Plantar Fasciitis -- Is there hope for High Impact?

aveggiegirl

aveggiegirl

Cathlete
If you have plantar fasciitis could you please tell me that one day I will be able to do high impact again? I can't jump at all -- not even little tiny jumps. I tried to do the lower body blast of Cathe's Boxing workout yesterday and could not do it. My feet are killing me.:(:(:( I miss my Insanity and Shock Cardio.

This has really started to have an impact on my mood. I've been depressed for weeks. Please tell me there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Or do I just need to accept the fact that I will be doing low impact for the rest of my life?

I just got custom orthotics a few days ago. Maybe this will help my feet heal. I have been doing my stretches and icing my feet. Just please tell me there is hope.
 
I struggled with PF for over a year and a half. I had it in both feet. I know exactly what you're going through. I finally broke down and got cortisone shots in both feet. Has your Dr. suggested that? Have you been to a Dr.?

I just started working out again in January. I'm finally doing high impact workouts again, but I only do high impact once a week. For other cardio workouts, I'll do something low impact or kick boxing.

I enjoy doing high impact workouts too, and it makes me sad that I can't do them more. But, I've learned to deal with it. Not that I'm happy about it. :(

There is hope. You just have to be patient.
 
JennieR said:
I struggled with PF for over a year and a half. I had it in both feet. I know exactly what you're going through. I finally broke down and got cortisone shots in both feet. Has your Dr. suggested that? Have you been to a Dr.?

I just started working out again in January. I'm finally doing high impact workouts again, but I only do high impact once a week. For other cardio workouts, I'll do something low impact or kick boxing.

I enjoy doing high impact workouts too, and it makes me sad that I can't do them more. But, I've learned to deal with it. Not that I'm happy about it. :(

There is hope. You just have to be patient.
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Hi JennieR,

Thanks for your response. Yes, I have been to a podiatrist but he was a real jerk. This is what he said to me. "I don't mean to be an a$$, but stop exercising." :mad: I just got my custom orthotics last week, and if they don't help I'm going to see another podiatrist.
 
I'm not a podiatrist, but his advice sure wouldn't have worked for me.

I kept exercising throughout my PF. I ran 3 to 4 miles a day the whole time I suffered with it. With me, it hurt mostly in the mornings when I got out of bed. Once I stretched and started moving around, I could usually do my running and high impact exercise. I can't say it wasn't uncomfortable at times, but I pressed through it and my PF went away. It hasn't come back, and it has been a couple of years.

Good luck! I know how frustrating it can be. Just be sure you stretch your foot in the morning, never go barefoot ... ever....wear proper shoes all the time -- even when not exercising, and you should see relief.
 
Wow! He is an A#@!!! That is not the answer! I'm not sure what your insurance situation is, but see a PT. Even your internist (GP) should be able to give you exercises to help it! Mine went away after some exercises, but I didn't stop exercising (probably should have). I was doing step and running.

Another thing that has helped keep it cleared up is wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes. I have no issues with PF anymore, nor knee or hip pain.

First, though, I would recommend finding another doctor to see, trying some exercises, resting for a while (which you probably feel you have been doing for too long now) and see what happens.

There is hope! Don't get too frustrated! Hang in there! Good luck with another podiatrist!
 
Wow, you really need to find a new Podiatrist. I would not go back to that guy.

I had to quit working out. There's no way I could of kept working out through the pain. I couldn't be on my feet for 15 minutes without my feet being in pain. Every time I'd get up to walk, I'd limp. The pain was unbearable throughout the entire day. I was in constant pain. I tried stretching, ice and everything else they told me to do. Nothing worked except the cortisone shots.
 
What is wrong with your Doctor?!?:mad: Stop exercising?!?!

Just thought I'd share my experience...I was an instructor from the mid 80s to mid 90s. I taught step, high, and low impact classes, 4-6/week. My PF started a couple of years into teaching. Eventually I ended up getting custom orthotics (I found an orthopedic doctor that specialized in podiatry) and took a few weeks off from high impact. I started back slowly, but was able to resume my regular schedule. I did a lot of calf stretching/shin strengthening (I had a "block" that was wedge shaped...thicker under forefoot to stretch). I continued to teach for eight more years with just a few relapses.

At 53, I'm now starting back into regular exercise again as I let life (taking care of elderly parents, surgery, etc.) get in the way of taking care of myself. I have 58 lbs:eek: to lose. I'm more concerned about my excess weight causing problems with my knees and hips than my feet. So far I'm mixing it up; step, kickbox, and walking. My goal is to start running again after I drop 25-30 pounds.

Find a doc who will work with you. Take time to heal, but not time off from fitness. You will find your orthotics will make a world of difference (took me a while to get used to them). As a last resort my doc said there is a surgery to snip the fascia. He said he only had a couple of patients that went that route. I imagine that would completely flatten the foot.

Take care.
shari
 
I have PF and my doctor wanted me to see a podistrist for cortisone shots and I didn't want that so I saw a sports medicine doctor in January, he told me to do stretching exercises 4 - 5 times a day instead of just in the morning to keep it stretched out.

If that didn't work I would have a boot to wear at night, so instead of that and I know this will sound weird but I slept with my shoe on when it was at its worst and it helped me alot. Now I only do it a couple times a week.

Now I'm back to running and stepping with very little pain.

Hope you feel better soon.
Cheryl
 
I got some 'custum orthotics' too... just ones for general plantar fascitas... and it has worked wonders. I am not doing step, because that aggravates it the most (i only have it in one foot)... but I am doing Insanity and the other Shock Cardios no problem. It only took a week for them to make a difference.

I really hope they work for you. They worked WONDERS for me :)
 
JeanneMarie said:
I'm not a podiatrist, but his advice sure wouldn't have worked for me.

I kept exercising throughout my PF. I ran 3 to 4 miles a day the whole time I suffered with it. With me, it hurt mostly in the mornings when I got out of bed. Once I stretched and started moving around, I could usually do my running and high impact exercise. I can't say it wasn't uncomfortable at times, but I pressed through it and my PF went away. It hasn't come back, and it has been a couple of years.

Good luck! I know how frustrating it can be. Just be sure you stretch your foot in the morning, never go barefoot ... ever....wear proper shoes all the time -- even when not exercising, and you should see relief.
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JeanneMarie, you took the words right out of my mouth. EVERY SINGLE WORD is exactly what I would have said. So I'll simply say, "DITTO"!
 
You WILL be able to high impact again!!! But, you have got to heal your PF!!
My orthopedic prescribes wearing Birkenstocks for me everywhere!! I was never allowed to be barefoot. Stretching, icing, and massage every single day. foot exercises...foot on ground and "walking" with toes.
ALL of those things, especially the birkenstocks, really helped and now I am high impact almost everyday. I wear arch supports in all of my shoes if they are not birkenstocks. You just have to be committed to healing. It takes a long time and you have to commit to a life style change with your shoes. NO BAREFOOT WALKING! You must have supportive shoes!!!
Stretch, ice, massage, and supportive shoes!!!
 
Thank you, thank you, thank you, ladies for all of the support and words of advice. You have all given me some hope...that's all I need right now.

I will continue with my stretching, icing, exercises, etc. I'm going to give the orthotics one month and if I don't have any improvement I will see another doctor.

This is the best group in the world. :):) You've given me hope.

Thanks again.
 
Hang in there.

I have had PF for about 5 years. It was really bad the first year. Thankfully, my podiatrist knew I could not stop working out. I stopped doing all step and kickbox for about 9 months. I did spinning and weight lifting. My PF got really bad again at the beginning of this year, so I am back on just spinning and low impact step and kickbox for cardio. In the last 5 years I have had about 9 shots in my foot. Thay never really helped me much. Going non-impact was what really seemed to help me heal. I actually own a spin bike now because of PF. Good luck.

Vickie
 
Well, I'll give you another angle...and a widely unpopular one on this topic.

Junk the custom orthodics and gym shoes and go barefoot.

I had PF years ago, and read all the research and was starting to look at orthodics when I came across an article from a group of podiatrists explaining how much "damage" gym shoes and insoles do to our feet. They completely screw up our natural musculature and cause us to overcompensate all over the place. Thus, creating problems like PF. The recommendation was to go barefoot as much as possible, and let your feet "correct" themselves by rebuilding their natural strength.

So I chose to go that route, and have never had a problem with PF since. It took about a week of sore feet, and then I was home free. I can tell you that my feet and ankles are stronger than they've ever been. There was another thread out here on this not too long ago, and there are bunch of folks like myself with this same experience. Thanks to one of the posters, I now even do step barefoot (I had previously been using track shoes with no support at all, just tread).

I can't advocate this enough. But I encourage you to do your own research on this.
Our doctors are very used to just fixing the symptoms, rather than the problem itself. I am by no means a naturalist - I do love my various docs for various reasons - but this is one that I stand by!

Good luck!
 
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