Help - Plantar Fasciitus!

michefit

michefit

Cathlete
I think I have plantar fasciitus - pain comes and goes in the heel - especially tender first thing in the morning and aching by the end of the day on my feet. It starts to subside on the days I don't do cardio and then flares up the days I do. I know I have to go see a orthapedic specialist or something. Will this ever go away? Is it curable?
 
Just a quick reply to encourage you...yes it will go away, but give it time and go see your specialist. I had a brace made for me to wear to bed and did lots of cycling, swimming, elliptical til it got better. If you do a search on this forum you will find lots of info. This seems to be a common concern!
 
I've been dealing with PF for over a year now. I'm no longer able to do any Cathe cardio. Hopfully, at some point I'll be able to return to doing Cathe cardio workouts. :( Hang in there, and remember to rest your foot. PF takes quite along time to go away. At least in my case anyway.
 
i have to do pt 3-4x a day for 8-10 months. if its not 100%, cortizone.yes,it can be cured.
i'm planning on joining a gym to swim and bicycle. i find the elliptical uncomfortable to use. my job,sales floor,is not helping. i come home with a sore heel.

laura
 
as a physical therapist i have many patients who deal with this; some worse then others. its important to rest and ice the area in the beginning when the pain and inflammation is at its worse. try to limit time on your feet. do workouts on a bike for now and as you can tolerate more weight bearing activities progress slowly to an elliptical. how are your sneakers? do you have high arches? you need to invest in a good shoe with good support. some people get this condition chronically and it never fully goes away. I just treated a patient who suffered for about a year with her PF with no relief from conservative treatments (rest, ice, PT, cortizone shots) she had a new procedure called "topaz" which is done with a lazer and has little healing time. check it out just to see what your options are if your not getting any better with the other suggestions.
 
i have a high arch. how do u know if a shoe has good support? the arch pain is gone from inhome pt.now my heel gets very sore

laura
 
josiespcah6ojsh said:
i have a high arch. how do u know if a shoe has good support? the arch pain is gone from inhome pt.now my heel gets very sore

laura
Click to expand...

do you have a runners depot she store in your area? we have them here in florida but i'm not sure if they are in different states. this store actually specializes and knows how to fit a sneaker properly based on the persons foot. you need a sneaker with high arch support and good stability that prevents your foot from inverting(rolling in) as you put full weight on your foot. have you had x-rays done? you could have a heel spur?
 
Hi,

I have PF and discovered that good running shoes and Spenco Orthotics are a godsend. I also do most of my high impact cardio on my rebounder.
I have "twinges" every now and then, but find stretching my calves and heels by hanging my heels off the stairs extremely helpful.

This will get better for you. Find the treatment that works for you.
 
Misery loves company so I'm just chiming in to admit that I was diagnosed last week with PF in my Left foot. :(
One of the things my Internist suggested is that I purchase a heel cup which I haven't found yet. Has anyone used this or know if it helps?
So far I only have pain in the morning and when I'm not using it. So if I'm moving around I'm fine.
 
i am going to see my doc again to see if its a heel spur. i work at Target so i walk all over the store. i am in pain during work and after even more.how long can u take motrin?

laura
 
i've never heard of the heel cup so i can't help on that. have you guys searched the internet for it?

as far as the motrin, i think it depends on how much you are taking. if you are taking the full dosage at the time interval the bottle suggests, i wouldn't do that for more then a couple of weeks b/c its hard on your stomach and you don't want to end up with an ulcer or anything.

PF is so hard to heal b/c you HAVE to walk and do your daily activities. Because of that, it takes a long time to heal since you can't rest it 100%
 
i took motrin 2x a day for 2 weeks,then stopped.i should decrease my hours but then i wont have enough for medical insurance

laura
 
I too had/have pf, and here is what has worked wonders for me: Two years ago I went to an orthopaedic surgeon, who diagnosed pf and a heel spur. He put me in a boot that keeps the foot at a 90 degree angle. This position is best for healing pf. I kept the boot on almost 24 hours a day--I slept in it, and that really helped with the morning pain. (I always put a pillow case around the boot so I wouldn't get street germs in my sheets.) Doctor said to quit doing any impact cardio for 6 weeks, so I had to give up Cathe for a while. Even after the six weeks, I still slept in my boot for several months.
Also, I was fitted for custom orthotic inserts for my running shoes. Those were the best investment for curing my pf. I can't imagine exercising now without my inserts. I was determined to get rid of my pf, so I also did about
5 weeks of physical therapy. The therapist showed me some great stretches to do, and I still do them often.
After I quit wearing the boot, and I went back to exercising, I stayed away from impact cardio for a while. But now I'm doing Imax 2, Body Max 2, etc.., and I'm even able to jog/run with Cardio Coach. I still feel heel pain occasionally, but I immediately stretch my calf and foot. You can look online for some really good stretches for pf--they work great! Sorry to write so much, but I wanted to share what worked for me. Hope you have good luck curing your pf.
Valerie
 
I had plantar fasciitis a couple times and the last time was sure it came from the one legged jumps in KPC. after it settled down I made them into two legged jumps and no recurrence. I stretch after almost every workout and take a yoga class with a lot of stretching. I have a bone spur on my heel but when I stopped wearing shoes with high heels it diminished on its own.

I bought one of those boots that is supposed to stretch you out and found it absolutely, 100% impossible to wear. the only way I could sleep with something like that on my foot would be with a general anesthetic. I tried but it was impossible. I make sure i walk barefoot for a while every day on safe carpeted floors. it keeps my heel stretched and no recurrences. keep in mind that most do not recommend barefoot walking and often specifically instruct you not to do it, but it stretches the tight area perfectly for me, and as long as the pain went away I didn't care who was "right".
 
Thanks for all your replies...It's nice to know that I am not alone - not nice that there are so many sufferers from pf. I don't know if I can get access to a stationary bike - I hate to give up my cardio. Is there a chance it will go away with proper support and good shoes? Does anyone one know what causes it? I have never had this before!
 
There are many plantar fasciitis causes. The plantar fascia ligament is like a rubber band and loosens and contracts with every step. There are also a number of reasons it can occur.... Among the most common is doing too much physical activity or exercise. Athletes are particularly venerable to plantar fasciitis and commonly suffer from it. Too much running, jumping, or other activities can easily place repetitive or excessive stress on the tissue and lead to tears and inflammation, resulting in moderate to severe pain. Athletes who change or increase the intensity of their exercise routines are also at risk to causing damage to it. Even certain types of arthritis in the foot can bring it on due to inflammation...and improper shoes are also a huge cause, so make sure you get fitted for proper fitting work shoes and workout shoes. Also, if your gait is off (the way you walk) i.e. you pronate, you supinate, you have flat feet, or high arches those can all contribute as well.
Stretching is so important when it comes to plantar fasciitis. Yoga has been shown to really help. Many of the normal standing poses are enough to help stretch it without any special position of the foot, but for a really isolated stretch you can start one hands and knees and tuck your toes under onto your mat, then start to walk your hands back and sit back on your heels....if it is really sore or tight keep your hands on the floor as you put your weight back into your heels, and if not and bring your hands to rest on your thighs as you focus on releasing the fascia of the feet through breathing.
Another great thing is periodically throughout the day rolling a small firm ball like a tennis ball underfoot as you sit comfortably. Roll it underfoot forward and back and let the ball gently stretch and massage the bottom of the foot. And make sure after work you RICE with any torn area of the body, which is what plantar fasciatis is...tiny tears in the ligament - RICE IS REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, ELEVATION.

Here is a great article I think you might really like....

I love what it says about taking fish oill...so true...

http://experienceyoga.blogspot.com/2005/04/plantar-fasciitis-make-pain-go-away.html
 
tried riding a reclyning bike. after 10 min my heel started to hurt.cant wait til work-walking 6 1/2 hrs. the only other possible exercise is swimming

laura
 
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