol which works to a degree. If I do not take it, I am incapacitated. I've tried massages, heating pads, magnesium oil, staying off my feet and elevating them. I read on this site where omitting Aspartame helped with CARPAL Tunnel Syndrome; so, I will try that along with the other suggestions I found on this site for the Carpal. But, the TARSAL Tunnel Syndrome affect the feet and mobility. The pain has radiated up my legs, too. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!!

I have been wearing metatarsal orthotics for almost 20 years, they are the best arch supports around. There is a franchise that sells them in almost every state in the U. S. , Emmit Smith is the spokesperson. His feet hurt so bad when he was on Dancing with the Stars, he now wears them. Look them up, I can wear these orthotics in every kind of shoe style, in sandals I velcro them in, voila!

Plantar fascitis is caused by over extension of the ligments on the bottom of the foot, if the four aches in the foot are supported with the properly sized metatarsal arch structure things will go into a neutral state redistributing the upper body weight on the appropriate bones in the feet. Skeletal posturing occurs, you stand up straight and fatigue diminishes. Amazing stuff happens, yep it does.

I don't believe you "stretch" to help heel spur(s). That is bone or growth of bone.

Stretching helps plantar fasciitis.

What a lot of people believe is the stretching is helping the heel spur itself. It does not help the spurs. It helps with the pain from plantar fasciitis. Eases tightness of the muscles. And in turn gets rid of, or reduces, foot pain.

I used to have terrible pain in my feet. Foot doctor got me into good shoe inserts and started a stretching program. Every day have to stretch.

Check with you foot doctor for what stretches to do and how often to do them.

I have suffered with heel spurs and opted to have them both operated on about 10yrs ago, or so. Now my right foot has symptoms again. Our health insurance no longer covers the foot Dr it did before so I asked my new Chiropractor. I bought 'paper' tape from the drug store (it's not as rough on the tender feet as duct tape). I gently wrapped my instep for 2 weeks, untilII found arch huggers. These are like sturdy ace bandages (a little thicker though). They are sewn together to make a flat seam. I now use this instead of the paper tape. I wear it each day over my socks, inside my sneakers. I take them off at night, and make sure I put this on my bare instep BEFORE I get out of bed each morning. My Plantar Fasciitis is almost 100% better. Plantar Fasciitis is different than heel spur, but maybe if you 'catch' the pain soon enough with the arch support it may not develop into a heel spur? I don't know this, it's just a suggestion. Anything is better than surgery. Good luck to all. Lori K. Newport Va, USA

Thank you! This has helped so much! I still have pain but as soon as it gets bad, I start doing this exercise. Am also trying grapefruit seed extract rubbed on at night, so perhaps the combination is what is working.

I've been suffering from acute plantar fasciitis for about 5 years now. I've tried stretches, exercises, ice, and APC with very little luck, so I finally started on cortezone injections, which only had minimal short term effect. I've recently tried an arch band that has helped exponentially. I can't name the brand, but I found it on a dancer supply website.

It's a fabric band that you wrap around your arch. It has a velcro tab that sticks to the fabric, so it's highly adjustable. Attached inside the fabric is a triangular hard foam pad that acts as an insole... even in sandals or bare feet! You buys a pair of them, but I have extremely high arches, so I double up on the foot the I have the most problems with. They're washable, but the fabric tends to break down a bit over time.

I wear them 24/7, except when I'm in the shower, and I've gone from not being able to walk on my heel at all, to being able to get up in the middle of the night with only minimal pain. I've been using them for about 1 month now and, though they haven't taken all the pain away, I can walk somewhat normally now.

I can attest to the ace bandage wrapper on your feet - I had the inflamed fascias(?) in both my feet for 3 years before I read on ec to use the ace to wrap - it works!!! 0ver a year and still no problem

How are you supposed to wrap the ace bandage on your arches? Have plantar on both feet for about 2 years.

I've had the plantar fasciitis pretty bad for over a month. I couldn't even walk around the house without being in real pain. I used a firm, foam roller and had one of my kids add a little weight to roll out my calves from the knees down. The very next day the pain was very managable. It's like getting a deep massage. Much more effective than just stretching. The heels still hurt when I stand or sit in one spot for too long. I'm guessing that's the calcium deposit. I'm going to try the ACV treatment. I'm a runner and I'm tired of being sidelined.

I have had horrible plantar fasciitis pain for year now and have tried everything. My latest attempt was taking ACV too, and it didn't seem to help at all. Other people seem to think it did the trick. I wish I knew a cure. I had to give up running and it's painful to walk.

Please look into a homeopathic doctor for plantar fasciitis. People have been cured with homeopathy.

The type of AVC (Apple Cider Vinegar ) you ingest matters.....Organic with the mother....good brands out there but Braggs is one of the best ones available.....you can find it on Amazon, at health food stores and at some grocery stores and at Vitacost dot com

I see a grapefruit seed extract online, which only says use 10 drops and dilute it with water, how are you all doing it? I haven't purchased any bottles yet, I'm going out of my mind because I've been in pain ALL year and nothing has worked!!

Hi I have just read your comments about grapefruit seed extract for plantar fasciitis. I am constantly in pain in both feet with this problem and I was wondering if you need to use a carrier oil with this and what product did you use? Thank you