shoes to help heel pain

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2008

Lyndsey, find a podiatrist and get checked out for plantar fascitis. And then, if he doesn't make you an orthotic insert, buy yourself a pair of Birkenstocks.

hb4hikes · Jul 27, 2008

I found relief with Dansko clogs, I needed a higher heel that shifted my weight more forward to the balls of my feet. I love Birkenstock for around the house and running errands and such but the Dansko brought me the most relief. Mephisto also makes great shoes to lessen the heel pain.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Jul 29, 2008

I had horrible PF as well and the only thing that helped me was Danskos. I love them!

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 30, 2008

The first time ... when I was in my 30's ... I went to a podiatrist and got custom orthotics. I was pain free almost immediately.

The second time I had a problem ... when I was in my 40's ... I lived in a different city and went to a different podiatrist. He gave me 3 injections of cortisone in each heal (1 per month for 3 months). Each one lead to a significant improvement. I was pain free in 3 months.

I am a big believer in going to a podiatrist and getting "real" treatment. I've had both of the most common treatments and both worked just fine.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Jul 30, 2008

I had PF in my right foot that progressed into tarsal tunnel syndrome. I highly agree that a good podiatrist is key in finding relief.

One point about Danskos: if you have a high arch, you might have problems with their shoes, even with arch supports. I hear they are great for those with flat arches, though.

One thing that helped me in the earlier stages of PF was taping with sports tape when I was at work. Here's a link on how to do it: http://heelspurs.com/tape.html

You may need night splints and orthotics as well. Like llg says, get the custom orthotics, or you may be wasting your money.

Note that if your heal pad has evulsed (like mine), or deteriorated too much, you may not be a good candidate for cortisone injections.