Foot pain (Read 1298 times)

Michael, what kind of inserts did you buy? How long did you deal with PF?

I bought Sof Sole Performance Stable Trac (http://www.sofsole.com/pages/performance/stable.php) inserts after talking to the guys at the local running store about it. I'm sure there are plenty others that will do the trick, but since these have worked so well for me, I'm hesitant to try any others. The PF that I had wasn't nearly as bad as I've heard some people describe it. It was mostly just in my heel, but it was enough that I actively avoided having to get up and walk during the day at work (come to think of it, that might have helped too). It interfered with my activities outside of running much more than my actual running - I guess it's just easier for me to ignore that kind of pain while running. Anyway, the pain didn't completely go away until my post-marathon reverse taper. I was probably a little too stubborn in persisting with the training when I should have taken it easy and gone with my backup marathon a few months later.

That is actually pretty normal. As the foot and the band of tissue there warms up, it becomes more flexible, and doesn't tear as much during movement resulting in less pain. The pain tends to be worst after long periods of inactivity when the band has had time to contract, such as after getting up in the morning, or sitting around for a long period of time.

I'd believe that. Sometimes my worst pain with my arch area is this sharp twinge I will get if my foot flexes a lot going down my front steps on my way out for a run. The tight calves thing is also getting my attention. I have ALWAYS had notoriously tight calves. Which, of course, lead to shin splints (I've also had what I'm certain is chronic compartment syndrome--particularly during races). I had dealt with this all through HS and when I first started back to distance running (I was a sprinter in HS--no way could I do distances with the calf and shin problems). Eventually I got to the point where this was no longer an issue. But ever since Winter ended I have had more problems with my calves and shins. I'm not sure why, but I'm guessing the arch/PF problems are connected. k

I had planar fasciitis last year. I bought a jump rope just for the heck of it but the jumping was too much. I was side-lined for about a month and there were about three days when I walked around with a pronounced limp while I favored the one foot. I did the following (your mileage may vary): 1) I kept a durable round plastic cup with no handle on the floor next to the bed and would massage/roll my arch on it to loosen it up. A rolling pin would work for this as well. 2) Rested - no exercise for a few weeks. 3) Lots of calf stretches and achiles heal stretches in the morning and througout the day whenever I had a moment. Eventually your coworkers stop looking at you funny and go find better things to do. 4) I bought over-the-counter orthotic insoles. I bought them initially for their arch support in dealing with the PF issue, but ever since I switched to these, I won't run without them. No built-in shoe support can come close. And as a side benefit, no more occasional knee pain!

A guy who works for my manager told me that rolling your foot on a tennis ball placed on the floor can help. modal

Yeah, that can help a lot. A variation on that is to freeze a bottle of water or a can of beans or something, and then roll your foot on that. You get the rolling benefit and the benefit of icing at the same time.