plantar fasciitis, going against CW

[jenP]

So, I started running and did too much, too fast, probably with improper form (landing on my heels), and I am overweight, didn't stretch enough before/during/after running, etc.... so BAM! Plantar fasciitis. Now, everyone is telling me I need arch support, wear shoes all the time, etc. I'm wondering, has ANYONE done something counter to this with success?? It just seems wrong to me. I mean, people have been running barefoot or in moccasins since there were people, and I'm supposed to believe the only way to have healthy feet is to artificially hold them up forever? I tried the good running shoes/birkenstocks/orhotics/etc. and found they made my feet hurt worse. They only seem to feel good when I walk around barefoot. In fact I think I may buy some of those vibram shoes so I can approximate barefoot out and about, too. I feel like what I really need to do is to build up the muscles in my feet and legs and learn a better gait so my foot can work as it is designed to.
What I have been doing, and I have been seeing improvement, is:
taking "ibu-active," a natural anti-inflammatory, morning and evening
going barefoot as much as possible
stretching feet and calves all the time
using a nubby ball to massage the foot
epsom salt soaks about every other day
arnica and comfrey gel several times daily
and some more stretching

I'm also considering getting the steroid shot to try to get out of the inflammatory cycle.

So I guess I am wondering, has anyone else NOT gone the orthotics route and healed? And how long did it take? Did you get a steroid shot in the heel or no?

Thanks so much for any stories!

Jen

[Mirzam]

My DS had a mild case of Severs Disease which is what it is called in children. We made sure he stretched a lot, and iced his foot after soccer games and practice. We also got one of those nubby balls that you could ice for him to massage his foot. We did get special insoles for his soccer cleats and he did use some heel inserts in his regular shoes. We were also very careful about what type of cleats he wore depending on the surface he was playing on. He healed just fine with these interventions without the need for "medical" assistance, ie shots or further orthotics. It took about six weeks for him to fully heal, he now needs to do nothing, although it would be nice if he remembered to stretch once in a while!

[CarrieMF]

Plantar fasciitis is inflamation of the plantar fascia. It does not necessarily mean you need arch support. If you have a low arch in addition to the PF then yes an arch support will help.

Talk to a physiotherapist. The one I see does ultrasound(break up inflamation), massage to loosen it up, stretches to help lengthen it, etc.

do NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT get the steriod shot. most of the time it will not take the pain away, but it will OFTEN cause the problem to become worse.

Use ice on the foot, heat on the calf. Do not heat the foot.

You should not need to build the muscles up in your legs, but to get any tightness out of them instead. A tight hamstring will cause a tight calf. A tight calf will cause a tight plantar fascia.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

Plantar fasciitis is inflamation of the plantar fascia. It does not necessarily mean you need arch support. If you have a low arch in addition to the PF then yes an arch support will help.

Talk to a physiotherapist. The one I see does ultrasound(break up inflamation), massage to loosen it up, stretches to help lengthen it, etc.

do NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT get the steriod shot. most of the time it will not take the pain away, but it will OFTEN cause the problem to become worse.

Use ice on the foot, heat on the calf. Do not heat the foot.

You should not need to build the muscles up in your legs, but to get any tightness out of them instead. A tight hamstring will cause a tight calf. A tight calf will cause a tight plantar fascia.

[Mom2M]

I had plantar fasciitis also from increasing mileage too fast and it hurts!! I absolutely agree with the barefoot being better physiologically. However, when I had it, walking barefoot hurt worse and I think it continued to keep it in an inflamed state.

My approach was to do whatever made my foot pain free because I felt that pushing through the pain was counterproductive since it was already irritated.
I didn't use arch supports but I wore slippers in the house that felt good and wore comfortable shoes or sneakers outside.

To actively work on it, I rolled stuff under my foot like a ball or soup can and I did a lot of calf stretches. When I first woke up in the am (worst time for me), I stretched and massaged it before I got out of bed so that it was warmed up already before walking.
It really didn't take that long to heal and be back in bare feet and then I was a lot smarter when increasing the intensity of my training.

Hope you feel better fast!

[jenP]

Thanks for all the helpful replies! It is healing along. I am getting frustrated with not being able to be as active as I'd like, and with not being able to find any shoes that are really comfortable. As long as I stretch a lot and go barefoot I am very comfortable and forget I have a problem . I do have to remember to ice it more often, that helps too, as does the little massage ball. Thank you all for confirming to me that I am not crazy for not jumping on the arch support bandwagon. I did get some Vibram Fivefingers and they are very comfortable and I think helpful for healing, however after a while they hurt my one big toe (maybe I need a bigger size?) so I haven't been wearing them so much. Being barefoot is the only way I am comfortable but unfortunately I need to wear shoes to go anywhere other than my house and yard.

Jen

[tsfairy]

Softstarshoes.com makes adult sizes with durable soles for wearing outside. You could try going barefoot everywhere. There aren't actually any laws in most places prohibiting it (yes, even stores and restaurants) and if it makes your feet feel good then it's worth trying IMO.

(FWIW I go barefoot almost everywhere these days. My feet are thanking me.)

[acupuncturemomma]

I developed PF after DD's birth--some sort of weird inflammatory condition, because I had random joint pain in other parts of my body too. Mine was also related to carrying DD around the house in a baby carrier while barefoot. I did go the arch-support route at the time, and even started wearing Birks around the house.

At the time, I could not go barefoot even for a minute--it was incredibly painful. I could barely walk at all, actually. I used ice, stretching, and massage too, which all greatly helped.

I healed pretty well, but did have one relapse when I tried to start jogging again So, did the whole routine once again.

One thing that really made an incredible difference for me was using a night splint. It keeps your foot dorsiflexed, so that the achilles and calf areas remain stretched all night while you sleep.

I now am trying to jog again, and am wanting to go the barefoot route also. For now I'm running in my old shoes, but plan on transitioning to Five Fingers.

I wuold definitely avoid the steroid shot!

eta: I would also work on strengthening the muscles of your feet, which you're already doing my going barefoot. I'm working on that too! If you google you'll find exercises specifically for strengthening after PF.