Plantar Fasciitis

I feel your pain. Welcome to my world - you may never leave. Sorry to say this but once you have it, it never goes away it just takes vacations.

These exercises will help http://www.heel-that-pain.com/plantar_fasciitis/exercise/plantar_fa...

But be fore warned it will come back just as sure as shin splints and road rash.

So true. I got mine in late February and while I've healed from it, it is far from a complete heal. I'm reminded a few days a week that it's still there when a step a certain way or push off a certain way. I don't know if it every truly goes away

Based on Chucky's suggestion, I replace all of my shoes.  It helped a lot.

I've also been massaging a pressure point on the back of my lower leg.  That seems to help as well.

And, of course, ibuprophen.

Thanks for those comments and links...am guilty of not stretching enough which doesn't help the cause....problem is pretty well described on many different web sites....must be very common....running has been my default workout for 15 years...I need to change that, lean more on the bike/swim...glad I got a tri in last weekend, won't be doing one for a while with this condition...

Spend as much time as you can barefoot in the house and you will strengthen those muscles.

Rowdy

I had this years ago as I first started running and all I knew then was that it hurt when I ran so I quit. The pain went away, I shrugged and forgot it.

I got started running again early last year with no pain in my foot but it flared up by the fall. I took up swimming while it healed, wondered about triathlons and ended up here. I found and use several good stretches and exercises for plantar fasciitis from this page: http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/plantar-fasciitis.html To help with the stretching, I started taking yoga classes too. I also found it helps sometimes to roll my foot on golf or tennis balls. Another site with some info at: http://heelspurs.com/index.html

I've been running again for a few months now. It seldom bothers me anymore and, so far, I just back off for a few days when it does. Good luck.

Time to do the footprint test...Have your feet flattened? just get one wet and see what kind of imprint you make on a flat surface. I used to have a nice arch, now my feet are so flat they make sucking noises when I walk barefoot on wooden floors. It's a matter of stretching and support.

Rowdy, I have to disagree, my podiatrist said quit walking around barefoot, it might be all natural, but my feet aren't. I almost always wear some kind of sandal with some support. Except when my feet are making said sucking noises on wooden floors.

I'm there. Had it two years ago, stopped running, good long break, at least three months...and bought all new shoes, running, work casual. Also bought heel cups for my running shoes. My wife bought me a stretching board that I can use, all of that helped. Also, while you are in the throes of PF, if thats whats going on, take a plastic soda container fill it with water and put it in the freezer, take it out and roll the aflicted foot over it, feels really good...also, every chance I get I roll my foot across a round object, like a metal pipe, small firm ball, feels really good too.
Good luck..

I had acute plantar fasciitis in both feet for a little over a year. After that it did start to ease up. Since the get go with this I have been very careful with my feet (choice of shoes, what exercise I do, etc.). There are many good suggestions here, but there is a certain degree of figuring out what works for you.

My PT said that some people wait years befroe getting treatment, whcih means a longer time to heal. He also said that he has had patients who have the pain all the way up to their backs (one thing pulls another, which pulls another, etc.). With me it pretty quickly went up to my knees. Being on my feet at all way painful foe months. I did find benefit in ultrasound and ice & stem at the PT office, as well as benefit on figuring out what works best for me and how far to push.

If you want a podiatrist recommendation, mine is in Sunnyvale. My PT was also in Sunnyvale, and I would HIGHLY recommend. I actually started at another PT, but this one got me results MUCH faster (Australian Physical Therapy is the clinic name). As far a place to really take the time to help you with shoes and/or over the counter orthotics for sports, Ryan's in Santa Clara was great.

Good luck,
Michelle

Find an ART (active release therapy) book. The exercises in there fixed me right up in no time.

I've been fighting this for some time. The Strassburg Sock is really making a difference for me.

http://www.footsmart.com/Product.aspx?ProductId=1235



Edited by Writebrained 2005-06-25 10:56 AM

Glad to see I am not on an island here alone with this. I just turned thirty and had it for the first time. I stopped running and began swimming harder and it went away in two weeks. Yesterday I decided to give it a try as 95% of the oain had subsided and boom I am walking around like an old man again. This is the worst of all injuries I have had during my athletic life. Broken bones, patellar dislocation, torn meniscus, sutures, broken rib. From the research I have done and the posts on the board the prognosis does not look good. THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I suffered for 6 months before I figured out that slow traction combined with ice did amazing things.

I used this;

https://helius.safe-order.net/cgi-heelspurs/a/b.cgi?p=hw

for 2 hours a night with my leg propped up and a ice cold gel-pack wherever it hurt, arch or acheles.

I have to mention it any time someone brings this up because it helped me so much.

Just a quick update since I reported on this a week ago.....I have since put in 4 short runs in the 3-5 mile range...I wasn't feeling any pain after a few days and thought I'd try it......I have been feeling the same dull heel pain sort of intermiitently but it didn't last very long, and had no pain during the run....I have been stretching which I never did before...so cautiously optimistic....

Push carefully Frank. My first tentative runs as I got back on my feet caused a bit of discomfort too. Besides stretching before a run, I used lots of inflamation control afterwards.

We keep one of those gel filled hot/cold packs in the freezer. After each run I'd put it in a cloth shopping bag that I got at a conference once and, with my foot in the bag, use the bag handles to hold the ice pack against my foot as I elevated and rested it. I'd cycle the cold on and off every 10 or 15 minutes for a while. I would also have an ibuprofin that day and maybe the next, and wait a couple of days before trying to run again. I would always wait at least several hours after using the cold pack before stretching again too.

In spite of a few setbacks, my foot slowly got stronger. I'm running regularly now without any extra inflamation control measures but I still stretch, lightly, a lot.

Edited by Micawber 2005-07-05 4:08 PM

Thanks for the words of caution.....I have had no reoccurrence in the past several days and had one longer run this weekend - almost 7 miles - and no problems...I do stretch a lot now...maybe that is helping or I just backed off in the knick of time, not sure....can always come back....

Chop, I understand what your podiatrist is telling you, but try it and see for yourself. I have flat feet, the flattest you can get. I walk on the inside of my feet. But wearing shoes does not increase muscle strength in your feet or legs. This is my first year in many that I am completely injury free. Barefoot running has made a huge difference in my legs and feet for the better. Give it a try and you'll see for yourself.

Mike