<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> HERE ARE SOME MORE RESPONSES.......... My worst pain is under the arch toward the heel. I've been told it's due to the peripheral neuropathy, and that is backed up by what I read in a new book, Numb Toes and Aching Soles: Coping With Peripheral Neuropathy by John A. Senneff. I also have Sjogren's syndrome and that's what they attribute the P.N. to. You can also get P.N. from celiac alone. Now my Sjogren's doc says the pain on the sole of my foot is not P.N. pain (how does he know? there are classic symptoms, but also a lot of others that only those who live with it know about) and I need to have an x-ray to rule out bone spurs. He said if it's not that, maybe I have plantar faciatis. Yeah, right. I've heard of others on the list who have been diagnosed with plantar fasciatis and I think they had to have surgery to relieve it and then found that the pain continued. I received lots of advice from my doctor, such as stretching my foot in the morning before getting out of bed (she recommended "writing" the abc's with my foot), wearing a heel cup sideways, with the thick part to the inside, and wearing tennis shoes all the time and no high-heels. The only thing that really has worked for me is wearing tennis shoes or soft-soled shoes all the time. It's not a cure but has greatly improved the pain so that it's not such a problem. Walking around barefoot on the hard floors at home really aggravates this. A few years ago, I had plantar faciatis in one foot. I went to a podiatrist who made a wrap for me (mostly an ace bandage I think). I needed to put it on before getting out of bed. It helped a lot. Now I mostly wear comfortable shoes and I recommend Saucony running shoes. He said a lot of women wear them who have trouble with their feet. I have no idea if it is tied into celiac disease, but my feet definitely have problems. I wear Wolky "Nimes" sandals for dress and part of each day, and New Balance running shoes. I had a metatarsal problem....lots of pain ....until finding the Nimes. At the beginning I went to a podiatrist and he injected cortisone into my heel which gave me very temporary relief. He made orthotics (inserts) to wear in my shoes (which helped somewhat). Eventually, he sent me for physical therapy where I was given a lot of stretching exercises for the feet and hamstring muscles. That was the most helpful. Of course I got lazy and stopped doing the exercises and its summertime and I'm wearing sandals (no orthotics) and now I'm waking up in agony again, so I'm going to start the exercises again and hope it works. . Before my diagnosis I had killer feet too---but now the pain is related to certain foods I eat. We need to step out of the 'no gluten box' and start looking for other offending foods---and I have pursued this knowing how my Mom did suffer so much. My Mom had an extensive library of health related books and I have looked at book marks and clips and anything she was studying prior to my diagnosis because I realized I was experiencing the same problems. So now I am looking for any food related helps----once in while I have taken NSAIDS--excederin-- because I am at a loss----these drugs don't really touch the ache and pain though--- and so I'm on the look for what or why the stiff---sharp pains--early AM or just getting up from a chair-----or a good day running around--doing good things in the garden--- then sit down and go to get up and theres crankey ankles as you rise----my daughter said--- oh, kankles---the humor is good to down grade the obvious senior stiff movement as you get up your momentum---sooo, being on the look for anything--- most recent I came across an article in Vegetarian Times-- July 2002---called Flex Time----the Lifestyle topic for the month-- called: Alternative approaches to arthritis-- by Annette Kornblum----- your will find this a good read----this article ties up so many subjects I have read. Now, after you read the article---by the way if you can't find it write me and I'll send you a copy---you will want to be aware of acids---citric acid is everywhere---most often gluten free if American??- -I'd have to check that again--- but acids in general--vit c---different acids in vits---I really notice and avoid----you will gradually keep in mind foods that are offending----and as you read the article the jury is still out in the medical world---and they claim there needs to be more study-- but mean time---we will have to figure it out for ourselves--- and as the article states one mans food is anothers poison Two years ago I started having pain in my arches and heels. My GP said it was because I was too heavy. Apparently, to him, this is the cause of most ailments. :) So he sent me to a foot doc who said I had plantars fascitis and gave me heel cups to put in my shoes. Helped some but I still had pain. Then, last year, out of the blue, I started having lower back pain. My GP said it was because I was too heavy :) , but went ahead and referred me for physical therapy. The therapist told me I had flat feet and needed arch supports. I went to the Good Feet store and they made an ink print of my foot and sure enough-flat, flat, flat. So I bought some orthotics and haven't had any back or foot pain since. I think I was told that Plantar Faciatis was due to short leg on one side, which most folks have to one degree or another. Rather than do expensive orthotics, cut an ordinary kitchen sponge into the shape of my heel and put it in that shoe, at the heel of course, and when it gets packed down tight, just make a new one. It really did help and is certainly inexpensive/ Actually this is a common problem for runners. Some solutions I've found include getting orthotics to better support the arch of your foot as well as rolling a golf ball or frozen bottle of water under the arch area and around the metatarsals. I've also realized that a lack of potassium can cause cramps in my feet. don't know i f you are male or female but I recently started taking hormones and my feet started to kill me... just like you are saying... I cut back on the amount and am doing better. Plantar fasciitis is fairly common with people as they get older or if they are excercising a lot and comes from the tissue at the heel breaking down (stretching/tearing) and not cushioning the nerves/acting as a shock absorber. While various neuropathies are associated with (untreated) CD, this is not one.