Plantar fasciitis

[jpmulk]

Dealing with plantar fasciitis for the first time. Pain is more in the heel area. For those of you experienced with it, what worked for you getting through it?

I decided last week I better get serious about getting it gone. Now is the time as it’s winter. I’ve got a few sets of insoles coming in the mail. Right now I am taking a two week break from all workouts. No running or lifting. Just light walking around work. Icing and rolling my feet on a frozen water bottle twice a day.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Truaxdw]

I recently went through the same problem. First, I tried going to an ankle and foot doctor. He gave me a shot in the heel worked for about a month then he tried oral medication some type of steroid,worked for a week. Then I ordered insoles. Didn’t help. Last thing I did was I changed my workout shoes. I was using a CrossFit style Reebok. I went back to a running shoe and the pain gradually went away. My son and I do mountain tough almost every day. I thought I would notice a difference in my lifts, but I haven’t even with the softer cushioned shoe.

 

[Trogon]

PF is linked to tightness in calves. Or at least it was for me. Start stretching your calves. There’s a few different ways. Dry needling in the calf helped me a lot.

Also for me very flat shoes helped a lot. Vans slip ons and altra lone peak.

 

[Silent_Matt]

I've tried all the different insoles, nothing helped. Like Wildcat33 said, stretching and shoes with no heel rise help a lot. Try using a roller to stretch the tendon on the bottoms of your feet. I've been wearing Lem's boots for over a year and it's really helped, it just takes a while to start feeling relief.

 

[jrock_jeep]

Calf stretching has done wonders for mine. I stand on a step with the ball/toes and lower my heel. When I 1st started I could hold the stretch for about 30 sec. Now I can do it for a long time. I had it in both feet, sucks bad. I also had some custom insoles made, they 3d mapped my foot. That has been pretty good so far. But the stretching is what got rid of mine. I tried almost every insole out there, and found the Powerstep pinnacle Maxx, from Amazon, to be almost as good as my customs. Also have a good pair of sandals for around the house, never bare foot.

 

[wapitibob]

I had it, now it’s gone. DR wouldn’t give me the shot till I tried his method for 3 weeks. It worked.

Stand next to door jamb, heel on the floor, toes on the jamb and lean forward to stretch the back of the calves.

Put superfeet green insoles into my shoes.

Rolled foot on frozen water bottle when sitting and watching tv or on the cockputer.

 

[jpmulk]

All good feedback. Thanks!

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Slant box works great for stretching calves. I also use a band over my foot and do hamstring stretches.

 

[LostArra]

After trying all the stretching and icing with some improvement I wore these full length insoles for a few months and my PF was gone and never returned

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[HNTR918]

I got two pairs of these. I wear them in my every day boots and hunting boots.

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[VuduDoc]

Good input thus far, I'm a chiropractor and here is my typical tx protocol:

1. Stretch plantar fascia (position of stretching calves also stretches plantar fascia, and stretching the calves is a good idea anyway, you can also foam roll the calves or get a massage, lacrosse ball or tennis ball rolling the foot on as well)
2. Decrease local inflammation to tolerate other treatments (rolling on frozen bottle, icing in the evenings, ibuprofen, etc.)
3. Contrast therapy (ie. alternating heat and cold, 20 min on 30 min off and switch)
4. Warming up the foot before activity (ankle and toe range of motions and stretches)
5. Strengthen all three arches in the foot. ("toe crawls", big toe differentiation, weighted dorsiflexion of the ankle, no-rise shoe/barefoot shoe such as a coverse chuck taylor)

Do not rely on an insole, they may help short-term by supporting your arches but long-term they are detrimental due to your muscles and ligaments actually weakening because the insole is doing all the work, putting you at risk for future flare-ups.

A typical episode will be 2-4 weeks. Once you're on top of it, stay on top of it as prevention and it shouldn't bother you again.

Long long term we'd be concerned about the presence of a bone spur on the heel bone, in which case the above treatments may not remedy the situation and more invasive treatments would be required.

Hope this helps!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

My wife went through this crap a few years ago. The foot doctor gave here a special boot to wear when she was sitting. It took care of it in about a month I think.

 

[jpmulk]

Good input thus far, I'm a chiropractor and here is my typical tx protocol:

1. Stretch plantar fascia (position of stretching calves also stretches plantar fascia, and stretching the calves is a good idea anyway, you can also foam roll the calves or get a massage, lacrosse ball or tennis ball rolling the foot on as well)
2. Decrease local inflammation to tolerate other treatments (rolling on frozen bottle, icing in the evenings, ibuprofen, etc.)
3. Contrast therapy (ie. alternating heat and cold, 20 min on 30 min off and switch)
4. Warming up the foot before activity (ankle and toe range of motions and stretches)
5. Strengthen all three arches in the foot. ("toe crawls", big toe differentiation, weighted dorsiflexion of the ankle, no-rise shoe/barefoot shoe such as a coverse chuck taylor)

Do not rely on an insole, they may help short-term by supporting your arches but long-term they are detrimental due to your muscles and ligaments actually weakening because the insole is doing all the work, putting you at risk for future flare-ups.

A typical episode will be 2-4 weeks. Once you're on top of it, stay on top of it as prevention and it shouldn't bother you again.

Long long term we'd be concerned about the presence of a bone spur on the heel bone, in which case the above treatments may not remedy the situation and more invasive treatments would be required.

Hope this helps!

So for clarification, you recommend 0 drop shoes with no arch support?

 

[SaltySailor]

Do you sleep with heavy blankets that make your feet point straight down while you sleep? This is what got me and took me a while to figure out. I had to wear a brace on the bad foot while I slept that held my foot 90 degrees to my laying down position for a few months, then the pain went away. I had dealt with the pain for almost six months at that point.

 

[VuduDoc]

So for clarification, you recommend 0 drop shoes with no arch support?

Not immediately but eventually yes, 0 drop, no arch support. An insole can help short-term but once enough comfort is regained it's time to challenge/"rehab" and strength the intrinsic muscles in the foot to prevent future episodes. It is not what I recommend for everyone's all-day every-day shoe but rather during workouts or around the house for an hour or two or something. This is usually my last step in the rehab process but most patients are satisfied with their results prior to this and don't want to put in the extra effort to continue strengthening their feet and ankles.

Great clarification and hopefully this makes sense. I'm not the best at articulating my thoughts through text.

 

[CHSD]

I did a lot of stretching, ball rolling and changed my shoes to Brooks Beasts and thankfully it went away.

I hope you get it figure out. That is no fun at all.

 

[jpmulk]

Not immediately but eventually yes, 0 drop, no arch support. An insole can help short-term but once enough comfort is regained it's time to challenge/"rehab" and strength the intrinsic muscles in the foot to prevent future episodes. It is not what I recommend for everyone's all-day every-day shoe but rather during workouts or around the house for an hour or two or something. This is usually my last step in the rehab process but most patients are satisfied with their results prior to this and don't want to put in the extra effort to continue strengthening their feet and ankles.

Great clarification and hopefully this makes sense. I'm not the best at articulating my thoughts through text.

Thank you

 

[snowymtnwolf]

I’ve had it all of my life (flat feet, etc) + now I’ve been in the military for a while always wearing boots

Only thing that solved it (which I stumbled onto) was a few months ago when I picked up a new pair of custom made orthotics on base, I told them about plantar fasciitis and they gave me these two braces for my feet (see pic).

You wear on ankle and then a band goes under foot. You are supposed to sleep with them on - but I’d wake up halfway through the night and they bothered me so I’d take them off. So I started wearing a few hours before bed and then for a few hours of sleep until they became uncomfortable.

I can truly say - that after wearing them for about 6 weeks - my heel / foot pain has gone way for the most part.

Now I only wear them when I know I’ve worked my feet.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jgilber5]

One thing with PF is you're getting little micro-tears in the fascia. When you sleep, your arch is contracted/relaxed and those tears are healing short. You get up in the morning, collapse that arch towards the ground again, and re-tear all those healing micro-tears. This is why it often is worse in the morning. Look up PF straps/socks. You basically run a velcro strap from your toes to your shin which keeps your arch stretched all night, lets the area heal extended so you don't keep re-injuring over and over.
Had it off and on while distance running in college and this + ice usually did the trick.

 

[dribeerfeht]

I had it...did a lot of stretching and exercises. I Still do them. It took several months for me to get over it. I never want it again and have made it a habit to constantly stretch during the day on stairs, etc. As you get older your arches collapse and you become more prone to it happening again...keep stretching. Do toe lifts on edge of stairs where you lower your heels as far down as you can and then lift as high as you can. Lots of good stretches and exercises on youtube.