http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/12033863/Liverpool-captain-Jordan-Henderson-must-play-entire-career-with-incurable-foot-injury.html

Plantar Fasciitis is one of the conditions that is the bread and butter of your bog standard NHS msk physio. To say that it’s incurable and has baffled “specialists” is ludicrous. As is the idea of injecting the thing with steroids and what sounds like inducing a rupture. I’ve had many patients with PF and none of them lost more than 3 weeks due to it, none have ruptured and none have needed injections, nor was it considered.

Give me strength.

I had it. **** awful it was, I got some Scholl insoles for my workboots (which I spent more time in than anything else) I was cured within 3 days, never suffered since.

I couldn’t be ars@d waiting for an NHS physio appointment and went to a private podiatrist and got it (and anterior whotsit shin splints) sorted. £70 but well worth it.

How do you cure it Wanmankylung?

Having entered the Manc Marathon next year I’ve been through this and lots of other pain recently. I’ve no idea if physio or new trainers sorted it…

I had it, got sorted by physio and practice golf balls.

I had it. Saw someone privately who told me pf was a big box the medical profession put “painful foot” into when they can’t or won’t give it more though. He then looked for exactly what was causing my issue and treated that (mostly exercises).

Can of coke/ golf ball and deep massage with either – sorted – Jordan bill is in the post

Awful bloody thing but not rocket science to sort out

(oh and throw out offending footwear immediately)

I’ve been suffering with this since February while i was training to do The Gauntlet Ironman. I got a few warning signs before It virtually finished me doing any running, I thought it was just another little annoying pain that comes with trying to juggle a job involving a lot of heavy work and a quite intense training schedule. I’ve seen a couple of podiatrists, nhs and private, I see a physio, I’ve had one steroid injection which made no difference at all, I’ve tried all sorts of insoles (shop bought ones and specially made ones) and I’m having some workboots made for me by our works occupational health, I do all the stretches I’m told to do but nothing is helping. I know some people get rid of it quite quickly but some are blighted for a very long time.

Golf ball then. Any chance put golf ball under foot and intense roll massage. Hurts a bit but worth it. Easier with a desk job though!!

I’ve had it a few times and it just goes away provided you stop doing what causes it (in my case running, and it gives you no choice but to stop anyway).

I found cycling in stiff soled SPD shoes a great help too.

I thought I had it, went to see ca physio, said it wasn’t it, gave me some stretches. Couple of months later no progress, eventually a friend recommended an osteopath who was a foot specialist. 2 sessions later I was fine. Not all physios know all the answers.

I’ve had it – sleeping in a boot cured it for me.

I use a ball or tin of beans religiously along with various calf and foot stretches,i haven’t run for 10 months now. I work in a car factory and spend all day heavy lifting on hard concrete floors which does not help me one bit, and unfortunately I’m not in a position to take a long period of time off or change my job/role. So I think I’m just gonna have to keep on doing what the ‘experts’ say, and one day it will go away

I’ve tried all sorts of insoles (shop bought ones and specially made ones) and I’m having some workboots made for me by our works occupational health, I do all the stretches I’m told to do but nothing is helping. I know some people get rid of it quite quickly but some are blighted for a very long time.

You’re wrong, didn’t you read the OP?! You need to go and see our super physio glupton – as he said it’s “bread and butter” and he’ll cure you just by looking at you.

What’s a glupton?

To say that it’s incurable and has baffled “specialists” is ludicrous. As is the idea of injecting the thing with steroids and what sounds like inducing a rupture. I’ve had many patients with PF and none of them lost more than 3 weeks due to it, none have ruptured and none have needed injections, nor was it considered.

Give me strength.

Go on then, fix mine. Given me the last six months back and get me running again. Here’s my diagnosis for reference:

He reports left plantar heel pain first thing in the morning which can also spread into the lateral aspect of the foot. His symptoms are fine when running but sore the day after. He does report pain while walking for long periods, which is made worse by wearing firm dress shoes. He denies any night pain, paraesthesia or numbness.
On examination there is a leg length discrepancy with the right leg being approx. 0.5 cm shorter than the left. There was some restriction in active dorsiflexion and strength of the toe flexors, ankle plantarflexion and evertors. There is tenderness on palpation of the plantar fascia insertion onto the calcaneus, however he is exquisitely tender over the central calcaneus over the fat pad.
We have completed a course of physiotherapy including soft tissue massage, joint mobilisations, stretches and strengthening exercises.

Doesn’t sound like plantar fasciitis to me. Sounds more like a fat pad issue to be honest. Try simple things like reducing the loading on your foot, maybe a gel pad under your heel and the usual PRICE.

I have heard that physios working in professional football get put under a tremendous amount of pressure to get the players back out onto the field as soon as possible (and I imagine that they develop tremendously thick skins to help deal with it too) but I do sometimes wonder if it contributes to their injuries

Of course they get put under tremendous pressure to get players out playing again as quickly as possible. They often think that throwing absolutely every single available treatment at players whether they be evidence based or not is the best way forwards. Theres problems with that though. Giving lots of different treatments at once removes the certainty of knowing what made the difference. It also puts the really effective treatment of doing nothing way down the list.

Don’t ever wear flip flops! Especially if you’ve had PF awful things! Need to try to identify why you get it as a host of things, treatment then white simple. I’ve had it twice horrific! Just getting rid of it now before I train for another Ironman next year!

I certainly know people who have been really crippled by this despite professional help. In fact from reading on here I’d say it seems to the soft tissue injury with the worst prognosis

Don’t get me wrong, it’s an incredibly painful condition and can seem like it’s never ending. It is however far from incurable and doesn’t need woo to get rid of it.

Acupuncture cured it instantly for me.

I was a complete skeptic when the physio offered it. ‘This won’t work but I’m desperate so let’s try’ said I.

I absolutely could not believe it.

I hobbled in.

I walked out.

I had it. **** awful it was, I got some Scholl insoles for my workboots (which I spent more time in than anything else) I was cured within 3 days, never suffered since.

Did I mention this? The insoles were about £15.

So, I started back playing tennis after about 5 years away from it a few weeks back – result is painful feet. I’ve tried my tennis and my running shoes, both have same results.

I don’t want to give up the tennis, as I’m enjoying it again, so my options are –

It’s maybe just a case of my feet getting re-accustomed to it, man up and see if it goes away?

or

Get referred to a podiatrist/whatever (private healthcare at work)?

Thoughts?

If you’ve got private healthcare go for it.

Cheers WML, I’ll try and find out who’s recommended in Ayrshire/Glasgow.

I used a tennis ball as there was more give,other than that can just agree with how much of a sodding misery it was.

Just thought I’d follow up on this. I’ve now been MRI’d and seen by a consultant. View is fat pad isn’t really damaged although it’s bashed up a bit, PF is inflamed, plus I’ve done some damage to something on the outside of the ankle. All combined to make me alter my gait and aggravate the PF even more. Steroid injection scheduled for Friday.

also struggling with this, for first time ever. Came on suddenly 4 weeks ago after some 3 weeks of regular running/long distance walking.
I have a very weak ankle same side, which I had to have ligament restructure surgery on about 20 years ago, it’s never been the same since. I wear a support, but seems as a consequence of increased activity it’s caused pf.

Extremely painful, like a burning sensation in heal. Reduced to a hobble in mornings, but ok once I get going, but after 2 miles or so it comes back on. A lot worse in my work shoes.
I’ve also always had lots of problems with tight calves, which I imagine is a contributing factor.

Was kind of hoping it would just go with some stretching and massaging, but getting a bit intolerable now, so considering going to GP.

Stick a can of juice in the freezer until frozen then use that like you ould a foam roller on the sole of your foot.

Extremely painful, like a burning sensation in heal. Reduced to a hobble in mornings, but ok once I get going, but after 2 miles or so it comes back on. A lot worse in my work shoes.

Sounds like what I had. Stopped me running for over 6 months though I could cycle and walk OK. Tried splints/insoles no help.

Now back running and feet near enough back to normal. What worked was taking ibuprofen 4 times a day on (medical advice for another injury) for a week or more.

Give a Strassburg sock a go for 3 weeks…

– you can pick them up for 13gpb – seriously worth trying – saved me from a second surgery.

Private pediatrist sorted mine, one apt!
And Ecco shoes.

I had it. **** awful it was, I got some Scholl insoles for my workboots (which I spent more time in than anything else) I was cured within 3 days, never suffered since.
Did I mention this? The insoles were about £15.

This, still. 🙄

I had it for well over 6 months – physio recommended gel insoles and stretches, not just heel, achiles and calves, but full hamstring stretches with a band. I think the stretches that cured it were –
toes up against the stair riser, other foot on landing stretching the full sole of the foot and the hamstring stretches.
Its just about gone now, but I still do the stretches every morning.

Update – I’ve started doing some stretches and using a tennis ball as a sort of foam roller on the sole of both feet – Was playing for 90 minutes last night and way better today, only a bit of expected fatigue, no pain in my feet. Result.

Just need to keep the stretches going I reckon.

Excellent. Try the frozen can of juice instead of the tennis ball if you get pain.

Will do G.

‘nother follow up. MRI showed very swollen PF, plus oedema of the heel bone. Corticosteroid injection done for the PF, and an air cast boot for minimum three weeks for the bone to heel. Then no weight bearing exercise for at least three weeks, and possibly another injection in the PF.

Fat pad is perfectly fine 🙂