9 Podiatrist-Recommended Products For Relieving Plantar Fasciitis Pain
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These orthotic inserts, supportive shoes and topical anti-inflammatory creams can help keep that sharp, shooting pain at bay.
The symptoms associated with plantar fasciitis can really interfere in your day-to-day life. It's also one of the most common types of heel and foot pain, according to Michael J. Trepal, professor of surgical sciences and academic dean at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.
Often accompanied by a stabbing or sharp shooting pain centered around the bottom of the foot, plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory, and in many cases, degenerative condition affecting the broad thick ligament on the bottom of the foot which helps to hold up the arch, Trepal told us.
'Plantar fasciitis is caused by tearing of this fascia from either the tightness of this posterior complex beginning to tear and or the torque of the foot mechanics,' explained podiatrist Louis J. DeCaro, president of the American College of Foot and Ankle Pediatrics.
He added that some foot types are more prone to putting pressure or twisting the fascia than others, and suggested learning about your own specific foot type in order to determine the most effective way to treat your pain.
Fortunately, DeCaro and Trepal said that plantar fasciitis can go away on its own, rarely requires surgical intervention and can be effectively managed with over-the-counter aids. However, both experts cautioned that if pain persists for more than a few weeks, you should seek professional advice; there's a chance you might need physical therapy or other guidance for the issue.
Below, we laid out some of the products suggested by DeCaro and Trepal, plus their recommendations for how to integrate them in order to best manage plantar fasciitis pain.
1. A pair of arch support orthotic inserts
Amazon
Michael J. Trepal, professor of surgical sciences at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, and podiatrist Louis J. DeCaro both said that arch support shoe inserts are worth trying, although in some cases custom orthotics might be necessary.
These highly-rated insoles use a high arch and deep heel cup to offer support and maintain correct foot positioning so that the heel is better protected from impact. The inserts are available in both men's and women's sizing.
Get them from Amazon for $19.99 (available in five colors).
2. An everyday running sneaker
HOKA
Dr. Jay Spector, an Atlanta-based podiatrist and 32-time marathon runner, previously recommended these everyday walking and running shoes by HOKA to us for plantar fasciitis. The Bondi 9 promises an ultra-cushioned and "billowed" footbed with a neutral level of support for the arch. The shoes are available in tons of different vibrant and neutral combinations, in both regular and wide options in women's sizes 5–12 and men's sizes 7–13.
Get them from Nordstrom for $170 in women's and in men's.
3. A pair of podiatrist-approved recovery sandals
Amazon
Dr. Mark Mendeszoon, a multi-board certified podiatrist and expert in sports medicine and footwear, previously spoke to us about the benefits of recovery shoes for conditions like plantar fasciitis, and on Oofos recovery shoes in particular.
These popular shoes — which have received the APMA seal of acceptance — uses a proprietary footbed and foam material in the construction of their footwear that's designed to absorb shock, reduce strain on joints and assist with active recovery. It's a technology that the brand claims absorbs 37% more impact than traditional footwear foam materials.
'Oofos is a brand of recovery shoes that has really focused on the science of foot and ankle by mechanics. They found their niche with materials to help with people with foot issues,' Mendeszoon said, adding that it's one of the two top brands that he personally recommends to his own patients.
Get them from Amazon for $59.95 (available in women's sizes 5–18, men's sizes 3–16, and 10 colors).
4. A rocking foot stetcher
Amazon
According to DeCaro, "the best a [person] can really do is stretch the posterior column which runs from the hamstring down to the calf, to the Achilles and through the bottom of the foot to connect to the plantar fascia."
DeCaro teaches his patients heel inversion stretches, which he said should be done "prior to all activities that involve running or long walks and should be done with the foot as neutral as possible."
Although you don't need a device for the heel inversion or posterior column stretches that DeCaro refers to, many Amazon reviewers claim that this rocking foot stretcher has made "a world of difference" in treating their plantar fasciitis pain. The rocker design holds the foot in the optimal position for an accurate and efficient stretch and has slip-resistant pads to keep the stretcher in place while in use.
Get it from Amazon for $23.49.
5. Currex RunPro professional running insoles
Amazon
According to Dr. Miguel Cunha, a podiatrist and founder of Gotham Footcare, " these insoles help reduce plantar fasciitis, posterior tibial and muscle fatigue through motion control for optimal foot guidance and poron cushioning for maximal shock absorption with heel strike." They come in three different arch heights in sizes XS–2XL.
Get them from Amazon for $54.95.
6. A pair of cushioned gel heel cups
Amazon
Heel cushions placed inside shoes might make plantar symptoms more comfortable, Trepal said. We found these heavy duty cushioned heel cups that feature a shock-absorbing design using a multi-cell and multi-layer construction. You can find them in three sizes.
Get them from Amazon for $14.99.
7. A pair of gel ice pack socks
Amazon
Another remedy, according to DeCaro, is icing the feet, but only at night and only after your last step.
"One of the most common mistakes is icing the foot during the day. Ice contracts soft tissue and thus exposes it to more tearing. If you ice after your last step for 10-15 minutes, then not only do you quadruple the healing process during the night but you avoid walking and tearing contracted tissue," DeCaro said.
These therapy socks feature full-size freezable gel packs along the sole, top of the foot and behind the heel for all-over pain relief. One Amazon reviewer with plantar fasciitis said these socks are an easy and comfortable way to ice their feet.
Get them from Amazon for $23.99 (available in nine sizes and three colors).
8. A topical anti-inflammatory gel
Amazon
Trepal also recommended applying topical anti-inflammatory cream to help with pain management. Our pick: Voltaren, a highly rated anti-inflammatory gel that is a non-steroidal and hydrating formula that imparts a cooling sensation when applied. It can help reduce stiffness and aches and improve mobility.
9.
Amazon
Both DeCaro and Trepal said that short term use of oral painkillers such as ibuprofen or naproxen can be useful. These are non-steroidal medications that can help reduce inflammation. Individuals with certain bleeding disorders, stomach ulcers, kidney disease or asthma should talk to their doctor before taking NSAIDs.
Get it from Amazon for $4.46.
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How To Know If You're The Toxic One In A Romantic Relationship
'Toxic' has become a buzzword in relationship discourse these days, with countless articles, videos and social media posts about how to spot a potentially problematic partner and get yourself out of an unhealthy relationship. 'When working with couples, I would define toxic relationships as ones where there are consistent patterns of harmful behavior occurring between the two individuals,' said Grace Choi, a marriage and family therapist at Act2Change Therapy & Wellness Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She noted that these unhealthy patterns tend to emerge when either partner feels unsafe, unsupported or unacknowledged ― or even attacked or controlled. 'What often contributes to 'toxicity' in a relationship is when one or both individuals fail to take responsibility for how they have contributed to the breakdowns in their communication and connection,' Choi said. 'Toxic relationships can be repaired, but take time and commitment by both individuals.' Although content about toxic relationships often focuses on the signs of toxicity to look out for in others, the reality is that you might also play a big part in creating an unhealthy dynamic with your partner. So how can you recognize if you're the toxic one in a relationship? Below, Choi and other experts share the signs to look for in yourself and advice for improving the situation. You don't communicate openly. 'There are multiple behaviors that could indicate that you are a toxic partner,' said Steve Alexander, a licensed mental health counselor at NY Wellness. 'One example is an inability or unwillingness to communicate openly — i.e., shutting down.' It might be cliché, but it's true nonetheless: Communication is the key to a healthy relationship. If you refuse to engage in healthy communication — or to try to improve your communication skills — then you're bringing toxicity to your relationship. 'Perhaps you tend to pick petty fights rather than addressing an issue head-on while consistently putting your needs before your partner's,' said Noorhayati Said, a New York City-based psychotherapist. Instead of avoiding direct communication, take the time to talk to your partner about conflicts that arise, discuss the root of the problem, process it and try to reach a resolution. Negative emotions consume you. Pay attention to any negative feelings that might arise and how they affect you. It's a bad sign if you let these emotions consume you and seep into your interactions with your partner. 'In a toxic relationship, feelings of love and admiration are replaced with feelings of resentment, jealousy and low self-esteem,' Said noted. 'Ask yourself, 'Do I build my partner up with compliments or tear them down with insults?' Consistently criticizing your partner will make an insecure person feel more powerful or smarter in the moment.' She noted that emotions like jealousy are driven by low self-esteem or fear of abandonment, and it's a problem if you aren't willing to explore the past experiences that may have led to these insecurities. 'If you are showing up in a harmful way in your relationship, you may find that you are constantly on edge — always on the brink of saying something hurtful,' said Choi. 'Unprocessed emotions can lead to 'toxic' behavior patterns, such as lashing out at your partner or shutting down ― stonewalling. If you notice times where you have taken your emotions out on your partner, it could be a sign that you need to strengthen your ability to emotionally self-soothe.' She suggested trying out emotional self-soothing techniques like journaling about your thoughts and feelings, going for a mindfulness walk to calm down or going to therapy for professional support. You have unspoken expectations. 'Have you had times where you felt your partner should just know what you need without having to ask?' Choi asked. 'Have you lashed out, saying something like, 'How could you not know what I need right now?' If you find yourself doing this often, you may be exhibiting toxic relationship behaviors.' Try to understand that you and your partner bring different experiences into your relationship, so your needs and desires likely won't be identical. 'Unspoken expectations can leave your partner feeling as if they are navigating a minefield each time they interact with you, unsure of who or what they are going to get,' Choi said. 'Assuming that our partner can 'read our minds' or should 'just know' what we need puts a lot of undue pressure on the relationship.' It's unfair to hold onto expectations without discussing them. Use assertive language, not shame or criticism, to express your wants and needs. You want full control. 'Wanting to have control in a relationship is a normal feeling, from time to time,' Choi said. 'However, when this feeling goes unchecked it can lead to toxic or harmful behavior patterns in your relationship.' Many people seek control in their romantic relationships to achieve balance and comfort when other aspects of their lives feel out of whack. Consider if this resonates with you and if you might be making your partner feel trapped or hurt as a result. 'Controlling behaviors — such as controlling finances, how your partner spends their time and with whom, wanting them to behave in a certain way — will often start out more covertly, possibly by complaining and 'suggesting' that your partner behaves in a certain way and eventually turns more into demands and expectations,' said Elizabeth Fedrick, a licensed professional counselor based in Arizona. Your desire for control might also cause you act more clingy, possessive or codependent. 'Toxic partners often find themselves lying and hiding from their partner while also remaining fiercely codependent,' Said explained. 'Codependency is a form of passive manipulation motivated by fear. The only objective is to achieve power in the relationship.' You display a pattern of maladaptive behaviors. 'Something that could indicate you are a toxic partner in your relationship is considering if you are engaging in any behaviors that could be deemed abusive (physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually), intentionally neglectful, manipulative, controlling, or if you are actively participating in a toxic cycle of maladaptive behaviors.' Fedrick said. She noted some common maladaptive behaviors include repeated violation of boundaries, love bombing (giving excess compliments and gifts to gain power in a relationship), bread crumbing (offering only small morsels of interest), public embarrassment, and lack of ownership or remorse for one's missteps. ''Double bind' is a technique used generally during conflict in which someone is presented with two mutually undesirable options and are put in a position to have to choose one, but either way, they will lose or be deemed the 'bad guy,'' Fedrick added. 'Covert abuse refers to less obvious forms of control and manipulation — gaslighting and less apparent psychological nuances.' Consider also if you feel like you always need to be right in a disagreement, if you ever blame your partner for your own behaviors and choices, if you frequently play the victim or martyr role, if you make empty promises, or if you and your partner are in a bad cycle of 'intense infatuation, intense conflict, breaking up, not resolving the issue, and then back to intense infatuation,' Fedrick said. Tracy Ross, a couples and family therapist in New York City, also pointed to repeatedly breaking up and getting back together as indications of toxic tendencies on your part. 'There might be a pervasive lack of trust — constantly questioning and never being satisfied or letting the other person know you believe them,' she said. 'You might be creating an environment of constant drama — then wooing them back — which is crazy-making behavior.' You lack self-awareness. 'One of the major indicators of toxicity is a lack of self-awareness,' Alexander said. 'By this, I mean an unwillingness to examine how your attitudes, beliefs and behaviors affect your partner. This does not mean you have to be perfect. It just means be willing to critically assess yourself and how you engage with others.' Recognizing your own unhealthy or toxic tendencies is the first step to making a change. 'Reflect on prior toxic relationships or your childhood,' Said advised. 'Toxic behaviors in a relationship are usually learned. Unhealthy relationship modeling from parents, abuse or neglect set the framework for all future relationships.' Spend time on self-reflection, take accountability for your behavior, listen to feedback from your partner and loved ones and identify actionable goals. 'The simplest way to achieve this is through working with a therapist who can help you identify patterns in your behaviors and ways of thinking,' Alexander said. 'However, you can develop this on your own by becoming curious and compassionate with yourself. Curious meaning to notice and ask yourself what causes you to respond in ways that are unhelpful to your relationship and compassionate meaning to not be too hard on yourself as you're learning to improve.' Related... The First Thing To Do If You're Stuck In A Rut With Your Partner 10 'Pink Flags' To Pay Attention To In Relationships What Sex Therapists Tell People Who've Never Had An Orgasm Solve the daily Crossword
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BrainSim-X Launches Developer Platform for Neural Simulation Data
BrainSim-X announced the launch of a developer access program that allows researchers and app developers to integrate brain simulation data into their applications. More information about the platform is available at their official website . The Bangalore-based research initiative said the platform will focus on medical applications, particularly epilepsy research and neurological treatment development. Unlike typical API services, BrainSim-X requires developers to submit applications explaining their intended use cases before gaining access to the platform. Interested developers can request API credentials through their secure portal. The approval process takes approximately one week, with the organization reviewing each application to ensure it aligns with their medical research focus. One developer who has used the platform for three months described it as providing detailed neural activity data that requires significant technical expertise to implement properly. A detailed account of this developer's experience can be found in their comprehensive review . 'The platform generates large amounts of data that require powerful computing resources,' the developer said. 'It's designed for serious medical research rather than general app development.' The organization provides documentation and support for developers working on brain-computer interfaces, neuroscience research projects, and medical applications. Their research findings are available for review in published papers. Real-time data access became available recently, allowing developers to integrate live neural simulation feeds into their applications. The platform is intended for researchers studying brain activity patterns, testing neurological treatments, and developing diagnostic tools. BrainSim-X operates the service through a secure API that provides access to neural simulation data generated by their brain modeling platform. Technical requirements include high-memory computing systems capable of processing large neural datasets. Additional technical insights about the platform's capabilities can be found in this technical analysis . The research initiative says the developer program represents part of their commitment to making brain simulation technology accessible to the global research community. Applications are evaluated based on their potential contribution to medical research and neurological treatment development. BrainSim-X has not disclosed revenue generated from the developer platform, stating that funds support ongoing research activities. The organization expects demand for the platform to grow as more researchers learn about neural simulation applications in medical research. Future platform updates will include enhanced simulation capabilities and additional tools for analyzing neural activity patterns. BrainSim-X says the developer program differentiates it from commercial AI companies by focusing on open research collaboration rather than proprietary technology development. The platform supports research into cognitive enhancement, educational technology, and advanced diagnostic systems. Developers interested in accessing the platform must demonstrate relevant research experience and explain how they plan to use neural simulation data in their projects. BrainSim-X provides training resources to help developers understand neuroscience concepts necessary for effectively using the platform. The organization says it will continue expanding the developer program while maintaining focus on medical and scientific applications. Related Resources TIME BUSINESS NEWS
