I Cured My PF By Doing -----

[Helen]

DH had PF. Spent a fortune seeing various people, cortisone injections, custom orthotics, stretches with a strap, .... NOTHING worked....

Then he started going barefoot more often, wearing shoes with less support (simple scuffs in summer), ditched the orthotics completely, exercising barefoot, and it's totally gone and that was over 6 months ago.

He grew up in the mountains - cold all the time. Never went barefoot as a child.

I grew up in a mild coastal area, beach walking... lived barefoot unless formality required (school) - never had any issues.

These could be coincidental circumstances for us.

[BigBadBetty]

Originally Posted by Helen

DH had PF. Spent a fortune seeing various people, cortisone injections, custom orthotics, stretches with a strap, .... NOTHING worked....

Then he started going barefoot more often, wearing shoes with less support (simple scuffs in summer), ditched the orthotics completely, exercising barefoot, and it's totally gone and that was over 6 months ago.

He grew up in the mountains - cold all the time. Never went barefoot as a child.

I grew up in a mild coastal area, beach walking... lived barefoot unless formality required (school) - never had any issues.

These could be coincidental circumstances for us.

There MAY be some evidence for that. I grew up wearing shoes. I had custom orthotics in my early 30s. I had a couple of bouts of PF. I have had a lot less feet problems since transitioning to minimalist shoes. Caution: it takes time to build up your feet muscles. I started with a partial minimalist shoe: Nike Free. I did some calf strengthening and stretching, too. I never wear shoes with heels.

Here is an article that discusses this theory: http://naturalrunningcenter.com/2013...cial-supports/

[raeven]

Man I really wish going barefoot had healed mine! I basically live barefoot..all day long every day. I only ever wore shoes or sandals when going out to the store or out somewhere. I did workouts and everything possible barefoot! Then I got PF from hitting the treadmill in over-jubilant bid to lose weight! Even then I was wearing my vibrams. Once I realized what I had, I did all kinds of reading. I thought the whole barefoot/muscle strength thing made sense so I continued on as I had hoping it would eventually heal...but it never did.

Not until I finally gave in many months later, when I could barely walk on it did I finally go to the podiatrist. I started wearing birkenstocks all day long and did the stretches he gave me. FINALLY the pain drastically decreased immediately! I also got a pair of superfeet insoles on his recommendation for regular tennis shoes when going out or working outside. I am now about a year from when this all began. I rarely wear my birks during the day anymore. I don't do the stretches nearly like I should. I'm pretty much back to barefoot as per usual prior to all of this. I still get times when I can just barely feel some pain there, but not much. When I do I usually grab my birks just to be on the safe side! I'm sure if I was better with my stretches I'd be better off!

Btw, the doc showed me with a model foot there, why the arch support is so necessary. When you take a step, that tendon stretches all the way out, and keeps re-injuring itself...thus never being allowed to heal. That's why the recommendation to walk with the arches supported constantly for a few weeks/months...however long to allow it to completely heal!

Best of luck!!

[Dabbadooey]

The only thing that helped was wearing Chacos sports sandals. Other than that itjust went away on its own.

[bee]

Originally Posted by knitter_mom

I brought a new Fitbit in May 2012, and started having PT flareups in September, and while I would get temporary relief with the standard stretches, I remember I couldn't do any of my favorite workouts in September/beginning October, it just hurt too much. I was on VF and someone linked to a page of runner's stretches, which included this weird one that involved hanging a sock with a weight in the toe from your toes (you were sitting down, with the heel of the foot on the chair and toes hanging out in the air). I instead went and got my little two pound weight with a white flexible handle on it and used it instead. I put my foot through the handle, sat on chair and placed my right heel on chair as well with toes hanging off edge. Then I just lifted the weight up and down, 15-20 times. I had immediate relief right away, no hobbling and no pain, but I thought it was temporary. It wasn't until the next morning when I awoke without hobbling in pain until I was warmed up AND I could do a kickboxing workout that I realized that little stretch had pretty much cured my flareup! Now I only get flareups when I go for serious hikes uphill and don't keep up with maintenance stretching, but I can at least stop it in its tracks once it starts. I'm also a fan of being barefoot as much as possible, and workout without shoes as well.

By the way, I don't expect this stretch to work miracles for everyone, but it is worth a try. I also looked for that original link, but no luck, sorry.

Kris

Wow, even though you didn't find the video -- thank you very much for describing this! I have the same little two pound weight with handle as you do (note I only have one with a handle because my dog chewed off the other one) and I just now went and did that little foot workout. It works! I can't wait to see how it feels later in the day and tomorrow. Thank you, thank you!!!

[bee]

Oh, and p.s. if people like that birkenstock feel, they sell inserts on amazon. I have some in a pair of nike's. The thing is, they are fairly big -- bigger than superfeet (which I have in my workout shoes), so, you need to have shoes that are on the bigger side in order to use them.

I do a combination of inserts, dansko shoes, barefoot, including some workouts barefoot (sometimes tonique, and for sure CS/yoga).

[mercedes]

To me, weight plays a big role. The minute I go over a couple of pounds, it flares up.

I am still experiencing bouts of it because I really do need to get serious about losing weight. I got it when I gained the weight and have been able to keep it at bay by doing the usual stretches of calves, etc. If I am not diligent, it hurts the next couple of days. I am pretty sure that if I lose the weight, it will be easier to keep it under control with the stretches/trigger points release,etc

[ncl]

I am going to physical therapy getting a treatment called astym for my patellofemoral syndrome (and I am getting better rapidly). My PT says it works great for plantar fasciitis as well. It's a little uncomfortable while she's doing it, but then I feel great afterwards and have improved so much so quickly. I've only had 2 treatments and am already so much better.

I've had PF before, but I stretched, took ibuprofen, did NOT go barefoot (was told to wear shoes), and quit running for awhile and it went away...it has flared up form time to time but mine was a mild case.

[sciencelady]

I was completely sidelined by PF many years ago - things I did at the time to cure it were - taped at the podiatrist, wear shoes all the time, no more step aerobics till healed, lots of stretching/rolling stuff under my arches, custom orthotics, and losing weight.

I haven't had a flare-up in years (knock on wood) - things that I believe have helped with that are more crosstraining in my cardio workouts (not just step aerobics), less impact, maintaining a weight loss, and gradual increase in training in barefoot/minimalist shoes.

[Lurdes]

I cured my PF by doing Jill Miller's 5-minute Quick Fix routine for feet twice a day (before exercising and at bedtime), without fail. I also started wearing orthotic slippers around the house, and I stopped running until I was pain free. But I think the key thing were the Quick Fix exercises. Jill Miller is a real genius when it comes to body rehab!

Lurdes