Plantar Fasciitis - still....

[RogerSanchez]

First, see a podiatrist. Lots of rest (it’s hard to stop training) is critical. It took months of rest for me. Then LOTS of stretching, good shoes and custom made insoles did the trick for me


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[Fisherhahn]

I say get the cortisone shots! I got the shots in Feb and they really took the pain away. I stretched a LOT and continued my training mostly pain free. The shots wore off Gradually June/July-ish but I had made significant progress and the pain is much less than it was. I scheduled round 2 of shots for Sept 9 and I leave for my elk trip on the 14th. I wanted to make sure I felt good for the upcoming hunting seasons and I will continue with all the stretching, massaging, etc. while not in pain.

 

[Wiscohunter]

As was stated, going to a doctor to be sure it's not something else is a good idea . But assuming it is Planter Fasciitis: rest (I know, probably not happening this time of year), get inserts with proper arch support for shoes and boots, and wear recovery slips /sandles (I like oofos) around the house as you should never walk around barefoot on a hard surface with PF. I had it for about two years until I was fed up and fixed it with the above. Considering it's August, getting good inserts and recovering slips /sandles could hopefully get you through this fall before a nice long rest over the winter.

 

[Gametracker]

I had PF pain off and on for 15 years or so. I have done nearly everything you can do. All types of stretches, frozen water bottle, rolling a golf ball, sleeping with a device to keep foot pulled back. I have watched so many videos on the subject trying to get relief.

I went to a Chiropractor that specializes in soft tissue/muscle release . After 2 sessions nearly all symptoms gone. After a few weeks of recommended stretches I am 100%"cured".

My PF was in my left foot, the heal pain when you first get up, ie the pins and needles pain is classic PF. This is all gone.

Apparently I had some adhesions to my left quad, this affected my gait/foot placement. This was causing my foot to probably land slight off kilter, unknown to me but spotted by the Chiropractor. Once this was corrected I am pain free.

I roll my quads with a foam roller every other day. I also at times for ease of use try a massage gun on top of my quads. Keeps me limber I guess. No more pain.

Look into seeing a Chiropractor that specializes in sports medicine. It might help

 

[A&M 90]

I'm going to try the stretching as suggested above. I've lived with it 4-5 years and it is really frustrating how much it curtails my fitness endeavors.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have it from working construction, wearing shitty shoes and standing on ladders all day.

If you are doing some serious hiking or work construction and are on ladders all day like I am get some stiff soled shoes/boots. Then stretch your feet on a regular basis. Sit up against a wall with your legs out in front of you, pull your toes towards your body, you will feel the stretch through your calves and the bottoms of your feet. Pull your toes back and hold it for 10 seconds, release and repeat a dozen or so times.

This has fixed the pain throughout the bottom of my feet though I can still get a hotspot on the bottom of my heel once in a while. I think this will go away with time though.

whoa, whoa, whoa... you're saying sit against a wall and lean forward and grab your toes?

Give me a minute...

I ain't been able to do that for 20 years. Wish I could though!

I've been stretching every time I think about it, and not going barefoot at all. It seems to (finally) be helping. Time will tell. Bleachers Tuesday and again tomorrow. I can be a stubborn MF when it comes to being active, and this ain't gonna get me down.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

Find a good physical therapist and they will work wonders. I've had problems with heel bursitis twice, sprained MCL, and mild PF and PT (and continuing the exercises) has been the cure.

 

[def90]

whoa, whoa, whoa... you're saying sit against a wall and lean forward and grab your toes?

Give me a minute...

I ain't been able to do that for 20 years. Wish I could though!

I've been stretching every time I think about it, and not going barefoot at all. It seems to (finally) be helping. Time will tell. Bleachers Tuesday and again tomorrow. I can be a stubborn MF when it comes to being active, and this ain't gonna get me down.

No, you don't reach forward and touch your toes, you simply flex your feet and point your toes back towards you as hard as you can. You will feel it pull through your calves and bottom of your feet.

 

[Newtosavage]

No, you don't reach forward and touch your toes, you simply flex your feet and point your toes back towards you as hard as you can. You will feel it pull through your calves and bottom of your feet.

Oh thank God.

 

[Elkdreamer]

I finally broke down and went to the Good Feet Store because elk season is almost here. I have been suffering since a November hunt. Not sure what started it but it would not go away.

It was expensive but has been almost 3 weeks wearing their orthotics in my boots. Much better now and getting better every day.

 

[Phil4]

My buddy just got cortisone shots and he doesn’t feel any symptoms of plantar at all, about 2 weeks later. Said it was pretty instant that all the pain went away. We have the same PT and she told me if I was elk hunting this year she’d recommend the same for me. I’m sticking to calf stretches several times a day, balance board work, and I swapped running for biking, I’m feeling much better but not cured.


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[bat-cave]

I could use some advice. I developed PF in my right heel last October after overdoing it on a pack workout with my incline treadmill. Prior to that, I had been training for my 1st marathon and was running (road) 25+ miles/week.

Since last October, the PF got progressively worse and at one point it was in both heels. I started treating it with the golf ball method and frozen water bottles and orthotic insoles back in March, and quit running entirely.

I can still do bleachers to some degree as my heels never hit the steps, but I haven't run in months and my fitness is definitely not where it needs to be for this fall's hunt.

Every time I think it's getting better and I'll be running again, I go for a walk or a hike and wake up the next morning barely able to walk to the kitchen to make coffee.

This really sucks. Before I go to a doctor and get cortisone shots or anything like that, what else should I try? I've considered those braces that keep your calves stretched while you sleep. Some folks say they helped.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

I had a nasty case a few years back during Archery season and it put me on my butt as it was so painful to put any weight on my feet. I went to my podiatrist who prescribed custom orthotics and I was back in business in a week. I was genuinely surprised who quickly my issues were resolved!

 

[Newtosavage]

My question at this point is when do you know it's okay to start running or pack workouts again? I haven't felt much pain in either heel lately. Just a touch in the mornings but none the rest of the day. The last thing I want to do is start back running or doing pack workouts too soon, and aggravate the injury right before my hunt.

 

[Traindriver]

In my experience, if you keep up the Frozen Lacrosse Ball roller, night boots, Catchers stretch, Stairway stretch, Toe wall stretch, seems like life can stay normal. I think once you get things loosened up and stay on top of keeping things loosened up, you can get right back after it. Good Luck man, its definitely annoying to deal with, but hey you just gotta power through and be persistent. That seems to be the only thing that works for me. Its definitely obvious when I start slacking on stretching.

 

[VirginiaBeach]

I would recommend getting some rigid insoles ie. Sole brand inserts for your shoes and putting them on before your feet hit the floor in the morning. I suffered from PF at one point and this was the biggest help for me. I still use those types of insoles for any weighted training and for hunting with a rucksack.

 

[akearns82]

A massage gun works great for this and other general muscle soreness. I got a decent one on amazon for $140. It has worked a lot better than rolling out with a roller or golf ball.

 

[Koon]

One thing a runner never wants to hear, is "stop working out" I had PF issues while training for a Marathon, and it took some time to get back to normal.
-I now have hose shoes (Keen) with correct arch support, and NEVER go barefoot
-My doc told me to trace the ABC's with my toes when I wake up, before ever touching the floor. It helps stretch and warm up the facia, instead of the re-tearing very morning.
-When I did the frozen pop bottle, I did it 6-8 times a day! It was the best way to keep the inflammation minimized
-I now buy running shoes based on arch support instead of comfort/weight/looks, and ALWAYS have the correct inserts in my hunting boots.
- Now I have to be more disciplined with stretching my calves after I run. I'm just prone to PF, achilles tendonitis, and calf muscle tears as I age....unless I stretch and roll religiously

 

[Newtosavage]

It has gradually improved over the past two months, no doubt due to the Superfeet green insoles that I put in all my work and hunting boots, and by persistent stretching and always wearing shoes around the house.

Only time I notice it now is 1st thing in the morning after a workout the day before. I plan to go easy this year during my elk hunt, but you know how those plans usually go out the window once you get to the mountains. LOL But I'll try.

I'm going solo again, so I told my wife I would stay close to the truck this year.

 

[jakelogsdon]

When I was in the service, I got a mild case of PF while downrange. I was fortunate enough to be able to discuss my issue with an 18D who had quite a bit of experience. He pointed out a few things to me. First was that out of all the indigs he's ever worked on he hadn't once treated a patient for PF, most countries lacked any form of footwear in general and that traditional shoes (and sports shoes) are mostly heeled, narrow and rigid, wrecking the foot’s potential to be strong, agile and flexible. He suggested to go very slow, but spend more time barefoot when possible, then slowly add time being barefoot and shift to minimalist shoes in manageable volumes and work your way up, also work on the flexibility/mobility and strength of your foot, ankle and calf.

 

[NB7]

I came across this post a little late, but was wondering if the OP tried the taping method, using leukotape. I had a bout with PF about 6 years ago. Turns out walking 7-8miles a day on flip flops on asphalt while on vacation is no bueno. When I went to a podiatrist, first thing he wanted to try to help me out was taping my feet with leukotape. He taped around the foot from just behind the toes to around the heel and back, then taped crossways across the bottom, pulling from the outside in. It was tight as could be and a little uncomfortable at first.

I remember thinking "how is this gonna help, maybe I should just ask for the cortisone shot". But damn if it didn't help clear it up for me pretty quick. This was combined with rolling my foot on a lacrosse ball and doing some stretching every day. Now maybe my case was mild compared to yours, but I remember getting out of bed and thinking I probably couldn't walk to even the bathroom: it was that painful at first.

Several years later when I had it again, this time in only one foot, I youtubed up a couple videos to refresh my memory on how to apply the tape. Got it taped, and it still worked. I'm not discounting the importance of seeing a podiatrist to make sure you get it taken care of right if it still persists, but this is one of those medical issues that you just may get lucky to be able to handle DIY.

*Of note, it's much easier to have someone else apply the tape, as it's pretty hard to get it right yourself. My wife was able to tape mine as good as the podiatrist did once she did it once or twice