Plantar faciitis, calf tightness, and keto.
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strawmama
Posts: 623 Member
A few weeks ago, I spent the day outside wearing my boots, due to nails, staples, and other such dangerous roofing materials in the yard. The next day, I had a flare of plantar faciitis in my left foot and it's not gone away yet. I've tried everything I know, short of buying new tennis shoes (can't afford to right now), and decreasing activity (I can't, I'm a waitress). Anyway, it dawned on me today that plantar faciitis is related to tight calf muscles, and perhaps even related to the leg cramping associated with keto?
So I guess my question is this: If doing various calf stretches and foot stretches doesn't work, could increasing my daily intake of minerals and sodium perhaps make this go away? I'm just wondering if this could be more attributed to my diet rather than activity.
So I guess my question is this: If doing various calf stretches and foot stretches doesn't work, could increasing my daily intake of minerals and sodium perhaps make this go away? I'm just wondering if this could be more attributed to my diet rather than activity.
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I've been suffering from Plantar Fasciitis for over 10 years. The only thing that has helped me is good arch supports. Good inserts for my tennis shoes and dress shoes... and sandals that have high arches (Birkenstocks). If I wear any shoes without arch support or go barefoot for even 30 minutes, mine will flare up for a day, but then it goes away after using the right supports. I've never heard of diet or tight calves effecting it. My doctor told me that mine was due to being severely overweight. Sorry, this isn't a very helpful answer. I do hope you find some answers and start feeling better soon. I know how painful it is and it really sucks!0
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Yes, keto WOE is naturally diuretic, and can deplete the body of sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Eat them in your diet and/or supplement them.0
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I've had flair up of plantar faciitis in the past due to lack of good arch support and running. Ever since I added arch support to my shoes and sneakers, I have never had it again. I am not sure if Keto is causing it for you. I have had leg cramping due to keto and lack of magnesium and potassium in my diet, but it has not affected my plantar faciitis. You calf tightness may be result of Keto, but the plantar faciitis is probably a separate issue.0
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I've been suffering from Plantar Fasciitis for over 10 years. The only thing that has helped me is good arch supports. Good inserts for my tennis shoes and dress shoes... and sandals that have high arches (Birkenstocks). If I wear any shoes without arch support or go barefoot for even 30 minutes, mine will flare up for a day, but then it goes away after using the right supports. I've never heard of diet or tight calves effecting it. My doctor told me that mine was due to being severely overweight. Sorry, this isn't a very helpful answer. I do hope you find some answers and start feeling better soon. I know how painful it is and it really sucks!
pretty much ditto for me too ^^
i've had it in both my feet for nearly as long as this person. my diet has nothing to do with it (other than eating too much and being overweight as the problem!)
inserts in shoes is the key for me! the only time it ever went away for me is in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. but as soon as the baby was out, it was back.
i even used to get cortisone shots in my heels. they didn't help, so i stopped. my dr wanted me to have surgery to snip it but i couldnt afford to be out of work for 8 weeks!
good luck0 -
I have had Plantar Fasciitis which is worse in my left foot since my first pregnancy 23 years ago with regular flare-ups. It can indeed be connected to tight calf muscles and stretching them and your foot gently will help it since the tendon can be too tight and inflamed but the wiki page here has some updates on causes. One of them is inward rolling of the feet and mine do that which does indeed aggravate the problem. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis
The best tool for stretching calves and feet is an incline box. There are plans online if you Google them to make your own out of some plywood or you can buy them on Amazon for about $70-100 which is a bit pricey. Here is what they look like and adjustable ones are better:
the link to that one is:
http://www.amazon.com/Slant-Adjustable-Incline-Stretch-Position/dp/B002ZDURJ4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1408378168&sr=8-7&keywords=incline+box
The other things that help me is to freeze (or thoroughly chill) a water bottle and place it on the floor then roll your foot over it for about 20 minutes a few times a day. That helps relieve any inflammation and swelling. The other thing that I have done is buy good shoes like Merrell, Romika, Clarks, etc... and they can help with good arch support (Merrell have sneaker supports built for women's hip alignment which differs from men). Arch supports over time however can actually be just a crutch and worsen the problem by weakening the arch further.
Last fall I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes with the little toe pouches and they are geared for barefoot running enthusiasts. They were touted to help strengthen feet over time (which is what interested me) because walking barefoot strengthens and stretches our feet naturally and works out muscles that conventional shoes suppress. There is a class action law suit going on at the moment in regards to them basically saying that they can't prove that claim but I have found that I can easily wear them all day long and my feet do not hurt. I love them. They are extremely comfortable (I bought the KMD Sport which is considered a beginner model with the Velcro and my daughters/husband have the KMD Sport LS model with the stretch laces) and I have them on now and took a 2 mile walk with my dog in them this morning. They offer great protection for the sole of your foot and come in various sole thicknesses and colors from brights to neutrals. They will go on clearance when the new models and colors come in so you just have to watch and, if interested, you should look for a local retailer to try a pair on or an online seller that will take a return if you don't like them. I wear a size 7 normal shoe and a 37 European in the Vibram's but they are meant to fit your foot like a good glove fits your hand which is why you want to try them on before checking for price bargains. You may need to build wear time depending upon how much your feet have been in conventional shoes.
Here are mine (pictured below): http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-KMD-Sport-Womans.htm?activity=fitness. You can toss them in the laundry and wear them with or without socks.
Diet and cramping in regards to this condition I feel are completely unrelated. The muscle cramping from any lack of trace minerals appears in muscle groups and not tendons. Being overweight, however, will also aggravate PF. I would certainly suspect that particular pair of boots as your culprit and I am guessing that they have an inflexible sole which strained your feet through an unnatural motion. Your foot wants to flex and can't inside a rigid shoe and we don't naturally walk like a soldier marches with our foot lifted and placed without flexing. Certainly with nails and other roofing hazards in the yard they were highly necessary and if you have to wear them again, I would insert a quality arch & heel cup support if possible. Read the wiki article I linked for more updates on the condition. If you have a significant other, a good foot rub while watching television before bed works wonders! I know, my hubby has been doing that for the entire 23 years, lol. Finally, NSAIDS like ibuprofen can help but personally those are my last resort.0 -
. One of them is inward rolling of the feet and mine do that which does indeed aggravate the problem. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis
I do this! I had to get fitted for my Sauconys because I was having bad shin splints and wearing out my old shoes quite strangely.
Thank you all. I was really just curious to see what y'all thought about keto playing a roll in this. This isn't the first time I've had PF but this is my worst flare of it and it doesn't seem to want to end. I guess it just bugs me that I've lost 50 pounds and now I'm having more and more health issues. I don't run, I just walk but am way more active than I used to be. I know one of the last times I tried to get healthy, I quit trying when the shin splints became just unbearable. I don't want that to happen again
Thanks again!0 -
Anyway, it dawned on me today that plantar faciitis is related to tight calf muscles, and perhaps even related to the leg cramping associated with keto?
So I guess my question is this: If doing various calf stretches and foot stretches doesn't work, could increasing my daily intake of minerals and sodium perhaps make this go away? I'm just wondering if this could be more attributed to my diet rather than activity.
My plantar fasciitis was relieved by transitioning to barefoot walking & running on grass. I now wear huarache sandals exclusively (absolutely no arch support !!! ) when walking in "civilized" areas. This is the exact opposite of what the podiatrist who consults with our running club recommends. He says use more support, and get an operation, if needed.
My successful transition took about one year, because I had to slowly retrain my foot muscles. It was pretty painful at first, so I went slower. I worked then as a chef, so was on my feet all day, too -- and used worn-out, flat running shoes in the kitchen. My shoe size changed from an "E" width to a "5E" width -- and I feel great!
"Barefoot Running" logic is that a healthy foot is naturally springy and strong. In our natural state, walking and standing all day is no problem. A lifetime of wearing arch-support shoes, however, interferes with our natural arch-spring. Our foot muscle becomes weak. When stressed, the result is plantar fasciitis. The solution is to throw away arch support shoes, and to strengthen the feet.
Toe shoes are one approach, but they only get you halfway there. They still cushion a little bit, so I tended to still heel-strike when I tried them (Landing on the heels bypasses natural arch-spring that comes from landing on the balls of the feet, which barefoot running requires -because it hurts to do it any other way-as it should- because you should not be running any other way).
My view of toe shoes is similar to what Phinney and Volek say in their books about ketogenics. Paraphrasing: "If you are high-carb now and want to be low-carb, don't 'try it out' by going halfway with "medium-carb." You don't really gain anything that way: It is like flying from California to Hawaii and getting out halfway to see if you like it. You really need to commit all the way to get the benefits."
Just like we are learning that the conventional experts got it 100% backwards on diet recommendations, the conventional experts also get it 100% backwards with respect to arch support and fasciitis. Try letting your feet be their natural selves.
To stretch my calves, I stand on a stair tread and just let gravity pull my heels down, and hold that for 20 or 30 seconds. Shake it off, then repeat. I get cramps, too. Magnesium salt helps. Lately, I have been eating seaweed as part of my brand-new keto diet. That is sufficient for me.
So, for me, plantar relief came from a combo of four approaches: diet, stretching, strengthening, and re-profiling foot muscles by going barefoot. And, it took about a year.
Best regards.1 -
"Toe shoes are one approach, but they only get you halfway there. They still cushion a little bit, so I tended to still heel-strike when I tried them (Landing on the heels bypasses natural arch-spring that comes from landing on the balls of the feet, which barefoot running requires -because it hurts to do it any other way-as it should- because you should not be running any other way).
My view of toe shoes is similar to what Phinney and Volek say in their books about ketogenics. Paraphrasing: "If you are high-carb now and want to be low-carb, don't 'try it out' by going halfway with "medium-carb." You don't really gain anything that way: It is like flying from California to Hawaii and getting out halfway to see if you like it. You really need to commit all the way to get the benefits."
Generally good advice except I am a diabetic and being 100% bare foot is a major safety no-no (as in amputation risk) so I am quite happy with my minimalist Vibram's and my feet have definitely improved without being completely barefoot even though I would prefer that! I have not had any heel strike issues but it did take a bit of getting used to ball of the foot striking after decades of conventional shoes.0 -
I don't think I could do barefoot. That's when my feet/foot hurts the worst, or in flip flops. I've had some relief with trying different inserts in my old, worn out shoes but it's still there. I have a brand new pair of trainers coming today so hopefully PF will be a thing of the past for me 0
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Yah....
So if my doctor told me to go barefoot, I'd find a new doctor.
The bottom line is that you know your body better than anyone else. If you know something aggravates your issues, then you already know the answer.0 -
I don't think I could do barefoot. That's when my feet/foot hurts the worst, or in flip flops. I've had some relief with trying different inserts in my old, worn out shoes but it's still there. I have a brand new pair of trainers coming today so hopefully PF will be a thing of the past for me
Ever since I have had PF, I can no longer walk barefoot or in really flat flip flop, my feet will hurt really bad.0 -
I had similar issues with plantar fasciitis. At one point I realized that rigid shoes and cushioning was the problem. Adding more cushioning and support wasn't healing anything, it was just a paliative crutch that postponed the crisis.
My experience was that it was a bad idea to go barefoot or flip-flop cold-turkey -- that really did hurt. I worked to wean myself slowly. 5 minutes every other day to start, 10 minutes in the second week, … and so on. Eventually this freed me of the dependance on arch support, and freed me of the fasciitis. I enjoy my feet now. It is a real pleasure to stretch them and to use them athletically.
Agreed, it is not everyone's path -- just reporting my experience in the spirit of sharing.
It is my belief, based on my experience, that allowing the natural arch to flatten out and spring back with each step (and I could not do this overnight - it took months to stretch, loosen, and strengthen to this point) is the antidote to plantar fasciitis.
@Naughty_ZOOT: I read your healing journey story. I admire your perseverance and dedication. You inspire me.1 -
Thanks hummingbard, I'm glad if I can help people with my story :happy:0
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I think you're right. I've never had pf in my life and haven't changed anything except starting a keto WOE about 6 weeks ago and now I have it. Totally makes sense that the diet causes the muscle cramping and that can result in the pf. Right? I take a lot of electrolytes and salt, but mine hasn't resolved. Not sure what to do next.0
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I permanently cured my planters fasciitis through a series of acupuncture treatments. It felt better after one session but I went back several times to keep it away. 2 years later it's still gone!!0
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I suffered with this for over a decade. I didn't go back and read all of the posts on this, but I had to stretch like it was my job, change my eating and standing/walking schedule, lose some weight, and get some good shoe inserts (Spenco orthotics are great). I had everything from patches to gets to the shots in my heel (worst pain EVER), but none of it cleared it up. The shots in the heel probably helped the most out of all that, aside from the stretching and inserts.
I still get tight heels and calves periodically, but I just do a few quick stretches and I'm set. Getting some weight off, taking time to heal, and wearing inserts were the turning points for me.0 -
River_Goddess wrote: »I permanently cured my planters fasciitis through a series of acupuncture treatments. It felt better after one session but I went back several times to keep it away. 2 years later it's still gone!!
@River_Goddess - I'd love to know what they did! That's cool.0 -
jskancke8487 wrote: »I think you're right. I've never had pf in my life and haven't changed anything except starting a keto WOE about 6 weeks ago and now I have it. Totally makes sense that the diet causes the muscle cramping and that can result in the pf. Right? I take a lot of electrolytes and salt, but mine hasn't resolved. Not sure what to do next.
In regards to the cramping from low sodium.
You say you're taking "a lot". How much is that exactly?0
