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Plantar Fasciitis Recovery!!! (Read 1413 times)

Kenotic Runner


    I'm so happy. Big grin (I think I said something here last month, but I'll say it again!) I started running in 2005. 2005 was great. 2006 was great. 2007 was great until July or so. I even won my age bracket in a couple local 5Ks. But I think the beginning of the end was hiking up Mt Shavano and Mt Tabaguache in Colorado in a horrible pair of hiking boots. Over the next year and thousand miles I, bit by bit, developed increased tolerance for pain and drove my feet into the ground. My right foot recovered somewhat while still running. My left foot kept getting worse and worse. I tried everything. Stretches. Exercises. Massage. Inserts. I tried everything except stopping running. As of last summer I could go no more. The pain was unbearable. I had to quit. I was terrified I wouldn't be able to start up again. Sheesh. Except for a one year stint, I was a lifeless, couch potato for 15 years. But... Now I'm back! Yes My mileage isn't anything to brag about and all I really do is base mileage runs and my pace is ho-hum, but I've been running since the beginning of the year. Big grin I had some foot pain January and some February. I held off. I didn't push mileage or pace. I took it easy. Stretch, stretch, stretch. Listen to the body. And now, my feet are feeling pretty good. The best they've felt in 18 months. I'm not planning on racing at all this year. And I'm being cautious. A bit of pain means stretch, stretch, stretch, and take the day off or cross train. (A good cab or pinot helps much too. Wink ) But... It's sooo good to be back. I love to run. I love to run. I just wanted to share my story with those dealing with injury, set back, and especially plantar fasciitis.
    Teresadfp


    One day at a time

      Congratulations! It sounds as if you're being really smart. Don't get tempted to overdo it again - that's wha I tend to do, even when I know I shouldn't. Good luck!
      MrH


        Congratulations ... for those who are interested, Pete Magill's blog has a nice section on treatment. http://petemagill.blogspot.com/2009/02/petes-home-remedies-plantar-fasciitis.html

        The process is the goal.

        Men heap together the mistakes of their lives, and create a monster they call Destiny.

        heelgrad92


          I worked through some problems I had with it by rolling around a golf ball underneath my foot, especially when I first got out of bed. I am glad you were able to solve your issues, and I hope they stay resolved. Mine (knock on wood) have not come back despite much higher mileage over the last two years, though I have cut back on tennis quite a bit.
            Congrats! In my case, it was Achilles--it still hurts but I now won't give in. It's not that I'm runing through pain; but I noticed running actually makes it feel better. If it hurts when I run, and if it hurts when I don't run; then I'd rather run and deal with it. Now in regards to Plantar Fasciitis... some of the best EXERCISES for PF are, as shown in the site Richard shared, pulling the towel with toes (that was a good site; thanks), picking up PET bottle caps with your toes, picking up wet towel with your toes... Basically, anything to "STRENGTHEN" your toes/arch/foot in general would be good. So...with the same concept, have you tried more minimalist type shoes when you run? If strengthening your arch is good for you, why wear thick bulky inflexible shoes? As far as I'm concerned, that's how you probably strained your feet to begin with... I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into wearing minimalist type shoes but gradually get used to barefoot walkng, then running on grass... As long as you're sensible about the approach, it may surprise you. As for me, the best thing I did for my Achilles problem was to run minimalist type shoes over rugged cross country course. I sometimes go more than 1:30 over golf course or trail in some of those spikeless XC spike shoes.
            Teresadfp


            One day at a time

              Nobby, that's interesting about what you did for your achilles issue. I have the same problem. It's been a lot better lately, but occasionally my ankle still "talks" to me, always while I'm not running. Why do you think that helps you? I would never have thought of that!


              My prewash:)

                I am so happy for you!! I had my first 10k Sat. since June due to PF. My foot has gotten better since I started back running. It was worse when I was just biking and swimming( I know it makes no sense!). I have to take a day off in between my runs so I cross train most of the time. I wish you continued success and happy trails!!!

                "Carpe Diem"

                pitrunner


                  Nobby, that's interesting about what you did for your achilles issue. I have the same problem. It's been a lot better lately, but occasionally my ankle still "talks" to me, always while I'm not running. Why do you think that helps you? I would never have thought of that!
                  Yes Nobby, please share more with us. Mine is driving me crazy right now. Some days it hurts, some days it doesn't. Some times I'm limping after an 8 mile run, other times I'm fine. ARGH! There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it!
                    Nobby, that's interesting about what you did for your achilles issue. I have the same problem. It's been a lot better lately, but occasionally my ankle still "talks" to me, always while I'm not running. Why do you think that helps you? I would never have thought of that!
                    Don't mean to hijack the thread but... (but I'll do it anyway! ;o)) First of all, I think there are many different causes to a certain general injury (like "my Achilles hurts...") so different cuase, different treatment (although icing generally helps). So bear in mind... I hurt my Achilles when I was still running in one of those typical thick heeled training shoes. I'm a "toe runner" and land on the ball of my foot particularly when I run fast (fast in relation to my other running speed at that time...! ;o)). I still remember when it happened... But anyways, so I did some reserach and talked to people... What I did was 1) put extra layer on the heel and 2) rest. The rest part went on and on and on...sometimes up to a few months and it NEVER helped me. Not running did not improve the situation at all! In fact, looking back, that's the biggest regret I have. Achilles tendon doesn't have any blood supply. I got together with this guy who is a 3-time Olympic marathon runner in Japan last December (more on him). He called it "like a pod" and it's not too far off the truth. Apparently, according to the recent Swedish (I think) reserach, the pain you experience in your Achilles is felt when the blood vessel tries to grown through the tendon. They found, by injecting some substance to stop blood vessels to grow, their patients (or subjects) experienced 80% improvement on the scale of subjective pain-feeling. So...they concluded that you'll have a choice of either do this treatment and now you don't feel the pain as much but face the possibility of deteriorating the tendon faster because there's no blood supply; or continue with the pain but let the nature continue to take care of it by increasing the blood supply to the area. Now, assumin this is true, it makes sense to me that, if you exercise more, that actually increases the blood flow and it probably helps. After years of sporadic running here and there, I started running a lot more regularly again about 3 years ago. I was training with this young girl I was coaching. After her first season (she was running track), I gave her about a month of break (I called it "Nobby free month"!). So, since my Achilles was very sore from all the track sprinting training I did with her, I decided to take some time off completely. During the first 2 weeks, my Achilles actually got worse and worse and I could now barely got out of bed and walk! So I figured, if it hurts running, and if it hurts not running; might as well run! I went back for an easy run on a dirt trail near-by...and I noticed, well, first of all, because of Achilles pain, I was running "sitting in a bucket". I was landing more on my heel with Center of Gravity sitting slightly back. It was so uncomfortable my lower back started to hurt. So I thought, the hell with it, and went back to my normal "toe-landing" or more acurately, "mid-foot" landing form. My Achilles hurt like hell!...but only in the first 5 minutes or so. I actually noticed, as it gets stretched out and "warmed-up", it felt much better. Furthermore, now my Center of Gravity is slightly forward, it felt much more comfortable running faster. This sort of makes sense with what I've also found out earlier--that, if I wear what some people call "low profile shoes" with minimal difference in thickness of forefoot area and heel (mainly racing flats) and/or cross country course or trail (in other words, Achilles would be stretched more), my Achilles feels so much better. In fact, if I don't do this once in a while, it starts to hurt more. And, conversely, it gets better if I do this once in a while. Of course, along with it, I do eccentric resistance exercise where you stand on the edge of the step on your toes and raise my heel up; and then bring it down SLOWLY. This exercise seems to help tremendously. Also, I feel my Achilles often and see some fluid development; then I would massage it out gently but firmly. It really hurts like hell innitially but it really makes it feel better. I also ice it after the run. I feel like this is something I'd have to live with. It still hurts but it's under control. I went to see a doctor earlier last year (cuz I'll be a BIG FAT 5-0 this year!!!). I told my doctor about my Achilles problem and he gave me a list of things to do for it. The top of the list is "rest". I thanked him politely (really!) but said no-thanks. From my experience, I think I know what to do with my Achilles problem better than a text-book recommendation. Sometimes (not all), I trust my instinct and experience more than so-called professional opinion. I've seen far too many occasions that so-called "professionals" don't know the difference between elbow and butt.


                    My prewash:)

                      You might try reading a book called Tai-Chi Running also. It has been beneficial to my running form.

                      "Carpe Diem"


                      Eat, Play, Run

                        I'm so happy. Big grin
                        Hey, I know you... Big grin Glad to see you're back in the game! I can only imagine how tough it was to take those 6 months off, but in the grand scheme of things I'm sure it was well worth it. I bet you're appreciating those runs now all the more! Of all injuries, I think I fear PF the most (well, aside from being splattered by a car or attacked by a dog).


                        Eat, Play, Run

                          You might try reading a book called Tai-Chi Running also. It has been beneficial to my running form.
                          Is this different than Chi Running?


                          My prewash:)

                            My bad!! It is called Chi running. Clowning around

                            "Carpe Diem"


                            Hawt and sexy

                              Is it like Chia running?

                              I'm touching your pants.

                              bap


                                I'm not sure you ever fully recover but congratulations on getting back to running.

                                Certified Running Coach
                                Crocked since 2013

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