Plantar Fasciitis - does the golf swing aggravate yours?

Dealing with left foot pain for months.

Walking doesn't seem to bother it as much as time on the range.

I keep my weight on my toes due to this and can't seem to quit standing up when swinging.

Anyone else fighting this? Any solutions?

I have had plantar fasciitis for over 28 years . I have very high arches and tore them in both feet playing football (with flat trainers on astro turf ) and could hardly walk 2 steps (especially in the mornings getting out of bed) for about 6 months . The pain can be incredible so I do sympathise and tried virtually everything except injections and surgery (found golf almost impossible for about a year). My only option was to get customised orthotics but I didn't have the cash (can be £100's ) and happened upon this you-tube about how to customise the fit using standard cheap orthotics. It actually worked after a few disasters and I've now got DIY customised orthotics which have vastly reduced the pain I used to get after playing a game of golf or going to the gym.

Went away once I stopped golfing with soft spikeless shoes. Went to the Puma Titan Tour Ignite and the problem resolved itself.

I had Plantar Fasciitis really bad back in 2012. I was having to get cortisone injections in both feet in order to play tournaments. The doctor finally refused to give me anymore injections and I was forced to just stop playing golf for almost 6 months. In all honesty, it took over a year for the pain to finally go away. I tried acupuncture, massage therapy, orthotics, and chiropractic. Nothing helped. I finally went to see an orthopedic surgeon and it was down to two options. Shock wave lithotripsy or stem cell treatment. Neither of which were covered by my health insurance and both were close to 10K each. The Orthopedic surgeon suggested that some of his plantar fasciitis patients had seen marked improvement by moving to Altra Zero Drop running shoes, a concentrated foot and lower leg stretching routine, and to stop using any shoe orthotics, as they will weaken the muscle and tendon structure of the foot and make you more susceptible to injury and a re-occurance of plantar fasciitis. He suggested trying the shoes full time at work and anytime I was outside. Don't wear any shoe with a raised heel for any reason. Then when I was at home, always go bare foot and strengthen the muscles while stretching every chance I got. It was long and painful road but I stuck with the program. The pain eased gradually and I still had some bad days, but did finally work. I now wear nothing but zero drop shoes, stretch daily, and go bare foot as much as possible. I am now able to wear normal Foot Joy golf shoes for tournaments, but as soon as I step off the course, I put the zero drops back on. I haven't had any foot issues since 2014 but I do have to take care of them and keep stretching. If I start getting any sign of foot pain I double up the stretching and I'll go ahead and play in my zero drop shoes. I just can't let that misery return. I would retire from golf rather than fight that pain again.

I did have some luck with the night splints you can get that keeps your foot flexed while you sleep. It made it much less painful to get out of bed every morning, but the splint didn't help with onset of pain on the course or at work. It just made it so that I could get out of bed without hobbling around to 10 minutes trying to get the feet to stretch out enough to walk.

Good luck in what ever you try, People that haven't experienced plantar fasciitis don't know how lucky they are.

First line of recommendation, go see a physical therapist.

Get a good pair of shoes for your foot. A PT can point you in the right direction.

Stretch your calves.

Freeze a water bottle and roll it back and forth on the bottom of your foot.

You can also roll a golf ball on the bottom of your foot to break up the inflamed fascial tissue.

I see this often enough. Simply follow all of these will make it subside in a matter of 2 weeks if all of these are done on a regular basis.

I have a terrible case in my trail foot. I turn back and plant the foot and unwind, and the constant turn into the trail side just kills.

Working on self massage every morning before the first step out of bed.

I tried all the stretching exercises but I think when you get too old the ligament just gets less elastic and sometimes even a stretch will tear it - then another several months to heal again. Its true that if you use orthotics it will weaken the foot structure but imho, because we've grown up since childhood wearing shoes for support , the damage has already been done. Many native African tribes don't have any instances of Plantar Fasciitis because they have been barefoot for many years and their tendons/ligaments and foot structure are really strong and less likely to tear. Going barefoot now (for me) would be a disaster and I'm never going to retro repair decades of weakened structures in my feet.

Thanks for all the helpful replies guys. Sorry to hear bout all your PF, and I feel your pain.

I'll check out those shoes Otto- sounds like you've tried everything under the sun.

Mine has gotten somewhat better but its been months and I've actually started wearing out the sides of my shoes from walking on the side of my foot.

I have been using shoe inserts, and even wore a pneumatic boot for a while ( https://www.betterbraces.com/donjoy-maxtrax-air-ankle-walker)

That is an interesting point WILDTHING- we definitely aren't designed for shoes.

Justsomeguy- that is similar to what I was wondering- it seems pivoting on my feet is very damaging, in comparison to walking.

And to hopefully prevent anyone else this pain, I think I damaged my foot when installing laminate flooring- then kicking the panels together to tighten up the joints. So.. don't do that!

Orthotics are really expensive, try the Aircast Air Heel, it’s a much cheaper option.

Shockwave therapy is suppose to be very good for planter fasciitis.

Stand on a tennis ball and work it around the bottom of your foot. It hurts but do it twice a day for a few weeks and youll see results. I used to have PF in both feet.

Problems in one foot off and on since last summer. Key for me has been shoes of appropriate width (biggest key), less drop in shoes (golf and casual), minding my posture when walking.

The latest True shoes are perfect for me, and found some flat-ish hiking shoes and some low drop running shoes for every day walking.

Lucky I guess compared to some, but realizing I can't just wear any old thing after getting the injury has been a revelation. I just jumped out of a chair to get my puppy out of the firewood and put pressure on my foot wrong and there it was. Never had foot issues in my life before.

Your best plan of action is to seek out a qualified Podiatrist. The reason that I use “qualified” is that while all are educated and trained in diagnosing and treating foot/ankle related skeletal and soft tissue injuries, only about 30-35% see and treat enough of these conditions in their office to be able to effectively diagnose, treat and affect the cure.

How do ya know?

Hopefully a personal referral of someone who had a similar condition and it doesn’t matter if it’s Pl Fasciitis, Achilles Tendinitis or Heel Spur Syndrome cuz while the specifics of the various treatments will differ, the PT and general goal is the same...to reduce the inflammation and subsequent pain.

If ya don’t get a referral that way, then just call and ask what % of their practice is foot pain related.

Anything under 20% and I’d keep calling-

And be very leery of the internet ratings.

Many of those are popularity contests and I know that the big health system in S Western PA has people go in and just make bogus four/five-star reviews for their practitioners, lol

The very best to ya?

Cheers?

RP

Get the boot they make specifically for plantar fasciitis and wear it at night. Looks like a ski boot and it keeps your toe pointing up (stretching the calf). Suffered with PF for 2 years. After 2 weeks in boot I can go all day and play 36 no issues. (I still wear st night).

Ok, spoke to my Bud(Pen’s Podiatrist but much more impressively, he’s a traveling +1.8 outa Oakmont??) and these are his thoughts~

1) Get an appt. with a qualified Podiatrist

2) 800mg ibuprofen 2-3 times a day(3x’s is best if your stomach/GI tract tolerates and definitely have something in your stomach when taking) after a meal or snack.

**Do not take ibuprofen like a pain pill and only when it really hurts. For maximum benefit, 800mg 2-3 times a day. Also, if ya have OTC ibuprofen, they’ll be 200mg tabs so you should take 4 tabs.

3) Ice(20-30 minutes) and elevate when at rest

4) good supportive shoe gear, ie., running/walking/hiking shoes, even at home as you should avoid slippers, flip-flops/sandals & bare feet.

5) if appropriate, cortisone shot

6) If appropriate, orthotics(these work about 80%+ of the time) with customs being the best though there are some quality Professional pre-fabricated orthotics dispensed through a Podiatrist’s office.

DO NOT waste $$ on the bullshat in pharmacies(Dr. Scholl’s) or grocery stores in the health/beauty section and DO NOT go to those orthotic stores(We have a “Good Feet” store here in the Burgh). My father, a surgeon though not a Podiatrist, of course thought that his Translant board certification was inclusive of all medical/surgical specialties, so he went to Good Feet, wasted 75+ minutes along with dropping $280+ on basically off the shelf orthotics and they didn’t do shat for him.

Nothing~

Zippo~

So he saw my Bud, got the shot and got casted for customs and he’s been a happy camper ever since, rotating 2-3 pairs of orthotics and replacing em every 4-5 years.

Bear in mind that nothing beats a one on one appointment with a Podiatrist however a few of these recommendations can be done until Ya see the doc.

Regarding shoe gear, he thinks that Asics and New Balance are the best running/walking shows from a support standpoint and he himself wears Asics and even has two Guins wearin em and both are Adidas Players, lol.

Though I mentioned about no sandals/flip flops, there is a company, and I’m sure probably more than one however this is the company that he uses, as do a lot of the Players, called Vionic, which have leather uppers and an integrated orthotic foot bed and they make some great looking sandals and I just ordered a pair of the closed toe. They also make some sharp casual shoes.

https://www.vionicshoes.com/mens-shoes?gclid=Cj0KCQjwodrXBRCzARIsAIU59TJLdCYaMf9KE2k3Ux3MiONi4C-pN2gjJHoVjO-wKYW4GWtLuwP_nRUaAlarEALw_wcB

All the Best,

Richard

Have battled this for past 15 years. PT gave me a group of stretching exercises I do every day. Tried various orthotics and found orthotics and New Balance shoes seem to work best. Tried walking barefoot in house but just can't handle it - so its sneakers / orthotics in house and out. I can walk OK on grass but have real issue with pavement for any distance over a 4 to 5 blocks. Spikeless golf shoes also seem to help. Good Luck!!

Oh yea, I read this above and while it’s not in any way directed to the member who posted it as he is just repeating what he was told by a physician, however orthotics do not in any way shape or form “weaken” the musculature, tendons and/or the soft tissue of the foot and ankle and while I won’t go so far as to call the doc who said that an idiot, cuz he got through med school, a surgical residency and most likely an orthopedic fellowship, regardless of how crappy, lol, though that is total unadulterated bull shat??

Seriously, lmao

I spoke to my Bud who I mentioned above who’s a Class Act and even though I knew the question was a stupid question cuz he’s familiar with my orthopedic background, I will never be so arrogant as to totally disregard someone else’s statement, no matter who it is, so I asked him about this and he laughed and did not believe that a physician said this though I assured him that I had read the post correctly cuz I actually read it three times due to my meds and I usually skim stuff on the board versus reading to retain or have in depth discussions on the topic. I really do believe in KISS regarding the golf swing, lol.

Well, when I asked my orthopedic friend, who really is a peer and friend of my father’s though I did do some implant work with him prior to selling my distributorship, he looked at me with a blank stare and asked me to repeat myself, which I did, lol.

He returned his gaze to the computer screen as he was “charting” for a patient encounter, and dismissively chirped that he knew that I was brighter than to ask that question and whyITF(quote/unquote, lol) did I ask such an asinine question.

When I told him who had supposedly said it, he said “no effin way(the “F” word is a large part of his vocabulary, lol) and said either I or whomever had misunderstood whatever doc supposedly said this garbage..

This unsubstantiated bullshat was started by the bare foot/minimalist running advocates and is not substantiated or supported by ANY medical/surgical literature or studies.

In fact, the studies showed the exact opposite as orthotics were shown to cause positive trends in muscle activity during gait.

Usually it’s the non-MD community that comes out with the unsubstantiated bullshat opinions like this, and this guy gave nothing more than his opinion as not only is that non-factual, it’s flat arse wrong, lol

Anyhoo, orthotics help approximately 80%+ of the population If the appropriate device is fitted to the individual patient.

ok, it’s meds time and I’m gonna kick back and enjoy em?

Stay well Gals & Gents?

RP

Oh yea, I read this above and while it's not in any way directed to the member who posted it as he is just repeating what he was told by a physician, however orthotics do not in any way shape or form "weaken" the musculature, tendons and/or the soft tissue of the foot and ankle and while I won't go so far as to call the doc who said that an idiot, cuz he got through med school, a surgical residency and most likely an orthopedic fellowship, regardless of how crappy, lol, though that is total unadulterated bull shat

 

Seriously, lmao

 

I spoke to my Bud who I mentioned above who's a Class Act and even though I knew the question was a stupid question cuz he's familiar with my orthopedic background, I will never be so arrogant as to totally disregard someone else's statement, no matter who it is, so I asked him about this and he laughed and did not believe that a physician said this though I assured him that I had read the post correctly cuz I actually read it three times due to my meds and I usually skim stuff on the board versus reading to retain or have in depth discussions on the topic. I really do believe in KISS regarding the golf swing, lol.

 

Well, when I asked my orthopedic friend, who really is a peer and friend of my father's though I did do some implant work with him prior to selling my distributorship, he looked at me with a blank stare and asked me to repeat myself, which I did, lol.

 

He returned his gaze to the computer screen as he was "charting" for a patient encounter, and dismissively chirped that he knew that I was brighter than to ask that question and whyITF(quote/unquote, lol) did I ask such an asinine question.

 

When I told him who had supposedly said it, he said "no effin way(the "F" word is a large part of his vocabulary, lol) and said either I or whomever had misunderstood whatever doc supposedly said this garbage..

 

This unsubstantiated bullshat was started by the bare foot/minimalist running advocates and is not substantiated or supported by ANY medical/surgical literature or studies.

 

In fact, the studies showed the exact opposite as orthotics were shown to cause positive trends in muscle activity during gait.

 

Usually it's the non-MD community that comes out with the unsubstantiated bullshat opinions like this, and this guy gave nothing more than his opinion as not only is that non-factual, it's flat arse wrong, lol

 

Anyhoo, orthotics help approximately 80%+ of the population If the appropriate device is fitted to the individual patient.

 

ok, it's meds time and I'm gonna kick back and enjoy em

 

Stay well Gals & Gents

RP

LOL, the person claiming absolutely that orthotics will weaken the foot structure and we should run about barefoot wasn't a doctor, so not quite as bad as you thought, but wrong nonetheless!

Have a great weekend!

Oh yea, I read this above and while it's not in any way directed to the member who posted it as he is just repeating what he was told by a physician, however orthotics do not in any way shape or form "weaken" the musculature, tendons and/or the soft tissue of the foot and ankle and while I won't go so far as to call the doc who said that an idiot, cuz he got through med school, a surgical residency and most likely an orthopedic fellowship, regardless of how crappy, lol, though that is total unadulterated bull shat??

 

Seriously, lmao

 

I spoke to my Bud who I mentioned above who's a Class Act and even though I knew the question was a stupid question cuz he's familiar with my orthopedic background, I will never be so arrogant as to totally disregard someone else's statement, no matter who it is, so I asked him about this and he laughed and did not believe that a physician said this though I assured him that I had read the post correctly cuz I actually read it three times due to my meds and I usually skim stuff on the board versus reading to retain or have in depth discussions on the topic. I really do believe in KISS regarding the golf swing, lol.

 

Well, when I asked my orthopedic friend, who really is a peer and friend of my father's though I did do some implant work with him prior to selling my distributorship, he looked at me with a blank stare and asked me to repeat myself, which I did, lol.

 

He returned his gaze to the computer screen as he was "charting" for a patient encounter, and dismissively chirped that he knew that I was brighter than to ask that question and whyITF(quote/unquote, lol) did I ask such an asinine question.

 

When I told him who had supposedly said it, he said "no effin way(the "F" word is a large part of his vocabulary, lol) and said either I or whomever had misunderstood whatever doc supposedly said this garbage..

 

This unsubstantiated bullshat was started by the bare foot/minimalist running advocates and is not substantiated or supported by ANY medical/surgical literature or studies.

 

In fact, the studies showed the exact opposite as orthotics were shown to cause positive trends in muscle activity during gait.

 

Usually it's the non-MD community that comes out with the unsubstantiated bullshat opinions like this, and this guy gave nothing more than his opinion as not only is that non-factual, it's flat arse wrong, lol

 

Anyhoo, orthotics help approximately 80%+ of the population If the appropriate device is fitted to the individual patient.

 

ok, it's meds time and I'm gonna kick back and enjoy em?

 

Stay well Gals & Gents?

RP

 

LOL, the person claiming absolutely that orthotics will weaken the foot structure and we should run about barefoot wasn't a doctor, so not quite as bad as you thought, but wrong nonetheless!

 

Have a great weekend!

As I said, I am medicated so I read it three times to make sure that I got it correct, though I guess that is open to interpretation, lol

No harm, no foul?

Jesus Hawk, I’m so buzzed I didn’t even see who I was responding to??

I’d never talk to you that way, lmao

I saw numbers at the end of yours and his UN and assumed you were he??

I hope that I wasn’t rude but ya know how sometimes I skirt the line of being an arsehole??

Jesus, Madison loves you and will have my you know what on a platter if she thinks that I was rude to you, lmao

Sorry Bro, I hope that you’re well?

Stay well?

RP

I have heel spur both legs and walk like a penguin. Despite this, I have been playing golf - lets just say its the worst thing for golf. I am due for surgery but have been putting it off. Don't bother with ortho shoes or whatever band aid product. Get a full diagnosis and most importantly TRY AND FIND WHAT CAUSED IT. Truth is it might come down to surgery.

Oh yea, I read this above and while it's not in any way directed to the member who posted it as he is just repeating what he was told by a physician, however orthotics do not in any way shape or form "weaken" the musculature, tendons and/or the soft tissue of the foot and ankle and while I won't go so far as to call the doc who said that an idiot, cuz he got through med school, a surgical residency and most likely an orthopedic fellowship, regardless of how crappy, lol, though that is total unadulterated bull shat����

 

Seriously, lmao

 

I spoke to my Bud who I mentioned above who's a Class Act and even though I knew the question was a stupid question cuz he's familiar with my orthopedic background, I will never be so arrogant as to totally disregard someone else's statement, no matter who it is, so I asked him about this and he laughed and did not believe that a physician said this though I assured him that I had read the post correctly cuz I actually read it three times due to my meds and I usually skim stuff on the board versus reading to retain or have in depth discussions on the topic. I really do believe in KISS regarding the golf swing, lol.

 

Well, when I asked my orthopedic friend, who really is a peer and friend of my father's though I did do some implant work with him prior to selling my distributorship, he looked at me with a blank stare and asked me to repeat myself, which I did, lol.

 

He returned his gaze to the computer screen as he was "charting" for a patient encounter, and dismissively chirped that he knew that I was brighter than to ask that question and whyITF(quote/unquote, lol) did I ask such an asinine question.

 

When I told him who had supposedly said it, he said "no effin way(the "F" word is a large part of his vocabulary, lol) and said either I or whomever had misunderstood whatever doc supposedly said this garbage..

 

This unsubstantiated bullshat was started by the bare foot/minimalist running advocates and is not substantiated or supported by ANY medical/surgical literature or studies.

 

In fact, the studies showed the exact opposite as orthotics were shown to cause positive trends in muscle activity during gait.

 

Usually it's the non-MD community that comes out with the unsubstantiated bullshat opinions like this, and this guy gave nothing more than his opinion as not only is that non-factual, it's flat arse wrong, lol

 

Anyhoo, orthotics help approximately 80%+ of the population If the appropriate device is fitted to the individual patient.

 

ok, it's meds time and I'm gonna kick back and enjoy em��

 

Stay well Gals & Gents��

RP

 

LOL, the person claiming absolutely that orthotics will weaken the foot structure and we should run about barefoot wasn't a doctor, so not quite as bad as you thought, but wrong nonetheless!

 

Have a great weekend!

LOL, apologies then as I interpreted this statement as your orthopod gave ya three recommendations...

 

As I said, I am medicated so I read it three times to make sure that I got it correct, though I guess that is open to interpretation, lol

 

No harm, no foul��

 

Jesus Hawk, I'm so buzzed I didn't even see who I was responding to����

 

I'd never talk to you that way, lmao

 

I saw numbers at the end of yours and his UN and assumes you were he����

 

I hope that I wasn't rude but ya know how sometimes I skirt the line of being an arsehole����

 

Jesus, Madison loves you and will have my you know what on a platter if she thinks that I was rude to you, lmao

 

Sorry Bro, I hoooe that you're well��

 

Stay well��

RP

HaHa - I was looking at the "Wildthing" and his "orthotics kill" and we should run about barefoot remarks (although last I knew, most Americans haven't run about barefoot for a long time, nor did most of their ancestors). Lots of differences among cultures/geography/etc. over history that don't magically cross over - good reasons we don't run about in Mastodon hides as well!

Different posts, sorry about that, but similar in nature.

And I'll take your guy for an expert!

As for me, mine isn't so much PF as more of a front foot nerve issue ala Morton's caused mainly by constricting my feet inappropriately. I will say although flatter stuff works, I have a pair of hunting boots I walked over 24 miles in for 2 1/2 days in South Dakota in December, when I was still having issues, and my feet were just fine in those, so for me, seems to be mostly about the right shoes for my feet.

All good here, as always my friend!

As to what a doctor can do for a full-blown case of PF, remember that there have been MANY pro athletes that have battled it for whole seasons even with the best medical care available. Albert Pujols particularly comes to mind.

In order to deal with PF, you have to take a VERY long-term view of it. Get a plastic Coke bottle, fill it with water and freeze it, and roll the affected foot over the grooved part whenever you are watching TV. Get REALLY good shoes, with a REALLY good orthotic, and wear the orthotic in EVERY shoe you put on. Try the boot. Stretch a bit before you even get out of bed in the morning. Take some time off from either running or even from walking when you play golf if you do those things until the PF calms down a bit. And so on...

I had it in both feet at different times, and it was difficult, even with a REALLY good sports medicine/PT guy as one of my best friends. Once you get rid of it, it is MUCH easier to keep it gone, so at least that's good news.

FWIW, I wear ONLY Ecco shoes, golf or street, and have a Super Feet green insole in every pair. When I buy a new pair or Asics running shoes, I buy a new pair of Super Feet as well. Does all of that run into money? Yep, but you can't really put a price on how bad you feel when PF is causing you to either have to shut down or hurt so bad you can't stand it. Spend the money.

Superfeet Greens are a GREAT prefabricated orthotic and I too have em in every pair of shoes?

Nice Post BD??

Cheers?

RP

I have PF in my left foot. Came about from an injury at work. Wearing work boots makes it worse. My golf swing absolutely aggravates it. Posting up on my left heel at the finish definitely puts some strain on it. I’ve got a good doc and with a combination of treatments, it’s on its way to disappearing.

All of the above are great solutions.

For me, Good shoes, custom orthotics for my work shoes, super feet green insoles for golf shoes, aleve, ice, and KT tape make a huge difference. Lots of little steps add up to a solution.

Power step inserts and New Balance gym shoes along with new work boots solved my PF issue but Morton’s Neuroma flat out sux.

Ok, spoke to my Bud(Pen's Podiatrist but much more impressively, he's a traveling +1.8 outa Oakmont) and these are his thoughts~

 

1) Get an appt. with a qualified Podiatrist

 

2) 800mg ibuprofen 2-3 times a day(3x's is best if your stomach/GI tract tolerates and definitely have something in your stomach when taking) after a meal or snack.

 

**Do not take ibuprofen like a pain pill and only when it really hurts. For maximum benefit, 800mg 2-3 times a day. Also, if ya have OTC ibuprofen, they'll be 200mg tabs so you should take 4 tabs.

 

3) Ice and elevate when at rest

 

4) good supportive shoe gear, ie., running/walking/hiking shoes, even at home as you should avoid slippers, flip-flops/sandals & bare feet.

 

5) if appropriate, cortisone shot

 

6) If appropriate, orthotics(these work about 80%+ of the time) with customs being the best though there are some quality Professional pre-fabricated orthotics dispensed through a Podiatrist's office.

 

DO NOT waste $$ on the bullshat in pharmacies(Dr. Scholl's) or grocery stores in the health/beauty section and DO NOT go to those orthotic stores(We have a "Good Feet" store here in the Burgh). My father, a surgeon though not a Podiatrist, of course thought that his Translant board certification was inclusive of all medical/surgical specialties, so he went to Good Feet, wasted 75+ minutes along with dropping $280+ on basically off the shelf orthotics and they didn't do shat for him.

 

Nothing~

 

Zippo~

 

So he saw my Bud, got the shot and got casted for customs and he's been a happy camper ever since, rotating 2-3 pairs of orthotics and replacing em every 4-5 years.

 

Bear in mind that nothing beats a one on one appointment with a Podiatrist however a few of these recommendations can be done until Ya see the doc.

 

Regarding shoe gear, he thinks that Asics and New Balance are the best running/walking shows from a support standpoint and he himself wears Asics and even has two Guins wearin em and both are Adidas Players, lol.

 

Though I mentioned about no sandals/flip flops, there is a company, and I'm sure probably more than one however this is the company that he uses, as do a lot of the Players, called Vionic, which have leather uppers and an integrated orthotic foot bed and they make some great looking sandals and I just ordered a pair of the closed toe. They also make some sharp casual shoes.

 

https://www.vionicsh...RUaAlarEALw_wcB

 

All the Best,

Richard

Fantastic info, thanks Richard.

I'm going to try to get fitted for orthotics soon- I've really put it off way too long.

I did try wearing my NB maximus shoes yesterday without any inserts. (I normally wear them with profoot inserts, the type that are hard from the heel to the middle of the foot)

The Maximus shoes are very flat- after a few hours in them, my foot was really hurting.

It looks like, for me personally, I need a lot of support to keep mine under control.

Great info all around guys. You've convinced me to quit being lazy and being more proactive by stretching and rolling/massaging my feet.