06-23-10, 11:43 AM | |
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: West coast of Canada, eh. ;)
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Emily - You have my sympathy! I will throw my story in too. I had a major case of PF with a heel spur two years ago. It sounds to me like you are doing a lot of things right. Recovery was a lengthy process for me, it took close to 9 months. I did try to go back to running once about 3 or 4 months after getting my orthotics and had a set back. Other than that, I did not do any high impact exercise at all during that time. But I am back running again and my feet feel good. I did a very gradual return to running as well, starting with short run/walk intervals. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!
I did end up having a cortisone injection into my heel. I don't think I would recommend that as it was quite painful. I did improve after the injection, but not sure it was worth it as I could barely walk for a few days after it. I have custom orthotics and I still wear them when I run or walk any long distance. I even found sandals that they fit in and you can't even notice them. But my orthotics required some tweaking to feel good. My podiatrist sent them back to the orthotic person to have them trimmed as they were not quite right to start with. There is an adjustment period where they might be a little uncomfortable, but they shouldn't be painful. Sounds like yours need some adjustments. I agree with Shelley - persist until they feel right. Once mine were tweaked, they felt great and still do. I am on my feet a lot at work and I wouldn't be without them. I also did, and still do, lots of stretching and yoga. I like to give my feet the freedom of some barefoot workouts to strengthen them because they are so often confined in shoes. I used an ankle/arch support bandage like Rose described for yoga and it worked very well. It looked like this: http://well.ca/products/tensor-ankle-brace_1902.html And, as others have said too - it takes time and patience. It will heal. Those of us who love to run are often not patient - I know I struggled big time not to lace up my shoes and head out the door too soon. Take care and hang in there! Pam
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*~*Pam*~* Certified Level 4 Essentrics Instructor - March 2021 Hatha YTT - 2011 Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down..... "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." Jim Rohn "It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” - Tony Robbins Check out my Instagram account, @fitness.ficti0n.inspirati0n |
06-23-10, 12:03 PM | |
Join Date: May 2006
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Hi Emily,
So sorry you have to deal with this but please don't lose heart because it's often just a matter of figuring out your individual needs for treatment. I wanted to throw out a couple of ideas for you to consider based on the information you gave in your post. First, poor fitting orthotics can "wedge" against the plantar fascia and exacerbate the problem. Since you say that you were showing improvement up until the last few days, it may just be that the orthotics you recently started are irritating the area. Based on your description, that would be much more likely than a bone spur (especially after a negative x-ray only 6 weeks ago). You mention that you love running and step aerobics. Both activities are calf intensive (even more so if you have weak hamstrings and poor glute activation). Tight calf muscles are often ignored or barely addressed with regards to PF but they can be a primary cause. When calf muscles tighten, they pull up on the heel (via the Achilles tendon) and will not allow the foot to function properly with regards to shock absorption. In addition to the extra force (pounding)that is then translated to the tissue, the fascia also has to constantly "fight" against the upward pull of the heel. This eventually causes microtears. The tears cannot repair faster than the damage occurs since the opposing force is still present. Stretching is extremely important but may be hindered if trigger points have formed in the calf/foot muscles. Trigger points cause sustained contraction and will not allow the muscles to be fully stretched. Removing trigger points in both the calf and foot can be very helpful in increasing flexibility and making your current stretches more effective. Ideally, increasing flexibility in the hamstrings and low back would have an additional chain effect in creating less pull against the foot. You may want to add foam rolling/stretches for those regions as well if you don't get complete resolution after treating the calves. If you think any of this might apply to you, I have provided some links to get you started: Anatomy - calf muscles (soleus, gastrocnemius, note the layers) Trigger point radiation from calf into foot (you don't need the tools they are advertising --- tennis ball actually works better) Soleus - trigger point release techniques Gastrocnemius - more trigger point info for the region More calf rolling, techniques for increasing flexibility Foot massage using tennis ball
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foot injury, foot pain, heel pain, orthotics, plantar fasciitis |
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