Plantar Faciitis..

[Tbird1983]

I also suffer PF, developed it after running my first and so far only half marathon in August this year in cheap mr price shoes, had run a few 5 and 10k's with no issues so I thought they were fine to use but clearly not. The PF is the whole reason I started mountain biking. All I can say is when there is pain, its very painful. The pain comes and goes, more painful when I wake up and start walking than when running and yes I am still running but nothing more than 5km at an easy pace for now until its healed. So long as I stretch and warm up before a run and don't try push too hard, its all good.

 

Also wearing over the counter orthotics as I have a very high arch which also seems to help.

 

I have been doing some research and came across a thing called a strassburg sock, cant find them anywhere so I made my own one, been wearing for the past 2 nights and I can feel a noticeable improvement when I get up in the morning or during the night, I feel almost no pain at all but as the day goes by, if I sit for long periods, the pain comes back when I stand up and then as I walk a bit and the foot loosens up it goes away.

 

I must confess I have not been icing the foot as much as I should lately, but I have been taking anti inflammatory meds on and off and that also seems to work a bit.

 

Is running prolonging the healing process? I ask because with the easy running my foot does seem to getting better slowly, can I continue to do easy running or is it better to stop completely until its healed? My wife is a fanatical runner and never misses a training session or race so the running is more for her benefit than mine at this stage until I am fully healed.

[barrykm]

I've now been using my new orthotics for a few days and I'm hopeful that they will make the difference. They certainly are day and night better than my old, worn out ones, like a breath of fresh air. No surprise really, I should have renewed them years ago actually.

 

I'm still  icing regularly and only take an anti-inflammatory when I feel I need to - my opposite hip was taking strain as well. I took Celebrex for about 1.5 weeks and they certainly helped but also blipped up my diastolic BP so I stopped for that reason, especially since I was getting new orthotics.

 

Thanks for your post Tbird, my experience with Walk for Life in an earlier lifetime (which I thoroughly enjoyed) is that there is no substitute for properly fitted shoes and a good podiatrist, I only found this out after some overwork damage was done.

[Latent_Blue]

Those with this complaint should just take the time to read up on Morton neuroma

 

Clues:

-pain with exercise

- between heads of 3rd and 4th metatarsals / 2nd and 3rd

[Joe Low]

I get it if i havent done yoga for a while, say 4-5 weeks.  Keeping everything stretched in the legs seems to keep it away.  Now I know it never gets bad enough to need the doc,but before i'd get a voltaren shot or similar.

[V12man]

I find that if I wear soft soled shoes (running type shoes) all day (lots of standing around in my job) then I get pf symptoms - swapped to hard leather soled shoes and they went away, never to return, after advice from Prof Noakes.

 

I still run in running shoes - just don't wear them all day anymore..

[Slowbee]

I get it if i havent done yoga for a while, say 4-5 weeks.  Keeping everything stretched in the legs seems to keep it away.  Now I know it never gets bad enough to need the doc,but before i'd get a voltaren shot or similar.

JL, what exercise do you for for your legs ?

[Rocket-Boy]

Not sure if its PF but I get almost a tearing feeling in the arch of my foot sometimes if I run up too many hills on my toes.

Real bugger that one but it goes away after a while.

[MichyC]

I struggle with this on and off. What tends to help me is rolling a bottle under the arch, massaging and stretching the foot. Running in shoes that have sufficient cushioning also helps me a lot (the Saucony Kinvara made a huge difference for me).

 

Good luck.

[Joe Low]

JL, what exercise do you for for your legs ?

 

Hi Slowbee - exercise used to be cycling but has been more walking to the fridge in the last couple of months.

 

Stretching is the standard yoga poses; downward facing dog and forward bends are stretching calves particularly, warrior poses too.

 

Its nice to loosen everything up!

[Stretch]

I get it if i havent done yoga for a while, say 4-5 weeks.  Keeping everything stretched in the legs seems to keep it away.  Now I know it never gets bad enough to need the doc,but before i'd get a voltaren shot or similar.

 

interesting...I havent done yoga for about 2 weeks and suddenly developed a mild case. To add it to it, I have inadvertently bruised it by running a golf ball a bit too hard underneath my foot!. gonna do a few minute of the dog every evening just to keep the calves stretched up and see if it improves

 

and too add to my misery on the same foot I have a mild case of tendontis on the top due to a stupid attempt at a different lacing technique...so I am just gonna let all the swelling die down with some icing and anti inflammatories. Will try go for a run on the 27th again and do some swimming in-between

[barrykm]

Although much improved some discomfort in my heel still lingers, I still ice quite frequently and take the occasional anti inflammatory. 

 

Long overdue new orthotics very comfortable and must have helped. 

 

Will call my podiatrist next week.

[Ryan physio]

Don't quote me on this, but a patient recently told me that they saw a Dr who advised them that sleeping in their running shoes would solve the problem. Just 3 nights back to back. (Anatomically I suppose that you are stretching that fascia out)

 

Worth a try if everything else isn't helping

 

Cortisone does work if don't in the right place by a good doc but apparently incredibly painful at first

 

 

[barrykm]

Although much improved some discomfort in my heel still lingers, I still ice quite frequently and take the occasional anti inflammatory. 

 

Long overdue new orthotics very comfortable and must have helped. 

 

Will call my podiatrist next week.

 

Didn't get back to my podiatrist...the residual discomfort cleared up by itself, so in my case the combination of new orthotics and long term icing seems to have done the trick.

 

What a pleasure to be able to walk normally again! The opposing LH hip still a little stressed from a few months of impaired walking though.

 

Without wishing to be negative, I'm just wondering whether this condition recurs..anyone?

[V12man]

Didn't get back to my podiatrist...the residual discomfort cleared up by itself, so in my case the combination of new orthotics and long term icing seems to have done the trick.

 

What a pleasure to be able to walk normally again! The opposing LH hip still a little stressed from a few months of impaired walking though.

 

Without wishing to be negative, I'm just wondering whether this condition recurs..anyone?

It does re-occur - early treatment works better than leaving it - you will be aware now of the symptoms and treatment - so just keep an eye open for a re-occurance, and move straight away to treating it.

[barrykm]

Thanks for the advice V12 Man 

 

Now knowing the symptoms all too well, I will certainly move quickly should they re-occur.

[V12man]

Thanks for the advice V12 Man 

 

Now knowing the symptoms all too well, I will certainly move quickly should they re-occur.

I have not had a re-occurance since i stopped wearing soft soled shoes all day - as I said above - might be worth a try.