Forums >Running 101>Plantar Fascitis..............symptoms/solutions
The OP symptoms sound exactly like my PF.
I had it 30 years ago when I did hurdles. I thought back then it was a bruised heel. Eventually laid off practices and just did races. Summer probably cured it, and then I don't recall any PF issues in Fall soccer. But then it came back again during Spring track.
No PF problems the decades I sat on the couch eating pizza.
Then when I started to run again last year, my old friend PF came back. Based on the internet stories, such as here in this thread, I began to stretch both my ankles and shins (shin splints was an additional problem), all the time, all day. Even while sitting in a car driving. Even while sitting at a desk. And first thing in the morning, before even getting out of bed. And then first thing after getting out of bed, even before walking to the bathroom.
Seems to be working. I'm running well, without PF, and without shin splints. So my guess is the constant stretching throughout a day helps. Probably also helps to only gradually increase miles.
spam
An Asics night splint and lots of calf strengthening got rid of mine. Heel raises, toe taps, and lifting up the front outside and inside of my foot; I go through the set of four 3 times, twenty reps each. I'd say the night splint did about 95% to get it feeling good, and then the exercises help maintain the lack of pain. I dealt with it for about a year and a half. The night splint would make it go away and then it would return. The above exercises, squats and the lunge matrix have made it completely disappear for the last year
An Asics night splint and lots of calf strengthening got rid of mine. Heel raises, toe taps, and lifting up the front outside and inside of my foot; I go through the set of four 3 times, twenty reps each. I'd say the night splint did about 95% to get it feeling good, and then the exercises help maintain the lack of pain.
I dealt with it for about a year and a half. The night splint would make it go away and then it would return. The above exercises, squats and the lunge matrix have made it completely disappear for the last year
+1 to this.. My experience is similar. Sleep with a brace of some sort while healing to keep your foot from pointing out while you sleep. It does taking some getting used to though. I stopped running for a couple of months while it healed up over last summer. Between sleeping with the brace, doing some of the exercises noted above has made the condition manageable now. I also like to ice if after a run, rolling a frozen soda bottle under my foot and then apply heat to it and the Achilles area after.
What was I chasing again?
Stretch - always… all the time. ice - evenings or after workouts. take a month or two off from running if that's what you do - sorry no time to read the entire thread but I sympathize with your plight - and start back gentle. good shoes (not just running but for all the time and wear them all the time - don't go barefoot or wear slippers for months) and good sox (compression) help just as much as good shoes. OTC arch supports help some. Dr Scholls makes one that is specifically for heel pain/PF. I conquered PF with these simple steps - but you must commit to them all the time - in just over a year and no orthotics (my bro-in-law has been wearing expensive orthotics for years and still suffers) no surgery. just determination to beat it…. good luck. and sorry - I know it sucks….
Tammarin.....
Mine improves with working the trigger points in my calves. Try this: http://sock-doc.com/2011/03/205/
Mine improves with working the trigger points in my calves. Try this:
http://sock-doc.com/2011/03/205/
oh yeah! and I forgot about this: Calf stretches - very important as well! works…...
uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI
I watched that sock doc video and found it interesting. No orthotics? No stretching? No arch support? This is the polar opposite of what most people do. Have any of you tried his advice? Any luck with it?
Latent Runner
Oddly enough, that's exactly what did work for me:
Fat old man PRs:
Thanks. I am going to give the Spenco's a whirl when I receive them. However if they do not suffice for my needs they will go right into either my Mizuno Wave Inspire 8's or my Asics gel Equation 7's for my everyday use. I also will try what has been recommended (stretching, suggestions in the video etc.) by all so far. It's not as painful as it has been in the past, however felt it again this morning after my workout. The pain seems to be now more centered at the back of my left heel where my foot curves up. Also trying to change my running style from heel striking to more mid foot striking as I run. It's a work in progress but I've read it can be accomplished. Thanks as always and everyone have a great day.
JerseeJerry55
My PT explained the reason for my PF - my calves, soleus and achilles are very tight. Whenever I was striking the ground and my heel was coming down, my calves and other muscles and tendons were too tight to allow this to happen. This caused my plantar to stretch to compensate for the tight muscles. Prescription - higher drop shoes (was running in 4mm) for the majority of runs, and foam rolling on achilles and calves to loosen them up. The higher drop shoes keeps pressure off of your calves and Achilles. After a month, my PF was nearly gone - and I'm still able to use 4mm racing flats.
This is the test he used to look at my ankle mobility and assess me - http://dtphysio.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/injury-prevention-part-1-the-ankle-testing-dorsiflexion-range/
Hope this helps!
Nothings been working for the last 8 months. I had PRP two months ago and consistent physical therapy since, but I still feel the pain.
Certified Running CoachCrocked since 2013
Okay let me ask the following questions:
Thanks as always. JerseeJerry55
Okay let me ask the following questions: Is the GT2000 too much shoe for me ? If I attempt to transition to a midfoot strike from a heel strike does anyone think that will work in reducing/eliminating PF? How difficult is it to change my foot strike from heel to midfoot? Are any of you heel strikers? If so do you see any evidence of excessive wear in the heel area of your shoes? Is a midfoot striker less prone to prematurely wearing out their shoes? Thanks as always. JerseeJerry55
The GT2000 is a great shoe for some, a good shoe for others, and a terrible shoe for still others. Will it be good for you? Unknown; only you can tell us that, and only after you've tried them for some miles.
As for transitioning your running style, you might want to take a look-see at this recent thread:
I am a heel striker, and the outside corner of each heel wears faster. I just use Shoe Goo on that area. I've been working on reducing the skidding at initial contact, and the wear rate has been getting better.
I retired a pair of summer running shoes last summer at 3050 miles when the soles under the forefoot wore through to the padding. I estimate that that pair of shoes used up two tubes of Shoe Goo, all on the outside corner of the heels. The soles of my winter running shoes last longer because much of that running is on snow or ice, which does not wear the soles. Or at least not as much.
All the below is based on running. I sit at a desk so my PF is not work related.
I am a heel striker and a supinator as opposed to pronator. I will wear the outside heal of my shoes down completely with very little or NO wear on the inside heal. A running shoe will last me 400 miles maybe. Shoe Gu etc were useless and would only hold for 2 runs maybe. I just bit the bullet and buy shoes as needed. I'm 55 (180lbs) and have been running for 40 years. I was injury free until 5 years ago and started with PF symptom's. Pain trying to walk across the bedroom floor in the morning. Pain in the first half mile of a run. I fought it off for a year because the pain would dissipate during the run. I continued to race. The pain initially started in the lower Achilles and worked its way down to the heel and then underneath. I spent days doing all the internet search for cause and cure and that was very confusing so I'll supply with all the pertinent facts that may help all those that are heel strikers and have had PF. I did go see a sports medicine doctor. He gave me an arch support and also a Hapad "Sports Insoles". They felt like I had a rock in my shoe and made it worse.
Advil and icing help the pain but in the long run do nothing to solve the problem.
My wife had PF also and got a cortisone shot. She would not recommend except for extreme cases. Pain subsided for a few days but came right back. The shot put her through the roof.
Rolling with a frozen bottle of water or golf ball or tennis ball made it feel OK for a minute but then made the pain 2 times worse an hour later when I stood up. ( If you have a tooth ache, rubbing it hard with your finger is not going to work)
Strasberg Sock. No good, uncomfortable. Simple calf stretching or calf raises worked better.
Any off the shelf insert. Made it worse.
What worked. Bought a pair of Birkenstock sandals and keep them by my bed side and wear then all day if possible. They provided ME with almost immediate relief.
As a heel striker I knew I had to change that. I am lousy at practicing something and sticking to it so I took a drastic approach. I did not go as far as buying Vibram 5 fingers but I switched to Nike Free's 5.0. They force you to become a mid foot striker. It is impossible to run on your heel, you will feel it immediately and naturally go to a mid foot striker. It seems a little counter intuitive to go to a minimalist shoe. I wore them for 6 months and just got in the habit of leaning a little more forward. After all symptoms disappeared I did transitioned back to neutral trainers but still run in the Nike Frees. I tend to lapse into heal striking towards the end of a long run but I now know that I'm doing it and consciously try to correct it. Also 20% heal striker is better than 100% heal striker.
I also took 4 WEEKS off with no running and did 3 or 4 SPIN classes at the YMCA, with very little fitness lost. The time off is the only way to get the recover cycle started. After 40 years of running I did not think I could stop for that long. But once the pain got so bad I had no choice. Once you make the decision to stop it was easy. Then finally once you become injured you NEVER want it to happen again.
I felt another bout of PF coming on last year after an string of 3 half marathons and the training to go with it. I started back into the easy calf stretches, back to the Nike Free's and cut back on running for a few weeks and the symptom's completely went away . Hopefully some of this helps.