Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Plantar Fascitis Help!
Quote | Reply
Hey, I just turned 18 years old and started doing the triathlon thing around January of 2002 so it's been about a full year. I did 2 sprints, 5 olys, and a 1 half-ironman in october to finish the season. I must admit I was probably running more than I should have, which was about 30-35 miles a week leading up to the half-ironman and i had no problems. Then about two weeks after the half I started doing 5 mile runs and on my second run my foot started feeling tight and weird. After that run my foot felt like it had a stress fracture so I obviously took a few days off and the pain went way down but still hurt. So I took a few weeks off (still biking and swimming) and it still hurt and I went to the doctors and he told me that i had plantar facsitis which i suspected was the problem since it hurt in the arch of my foot. He said that i was pretty much screwed for my plans of 2003 which is Ironman Coeur d'Alene on June 29th. So then I went to another doc and he said it wasn't plantar facsitis but a very similar thing and he put me on some prednizone which took the pain away after one day and I have been icing it and slowly building up my running on a treadmill starting at 10 min and now i'm at 20. my foot is doing fine but i can feel it might start hurting again if i ever bump up my time. The only treatment that i have heard of is orthotics, icing, and stretching. the icing seems to be working well but i know it won't hold up for long especially when i bump it up. So i was wondering if anyone has been plagued by this and has found something that took care of the dange thing. Thanks for reading all this and for the help.
Cody
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
You seem to be doing the right home remedy things with the ice and stretching. As a chiropractor I treat these in the office from time to time. As I understand it, plantar fascitis is caused by an over pronating foot during running. The weakest point of the plantar fascia is it's attachment at the bottom of your calcaneous (heel bone). The over pronation causes the plantar fascia to be repeatedly over torqued which results in inflammation where it attaches to your heel bone. If this becomes too chronic a heel spur can develop here over a period of time. I usually treat plantar fascitis with custom orthotics to correct the over pronation along with several treatments of ultra-sound over a few weeks. Response is usually favorable.
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Cody:

I pretty much agree with what cerveloguy says below (actually, above)in terms of treatment. A lot of people get better with what you've already done, and you seem to be too. In some people it's a bugger to get rid of. In these cases a newish treatment is "orthotripsy" or extra corporeal shock wave therapy - same stuff they use to break up kidney stones. Seems to be working in early trials. One other thing that you've maybe already done is to change your shoes more often.

A question - was the predisone injected in your foot or oral? Both of these are questionable treatments these days - the injections because of the risk of fascial rupture, and the oral because of generalised side effects. They might make you feel better, but with a certain amount of risk.

Deke
Last edited by: deke: Jan 6, 03 23:01
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
 
I am just going through treatment of PF with my chiropractor and following a similar home treatment (just advil for pain at the beginning). How long did you take off of running? You should take at least 2 weeks off, maybe more. I also stopped biking because it was causing pain after longer rides. I have been using superfeet inserts (not custom), icing, and stretching. I also use a night brace (thesock.com) and roll a golf ball under my arch (all things that others have mentioned in the past). PF usually causes pain in the heel in the AM with some tightness in the arch, you may have something related but with no heel pain it might be something else.

A
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Good advice above. Another stretch that can help is the incline board. Not sure why, but likely by stretching the achilles, there is relief from the pull on the top side of the heel, reducing tension on the plantar fascia connection. Massage on the bottom of the foot is helpful too.

Bigger question. Do people think it is a good idea for athletes under 20 to do Ironman distance events? I would never recommend someone that young do a marathon.
Quote Reply
You're stretching, maybe you should also strengthen [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
My physical therapist is really big on not only stretching for foot injuries but also strengthening.

He gives the same reason as cerveloguy, the overpronation and torquing the fascia. His point is that if the muscles are strong enough for the arch to function properly, then you won't have that.

Hehas me do sets with some tubing. Wrap it around a bedpost to your right, then, plant the heel and pull the toes inward. Somethign similar to w windshield wiper effect.

VERY important to make sure that the hips, knee, and tibia are all perfectly still.

A good clue to if you're doing it right is if it seem spretty near impossible to do. Then you're doing it right. I coldn't even start with the regular size red or green or blue bands that the PT's distribute. I had to start with the little bitty yellow ones that are about the width of a pencil. That wa smore than enough resistance.

Then you turn around so that the bedpost is on your left and you pull the toes outward. Still keeping the hips, knees, and tibia perfectly still.

You'll fid after you practice a while that due to your biomechanics it;s more of an arc than a flat windshield wiper. That's just the way the muscles seem to work.

As an added bonus, the physical therapist is of the opinion that these exercises will hlep about 90% of the foot injuries we get.
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Has anyone knowledgeable told you NOT to walk around barefooted? That was the key in getting mine to go away. It never kept me from training/racing, but it seemed to hang around forever. Be careful and good luck!
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Cody,

Editorial note, I think you are pushing it too far for your age.

Now, for the PF help. I had a really bad case in the mid '90s and read everything. Here is what I believe works (at least for me):

1. Taking off running did not help. When I started back it was always right back at the same place. Reducing intensity does help.

2. Never step down on a "cold" foot. This is particularily true first thing in the morning, or getting up during the night. I keep Birkenstocks next to the bed as slippers and ALWAYS use them.

3. Stretch your calves. I read my mail every day standing w/ my toes up on a big phone book. Does the same thing as the incline board mentioned above.

4. Freeze one of those curvey shaped plastic Coke bottles and use it as a foot rollers. The contours are great for the foot.

Good Luck! ....and for goodness sake, don't get any injections!!

David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
First hings first I would be sure that what you have is plantar fasciitis.

Second runners worls had an excelent article summarizing a recent publication on plantar fasciitis treatment

the study compared two different splinting modalities.

The article also gives some specific recommendations on dealing with the fasciitis. (they also mention the recommendation not to walk around barefoot)

They also direct you towards the website of the splint they were looking at

www.thesock.com

hope this helps...

My main advice is to get a good diagnosis first... and if at all possible stay off of the oral steroids if at all possible. Steroids work by suppressing your immune system plain and simple... not something that is a good idea in the long run
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
You're probably still growing, so your muscles need special attention when doing this much repetitive motion exercise.
If you go to http://www.julstro.com and post your question on their forum, you will get an explanation AND a treatment or two that will help tremendously (beyond the good advice you have gotten already from this thread and the (most likely “bad”) advice from your doctors). Also look in the "muscles and pain" section. You will be surprised to find that much of your problem is actually caused by muscles in your lower leg, not just in your foot.
Quote Reply
I agree with Train Wreck [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
www.julstro.com and the Pain Free Triathlete have been incredible for me personally. I have found in the past year, experiencing several different overuse injuries, that the different doctors I went to always suggested the same things you are trying (rest, ice, and stretching). While I know these are effective for some (maybe even most people), they don't work at all for me. The pain would subside while I was not training, but as soon as I started to increase my volume I would get the pain back. Maybe my muscles are prone to developing spasms, I am not sure, but consistent deep muscle massage has relieved my shin splints, and knee pain.

I am not sure if this is the right answer for everyone, but it is a good idea to use different methods to find what does work for you. Good luck.

---------------------------------------------------------

"What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind and body can achieve; and those who stay will be champions."
Quote Reply
Thanks a ton for the help! [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Hey, thank you all for your suggestions, I will be sure to look into them all and figure it out. And to answer Hitch's question, I don't believe i'm too young to do an ironman, i just need to be a lot smarter on the running. And I won't be taking any injections. Thanks again for the help.

Cody
Quote Reply
Re: Thanks a ton for the help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
   As many here are, I'm a veteran of PF. I had a severe case about 12 years ago, as a relatively young 21-22 year old. I started with a minor case and tried working through all the recommended treatments, all of which have been mentioned here. Finally I was walking across my yard, in street shoes and stepped on a tree root. Something popped and the next thing I knew I was on the deck because I couldn't support my weight on that foot. That cost me 6 months of solid rest. I was on crutches for a month and couldn't run or even ride for 6 months. Thats a heavy cost, but I firmly believe that if I hadn't stopped cold for that long that I wouldn't be competing today. 6 months may sound like a horror story, but, believe me, you have a LOT of years, THE BEST YEARS, of training and racing well ahead of you. Take care of your body.

After you rest, make sure you are doing prophylactic treatments like the suggested stretches and massages. Think seriously about investing in some custom athletic orthotics. And, most of all, make sure you are running in appropriate shoes for your foot type and replacing them every 3-400 miles. Leave the lightweight shoes for racing. I get guffaws at the track because I refuse to give in to doing track workouts in racing flats or even so-called lightweight trainers. Its a small price to pay for foot health.
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Here is a tip for healing PF. When I had it a few years back the physiotherapist had me walking backwards on a treadmill. I had to plant my forefoot down first and roll back onto the heel. This stretched the foot and built strength through the arch (I was in socks without shoes while doing this) and it seemed to help. Although you look silly at the health club walking backwards on a treadmill :)

On another note, I think that you should work on your speed while you are young and leave the ironman racing until you are a few years older even if the challenge appeals to you now. Just my $0.02 ......
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I have a little orange ball called "Goose Bumps" given to me by my local shoe saleswoman. It has been a Godsend. Also, I have 9 pairs of running shoes and I keep swapping them. (No snickers! So I have a shoe fetish! Get over it! :), Actually, I almost never throw out old running shoes unless I use them to paint the house, so I just stick some gel inserts into them and run in them until they fall apart. I really do love old shoes for some reason....)

Also, swimming with flippers and the foot stretches the other poster mentioned are helpful for me. I've been pain free for about 18 months now without orthotics or shots. I just completed my training for the Disney Marathon, including a 23 miler and have no symptoms. But....that's me. Good luck!

-Robert

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
Quote Reply
Re: Plantar Fascitis Help! [Spiderman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I'm actually only sixteen and I also had a problem with my planter. I'm not sure whether or not i was fascitis or not, though. I was putting aout the same miles you were a week and I was fine. Mine came when I finished an eight month tri season with an international distance. What actually seemed to cause mine, though, was a poor fitting pair of shoes. Because I have a high arch I need a little more cushy and wide shoe. I have taken a couple month rest and changed shoes and now it seems to be fine. I would recomend trying different running shoes.

I don't work here, I just live here
Quote Reply