Plantar Fasciitis

[jerp]

Among the things I tried were sleeping in a boot for months, rolling my foot constantly on various things and expensive inserts. I finally went to a sports medicine chiropractor and he convinced me to try A.R.T. (Active Release Therapy) The weekly treatment involved deep tissue massage right where the facia connects to the heel. The idea is to break up the scar tissue that has formed from the little tears in there. The massage wasn't what I would call comfortable, but not horribly painful. Each session was finished up with an ultrsound treatment that is supposed to promote healing by increasing blood flow. It was not a magical cure, but of all the things I tried it definetly helped the most. I'm pretty sure nothing really works except time....

[Hard Knocks]

Ive had it for almost a year.Stretching doesnt help,rolling doesnt help,and sleeping in the boot doesnt help.Not as painful as it once was,but I dare not run right now

[muzzlebrake]

I went to a New Balance shoe store and told them about my problem and they fixed me up with a pair of shoes with an arch support slipped inside. The minute I walked out to my truck I felt relief. After wearing these shoes for a month all my pain was gone. I had heard from a podiatrist friend of mine about these shoes available from New Balance. PS: they ain't cheap

[Shane]

My BIL owns a running store and he suggested Super Feet inserts. I have bought them for 2 coaches at my school and they both got relief in a few days and completely went away in a couple of weeks. They are expensive ($40) but well worth the investment.

I've looked at the Super Feet inserts. I have some other inserts that I got from a running shoe/orthotic store here that are pretty much the same thing, as far as I can tell. Not cheap. Very comfortable. They help, as long as I don't run or jump too much. Flexing and stretching the plantar fascia while pounding on it isn't good, no matter how good my shoes fit and feel.

Man...I went to a podiatrist and had some insoles made for my shoes. they seem to help when i wear them but they take a lot of getting used to. Kinda feels like i have a golf ball in the arch of my foot. A far a running goes the shoes you wear mean everything! I'm not sure what kind of shoes you are using but i suggest you go to a running shoe store and let them fit you for a pair a shoes that offer the support that you need. As far as the spartan race goes... which race are you doing? I will be there both weekends in may and going for a double trifecta this year! whatever race you are doing i also suggest getting a good pair of trail running shoes with tons of grip. Soloman speedcross 3 are what i use. I did the spartan beast last month in these shoes and had zero issues. i have extremely flat feet and my arches tend to collapse after about 6 or 7 miles of running and it gets really painful. while wearing these shoes i had no pain and was able to complete all 13.2 miles pain free (well in my feet at least!). another tip i would offer is start doing burpees NOW! LOL

I've bought shoes from Luke's Locker and from RAB's Shoes here in Abilene. Quality shoes that fit me right and all of that (high arches and neutral ankle). Currently wearing Brooks. Also, for hunting I bought some Cabela's Merrill hiking shoes that cost $300. They are AWESOME. But lots of flexing and impact on that foot still hurts.

I'm already looking into trail running shoes for the Spartan. I'd love to do the Super and the Sprint that weekend, but if my foot isn't better by then I will probably only do the Sprint. I won't even consider a Beast until my foot is completely healed and I've done a Super.

I had it in 2006 and its back with a vengeance. I tried the custom orthotics, cortisone shots, night splint, all of it. The only thing that fixed it was ESWT. It's basically using ultrasonic shock waves to re-injure the fasciitis and allow you to stretch it and let it heal properly. Unfortunately for me there is no place to get the ESWT treatment here...

Good luck with your recovery, I am sick and tired of mine. Let me know if you find something that works for you.

The PTs at Action Sports Medicine (where I workout) suggested ultrasound. I went in for a session once. It didn't feel like it did anything at all, so I never did any more. Maybe I should give it a try for a while??

I saw you live in abilene. There is a sports chiro over there who is a good friend of mine you might try and get a hold of to help. almost always plantar fascia pains come from an imbalance somewhere and the superfeet insoles help tremendously especially way less than custom orthotics. http://www.anthony-chiropractic.com/ is his website. His name is Dr. Nick Anthony. Tell him that Randy from chiro school sent you.

I've not met Nick, but I'll consider it. I've been going to Dr. Lee Summers for several years. He works with ACU's athletes, and he used to teach at Parker. He's great, but I haven't asked him about my plantar fasciitis. I guess I should.

Shane: Something I've been doing recently for mine.

Fill an empty gatorade or similar bottle with water, freeze it. Then when your siting at your desk or any other length of time, remove your shoe, place the bottle under your arch. Apply a little pressure while rolling it back and forth with your foot.

Mine bothers me horribly in the morning soon as I get out of bed, and after I've been sitting still for a good while.

Yep, I use a frozen water bottle. I also roll it with a baseball and just ice it on an ice pack sometimes. It makes it feel better.

Among the things I tried were sleeping in a boot for months, rolling my foot constantly on various things and expensive inserts. I finally went to a sports medicine chiropractor and he convinced me to try A.R.T. (Active Release Therapy) The weekly treatment involved deep tissue massage right where the facia connects to the heel. The idea is to break up the scar tissue that has formed from the little tears in there. The massage wasn't what I would call comfortable, but not horribly painful. Each session was finished up with an ultrsound treatment that is supposed to promote healing by increasing blood flow. It was not a magical cure, but of all the things I tried it definetly helped the most. I'm pretty sure nothing really works except time....

Sounds similar to airrosti, maybe. I need to try something like this and the ultrasound too.

Thanks, y'all.

[whitetailfanatic]

same boat as ya'll, and at my job I walk, and climb ladders all day long!
got a shot once and it did go away for awhile but now its back, High arch tennis shoes do help it

[Shane]

I won't get a cortisone shot. All that does is mask the pain and make it easier to pound on it and cause more damage.

[techzan]

I had it for a long time and tried just about everything possible. I finally got the expensive custom orthotics and haven't had it since.

[JES]

The ultrasound they can do in a PT office is a waste of time, that can't get through the fat pad on your heel to do any good. ESWT is a stronger shock wave, they have to deaden your entire foot with a nerve block and then you put your heel on this gel pad and then they start hitting it with the shock waves, search ESWT for heel pain and you can get more information. Once the nerve block wears off you'll be hurting, but it gets mch better and then your pain will soon be gone. You'll even be able to notice a reduction in the size of the warts you can feel under your fat pad.

[flywise]

Heavy bag

[reddogdan]

Strassburg sock works and is comfortable to sleep in. It's 30 bucks or so. I had PF for years. I eventually had surgery but up till then, the sock worked.

[JES]

Strassburg sock works and is comfortable to sleep in. It's 30 bucks or so. I had PF for years. I eventually had surgery but up till then, the sock worked.

What kind of surgery? Was it specifically for PF, and if so, what did they do?

[wsteffen]

Shane: Something I've been doing recently for mine.

Fill an empty gatorade or similar bottle with water, freeze it. Then when your siting at your desk or any other length of time, remove your shoe, place the bottle under your arch. Apply a little pressure while rolling it back and forth with your foot.

Mine bothers me horribly in the morning soon as I get out of bed, and after I've been sitting still for a good while.

A tennis ball works also and a little easier to do when ever you are sitting. The specialist, Methodist Hospital in Houston, told me to avoid the shots that they can cause problems on their own. Mine took about six months and I quit running. Now I just bike.
Asics shoes have very good arch support which helps some.

[Txbownut]

I worked in retail for 20 years on concrete floors and had it to some degree for many years. The last two years were almost unbearable. It was not until I got promoted to a desk job and got off my feet that it finally healed. It took about 6 months of staying off of my feet to clear up. Of course the trade off was gaining 40 lbs in the last seven years from spending 10-12 hours a day on my arse. Good luck, I hope it clears up soon.

[Mudslinger]

What kind of surgery? Was it specifically for PF, and if so, what did they do?

Had it in both feet and shots nor anything else would cure it. finally had surgery, cut the tendons in the bottom of the left foot that was causing the problem, had custom orthotics made for both feet and everything is fine now. have to wear the orthotics all day every day or the pain will return. No sandals or flip flops anymore!

[Tmag]

I was suffering daily at work and couldn't get any relief. I bought a pair of SAS (San Antonio Shoes) shoes for work and my feet have quit hurting. I explained to the sales staff what I was feeling in my feet and they directed me to a specific pair. I am on my second pair($180) after 3 years and they are worth it to me. Being in a trucking environment is a little rough on them.