Plantar Fasciitis

[pll]

Indeed! You will recover. For me, the last tiny bit of pain went away went I started jogging again. I went through physical therapy, some anti inflammatory medication delivered with iontophoreis, icing, taping my feet, night splints, etc -- at some point, the pain was so bad, I could not walk 2 blocks... I'd literally take a cab at that point. After 18 months, I still had some residual pain, but I started jogging very gradually: 10 min three times a week for a couple of weeks, 15 minutes, 20 minutes... + walking and thorough stretching afterwards and again later in the day. I also stretched first thing in the morning, right out of bed. I also used the log I linked in an earlier post, every evening.

For about a year after the worst of the pain was over, I'd get pain if I was on my feet several hours. I am still careful about the shoes I use for walking (sometimes even between buildings at work), but I can use heels at work. For walking and jogging, I always have some arch support. My favorite insoles are Powerstep Pinnacle ones (esoles on the cycling shoes). Superfeet just do not have enough of an arch for me. In the summer, I walk with Chaco sandals, following recommendations I read in this forum. I use the sandals with the toe loop. Once in the office, I change into dressier shoes.

[OakLeaf]

Just because my acupuncture doctor has my shoulders all taped up at the moment, I googled "kinesio tape plantar fasciitis," and there are lots of resources online about how to tape, including this (video) from KT Tape. There are a few variations, so you might look at several and even try different methods. Kinesio Tape has a pre-cut foot fan.

Don't know anything about it, don't know anyone who's tried it for PF, might help.

[OakLeaf]

Here's what Danny Dreyer, founder of Chi Running, has to say about PF. Not much that hasn't already been said in this thread, but he pulls it all together in a way that makes it easy to understand.

Also ... since I'm getting acupuncture for my spinal and thoracic outlet injuries ... and as I mentioned my usual attitude toward healing pain is "please sir, may I have some more" ... but I hadn't mentioned PF to my DOM since the thought of acupuncture needles in my PF was just too painful to contemplate. (For those who haven't had acupuncture, mostly you don't even feel them going in, unless you feel the surrounding tissues respond in a non-painful way, but hands, wrists, ankles and feet - where the soft tissue is thin and there are a lot of nerve endings - can be sensitive.)

Well, I bothered to google, and it turns out that the typical acupuncture points for PF aren't in the PF at all, but in the calves and more general systems points. So I AM going to ask him to treat it on my next appointment. Lots of results on google for acupuncture for PF, too.


Apropos of not much, but very interesting, I asked my DOM why he thought so many acupuncture doctors are ex-engineers. (LOTS of them, including both of mine.) His speculation was that "engineers are systems oriented," which I thought was a very insightful answer. Unlike the reductionist approach taken in so much of north/western medicine, engineers understand that you can't tear down a part of something to rebuild another part of it, without having the whole structure fall apart ... you have to repair the whole bridge, so to speak.

[KatzPajamas]

I dealt with severe plantar fascitis for about one year. Tried everything- medication, stretches, ice, $400 orthodics in my shoes. Every step of the way my pain got worse and worse. One day I noticed a co-worker wearing those shoes with toes and asked her what's with the funky shoes. She told me that she had suffered with plantar fascitis. She had put the little pedicure wedge thingys between her toes at night. After a week or two her pain was gone! She bought the shoes to wear so she could have the same effect on her toes all day long. I immediately bought these wedge thingys and had them between my toes as often as possible. I also bought the most flat shoes I could find. It took a couple of weeks but my feet haven't hurt since! That was a solid 2 years ago!

[Pedal Wench]

THANKS everyone! Really, really fabulous advice. I've been doing it all - stretching, icing, inserts, and well, it's working!!! I'm pretty much painfree now, but the real test will be a weeklong convention in a week. I've never survived that when going in 100%, so this will be interesting. Screw the pretty fancy shoes, I'm packing my sneakers and inserts!!! Keep your fingers crossed I come home okay from that!

[Kernyl]

Great! Now that you are feeling better. I second (or third) getting more minimal shoes. I had PF many years ago and it would continue to crop up now and again running. Since I've been running in lower heel drop shoes (4mm or lower) for a couple years now it has disappeared. (As well as my achilles tendonitis I also had several years before)
Do take some time to get used to them. And honestly, I actually think walking around the house barefoot helped me. You need to strengthen the muscles in the calves and feet. Walking in shoes all day doesn't help.

[Artista]

I haven't been able to understand the zero-drop concept, but assume it helps with something that doesn't affect me.

My theory about one of the benefits of zero drop shoes is that the absence of heel elevation helps to keep the muscles and tendons of the calf, heel and foot stretched out. I don't personally run in zero drop shoes but I do wear negative heel, casual shoes a few times a week. The negative heels help balance out the soft tissue shortening effect when I wear elevated heels.

[OakLeaf]

I don't understand why anyone (shoe companies) would push the idea that running in high heels is good for you when everyone understands that standing and walking in high heels is bad for you ...

I agree with Artista, plus also, if you are a natural midfoot striker, high heeled running shoes force you to either run on your tippytoes or smack your heels with every step. Neither is good for PF or Achilles issues!

I can't run minimal, nor do I really want to considering the gauge of the crushed stone roads I normally run on - but I loved the feel of Altra zero drop shoes for the 50-some miles I put on them, unfortunately they were just way too narrow for me. I keep nagging them to start making Wides ... can I get an Amen over on their FB site from some of you other wide feet gals?


PedalWench, so glad you're feeling better ... good luck at the convention! I think rest and stretching throughout the day is a good idea ... and if you can slip a spiky ball into your purse and roll your feet out during sessions that could help too.