Lots of us have discussed this on other posts... So it's a very common problem among sufferers of AS!  My experience has been (after 7 years of severe heel/foot pain) that when the medication to reduce inflammation finally came into my life late last year, I had the first relief for a long time!  I believe that whatever it's labeled as (I have a certificate saying I don't have plantar fasciitis! What a joke...), I believe my rheumi that it's an issue of one or other kind of inflammation. I've done all the shoes/supports/exercises/soaks/cold pack (short-term relief), exercising, not-exercising, etc. Prednisone sorted it initially. Methotrexate now has sorted it -when I can take it consistently. Hooray, not so much pain in the feet these days!

I tried to copy and paste what Samantha said but it did not work.  She described me to a tee.  I would only add the following:  I seem to get flares in my feet and do not suffer from pain all of the time.  I have noticed an increase in swelling in my whole foot and ankles this winter.  I tried a hot bath and hot tub only to find out I swell up twice as much and have twice as much pain after.  The mornings are the worse but if I sit down after being active for a while the pain and swelling comes.

I have achilles tendonitis and possibly plantar fasciitis.  I also get pain in the joints of my toes and the ball of my foot.  When i get up in the morning i can't bend/flex my feet and walk like a penguin.  Have to go sideways down the stairs and take one at a time because my feet won't bend.  Have tingling in my toes also from a pinched nerve.  Flip flops are the best thing.  Even though they have little support i have far less pain in them than in regular shoes.  Not just my feet, my whole body.  I think that's unusual though as they say to wear good supportive shoes.

Almost every week I deal with a day of pain in my feet that requires me to stay off them.  Sometimes the entire foot just throbs.  Other times the toes just ache.  Often the heel will hurt.

EMG testing revealed Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome.  Podiatrist not much help yet.  Waiting to see a Rheumatologist mid Nov before I proceed with more aggressive measures.  Hvaent see a Rhematologist in 10 years.  Had the worlds best but she moved away.  Hear this one is good though.

I experience foot pain on the top of my feet when I first wake up in the mornings and sometimes until lunchtime - cramping/siffness.  The stiffness seems to affect one foot more than the other but it does alternate.  I find that I cannot tolerate anything that laces and I do notice that my ankles and feet are more swollen.  I cannot wear any type of heel without it affecting the SI Joints.

I haven't had foot pain for the past two weeks and the only thing that has changed is that my GP lowered my dosage of Nexium  - this should not have any affect as it is only a companion drug that protects your stomach from the side effects of the NSAIDs. It is hard to tell whether symptoms are medication induced or part of the AS sometimes or age impacting on the condition.  

Sheri

Interesting, I've been flat footed for as long as I can remember and only find comfort wearing sneakers with good arch support.  Had sore feet long before AS symptoms started.  I've been told Crocs provide good arch support.

I wear clogs.  Clarkes or Merrell are what works for me.  The good thing with me is that when one thing bothers me it is intense and I don't feel the other things.  With enbrel my feet were kind of numb so I really didn't notice too much.  Thinking about it now I guess my feet do hurt.  I try to ignore it. My neck and shoulders hurt more!

Yes, Podiatrist says I have Plantar Fasciitis. Have had severe foot pain for about the last 6 months.  Could barely walk for a while.  Have had injections in both feet twice.  Also take low dose Gabapentin.  It is getting better, but I still have to stay off my feet as much as possible.  Ice helps too.  Excersises don't seem to make much difference.  I know I am ready for it to pass.  It seems like AS moves around in my body, always causing problems in a particular area for a while.

I don't wear shoes with a  hard sole base; walking shoes with a good arch and cushioned sole are great and shoes with an incline,  like a wedge heel, are even better - never heels.

I freeze water bottles and then roll my feet back and forth over them.  Also, Epsom salt soaks and stretches help alot!

I wear shoes with good arch support and no backs (mules, clogs). I don't do anything to irritate my Achilles tendons. I never go bare foot. As long as I do this and deal with my inflammation, I don't have problems.

I have been having alot of problems with the arches of my feet cause alot of pain for about a year now. I have been wearing the NIKE FREE TRAINERS 7.0 for about 3 months now and have not had any issues with my arches anymore. The whole system is based on the barefoot theory. The theory is that people actually get more injuries when wearing shoes because our shoes are so supportive that they are making our feet too weak to hold our own body weight. So the FREE TRAINERS are designed to force your feet to support your body! Now when I take my shoes off I don't get shooting sharp pains in my feet and I feel normal. For the first week I wore them all the time except sleeping.

Foot pain began the final downward spiral in my AS progression 10 years ago, starting with what felt like falling arches. Doc said probably Morton's Neuroma at the time. Haven't been able to walk heel-to-toe the first hour or two out of bed each morning since then. Feet are better on treatment: Humira, prednisone, methotrexate, tramadol - but even with all that I still get bouts of Achilles tendonitis that make it agony to walk. There are permanent, spongy (like silicone) protrusions around the medial malleolus on both feet.

I have foot pain constantly.  Podiatrist diagnosed me with plantar fascitis and Morton's neuroma.  I've had cortisone shots in heels and toes when it flares extremely bad ... Otherwise I just "treat" with cold therapy and stretching.

Here to.  It was actually a podiatrist I was seeing for pain in my foot that got me to a rheumatologist for the first time which got me my diagnosis.  Pain was extreme enough that I was taking stairs leading with my other foot on each and every stair. Finally being treated for the disease brought me relief! Ankles still hurt from time to time but it is easy to manage thus far.

I struggle with foot pain quite often.  Especially in the mornings.

I struggle with it in my heels. It feels like it's bone on bone when I'm hurting in my hips and knees.

I have the same issue and it feels like my bone is about to come through the bottom of my foot. I am now taking Humira and it has given me relief in other joints but I have not noticed a difference in my feet/ankles. Is there anything anyone takes that may be able to help with this while I am taking Humira? I saw someone mention methotrexate, do this work well and are there any bad side effects?

Like most of the above, have really bad pain in my heels first thing in the morning and limited flexibility, after a while it wears off, i pray i never oversleep coz that would be interesting to deal with!!

I have pain in my arches, tips of my toes and my ankles are awful. I've had issues with sharp pains in my ankles for years and when it was really bad the doctor thought I might have a blood clot and gave me blood thinners, NOT GOOD!!! That was 3 yrs ago. I had 2 bilateral SI joint cortizone injections and that seemed to make the tendon in my feet worse, it cramps up so bad it keeps me awake for hours at least 4 times a week. The tips of my middle and 4th toe are extremely sensitive, this is new, and I don't know what that means other than the nerve damage is spreading. Still waiting for a rheumatologist, was referred in Jan. My knees swell up but pain wise it is so minimal compared to the ankles and hip pain that I hardly notice it. I'm starting to wonder if I'm just falling apart....

I'll join the ranks of those that have written in.  Not infrequently I have pain in my right foot, usually front part of the foot making walking in anything but well padded sneakers unpleasant.  If I walk too much I also get right knee and hip pain and recently those were a warning that a flare was coming--it's here :(

I have pain in my right toes and the ball of my foot. It just suddenly goes on me and I have to take pressure off completely. Really painful. I find it difficult to get shoes that are comfortable these days. I tend to live in my fit flops as they seem to support and cushion the joints.

Yes I too struggle with foot pain, thank god not all at once. I am very active on my feet so I thought it was due to the shoes. It started with the big toe joint 25 years ago, then my arches (tendonitis) after training for a marathon. Then it was achiles tendonitis, then plantar fasciaitis, then the worst of it is now in the top of my foot and arch, feels like the arch is falling, but its not. I have special insoles, a super comfy pair of sneakers, hiking boots and motorcycle boots to be the best, barefoot is not a good idea. I hope you find what makes your feet happy. I tend to switch shoes often during the day, if they feel good I leave them on, if not I go to barefeet to flipflops to biker boots. Anything to keep them happy!!

Upon seeing a podiatrist for my foot pain within 10mn he thought i had AS. I had been seeing rheumatologist for my knees for over 10yrs and minimal relieve. He convinced to see one more and I am so thankful I did. After having problems for over 33 yrs I was finally diagnosed. I have had plantar fascitis for years. I have used the boot to sleep in. Works like a charm. Takes a little to get used to. I have had custom made supports made - The Good Feet store. That also helps when in a flare. The pain in our feet is related to our lower back issues. I have been having issues with severe pain in my second toes, and extreme sensitivity to the top of my feet with light touch. I have started sleeping in socks and this has helped me some at night. I have been on methotrexate and it has worked wonders in removing that gray cloud feeling. I will be starting Enbrel in November.   Sorry for the lengthy post. I am a RN and tend to ramble on...  Wishing you all the Best!

My rhmy said I have Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. But it is a burning sharp pain in my pointer toe that is so bad.  About 6 years ago I had surgery for Morton's neuroma. That helped for a while but in the last 3 or 4 months it has gotten worse.  I go barefoot mostly unless I am at work.  I wish you the best,