plantar fasciitis

[nephron]

anyone ever get or have a flare of plantar fasciitis w/ cycling ?
i have issues w/ flares if i run excessively or build up mileage too fast w/ runs
but now having a bad flare. i really have been only running and
have not increased my cycling miles more than normal. also using
the same cycling shoes (bont on trainer, lake on regular bike)
i'm just curious to see if anyone else has ever had issues w/ this
related to cycling
thanks

[Ozz]

Didn't have it specific to cycling, but I did have it happen with pretty much all activities...

It took about 2 yrs, but got it under control by making sure my shoes all had good arch support by using molded footbeds. I primarily use the Sole brand, but Roadrunner Sports has a similar type with their house brand. They come in different thicknesses for running shoes, hiking boots, ski boots, cycling shoes, dress shoes, etc.

I keep it from acting up by limiting my time walking barefoot, especially on hardwood floors. I use some Vionic brand sandals for walking around the house.

Luckily I didn't need to go the full orthotic route which can get pricey.

[johnniecakes]

I never had it from cycling but did suffer with it when I was running over 50 miles a week. I started sleeping wearing Strassburg socks. It cleared up in a few weeks and never had it since. Highly recommended.
https://thesock.com/

[Anarchist]

One of the issues with cycling is that it will tend to tighten your calves.

Two things that make a tremendous difference with PF ;

1) stretch out your calves - thoroughly and regularly. Especially before you go to bed and when you wake up.

2) strengthen your feet. Best exercise I have found is to stand up straight, barefoot. Put your feet about shoulder width, and then press down hard into the floor with your big toes while lifting the other toes on your foot AND trying to turn your heels outward. It is hard, and hurts at first. But it makes a huge difference to me - if I do this ( 10 to 20 seconds - 3x) a couple of times a day - my PF pain pretty much goes away. When I get lazy and stop doing it - OUCH.

I also think walking barefoot around the house is one of the best things you can do, but that's just me.

[thwart]

anyone ever get or have a flare of plantar fasciitis w/ cycling ?
i have issues w/ flares if i run excessively or build up mileage too fast w/ runs
but now having a bad flare. i really have been only running and
have not increased my cycling miles more than normal. also using
the same cycling shoes (bont on trainer, lake on regular bike)
i'm just curious to see if anyone else has ever had issues w/ this
related to cycling
thanks
The money would be on running being the culprit, not cycling.

Probably the most common overuse injury in runners.

All sorts of treatment have proponents. Appropriate shoes (are you an over pronator?) 'relative rest', icing after runs, and appropriate stretches are low tech, easy things to try.

I simply moved over to cycling... ;)

[Ken Robb]

I had PF for a couple of years from playing tennis "through the pain of a stone bruise". Of course it wasn't a bruise but PF. Custom orthotics helped but didn't cure it. MY GP offered cortisone injections as a cure that had worked for some of his patients. He said it could "put out the fire" of inflammation and let healing occur. It worked for me. There are lots of pro/con opinions on the subject.

[crankles]

I swear by trigger point roller + block combo. ...any equiv will work though. the key is massaging the soleus to regain some elasticity so that the PF can relax.

it fixed me and several other I know.

[Seramount]

had two bouts of PF during my running phase...horribly painful.

in addition to curtailing the pavement pounding for an extended period, the single best thing I found was icing the affected areas.

but, it required a dedicated effort...iced the feet for 10 minutes every two hours throughout the day.

easiest way was to freeze water in small styrofoam coffee cups...the foam insulated your fingers from the ice and you can peel it down as the ice melts.

[d_douglas]

Yes, I had it for about two years, following a basketball binge and always irritated when I tried to run.

Cycling never bothered me.

Mine wasn't agonizing by any means, but persistent and inhibiting to fun :(!!

[yakstone]

Had a bout with it from over doing the racquetball playing.
Very painful. My GP told me to stop going barefoot and try arch supports and calf stretches 3 -5 times per day.
Switched to wearing Birkenstock’s with cork footbeds
and got relief. Still haven’t ventured back to the racquetball court. Cycling does not bother me at all.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ralph]

Fixed the pain issue with custom orthotics. Believe could do about as well with "blue" Superfeet.....or similar after market inserts. After feet got accustomed.

With me.....eventually had surgery on right foot. Put a bolt....about the size of a square taper crank arm bolt thru the slot where the leg bones attach to the foot structure.....and that holds my foot and arch in proper place. Bone had slipped down.....not sure how to explain it. My Foot Doc is also a Sports Med Doc/surgeon (Foot and ankle Doc for Orlando Magic)....and he says he sees my condition a lot in aging athletes.

Now I do exercises at gym as part of my regular routine to help strengthen my arches. Keep my arches up so they don't collapse and pull that ligament across from the heel. Still wear orthotics. Don't need them in my Specialized Expert riding shoes. They have a built in orthotic effect, and I also use the Specialized medium insert.

[Matthew]

Never from cycling but did from running. One of the main reasons I stopped. That and running sucks. Took months for it to heal.

[cadence90]

One of the issues with cycling is that it will tend to tighten your calves.

Two things that make a tremendous difference with PF ;

1) stretch out your calves - thoroughly and regularly. Especially before you go to bed and when you wake up.

2) strengthen your feet. Best exercise I have found is to stand up straight, barefoot. Put your feet about shoulder width, and then press down hard into the floor with your big toes while lifting the other toes on your foot AND trying to turn your heels outward. It is hard, and hurts at first. But it makes a huge difference to me - if I do this ( 10 to 20 seconds - 3x) a couple of times a day - my PF pain pretty much goes away. When I get lazy and stop doing it - OUCH.

I also think walking barefoot around the house is one of the best things you can do, but that's just me.

All of this.

The best exercise (which completely cured the PF for me) were daily lifts/stretches:

bare feet on a step, shoulder width apart, just on the balls of the feet, heels in space
drop heels down as far as possible past step
lift heels up as far as possible above step
iirc I did about 30 of these 2x/day
it worked wonders


http://files.www.fleetfeetpdx.com/news/common-injuries-plantar-fasciopathy/IMG_2021-process-s300x300.jpeg
.

[duff_duffy]

I switched to running shoes with firm bottom and firm arch supports. Then used Speedplay Drillium pedals (large flat pedals). Not sure if that fixed it or just happened to heal after switching to this set up but I now love riding in my running shoes on big old flat mountain bike pedals. I’m beyond caring how uncool I look on rides but love being able to jump on my bike and hop off and run anytime. My collection of Speedplay zeros will be listed here soon, I’m never going back.

I also found rolling my foot on tennis ball anytime I could Felt good. Frozen water bottles help too.

[Bradford]

I'm just coming out of a bout now, with the last few days being mostly pain free for the first time in about 6 weeks. Walking was hard, walking barefoot was very painful, and cycling was mostly fine. As with most of my pain issues, cycling is the one active thing that I can do that doesn't hurt (too much).

Stretching and Softsoles worked for me. Blue Superfeet didn't help.

[sailorboy]

All of this.

The best exercise (which completely cured the PF for me) were daily lifts/stretches:

bare feet on a step, shoulder width apart, just on the balls of the feet, heels in space
drop heels down as far as possible past step
lift heels up as far as possible above step
iirc I did about 30 of these 2x/day
it worked wonders


http://files.www.fleetfeetpdx.com/news/common-injuries-plantar-fasciopathy/IMG_2021-process-s300x300.jpeg
.

This is a variation of what I have been giving my patients for this issue since I discovered some research about it a few years ago https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/15/heel-pain-treatment/

There is more to it than this if you want to follow the methodology of the study more closely; namely you have to use external weights in a backpack, and slowly reduce the reps while increasing the weight as the tissue in your foot adapts to the excessive strain and then compensates with a positive healing response in the affected area.

I also am a big proponent of the icing, calf stretching and strasbourg sock suggestions others made and generally listening to your body and responding appropriately to the ebbs and flows of the inflammatory process through activity modifications. Some of us need a professional to help with that (e.g. a sports PT) others can manage on their own. There is very little evidence supporting any invasive procedures, intensive courses of therapy or medical solutions (like custom orthotics) that have a lasting and universal positive affect for all cases so caveat emptor on those. It can be a long slog. I had it for about a year after a deployment to Afghanistan in 2011 and sometimes I still feel twinges, but generally it clears up with time for most people. Don't convince yourself to let some podiatrist cut into your foot or something. This is rarely helpful.

[cadence90]

^
All very good to know. Thanks.
.