Plantar Fasciitis/ Running Help Needed

I have plantar facisitis also, and it kills me sometimes! It also takes time to recover from, so yeah, resting is going to be part of the routine to get this better. I totally agree that you need good arch support. I would recommend seeing a podistrist; if your budget does not allow, you could check for a Dr. Scholl's center at your local store (such as Meijer, or at drugstores) and try putting your feet on the tester to see which support device is right for you. It will test where the pressure is in your foot and recommend a support for your particular condition. Cost is about $50 around here so hopefully this will help.

My PF simmered down for a while and I was very happy about that! Then one morning I woke up with INCREDIBLE pain in the heel of my foot to the point that I could barely walk. What on earth???? I now wear a combination PF/heel pain support that helps a lot. have tried icing and ibuprofen and it is still troublesome after a month of working on this. Don't ever walk around barefoot! Your arch needs to be supported at all times when you are on your feet. Now you may wonder what a sore heel has to do with PF but as I found out it is simply that the PF has kind of moved to a different location, still the same issue per se, tight tendons in the foot and leg.

STRETCHING is by far the thing that has helped me the most. I found a website that shows several different types of stretching and oh man do they help. No clue why my muscles and tendons started to get tight again (really no significant difference in my normal routine) but let me tell you going through the videos and doing these stretches has helped TREMENDOUSLY! Remember that everything is attached to other muscles and tendons and so the actual problem may be somewhere else that is out of whack that is pulling on something that is pulling on something in your leg that makes your foot muscles/tendons hurt. I really recommend at least trying it even if you don't think it will work. You may be pleasantly surprised as I was. Here is it: http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/heel-pain-treatment.html

Keep up the stretching, the icing (frozen bottle of water works great for stretching and pain relief combined), use ibuprofen as neeeded, and if a golf ball is too hard at first try using a tennis ball for a slightly softer massage until your PF starts to improve. As far as running, my personal feeling is that you will aggravate this condition by pounding your feet on the pavement or ground by running. I know that walking can be boring when you would rather run but you can switch it up by stretching really well first, walking slowly to begin to stretch things out, then kick it up a notch by jogging a few hundred feet, walking some more, then stop and do some lunges (great stretches!) or something similar. Take a buddy with you when you walk, or you could take your cell phone and chat with someone while you walk, keeps you from being bored while you walk. (I do this a lot). Even take some great music along and jazz things up by walk/dancing, don't worry about what people will think because they don't pay as much attention to you as you would think. Besides if they do look at you, they will probably smile or chuckle, and you'll be giving them a lift too!

STRETCH! STRETCH! STRETCH! all through the day whenever you can. If you have a desk job keep a water bottle under your desk and roll your foot over it when you are sitting there, or try an angled wedge (check office supply catalogs) under your desk and keep your feet on it while you sit there. Keeps your foot muscles/tendons from tightening back up by preventing the tendons from hyperextending the wrong way. If you have to stand alot, use a cushioned mat whenever possible.

GOOD LUCK! it will get better as you take care of it and I am convinced (by my own experience) that as the weight comes off this will help the situation also.


Thanks will definitely check out the web site for alternate stretches and also look into some supports for shoes.