Forums >Health and Nutrition>Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis
Fight The Future
I'm wondering about the advice against stretching the calf muscles. I've never done any stretching, and always thought it was bad, but now that I'm having PF, I find that my dorsiflexion range on both sides is very limited, and stretching out the achilles does actually make the pf pain less. I'm thinking of trying a Strassburg sock at night, which also would stretch out the achilles. Hmm, hmm, hard to know what to do. Ice and stretching could make the pain temporarily better, but I suppose could be prolonging the recovery..... Wish there was a simple answer, like there appears to be for other running injuries.
The curse of PF plagued me a couple of years ago and eventually I had to stop running for about 2 months. Went to a FOOT DR and he recommended orthotics (of course) which I never bought. I did tape my feet for while - if you GOOGLE - tape for Plantar Fascitis a number of methods will come up and they are really good too (I linked one of them but there are lot of others). I did this for about 3 months or so...
What I think REALLY helped me recover is that I bought some DR SCHOLL's PF inserts for my shoes that I wear to work and wear daily or in other words, I think more than 1/2 of my problem was from my shoes at work and not running. So after I bought them and started wearing them in my daily shoes, it seemed my PF went away just as quickly as it started.
I do wear over the counter orthotics that give me a little arch support some of the time when run too (when I think I need them)...
Champions are made when no one is watching
The curse of PF plagued me a couple of years ago and eventually I had to stop running for about 2 months. Went to a FOOT DR and he recommended orthotics (of course) which I never bought. I did tape my feet for while - if you GOOGLE - tape for Plantar Fascitis a number of methods will come up and they are really good too (I linked one of them but there are lot of others). I did this for about 3 months or so... What I think REALLY helped me recover is that I bought some DR SCHOLL's PF inserts for my shoes that I wear to work and wear daily or in other words, I think more than 1/2 of my problem was from my shoes at work and not running. So after I bought them and started wearing them in my daily shoes, it seemed my PF went away just as quickly as it started. I do wear over the counter orthotics that give me a little arch support some of the time when run too (when I think I need them)...
Yes, that is the sort of thing that is now driving me a bit nuts. It makes sense that orthotics might help, and this peer reviewed scientific paper ( J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2008:38(4):A1-A18. doi:10.2519/jospt.2008.0302) also notes a randomized trial that compared, among other things, orthotics plus stretching the calf, and that turned out better than simply stretching alone. On the other hand, multiple web pages and people (for example, the "sock-doc" referred to above) swear up and down that orthotics weaken the foot muscles, and are the likely cause rather than the cure for PF. I'm not sure, but I suspect that orthotics are basically the same as the Dr. Scholl's PF inserts, don't you think?
It's clear I'll simply have to stop whining about it, and consider me as another experiment of one, and all the different things until it clears up.
Feeling the growl again
Yes, that is the sort of thing that is now driving me a bit nuts. It makes sense that orthotics might help, and this peer reviewed scientific paper ( J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2008:38(4):A1-A18. doi:10.2519/jospt.2008.0302) also notes a randomized trial that compared, among other things, orthotics plus stretching the calf, and that turned out better than simply stretching alone. On the other hand, multiple web pages and people (for example, the "sock-doc" referred to above) swear up and down that orthotics weaken the foot muscles, and are the likely cause rather than the cure for PF. I'm not sure, but I suspect that orthotics are basically the same as the Dr. Scholl's PF inserts, don't you think? It's clear I'll simply have to stop whining about it, and consider me as another experiment of one, and all the different things until it clears up.
I found that the acute treatment for the pain, versus the long-term treatment to fix the issue, were very different.
When mine first acted up I could not stand any sort of minimal shoe, even for walking. I got a pair of cushioned, very supportive shoes which allowed the acute inflammation and pain to subside. And while it did subside, it got down to a certain level and never went away. Months and months, nothing worked.
Then I switched to Merrill Tough Gloves for work, a very minimal-style shoe. Very rapidly the problem began to resolve. Almost up on two years now, and I still wear them daily for work and can now run in anything.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
rather be sprinting
Yes! Calf stretch and foam rolling were key for me in resolving PF. But I agree so much that treatment and prevention are DIFFERENT. The stretching and rolling (with foam or the Stick, which is harder and works better for my calves) are preventative. Treatment for me meant taking time off all running and just running in the pool. Depends how acute it is, but I would say you'd want to at least cut back.
Also found that running on the treadmill when I did begin to run again was softer and easier on my foot than a hard surface. A rubberized track is good too.
PRs: 5k 19:25, mile 5:38, HM 1:30:56
Lifting PRs: bench press 125lb, back squat 205 lb, deadlift 245lb
Walk-Jogger
For those that are looking for a night splint to help with their plantar fasciitis, I just bought and can recommend this one to replace an older, larger, heavier and less comfortable model. It's much lighter weight and more comfortable to wear plus it allow me to cinch up the strap for a bit more dorsiflexion. It does tend to make my my toes and forefoot go a bit numb after a few hours, so I only wear it for a few hours at a time - during my rest / nap after a long run, then maybe for a bit in the evening while watching TV, and then when I go to bed, for as long as I can stand it. 2, 3, hours generally. I got this a week ago and ran without any PF pain in my right heel this morning for the first time in over a month.
Dorsiflexion:
Retired & Loving It