After spending a month and a half in physical therapy for what I thought was just plantar fasciitis, an MRI showed that the inner and outer portions of my plantar fascia were tearing away from the bone in both heels. I’m still going through rigorous physical therapy (E-Stem, Cold Laser Therapy, Ultrasound, and Deep Tissue Massages), I’m not running at all, and I’m trying to stay off my feet. As an elementary school teacher, I’m having a hard time with that last bit. I can bike for about 30 minutes without pain, and I can still pool run and swim. If it was just in one foot, I could go in boot/ crutches, but in both feet the best advice has been to try to stay off them as much as possible.
I’m just looking for a little advice if anyone has experienced anything similar or has any kind of timeline for me. Not running is driving me insane, but not knowing how long it will be until I can run again is driving me more insane!
A few ideas come to mind that might be worth discussing with your PT. Taping your foot and/or an orthotic or support insole, e.g. superfeet, may extend the time that you can ride & walk w/o discomfort. For walking, it might be helpful to try a moderate heel to shorten the arch and reduce stress on the plantar fascia.
Thanks for the advice - My PT is applying kinesio tape 2 - 3x/ week and I’m using a heel support in my running shoes. I’m also wearing my running shoes all day, everyday!
I would love to know from anyone how long it has taken to recover from something like this. Thanks!
Are you doing no range of motion or strengthening? That seems to be a bit modality heavy (you’re likely getting little to no benefit from the stim/laser/ultrasound). Has your PT mentioned a dorsiflexion night splint? Modified runners stretch with a wedge/towel under your big toe to keep it in extension? Posterior Tibialis and synergistic muscles seem “normal”? What does your arch look like?
Just a few things to consider, good luck dude… any type of PF pain is no fun
By the way, how is the kinesiology tape applied (what position is your foot in when applied and what does the pattern look like?)
I am doing a lot of stretching for my calves and my plantar fascia, plus some golf balling. The PT stuff helps a lot with the pain, especially after being on my feet all day at school. I tried a night splint a few years ago with my first stint of PF, but I always took it off at night without knowing! I’m trying something a little new - a PF sock. It feels a bit like a compression sock. My arches are super high and I have lots of knots of scar tissue in my feet and calves - the deep tissue massage seems to help alot with this.
I think the kinesio tape is helping. I have 3 strips on both feet/ calves applied when my foot is flexed. One strip under my arch, close to where the fascia connects to the bone, one strip from the ball of my foot to the top of my calf, and another that is split in half supporting either side of my calf in a V that begins on the ball of my foot as well.
I think the kinesio tape is helping. I have 3 strips on both feet/ calves applied when my foot is flexed. One strip under my arch, close to where the fascia connects to the bone, one strip from the ball of my foot to the top of my calf, and another that is split in half supporting either side of my calf in a V that begins on the ball of my foot as well.
Try calcaneal (heel) taping since the enthesis is torn there. Research evidence is lacking to support your current taping locations, so I wouldn’t use them if no benefit is found.
Pretty similar kinesiology tape pattern as the SpiderTech pre-cut and also what I’d probably use, so no real comment there…
Other than some sort of progressive strength training, sounds like you’re hitting all the normal angles of treatment for plantar aspect foot/heel pain. If I was you, from here I’d explore:
Why did this happen in the first place (tough question to answer, but be honest with yourself)?
1A) What types of resistance exercises can I perform on the lower extremity that do not seem to increase my pain (intrinsic foot muscles, ankle muscles, knee muscles, hip muscles, etc…)? If they do not negatively affect my symptoms, slowly progress them (decrease brain’s perceived threat to the area, etc…). Progress in both intensity and specificity to running if possible.
What does it look like when I’m running (at the foot, ankle, knee, hip, etc…)
Are there modest changes to my running that might change how my body accepts and distributes the forces (different footwear? striking pattern? etc…)
These are all suggestions without any knowledge of you and your situation beyond what you have shared. Ultimately, ask yourself if you trust your PT. Just like a triathlon coach, if you trust your PT you should follow what they say way before myself or anyone else on this board. If you don’t, then you should probably discontinue with the PT and self-care or seek a different health care professional (another PT, for example).*
Definitely go with the night splint. Also another trick is to freeze a full water bottle and roll your feet on it while sitting on the slowtwitch forums. Try and stay away from any medication. It should heal up after a week or so; maybe shorter, maybe longer. DO NOT go running the first day it feels “fine”. You will injur it again within the first mile or two and must start over again. I made this mistake twice with the exact same injury. I reinjured the same damn foot 3 times in a row and finally just took to swimming for a few weeks.
I have been in about the same place for a long time and today I can say I am out. There are a few ideas that I have had in mind as I read your story:
In the first stage of your recovery do not over stretch your foot. I wanted to get better so much that I did overstretch and made things worse. Avoid pain as you stretch. Get into serious stretching only as the inflammation (or the pain) goes down. Try to change your job conditions - whatever you can do is good. I did find myself in a better condition after I managed to spend less time on my feet at work.
Do the treatments that feel good to you - if it is too painful or uncomfortable don’t do it. I struggled with orthotics two months until I understood that if it is so uncomfortable then it is not the treatment for me. The same is true about shoes.Use taping - it made wonders for me. Find the taping technique that suits you and use it until it feels good. Practice makes perfect. A good place to learn about plantar fasciitis taping is this link**.**Each individual has his own case of injury. What works for me will not always work for you. If I have flat feet and you have high arches we have different causes for the disorders so we will benefit from different types of treatment.Don’t give up. Keep on reading. Keep on searching for answers. There is a lot of info on this forum in many other threads and even more on the web. If I could do it so can you.
Take care and good luck
Look into Shock Wave Therapy. Its expensive and insurance probably will not cover it but it was the best $$ I ever spent. I went through all the same drills with the PT and Ortho and at the end of the day it only minimally helped. Had the SWT done in April and I was doing long runs by July virtually pain free.
My issue is that the fasica is torn away from the bone - do you think this shockwave therapy would help this or just the tightness of my plantar fascia? Thanks!
I’m not a Dr so I really don’t know. I had a bad case of PF but nothing was separated from the bone. I would find a podiatrist who utilizes this treatment and ask questions. If you should happen to be located in NYC/NJ area I can give you the name of my guy.