Plantar Fasciitis

[johnmdesigner]

Any success stories out there?
I've been hobbling around like a cow with a broken hoof for about 2 months now.
Saw an Ortho and am doing the stretching exercises but seeing little improvement.
Have been wearing a foot brace at night but getting out of bed in the morning is still an excruciating experience.
Bikes are gathering dust and New York is a walking town. Anyone successfully treat their condition?

[tctyres]

I've never had it for any length of time. If you need a physical therapist recommendation, I can do that.

[YesNdeed]

Find a good Rolfer.

[johnmdesigner]

I've never had it for any length of time. If you need a physical therapist recommendation, I can do that.

Would appreciate a PM. Many thanks.

[benb]

I've had it once semi-bad and a couple other times felt it coming on but nipped it in the bud quickly with the stretches. I find using a small/hard foam roller on the bottom of my foot helps keep those muscles limber too.

The stretches worked really well for me. I would check out the wear & tear on your shoes, etc.. were you running, do you wear orthotics & they're worn out? Did you change your bike position to put more strain on your feet/calves? (E.x forward cleat position)

[Matthew]

I basically had to stop running for mine to go away. Haven't really run since and that was years ago. Pretty much hated it anyway. Rest is the only thing that worked. Did not bother me while riding though. Good luck, it can be excrutiating to say the least.

[johnmdesigner]

I've had it once semi-bad and a couple other times felt it coming on but nipped it in the bud quickly with the stretches. I find using a small/hard foam roller on the bottom of my foot helps keep those muscles limber too.

The stretches worked really well for me. I would check out the wear & tear on your shoes, etc.. were you running, do you wear orthotics & they're worn out? Did you change your bike position to put more strain on your feet/calves? (E.x forward cleat position)

It's probably the shoes. I've been walking more than riding this year.
I don't use orthotics but I have replaced the insoles and put heel cushions in my shoes with some success.
Wasn't a gradual process. Woke up one morning and couldn't stand on it. Strange. Didn't feel like I injured it.

[deechee]

I've had it on/off for a while, but if it makes you feel better/worse - 2 months isn't much. It took me at least a year for the pain to be fully gone the first time.

But ultimately, you have to let it heal - stretching it constantly doesn't help. Let it rest. Stretch everything around it - calves, hamstrings etc. I learned that if you don't let it heal properly the first time, it'll just keep coming back.

And yeah, when its broken, I need stiffer, more cushioned shoes. Only after its healed will I go back to more floppy/bendy less flat shoes. The heel wedges help give you relief.

[CDM]

I did the stretching and lacross ball rehab religously for 6 months and saw moderate improvement. My chiropractor recommended two sessions where he vigorously worked on the soles of my feet. He called it stripping and said it was to break adhesions and knotted muscle tissue. The most excruciating thing I ve experienced. Thankfully it worked...I ve been pain free for about 3 years.

[Ken Robb]

Mine lasted long enough that I developed heel spurs. There are many ways to treat the problem and cortisone injections worked for me after other treatments did not. You might ask a doctor about that option.

[bjf]

I got custom orthotics, and those fixed it over a relatively short time.

[makoti]

I got custom orthotics, and those fixed it over a relatively short time.

Same. With a ball of tape under the forefoot to spread things out. It was gone pretty quick, in my case.

[false_Aest]

I switched shoes a few months ago and had a massive, painful P.F. "relapse."

Massage + stretching first thing before I put my feet on the ground.
When it flares up I wear shoes all the time unless I'm in bed.
Lots of ice.

Replaced all the insoles in my other shoes with SuperFeet green.

[dgoodwin]

I use a hard rubber ball (lacrosse ball) for massage and good cycling shoe insoles that provide metatarsal relief.

[Seramount]

when I was a high-mileage runner, had PF twice...both times were excruciating.

best remedy for me was frequent icing. I filled small styrofoam coffee cups with water and froze them.

every 2 hours, I'd grab one and ice the foot...the styrofoam allows you to hold it comfortably and you can just peel it down as the ice melts.

also used rest and NSAIDs, but the ice really seemed to help the most.

[yarbsr02]

Freeze a water bottle and roll your feet on it is a combination of cold and pressure that some people swear by.

[dziekiel]

I got one of these, and it has changed the life of my feet. It hurts so good and you can immediately feel the difference in the quality of the tissue.

[giverdada]

I've had it steady for the past couple of years, and made it through several marathon and half marathon and trail training cycles, finding that it flares up as my shoes start to get on in mileage totals. So I try to switch my shoes at the slightest onset of any heel pain.

That said, the first time I had it, several years ago, I got a recommendation for shockwave therapy, and it was excruciating, and it totally worked. I was healed after 3 sessions, took a few weeks off of running, and it didn't come back for years.

Of course, now it's back, and it's been back for a couple of years, but it stays low grade most of the time, and I find things help like everyone else has recommended: calf stretches; icing; rolling with a bumpy/grooved hard roller under the arch and into the heel (about 1.5" diameter); and good shoes.

I hope you manage to get it figured out. Most of the solutions I've found have been painful to do, but then stopped the pain of the PF. Good luck!

[Spoker]

Rigid night splint with the extension cuff that keeps the big toe in dorsi flexion.
Icing and rolling the bottle. Shoes that feel good (and that can be counter intuitive to what you may think will feel good.)

[Seramount]

Freeze a water bottle and roll your feet on it is a combination of cold and pressure that some people swear by.

brilliant...!

[Dave]

I've had many custom orthotics that only helped a little. I think that they were all too hard /stiff. The Dr. Scholls insoles that are fit by standing on their foot analyzer at Wal-Mart have worked better than anything I've tried and only cost $50.

[cua90]

My ortho gave me a boot-type brace to wear while sleeping. Almost like a walking cast. Took a while to get used to it, but it did the trick. Took three months along with the aforementioned calf stretching and ice thrown in. Been pain free for about 4 years now. Looking back I wish I had gone to the Dr sooner, I’m sure it would have reduced the recovery time. I tried to tough it out for longer than I should have, when it really needed rest. I’m a little compulsive about my exercise :)

[Mike V]

I have been doing the frozen water bottle and this.

https://youtu.be/GQhtavGoL6A

While doing the above the first time it insanely hurts. Afterwards gave me the most relief.

[johnniecakes]

Had a pretty bad case when I was running 40+ miles a week. Tried stretching, ice, goose bump balls etc. The only thing that got me cured was wearing a Straussberg sock for about a week. I wore all night while sleeping, bit of a hassle but it cured me and I was able to resume training. Now I stretch regularly and keep the feet loose. I also never wear the same shoes two days in a row.

[blakcloud]

Twenty year sufferer here and I have tried almost everything except shock wave therapy. From physio therapy (multiple times), taping arches, stretching, frozen water bottle, tennis ball rolling, splint/cast, orthotics, the most painful massage that I have ever experienced, and acupuncture that was worse than the massage. I have finally given up. The last doctor prescribed shockwave therapy and low and behold he happened to own the machine. Looked up a meta-analysis on shockwave therapy and read it is no better than placebo. I wasn't going to spend the two grand for that. Good luck on finding something that works for you. I only wish I could find some relief.

[Ralph]

I got custom orthotics, and those fixed it over a relatively short time.

Same with me. And I tried all the other ideas. Didn't take long either. Just go see a foot Doc (Podiatrist). Feet and ankles are complicated parts of the body.

[madsciencenow]

I had it so bad that I would fall over getting out of bed in am. I ran through the pain until a co-worker told me about how she did the same thing and eventually had to have surgery. About the same time another co-worker told me about a doc doing an active release technique called the Graston technique. It felt like torture but after about five treatments my foot was back to almost normal.

I think the Graston technique was key to breaking up the inflammation but the additional stretches the doc showed me and strength exercises were the key to it not coming back. I should mention that the doc was actually a Chiropractor for the USA Track and Field team at the time.

She really seemed to know what she was doing. I had various other running related injuries that she also helped with. In every case she helped treat the injury, showed me how to stretch the sore area and also gave me strength exercises. If you are near Indianapolis let me know and I’ll give you her number.




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[m_sasso]

Lots of recommendations for easing and treating the symptoms, however if you don’t build some strength in the muscles supporting the foots longitudinal arch, the inflammation and associated pain is just going to keep returning. I went through braces, splints, rest, physio, anti inflames, cortisone, orthotics…..etc.

Ice, splints, socks, braces, stretching … etc are all great for temporarily relieving the pain but they are not going to permanently solve your problem.

Until I got down to rebuilding strength in the muscles of my foot, I found very little long term relief.

Standing with most of your weight on your good foot near a wall for balance, throw a towel on the floor and start scrunching the towel with your toes of the affected foot, release and repeat. Build up to a few sets of 25 reps. Do it daily, once you have that down, start varying your routine, put some graduating weight on the towel. Mix it up, lots of exercise variations, a good physio/kinesiologist can help you with alternative exercises.

Static, isometric type exercises are appropriate when your symptoms are acute. Again standing on your good foot, pick up the towel with your scrunched toes and hold it off the floor with your upper leg parallel to the floor and knee bent in front of you for 25 to 30 seconds, do the same with your knee bent behind you, rotate your leg out wards in front of you, rotate your leg in wards. I routinely do 5 min foot maintaining exercises while standing in the morning shower using an old face cloth and happy to say Plantar Fasciitis is something I once had.

Building strength takes time and relief is not going to happen over night. Doing the necessary exercise are not real exciting, however if you want results act on the cause.

[alancw3]

I thought I had plantar fasciitis and tried a couple foot boots. finally went to doctor for X-rays and found that I had posterior tidal tendon dysfunction (pttd). could this possibly be what you have:

https://www.foothealthfacts.org/conditions/posterior-tibial-tendon-dysfunction-(pttd)

I had to wear a cushioned boot for two months and as little walking and cycling as possible. notice improvement after the two months but really took a little longer. I was lucky as doctor said I was borderline on having to have an operation. in any event good luck. oh and the doctor recommended that I start using an arch support insoles. he had his brand but I ask if I could use Superfeet Green and he said just as good. use in all of my athletic and street shoes ever since for several years now. they give my arches extra support. again just something else to consider.

[Pierre]

I put a pair of the green Specialized insoles in my cycling shoes and within a few weeks pain was gone. Also did a fair amount of stretching by standing on edge of stairs and letting heals drop.


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[moonhoo]

Good suggestions above, especially the ones about building strength.

I’d add what hasn’t yet been mentioned: if you drink, refrain. Alcohol slows recovery of PF, I’ve found.

[benb]

Twenty year sufferer here and I have tried almost everything except shock wave therapy. From physio therapy (multiple times), taping arches, stretching, frozen water bottle, tennis ball rolling, splint/cast, orthotics, the most painful massage that I have ever experienced, and acupuncture that was worse than the massage. I have finally given up. The last doctor prescribed shockwave therapy and low and behold he happened to own the machine. Looked up a meta-analysis on shockwave therapy and read it is no better than placebo. I wasn't going to spend the two grand for that. Good luck on finding something that works for you. I only wish I could find some relief.

That kind of thing is so stupid frustrating when they put you through a treatment regimen that's never been proven to work.

6-7 years ago I got tendonitis (golfer's elbow really) in my elbows after a nerve injury in my hand from riding. I went to months of PT that didn't help at all, maybe made it worse. Stuff like Ultrasound on the muscles.. which has never been proven to do anything. So insanely frustrating. At the time they didn't actually have anything that actually worked.

I've gotten it again this year unfortunately from rock climbing.. nowhere near as bad, but the great thing is they do now have a treatment regimen that has been proven to work. I'm doing it on my own though, no point in paying the big bucks for the doctor/PT because it's an easy program and I already had the needed resistance equipment.

[ajax]

Noticed that shock wave therapy is getting bad-mouthed in this thread. My experience is waaay counter to that. Was desperate - nothing else worked.
Pulled the trigger and was instantly cured and PF hasn't been back in the 15+ years since. Only catch is getting your insurance to cover it. YMMV

[Ozz]

Any success stories out there?
I've been hobbling around like a cow with a broken hoof for about 2 months now.
Saw an Ortho and am doing the stretching exercises but seeing little improvement.
Have been wearing a foot brace at night but getting out of bed in the morning is still an excruciating experience.
Bikes are gathering dust and New York is a walking town. Anyone successfully treat their condition?

I had it years ago...didn't need to seek professional help, but just using insoles with good arch support really helped. Worked well for walking around, but going barefoot and such still had twinges.

It took a couple years to completely go away. but I am still very conscious of buying supportive shoes that can take inserts.


I wear these around the house now: Vionic Kiwi Slide (https://www.vionicshoes.com/kiwi-slide-29.html?76=51)

Pretty sure I got it from painting interior of our first house ....hardwood floors and I was in socks most the time (to not get paint on shoes and not rip plastic drop cloths). Feet were really sore at end of day....seemed to flare up sometime after that.

[johnmdesigner]

Thanks everyone for the great comments - especially all the encouragement.
I really appreciate it!

Cheers!
John