Plantar fasciitis

[pirogue]

Hopefully, you’ve picked up on all the stretching themed recommendations .

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Sheepfeet

 

[triglet40]

Stretching and Ice helped. I found a video on youtube of a PT wrapping someone’s foot with tape to help. At the time i was working 12 hour shifts in the hospital and the wrapping was the only way i could make it through the day it got so bad. took 3 weeks or so for me to get rid of and i hope it stays gone.


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[cwpepper]

1. Stretch Calves

2. Upgrade insoles

3. Decrease times where your toes are pointed:
- if you sit at work buy an angled platform to keep toes up
- at night sleep on your stomach and have your feet hang over foot of the bed (or wear splints/boots)

4. NEVER be barefoot. Find a good sandle with arch and heal support or even Croc and wear it.

5. If you must, get a cortisone shot for short term pain management , but over a lifetime you want to not have many of these as they have long term downsides.

 

[nnmarcher]

I've been dealing with PF in both feet this year and after quite a bit of work with my physical therapist, this is what has helped me see results:

• Stretching calves by standing on the edge of a stair like the picture. Usually a minute at a time 8-12 times per day.
  
• 2-4 minutes per foot/day rolling my foot on a golf ball. She said the small diameter was important to get direct pressure.
• Single leg calf raises (2 sets, max reps, every other day). I did it on a stair like the image above, just on one leg. The "raise" motion should be short and is not the emphasis of the exercise. The "lowering" motion is slow and should take ~5 seconds.
• Finally, balance exercise. I stood on a rolled up yoga mat like this with my foot aligned end to end. 2 sets, 2 minutes each leg. The goal wasn't to achieve perfect balance but to strengthen my foot muscles so I would throw a toy for my dog, bounce a ball, or anything else that forced me to move a little bit while trying to balance.
  

I have no medical training, but thought I'd share the exercises since they have helped me. Probably best to talk to your own physical therapist to come up with a program specific to you.

 

[Mtn_Nomad]

Towel stretches were the game changer for me along with calf raises. PF is awful, I hope you get it worked out soon!

 

[rayporter]

this worked for me.
i found the inserts in one of the gyp joint catalogs for 20 bucks and bought 2 pair.
a fellow shooter that was a foot doc also said to get some good support shoes like new balance, too. no problems for over 5 years.

edit to say
the insoles hurt like the devil for the firs month.

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

Heel That Pain: Plantar Fasciitis & Heel Spur Treatments

Heel That Pain provides patented, proven, and 100% guaranteed shoe inserts for plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. Shop now and get FREE shipping!

heelthatpain.com

 

[Hondo64d]

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?

I had it for a while. Short version is insoles with arch support took care of it.

John

 

[gumbl3]

PF is absolutely miserable. For me it's K-tape, insoles but what seems to work the best is a brace that holds my foot in dorsiflexion while I sleep. It's miserable and it'll make me wake up in the middle of the night and rip it off but there's no denying it helps

 

[Huntingfarandwide]

Stretching obviously helps....change in footwear is paramount. I have changed out all of my work shoes, boots and hunting boots. The only thing that has brought me relief are insoles from Super Feet.

Premium Insoles For Comfort & Pain Relief

Discover Superfeet insoles & inserts designed to improve foot health & comfort. Enjoy better support, stability & alignment for all activities.

www.superfeet.com

I have insoles in everything I wear and have been pain free for two years now.

 

[Billinsd]

Volteren, Dichlofenic, now over the counter. I rub it into my plantar muscle and that solved it and gets rid of it if it comes back!!

 

[Ron.C]

I was a chronic sufferer of plantar fasciitis, severe in the right foot, moderate in the left. I was in the military and did the physio/meds/stretches for years and it all helped (a bit) but it literally hobbled me on many occasions. One year about 18 years ago I could not go on a hunt I had been training for as I could not walk from the bedroom to the kitchen.

I saw my doctor and was referred to a Podiatrist (who was a sheep hunter ) and learned i was flat footed. Podiatrist made custom orthodics. Have not had a flare up since. I can't explain the quality of life imrovement they made for me.

Side benefit, my knees and lower back have also felt much better.

I have 2 pairs of 1/2 orthodic that is a hard plastic material (a leather cover glued to the top) There is no cushion in these, the only cushion is what is provided by the footwear. They are custom molded for my feet and I wear in my work boots, runners, and hiking boots.

​

 

[jpmulk]

Thanks everyone. Great stuff. I’m implementing a lot of it.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I had it a few times over the years and did all the same stuff. Tons of stretching on a slant board, changed shoes. Rolled my arch on a frozen water bottle etc.

One thing that also helped to strengthen the feet was to get a bag of marbles and move them from one pile to another by grabbing them with my toes. One at a time while I watched tv or something. He also had me sort of lay a towel flat and scrunch it up with my toes.

 

[Bruce Culberson]

I got it in one foot on a sheep hunt (2022), lasted almost a year. I switched out my everyday shoe for a zero drop, minimalist style (Vivo ESC). I did my weighted rucks with these boots to on a steep local hill. Feet have been fine since then and were great on 2023 sheep hunt.

 

[jchamwv]

as said already, stretching, calf raises and insoles.

 

[BoilerBowHunter]

All about stretching. I highly recommend investing in a slant board. I stand with my back to the wall and do 2 minutes on, 1 minute off, 2 minutes on. I try and do it multiple times a day. It accomplished in a few weeks what ~2 months of PT, podiatrists, etc. did not. General stretching of the hamstrings, glutes, etc. was also huge for me. It's all connected.... Tightness all the way up to your glutes can manifest in tightness in the plantar fascia. I also had some achilles issues.

The sleeping boot that people mentioned also helped me.

Mine frustratingly stemmed from being "professionally fitted" for running shoes as I began training for a half marathon. They gave me shoes for overpronating, and it turns out I don't overpronate. Very expensive and frustrating mistake. Won't be doing that again...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Z3SPVBV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[LookinforDirt]

Currently battling this in my left foot. Have been since the summer. Finally seeing a podiatrist tomorrow. But have been stretching my calf muscles more recently. I bought Hoka Ora Recovery Slide 3 sandals and they have been great for managing the pain. Never walk around the house without them.

 

[Ralphie]

I started having issues probably 12 years ago. Was in my 30s. I’ve been almost symptom free now with superfeet insoles and stretching calves and hamstrings. And strength training of those muscles too.

 

[mtwarden]

The first time I got it was after attending a week long school that only had pavement to run on. I was good up to the last day and then extreme pain in my heel. Extreme enough I had to limp. The next morning I had to limp through the airport (a couple of different times)- again extreme pain.

I went to the doctor when I got home and told them I fractured my heel, they did an xray but couldn't see anything, but told me if it was a hairline fracture it wouldn't show up until the bone started knitting itself.

After a couple of weeks it went away, thinking the bone had knitted itself.

Fast forward a year and lo and behold, the same pain in the same heel- hmmm. Somehow when goggling through the symptoms, I found PF. Maybe that's it is, maybe that's what was before.

I started stretching and rolling my calves. I bought a mini roller for my foot and roll my foot (definitely some pain involved w/ that). I'd ice it and kept repeating the stretching and rolling and within 3-4 days the PF subsided. It definitely was not a fracture (although that's what it felt like!)

Anwho- I've been a lot better in stretching and rolling my calves and not knock on wood, it hasn't returned.

If it does return, I'll know what it is and how to 'attack" it.

Not fun and sympathy for anyone who is afflicted with PF.