Make sure the midsoles of the shoes she wears at work are not broken down from too much pronation. Also make sure she doesn't pronate in those shoes.

Rigid orthotics might help, but the success rate in PF is low (30-40% if I remember correctly). But you can effectively get the same support using low-dye taping. I'd try that for a few days, if it works, consider rigid orthotics. (Soft orthotics won't work.) Or just keep taping. The problem with the taping is that when she starts running she will likely develop blisters under the tape, and that can get really uncomfortable; especially when re-applying new tape.

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2015 USAT Long Course National Champion (M50-54)

I've only had it in the mornings, those first few minutes after getting out of bed and walking around. After that its faded. Does she have pain even when she is off her feet or is it a contact-induced pain? better/worse in the mornings? Not a doctor, so I can't solve it, just curious and hope she feels better soon. And I agree with her on running with the pain (again I have no basis), figure she will stop when it becomes too painful and before any major/long term injury occurs.

It is worse initially in the morning, but it is better when she wears the boot.

Once she stretches in the morning she feels better, but the heel is super sensitive. Even with the stretching everything feels better except for a very specific part on her heel, which really never goes away.

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Chris Harris

She doesn't pronate much.

She did the taping and it helped with the tendon pain, but it's the heel pain that is debilitating. The tendon pain can be stretched or massaged out, but her heel is what's sidelining her right now.

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Chris Harris

find a good physical therapist. Will take REGULAR and CONSISTENT massage therapy to get the fasciitis to simmer down. The fascia inserts near/at the heel, and that's where it will many times present with the most severe pain. It took many many months to get mine to settle down. I still use a theraband roller on my arches on a weekly basis to keep the fascia happy.

DONT run through it. Lots on this thread/forum will recommend that, but if you choose that route, do it at your/her own risk. Also, stay away from cortisone...it will make the heel feel better, but not alleviate the true issue.

With the aforementioned physical therapy, she should see minor (20%ish) improvement in the first week. At that point keep at it with the massage work. I also had cold laser therapy on mine, but not all physical therapists have that.

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Not everything is as it seems -Mr. Miyagi

Haha...she IS a good physical therapist....

That's what's killing her. The things she'd do for PF aren't doing anything for her heel pain. The PF pain actually subsided and only came back when she spent a day walking around.

It's this heel pain. It didn't go away at all when the PF subsided. If anything it got worse. Heel pad syndrome? Bone spur?

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Chris Harris

Has anybody done xrays or MRI's? With her Being a PT would think that would be protocol on something that hasn't gotten better in 6 weeks. Maybe I missed it?

Ok. Sorry. Just trying to help. Best of luck.

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Not everything is as it seems -Mr. Miyagi

I'll agree here -- started getting some heel pain after one particularly hilly long run (over-did it). It was made worse by an ironman a few weeks later.

What eventually helped was massage, but not just the heel, all around the ankle and deep into the calf.

I'd also have my foot rolling around on a golf ball at work whenever possible

http://kingorchards.com/...professional-runner/

Here's the link...he ended up having a fibroma removed.

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Not everything is as it seems -Mr. Miyagi

It culd be fat pad syndrome, I have that since 2013. Mine have not healed completely, I still run but only once every week and just short runs (below 10km). I recently got hard plastics inlays and it seems better than the more soft I have used before, hopefully this will solve my problem. I'm also thinking of staying of running for a couple if months, just to test (have not do e that yet)... I also walk with shoes when indoor, it feels much better when doing so.

Based on your description, it started with PF and now developed into heel spurs.

Confirm this by going to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in foot and ankle. He will do an Xray to confirm this. I suggest you don't go to a podiatrist as they would recommend she get an orthotic which would not help with the spur. I have heel spurs on both feet and have lived with them for about two years now. Started really awful and painful and could barely walk without tippy toeing. Only remedy was using "softer" shoes with enough cushion on the heel section. (I use altras which also help with my wide feet).

For months I just had to live with the pain and still kept on running. Heck I even did a couple of Marathons and an Ironman (my run portion was really slow). I noticed that my heel was constantly swollen so I would periodically take prescription anti-inflamation meds and this helped a lot to reduce the swelling and pull the pain from a 9 to a 2. I still run but now only with some slight pain due to the reduced swelling and soft shoes.

But I am constantly careful to protect the bottom of my heels. I am even gentle when I kick off the end of the pool after a flip turn. A common remedy for heels spurs is surgery, to shave off the spur. But my physician, who is one of the best foot / ankle surgeons in New York City and works at the Hospital for Special Surgery, does not recommend I undergo ) does not recommend surgery for a variety of reasons.

Good luck and keep us posted.

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This sounds like exactly what has happened.

Ibuprofen makes the pain much more bearable, as do the softer shoes and heel cups. She has started running here and there, and actually feels no worse, maybe even a little better after.

She's a heel striker, and this injury is definitely forcing her into more of a mid-foot strike.

She has a follow-up with the sports orthopedic next week. She hasn't had an MRI, but I'm thinking that will happen at this next visit since the initial diagnosis and remedy didn't pan out so well.

Thanks everyone for your help....

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Chris Harris

Some last tips:

- Get a prescription for a 7-day cocktail of Naproxen (2x a day), and she will see wonders by the 5th day,
- Get softer shoes like Altra Paradigms (my favorite but it is wide) or Hokas,
- Use the soft shoes even at work, not just for training,
- Do more trail runs or threadmills, and reduce runs on pavement,
- Focus on mid-foot strikes,
- Get a foot roller and place it under the dining table, so she can roll her feet (yes, including the heel) during meals, and
- XRays will be sufficient to see the spur, no need for the expensive MRI.

.

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Thanks!

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Chris Harris

Hello Rikala - replying to an old post. I was just diagnosed with Fat Pad Syndrome and am not looking forward to always running with pain... Did you ever find a solution or treatment that worked for you? And - do you now how you go it or was it just "over time" mine was from trauma. Looking for feedback from others who actually have/had this stupid condition. Thanks.

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Tri is my Tribe! "Sometimes you need to slow down in order to go fast."

i cast a vote for rigid orthotics. i had miserable PF in the mid 2000's. nothing worked. rest, cortisone shots, night splints, rolling the PF on a frozen water bottle at work, trigger point therapy, Super Feet orthotics, nothing. finally, saw a podiatrist who suggested rigid orthotics (plastic). got immediate and long-lasting results. still wear them to this day whenever i run (amazing i haven't lost or broken them...). i wear Ascis neutral shoes (GT-3000) and let the orthotics do the rest. best move i ever made.

Well. I held up running for half a year, pain didn't go away. Was worse when starting running again. Got shock wave theraphy 5 times, I think it helped like 50%.
I also changed my cadence, trying to run at 200bpm to shorten my stride and don't land on the heal (still struggling keeping that high cadence).

Still has pain, only doing shorter runs (5-7km), but could do a few a week now (if doing too many or too long I will feel more pain. Still using my hard inlays for everyday walking (painful without) in a cushined shoe (Hooka). I also use another Hooka shoe for running.

I got my pain from trauma I guess, did a HIM (my first and only) but not really trained for it. I also think I did too much traing too fast...