Helpful tips for Plantar Fascitis (long)

[likes2bfit]

In response to the person with Plantar Fascitis:

After having PF and bone spurs from the prolonged inflamation I can empathise with you. My pain was to the point that putting weight on my foot first thing in the morning was dreaded.

Here are the changes that really helped me to get the inflamation down and pain subsequently disappeared. These were changed I made under the care of a podiatrist.

1. Elongating your calves helps minimize the pulling on the plantar fascia and decrease the inflmation (read decrease pain here). So, strech your calves several times per day. I streched before getting out of bed, while brushing my teeth, and any time I could get away with it.

2. Anti-inflamatory meds help too. I used naproxen (Aleve)


3.Completely stopping high impact cardio for 6 weeks. This was tough, but really allowed for the imflamation to subside. I rode a stationary bike for the 6 weeks.

4. I had prescription orthotics made. The can be expensive. I keep them in my workout sneakers 100% of the time. At first they need to be worn in gradually increasing time periods to get your feet used to them. Some people also recommend over the counter supports. Try a good running shoe store for help.

5. Never go bare foot. This position pulls more on the plantar fascia and contributes more to the inflamation and pain. In some cases the bone grows out from the plantar fascia making a bone growth (spur).

I have spurs on both heels, but no pain now. The spurs will not go away but keeping the inflamation in check eases the pain.

Keep stretching, Keep stretching , Keep stretching!!!

I now do all of Cathe's workouts and have plantar pain only once in a blue moon or less.


Judy

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[DebbieH]

Judy~all this advice is excellent. I had PF a few years back and also found once I started stretching REGULARLY, it went away and I have had no problems since. I would stand on the step-up to our jacuzzi in the bathroom, our fireplace hearth or just the first step of our staircase (in other words, whatever is around) and hang my foot over the edge while GENTLY pushing my heel down, no bouncing. I would then higher it and lower it again holding each strecth 10-15 seconds, doing each foot about 3-4 sets. It wasn't unitl I started doing this faithfully, 4-5 times a day that I began to get better. Also, the stretching BEFORE getting out of bed in the morning helped. I found if I went barefoot even for a couple hours, I would start to feel the pain. ALWAYS wear shoes! In other words, everything Judy said, worked for me too! Thanks Judy for putting it all into words!
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!

 

[Bobbi]

Judy, I did all of the above plus cortisone, PT and finally surgery. I am symptom free, have quit running indefinitely and minimize hi/lo. I have found that step doesn't exaccerbate my foot problems the way outright impact can. Good advice and I'll add buy the best shoes you can afford and great ones are affordable and never ignore pain. Rest periods are better than long-term damaage!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi

 

[likes2bfit]

Good point about the shoes! I forgot to add that in. And never ignore pain!!!!
Judy

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[Bobbi]

I learned about shoes the hard way. Oh, I bought great shoes but I bought a pair of leightweight trainers to see if they helped my racing times and soon after my arch collapsed. If I had had a clue about unstable feet I'd havee gone into motion control shoes then! But I got my first pair of orthotics and started buying stability shoes and that worked for years! You are so right about not going barefoot too! That's a biggie when it comes to proteting yourself!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi

 

[Lisatv]

I had PF for a long time, partly because I ignored it, hoping it would go away. It didn't!
Most of the advice given here are things I do also--wear orthotics, rarely go barefoot, cross train, but I wanted to add something about calf stretching. I'm pretty flexible and when I do the calf stretches off the back of stairs, or my exercise step, I can get my foot nearly vertical but I'm not feeling much of a stretch. If I go into a down dog in yoga, however, wow, my calves are really tight. There seems to be something about stretching the entire back body as a unit that's key for my body.
For me, calf stretching alone isn't enough--it has to be the whole back body. I can't believe the difference yoga has made in my feet.


Lisa

 

[Bobbi]

My calves are tight too and I think that factors in to your likelihhod to develop PF. Down dog is a fabulous suggestion for help to limber up the whole area! I have also discovered that characterizations regarding what injuries you are likely to develop are often incorrect! They classify flat feet as inclined to over-pronate (roll toward the arch), high arched feet to supinate (roll toward the outside) and neutrel feet to be stable. My arches are sky high but I over-pronate severely! Since orthotics are a must for me I do fine in stability soes but if I'd started out with a shoe to curb over-pronation I might have had an easier time with my feet once I got into high intensity exercise! Speciality shoe stores are wonderful places to go to find out what type of pronation you do. They'll actually watch you walk or run. So to anyone who's feet are bothered, go get your foot motion checked out! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi

 

[Lisatv]

>be stable. My arches are sky high but I over-pronate
>severely!

Ditto! Before I had orthotics made, I spent most of my PF time in Birkenstocks. The fairly stiff high arch in those felt SO GREAT.

Since orthotics are a must for me I do fine in
>stability soes but if I'd started out with a shoe to curb
>over-pronation I might have had an easier time with my feet
>once I got into high intensity exercise!

I'd have benefitted by not doing high impact on a cement floor! Yikes.


Lisa

 

[Bobbi]

Lisa, we installed tile and I bought the http://www.greatmats.com mats and they are wonderful! I don't remember who it was (on this website) who recommended them but I owe her a debt of gratitude!
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/user.gif Bobbi