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2007-07-20 3:00 AM

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Subject: Plantar Fasciitis
Anyone have any personal experience of this condition? I recently developed it and have read as much as I can on the subject (I am a doctor BTW) but can't find a good answer to my main question - can training through this make the condition worse? Common sense would suggest it would, but has anyone any expert knowledge, or personal experience to share?John


2007-07-20 5:19 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Master
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Loughborough, England
Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis

There was a thread with lots of ideas here.

One other thing that I don't think that was mentioned is that when icing a better option than frozen peas is to put loads of ice cubes in a bag with some water then put your foot in it.

2007-07-20 5:34 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis

Had it a couple years ago.  All I can tell you is what my sports orthopod told me when I asked about running.  He said if I can stand the pain, then go ahead an run.  Running would not cause any permanent damage.  Now what that meant was, if I could run without limping/breaking form.  Also I did take a month off of running and when I started back, I started at 50% of my previous volume and built from there.  What I found was after the acute stage and when I got back to running, the more I ran, the better it got.   Plus of course I did all the stretching, icing and wore "The Sock" at night.

Different docs may have different opinions, but that's what mine told me.

2007-07-20 7:19 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Master
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I was never formally diagnosed with it, but I had some SEVERE foot pain which I self diagnosed as probably plantar fascitis. I am a doctor from the college of Web M.D. I basically took 3 months off of running, and got custom orthotics. Since then, no problems.

I think if you catch it early, and dont over train on it, and wear the right shoes/insoles you can keep it in check and have a healthy running career.

Im not an expert, but this was my experience.
2007-07-20 8:16 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I have it and still train.  I wear night splints every night and orthodics all day and I am, hope I'm not jinxing myself, pain free.  My husband has it too.  We both stand and teach all day and his not getting better as quickly as mine.  I don't think training makes it worse because NOT training doesn't make it better.
2007-07-20 8:31 AM
in reply to: #893994

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Philadelphia, south of New York and north of DC
Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis

Here's my experience.

I developed PF in my left foot in the spring of last year. I continued to train with it for a race at the end of June.

It definitely got worse. After going all out at the race, a du with a 5k and 10k run, I found that I couldn't run at all without a lot of pain.

I then took six months off from running. Used a splint at night to pull my toes up and back. Massaged it with a tennis ball throughout the day. Got occasional "active release" therapy on it.

Toward the end of the six months, I still had the pain. I then used off the shelf superfeet blue insoles in all of my shoes and continued with the night splint. The pain then went away almost overnight.

I started running again in January, and have been using the blue superfeet insoles in my running shoes. Aside from some slight pain in the spring, which went away after I put the night splint back on for a few weeks, I've been basically pain free.



Edited by dontracy 2007-07-20 8:32 AM


2007-07-20 8:48 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Master
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San Mateo, CA
Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I have had PF for over a year, and I still train with it. Although, I have orthotics which have helped a lot, as does thoroughly stretching my achilles.
2007-07-20 9:46 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I am another PF person. It started last year, and has only gone away completely (knock on wood) since I sprained that ankle and had to take 3 months off from running. The PF was reduced SIGNIFICANTLY when I used those $10 insoles you can find in the drugstore. My orthopedist told me he could make me a custom set (at about $400), I could buy the expensive running ones ($80) at the running store (which he didn't recommend), or I could get the Dr. Scholls ones ($10 which he did recommend). I still had the PF but it wasn't as debilitating as it was at first. More running made it worse.

Unfortunately, rest and care is the answer I'll give you. The good news is that I was able to improve my swimming SIGNIFICANTLY while I was taking it easy on my feet.
2007-07-20 10:45 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I have had it for over a year. I have tried a ton of stuff (night splints, orthotics, stretching, etc.), and took almost 5 months off from running. I stopped walking on the golf course and started taking carts (which I had never done). It only felt better after the cortizone shots, but it came back after 8 weeks each time.

I'm not sure what to try next, but there is a board for PF sufferers online. It's basically a bunch of nonathletic obese people about their feet. As a doctor you will know better than I did, but there are lots of expensive "cures" for PF, and snake oil saleman around every corner to push them on you.

The night splint really worked for me to reduce the pain, but it didn't cure it. I'm running through it now and its pretty bad. Running through it is making it worse for me, but I will deal with it after my september tri.

Good luck, if you find something that works, PLEASE post.
2007-07-20 11:08 AM
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
It really depends on the mobility of your feet, e.g. are you a rigid supinated foot or a hypermobile pronated foot.  The effects/consequences of running will depend on what you are.  Go see either an orthopod or a DPM.
2007-07-20 11:44 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
once mine started to get worse i went ot a running store and they sold me some inserts (brand is smartfeet). i took 3 days off of running and just walked with the inserts in my shoes to break them in. Also i did use the frozen bottle of water trick to ice the bottom of my foot and took some motrin. I started running after 3 days and it was a little uncomfortable but now(a month later) i feel great


2007-07-20 4:12 PM
in reply to: #893855

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
John,

I wanted to make a note to those with "Plantar Fasciitis" that has not responded to standard treatments of rest, ice, orthotics, stretching, night socks, etc. The problem area may not actually be the PF region, but instead the calf (gastroc muscle). Travell and Simons' Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual (2 vol. set, 2nd Ed.). USA: Lippincott Williams & Williams. ISBN 0-683-08363-5. shows that a Trigger Point in the gastroc can refer pain to the PF area. If you have a spot on the gastroc, a couple inches below the knee and towards the inside an inch or so, that is very tender to push on, it is very likely a trigger point. Travell and Simons showed this specific spot can cause pain in the PF region and mimic PF symptoms.

For more info on trigger points, here is a link to Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_point#Janet_G._Travell.2C_MD

I'm not saying that everyone with PF symptoms will have gastroc trigger points. But if you're having trouble resolving PF through normal means of treatment, this is definitely something to look into.
2007-07-20 9:01 PM
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I had it pretty bad in both feet, as did several of my teammates (basketball). The trainers eventually traced it back to the lack of stiffness in the sole of the shoes we were wearing. In the meantime, we did every treatment imaginable- ice, stim, ultrasound, acupuncture, cortizone, night splints, etc...

The hope with the cortizone shots was that the facia would weaken and rupture, because when they healed, they would heal looser and the problem would not return. That never happened for me.

What they eventually did for me was slice the sole off my shoe, insert a carbon-fiber plate that ran the length of my shoe and glued the sole back on. I was pain-free in under a week and it never returned. ( I can e-mail pix of the shoes if you're interested). The shoes were so stiff, there was virtually no flex in them at all, but it cured the problem and I'm back in regular shoes.

One of the things I was doing tha aggravated the situation was wearing shoes with soft, flexible soles and/or going barefoot.
2007-07-21 12:41 AM
in reply to: #893855

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
Anyone tried acupuncture?
2007-07-21 8:11 AM
in reply to: #895160

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
XH2Oskier - 2007-07-20 9:01 PM

I had it pretty bad in both feet, as did several of my teammates (basketball). The trainers eventually traced it back to the lack of stiffness in the sole of the shoes we were wearing. In the meantime, we did every treatment imaginable- ice, stim, ultrasound, acupuncture, cortizone, night splints, etc...

The hope with the cortizone shots was that the facia would weaken and rupture, because when they healed, they would heal looser and the problem would not return. That never happened for me.

What they eventually did for me was slice the sole off my shoe, insert a carbon-fiber plate that ran the length of my shoe and glued the sole back on. I was pain-free in under a week and it never returned. ( I can e-mail pix of the shoes if you're interested). The shoes were so stiff, there was virtually no flex in them at all, but it cured the problem and I'm back in regular shoes.

One of the things I was doing tha aggravated the situation was wearing shoes with soft, flexible soles and/or going barefoot.


You know it's funny - when I was reading your post I'm thinking to myself "what is this guy talking about?" Stiffness of shoes? That doesn't make any sense. But when you got to the part about walking barefoot, I was reminded how much is hurt to walk around my house in the winter with my slippers on. The only way I could get away from pain while walking was to put those inserts INTO my slippers and that made walking relatively pain free. Perhaps those carbon inserts functioned as orthodics?
2007-07-21 10:50 AM
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I've had custom orthotics for almost 20 years now, because of a really high arch. However, they have almost always been relatively flexible. I have had some that were hard plastic in the back half or so, but mostly they were soft, ran the length of my foot and contoured to my instep. The carbon fiber plate only added the stiffness, which seemed to be the key element for combatting the plantar fascitis.


2007-07-21 11:15 AM
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
XH2Oskier - 2007-07-20 9:01 PM

One of the things I was doing tha aggravated the situation was wearing shoes with soft, flexible soles and/or going barefoot.


Yeah. I've been told by several professionals to never never never walk around barefoot or in soft-soled shoes when you have PF. Even around the house, buy some kind of supportive Birkenstocks or Danskos clogs or something that can be easily slipped on.
2007-07-21 2:38 PM
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I've dealt with plantar fascitis a couple of times over the past 11 or so years. I had it twice kind of bad and then a few minor instances. Both times I got it bad I had serious mileage increases and big events on hills. Here's the things I do:

STRETCH. I stretch my calves all the time. I do a few different stretches to hit them at different angles.

ICE. When I have it bad I ice after I run.

BED. I untucked the hospital corners at the bottom of my bed. If the sheets are tucked in, your feet point downward (pointy toes). That shortens the length of the pertinent muscles.

WARM-UP. I warm up my feet every morning before my feet touch the floor. I sit on the side of my bed and roll my ankles, point my toes, etc. Some say to "write the alphabet" with your feet. Your feet heal all night long, but jumping out of bed 'tears' you back down.

I kept running. I've never given it up and it's all worked out.

Good luck,
Steve
2007-07-22 8:47 AM
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Jacksonville, FL
Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
I had it for a year before getting PT. The trick for me was lots of calf stretches, massaging the foot for a few minutes, ice as many times as possible every day. Also - no running for several weeks.

My PT mixed rubbing alcohol with water and then froze it. It didn't actually freeze solid but molded to the foot very well and was extremely cold. That and a frozen water bottle, constantly rolling it under the foot.
2007-07-22 5:49 PM
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
Ugh! I have had it - had it for about 6 months, stopped running for about 9 months, and it finally wnet away. Hurt my knee, it flared up, I can barely walk the day after a run. I got orthotics, no help. Take Celebrex sometimes - helps a bit. I am finally giving in and getting a cortisone shot this week.
Good luck - maybe someone has some ideas that might help.
2007-07-22 7:36 PM
in reply to: #896021

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
nancylee - 2007-07-22 5:49 PM

Ugh! I have had it - had it for about 6 months, stopped running for about 9 months, and it finally wnet away. Hurt my knee, it flared up, I can barely walk the day after a run. I got orthotics, no help. Take Celebrex sometimes - helps a bit. I am finally giving in and getting a cortisone shot this week.
Good luck - maybe someone has some ideas that might help.


There are dozens of ideas in the preceding posts - you've tried all of those to no avail? Are you SURE you have PF?


2007-07-22 7:45 PM
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
Hi,
Yes, I have tried them all except for the night splint. I have a podiatrist who has tried everything, I have done the ice, stretching, $400 orthotics, and now, while not talking surgery, which I would never do, he has recommended the cortisone shot.

I have been putting it off for months, but I have an Olympic distance in September, and I can't get enough running time in because every time I run, I can't walk for a few days, nevertheless run. I am really at my wit's end. He didn't go into the dangers of a cortisone shot with me, however, so is there something bad that can result from it? Thanks in advance,
2007-07-22 7:58 PM
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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
The cortisone shot didn't help me. Hope it does something for you. Good luck.
2007-07-22 8:24 PM
in reply to: #896137

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Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
The ice is not helping me. Maybe the massage would help. I will have to try that - thanks,
2007-07-23 12:28 AM
in reply to: #896122

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Tauranga, New Zealand
Subject: RE: Plantar Fasciitis
Steroid injections in the heel can cause disintegration of the fat pad there, this is the main adverse effect.
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