plantar fasciitis

[ral]

On top of my knee, neck and back issues, now it looks like I have plantar fasciitis in my back heel. Not nice.

 

Today I tried one gel heel cushion in my back binding. Although it was strange at first, I finished my set with less pain that the previous one

 

Any suggestions or experience with it?

[igkya]

Yes, but as with most injuries, u won't like it. Rest. I saw an Ortho Podiatrists, who made a cast that I was to wear in my shoe. Problem was, it was so damn big and uncomfortable, I couldn't use it. Ended up making my own shim which I could easily transfer from shoe to shoe and my insoles for ski boots. Problem eventually went away.

[wtrskior]

Rest the foot and Wear good supportive shoes.

[bradb]

Try super feet inserts for your shoes. Made my pain go away.

[Stevie Boy]

@ ral I have been through Plantar Fasciitis not nice at all, one thing I can tell you is do not have the injections, they put a needle direct into your heel, the pain was like nothing I have ever felt before, when I went back for the second one, I was laying on the bed and just as he was about to administer it , I sat up and told him that I couldn't do it, I ended up buying some MBT shoes that helped a lot, they take a bit of getting used to, have a read about them first, also stretch those calves and hamstrings.

It disappeared as quickly as it arrived, so hang in there, really uncomfortable avoid walking around in bare feet or slippers, that just aggerevates it.

[BraceMaker]

Doubt the skiing is the cause - so do whatever feels good on the ski, but you're going to have to modify your other activities for a bit.

[6balls]

PT. All kinds of rest and home stretches etc but it's tough to settle down. I have much better luck with patients willing to go to PT

[bishop8950]

Another vote for rest and stretching. I had it once for a few months and never since

[A_B]

Get a good pair of shoes with arch support. Same in your boots, not just a heel cup.

I bought a foot rocker and also did a lot of calf raises. If I get any feeling of them coming back, I jump on the foot rocker.

 

I'm on my iPad and not seeing the link option, so just google advance foot rocker. Mine was a Nautilus, but I don't think they make it any longer.

 

Just found an interesting YouTube video called the instant cure for PF. He says to stretch the top of the foot down. Give it a try and see if it works like,he says.

 

[Cent]

P T is the best answer in my experience.

[Stevie Boy]

For what it is worth, I think mine was caused by doing a indoor project at home, without any foot wear.

Try looking on the internet for "Pro Stretch " or "Foot Rocker" (I think Walmart might do it)

I used the Pro Stretch excellent for the calves, takes the tension away from the foot, probably help the ankles out as well.

Rehabilitation you name it I have it.

[wtrskior]

Mine was partially caused by walking bare foot on hardwood floors. I have custom naot Sandles I wear indoors now.

[Edmund]

I have had it a couple of times, and if you are like I was, you can hardly walk across the room when you first get up in the morning. The advice given by the others above will help. Just do a little internet research and develop your own PT plan. After suffering for a week or so, you may hopefully find it to be suddenly gone. Good luck.

[Roger]

I had this problem last year. I made two changes which solved it for me. At the lake, I use these. For my tennis and dress shoes, I use these. I have not changed from the stock inserts in my Vapor bindings. I don't think we spend enough time in them to have much effect on our feet. The inserts and flip flops solved this for me. I have another pair of flip flops for non wet use from HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY which are great though expensive. See them here.

[ESPNSkier]

@ral I feel your pain and went through the process last year including 3 steroid injections, stretching, rolling my foot on a frozen bottle of water, etc. I bought several pairs of Powerstep ProTech Full Length PRO shoe inserts and wear them in all of my shoes now. When it was at it's worst I also placed one of these inserts in my Radar Vapor front boot but have now gone back to a Vapor insert. It does go away but will quickly come back if you are not careful. Good luck.

[Roger]

@ESPNSkier - Exactly what I pointed him to. Those for my dress and tennis shoes and for days at the lake, flip flops designed for plantar fasciitis. Between those, I've not had the problem return, so worth every penny spent!

[ral]

Thanks to all for the very valuable advice!

[DmaxJC_ski]

My daughter is a dancer, had a partial tear of the plantar fascia, major scar tissue and fasciitis now. Been 2 years of serious treatments and pain for her, she is 13, casts, orthotics, braces, taping, the works, 99% of the problem is the calf muscles being too tight and the fascia gives up to that. Deep tissue massage on the calves an feet will help tremendously, my daughter has also had 3 injections done under radiography to help pinpoint the problem and reduce the chance of rupture, with exceptional results. When we are at the RMT I can hear the scar tissue breaking and popping in her foot, she takes it like a champ. Aircast makes a really good brace that has helped a bit also.

[Bdecker]

I had this problem too. Super feet inserts didn't work for my feet, and after lots of PT it looked like custom orthotics were my only answer. I was in the process of having molds made when I tried "sole" footbeds. They have worked phenomenally for me. I now wear their flips exclusively and footbeds in just about every shoe I wear including my hard shell bindings. It's been a good 5+ years since with no pain.

[Jordan]

Years ago I suffered plantar fascia while training for a marathon. Unbelievable pain as the distances increased.

 

The key was understanding what was happening. Since I had high arches and in my gate my foot would roll excessively from outside to the inside during the weight transfer.

 

The solution was both orthotics and a firmer motion control shoe. For the orthotic to do its' job, a more solid foundation was required.

 

The point is that you should experiment with different footwear in combination with various insoles/orthotics etc.

[teammalibu]

I second the super feet green inserts Mr. Jones got me to try them a few years ago and The PF went away and never came back! The other thing he stressed was not to jump out of bed in the morning on to a hard floor without streaching he said keep your shoes next to the bed! Thanks Mr. Jones!

[BCM]

@DMaxJC_ski - a few years ago I had some PF issues while training for a marathon (50+miles a week) I visited a local sports medicine doc (he was also the doc for the local D1 college football, track, and XC teams). He suggested using inserts as a last resort, rather he suggested working on stretching and then strengthening the back of my legs (calves to glutes). I had great success, never used inserts.

 

It is a very slow healing process. It took me about 6 months of basically no running. But 4 years later I am running, I hike a lot for work, and don't use any type of insert and have no PF issues. I still stretch regularly and spend some gym time working on stretching and strengthening the back of my legs.

[mwetskier]

i suffered from pf for a long time before i hit on something that no foot doc ever suggested. they taught me how to tape my foot to reduce the pain during the day, but no one ever suggested taping them at night so my arch was supported while i slept. the idea came to me out of the blue and i figured it probably wouldn't work but decided to try it. all the stretching and injections and insoles couldn't fix the problem but compressing the arch for the 6 to 8 hours every night while i slept did the trick.

[thompjs]

I have custom orthotics for my shoes. If I quit wearing them it comes back. Tape helps with flare ups.

[gt2003]

I got it when I started running a lot. I tried having the Podiatrist wrap them but that did no good. Instead of messing around with treatments he said often never work and are done many times just to ensure future visits he recommended the injections. I only had to have them once. It sounds horrible but he injected through the side of my heel and it wasn't pleasant but it wasn't horrible either. I've heard BAD stuff about injecting from the bottom of the foot up! Within a couple of days I was back to 100%. He made me some custom inserts that were hugely valuable.

 

If you don't want to go that route try an over the counter insert that gives you arch support. My arch is too high to use superfeet but LOTS of people love them. I have used "sole" inserts and currently use Powerstep Pinnacles. The cool/good/positive thing about the Sole inserts is you can put them in the oven and mold them to your feet.

 

Good luck. This isn't a fun battle. I hope you win it shortly!

[WaterSkier12]

Agree with stretching your PF, Achilles and gastrocs, but don’t neglect your hamstrings. Everything goes downhill, and we sit way too much. Inserts, heel cups, resting night splints, casts all can be used.

I send them all to PT, majority get better. Don’t get an injection, Unless it’s Ultrasound guided by an experienced Foot/Ankle-Sports doc. Tenex is another option, but like the shot, a last resort.

Don’t have open surgery unless,you have diagnosed nerve damage-tarsal tunnel syndrome

Good luck

[Dobrodan]

I've had PF three times over the years. The cure for me has always been stretching the hams and achilles/calves. The best way to stretch the calves is to put the front of your feet on a stair and drop your heels, let it stretch. Do it as often as you can throughout the day. The thing about PF for me is that it didn't get gradually better, it just disappeared. Good luck.

[MISkier]

In addition to the stretching (especially the calf stretch off the stairs), don’t tie your shoes too tight. I loosened mine up a lot just recently and have far fewer foot problems while running than ever before. I previously cranked the heck out of the laces.

[cragginshred]

@ral In the PT clinic I would have not just stretch the calf, but the soleus and most importantly mobilize the fascia on the bottom or plantar side of your foot.

Put the sole of your foot on a 2" step then do what looks like a calf stretch but you drive your knee over your toe with your knee bent.

 

In addition freeze some water bottles and roll your bare foot on it till numb a couple of times a day.

 

Lastly tape two tennis balls together- use coban. You can also do some really good fascia mobilizations with the balls as well!

 

I need to have my own beer fund part of this forum for free PT advice!

[LanceHCook]

I have had PF a couple times over the years, I run, XC ski and am generally pretty active all year. The first time I had it I went to a podiatrist who gave me the injections, recommended Super Feet and taped my foot. I think I had 3 injections and after about 2 months it got better. I wasn’t impressed.

 

Next time I got it, my new GP who is a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) offered to fix it while I was at an appointment for an unrelated issue. He wrenched on it and the next day it was better and it stayed better. I went back for a follow up 2 weeks later and he didn’t even have to do his D.O. magic because it was still better. It’s still better.

 

A year or so after that, he fixed some shoulder pain. There is something to the facial manipulation these guys do and if you can get to a D.O. to have a look at it, you might save yourself weeks of recovery time. Maybe he’s just manipulating my insurance company, and I’m pretty cynical about “alternative” medicine, but right now, I’m a believer in these docs.

 

 

[WaterSkier12]

Lance, you mean fascial not facial right?;-)

[BraceMaker]

@LanceHCook - Osteopaths vary greatly, while it used to be a pretty sharp distinction between DO's and MD's, with DO's getting specific training in Osteopathic medicine it has shifted to the point that since many DO's are pursuing the same residency sites that MD candidates are the training has shifted towards many getting just a barest amount of osteopathic training.

 

Point is, not all DO's are going to adjust your foot.

[cragginshred]

To aide in assisting to clear up the conflicting advice in this thread:

Joints get 'adjusted' connective tissue such as the fascia on the bottom of your foot requires stretching and deep tissue work.

An ankle can get an 'adjustment' or grade IV mobilization which in turn will aide in soft tissue response. But the plantar fascia is designed to be mobilized and stretched to address the cause of the symptoms.

[LanceHCook]

If you saw my mug, you would assume facial.

[BraceMaker]

@cragginshred of course to make it even muddier the osteopath manipulates.

[cragginshred]

Same thing different term

The mud I was trying to clear was aiding in understanding the mechanism of injury and for those interested in prevention and long term healing clinicians call it 'self efficacy' or the ability to self maintain and treat based on anatomical knowledge versus just going in for a manip by the chiro or osteo every so often.

 

 

[GaryWilkinson]

@cragginshred isn’t PF adhesions between tendons and the fascia? Caused usually by micro tears? Given there’s not much room or circulation down there the adhesions or scar tissue is inflammation and doesn’t move out.

 

Deb (the wife) gets it bad from running and impact related sports.

 

Her cure is a visit to massage therapist for deep tissue massage (read in physical breaking up of bonds and adhesions) that are really (really!) painful but after the second treatment, she sees a significant reduction and sometimes elimination of all symptoms.

 

That and rolling a tennis ball at night.

I’ll let her know about the rolling of frozen water bottles.

 

And,... the beers in the mail!

 

[Vsquires]

Get a boot the kind for pf and sleep in it. Mine was aggravated by laying my foot flat when i slept. Helped tremendously with morning pain.

[9400]

I've had it several times, deep massage of all parts of the foot (especially the bottom). Rolling a golf ball on a rubber mat (bottom of foot massage. Range of motion exercises. I'm a big fan of the boot that @Vsquires referenced as well seems to really help with the mornings which was the worst for me. When I get something like this, I try everything.

[thompjs]

I had custom orthopedic foot beds made. If I wear them most of the time, I'm good.

Standing or walking barefoot not a good idea for me

[hhaarrison]

A good ankle compression sleeve brace may good for you.

[bkreis]

keeping hip flexors in balance with extensors will help prevent and relieve p.f.

[robbieracer]

I've had this a couple times from running and use the TriggerPoint FootBaller or the NANO LTE. I have it near the couch and use it a few times a week while watching TV. After using this, I haven't have Plantar Fasciitis since.