Plantar Fasciitis

smlamb33
smlamb33 Posts: 342 Member
edited October 2 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, I have been dealing with Plantar fasciitis pain for several months now and the pain is getting worse instead of better. Sometimes so much that I would almost cry during my workout, but since I don't want to give up working out I kept on pushing through the pain.

Today was no different, then I ran into an acquaintance who happens to be a massage therapist and her husband is a chiropractor and she suggested using athletic tape to tape the arch of my foot and told me to look up how to tape up my foot on the internet. So, I went to Walgreens, since it's right nest door to where I work and bought some. Then when I went home for lunch, I looed up the video and taped it. Can I just say that it helped so much!! There is still pain but, it's not as bad as it was. I also bought Dr. Scholl's heel and arch supports to put in my shoes, which also helps. My accquaintence told me to never go without the tape, even in the shower. She said just leave it on all the time. So, since I thought that sounded icky and gross to leave it on all the time, I am going to change it after my morning shower every morning. She also told me that it can anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to heal depending on the severity. So i wanted to share, in case anyone else is suffering like I am.

Here is the video I found on how to wrap your foot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy1ZEJ-kKTg

Replies

  • fridayjustleft04
    fridayjustleft04 Posts: 851 Member
    I roll my feet over a tennis ball. Helps TONS. Also, arch supports are a must. Hope your feet feel better soon.
  • joyce185
    joyce185 Posts: 19
    Thanks for the advise going to get tape toinight , the only relief I have found is rubbing with tennis ball and ice. The tennis ball really helps after a long day.
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
    If you want it to actually heal, then you need to rest it, working through the pain will cause more problems & more pain!!
  • theresabell67
    theresabell67 Posts: 97 Member
    i had plantar fasciitis about 3 years ago and the rolling of the tennis ball and scaling back on my work out helped alot. Then one morning I woke up and it was gone. Then about a month ago it came back but in the other foot and in an area that is difficult to get a good stretch. I have been doing some ultrasound treatments with my chiropractor which has helped, i also changed shoes. I'm now walking in the new K Swiss shoes that Jillian Michaels helped develope which has helped also. But, I too am going to try the tape and see how it goes.
  • kathygirl123
    kathygirl123 Posts: 7
    Hi,

    I have suffered from plantar fasciitis also and it is very painful. Make sure you are stretching your calf muscle each day and after you walk for a while. Applying ice also helps. Freeze a bottle of water and roll this under you feet for 20 minutes. Lastly get good sneakers. New Balance sneakers are recommended for plantar fascitiits too. Hope your feel better soon

    Kathy
  • smlamb33
    smlamb33 Posts: 342 Member
    Thans for the great tips! I'll have to find a tennis ball around here! Definitely going to get new shoes, so thanks for the New Balance suggestion!
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    I'm glad she told you to do that! I had it for over a year and it was awful! I do taekwondo barefoot so all the advice about inserts and proper shoes didn't help me at all and I wasn't going to quit! So I went online and learned about taping, taught my husband to do it for me and went taped to TKD every time. That allowed me to still do my workouts and not have it killing me.

    The other important thing is to stretch it gently, especially after you've been off it for awhile (sitting and especially before you get out of bed in the morning!) Just put the foot on top of the opposite knee and gently pull your toes back toward you. This will stretch out the bottom of the foot and loosen the tendon. Pull back and hold for 10 seconds, release for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times. I also rotate my foot both directions 15-20 times each way. This loosens up the foot and calf. If you get out of bed without stretching the bottom of the foot you can actually tear it and end up in a walking boot.

    After suffering for over a year with it doing the above things has me pain free and no longer taping.
  • smlamb33
    smlamb33 Posts: 342 Member
    I'm glad she told you to do that! I had it for over a year and it was awful! I do taekwondo barefoot so all the advice about inserts and proper shoes didn't help me at all and I wasn't going to quit! So I went online and learned about taping, taught my husband to do it for me and went taped to TKD every time. That allowed me to still do my workouts and not have it killing me.

    The other important thing is to stretch it gently, especially after you've been off it for awhile (sitting and especially before you get out of bed in the morning!) Just put the foot on top of the opposite knee and gently pull your toes back toward you. This will stretch out the bottom of the foot and loosen the tendon. Pull back and hold for 10 seconds, release for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times. I also rotate my foot both directions 15-20 times each way. This loosens up the foot and calf. If you get out of bed without stretching the bottom of the foot you can actually tear it and end up in a walking boot.

    After suffering for over a year with it doing the above things has me pain free and no longer taping.

    Glad to know that the taping helped. I will definitely try the stretches too! Thanks so much for the advice! Glad you are pain free now! That is so great!
  • angeleyes4643
    angeleyes4643 Posts: 151 Member
    Thank you all for the great advice. I have suffered with this for almost two years. My chiropractor explained it to me but told me there really wasn't anything you could do, it would just have to go away on its own but also it would flair up from time to time. I'm definitely going to search the tape video and buy a tennis ball.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    On top of all the other great tips you have I will add one. Get in your icing and ball rolling at the same time, use frozen golf balls to roll under your foot. I tell all my clients this and they report it helps greatly!!
  • engrider18
    engrider18 Posts: 8
    I've dealt with this too and it lasted over a year :( I found relief by what people have mentioned already as well as using a frozen water bottle to ice and massage my foot at the same time.
  • Nat_a_lie_V
    Nat_a_lie_V Posts: 3
    This is so helpful - I've been in pain two months and its taken two sets of xrays several trips to my doctor to find out today (from Doctor number 3) that I have Plantar Fasciitis. I've got the insoles but will go buy a tennis ball and freeze a bottle of water now.

    I've stopped running and partaking in certain Zumba moves because of the pain. I've heard swimming is a good way to keep fit without risking my foot - Is that so? Also any other suggestions will be welcomed?
  • jfaure4444
    jfaure4444 Posts: 3
    Go to a podiatrist and get custom made inserts for your feet. They support your arches as you run and walk.

    I had this problem severely when I started running 10 years ago.

    After 3 months of wearing the inserts all the time it went away and has not hurt through all the running, triathlons, standing all
    day at work, etc.

    This only works while wearing shoes, but that covers an awful lot of the time you are awake.

    Make sure you are wearing shoes that are wide enough for your feet. A lot of shoe brands run narrow and are murder if you have wider feet. I wear 4E shoes and only a few brands, like asics, have them in normal stores.

    John
  • scooffer
    scooffer Posts: 2
    I have also suffered for years and I am currently on a prescription naproxen hoping it will work... I am pain free for now when running, but no idea what will happen when I am off the Naproxen next week! Here is what has helped me as well:

    - frozen water bottle roll under arch and heal, ice till numb after workout.
    - flexible refreasable ice packs to ice entire length of foot
    - always wearing a little healed shoe, like crocs (small lift) even in the shower, never going barefoot
    - inserts have to have a rigid arch support, like you can get at atheletic stores, or PowerSteps, soft arch supports like Dr Scholls are not going to help nearly as much
    - Podiatrist told me only 35% heal on the anti-inflamatories, the rest mostly need a cotizone shot (OUCH!)
    - keep achilies tendon stretched... most important stretches you can do to prevent once healed
    - also, have you seen these sandals, so cheap and comfy! www.okabashi.com

    Good luck, I know the feeling of working out until your foot and toes go numb from the pain... but running through it will not help to get better, you have to treat it and back off until you get better.
  • lanaholt
    lanaholt Posts: 59
    I have been teaching aerobics since 1999 and suffer too. I have never heard of the tape, so that sounds like a good solution when I have to be active. Everything is connected so stretching the calf all the way up the hamstrings is so important. My doc also showed me how to make a soft brace to sleep in with an athletic sock. It keeps your ankle flexed (toes up) while you sleep. You take a long athletic sock and sow the toe to the area a little above the ankle. Put it on your foot and viola, flexed. =] Also, freeze small water bottles and roll them under your feet when you are sitting at a desk all day. I use little half dome stability tools that have nubs on them by my sink. So when I brush my teeth, put on make ups, etc. I stand on them with socks on or place a towel over them. Lots of things help us work it out. But, it is true, we need to rest. Once we heal, then we can keep massaging, stretching and doing all the other things to make sure it does not come back. It's so common in active people like us.
  • Maddy__H
    Maddy__H Posts: 28 Member
    I am getting a little scared reading all this... I have been diagnosed early this week and was told that probably two weeks of rest and light stretches would take care of it. But hearing that lots of people are dealing with it over months and years makes me worried. I really do not want to quit my running routine and was already upset about a 2week break. Guess I will try the taping if I still have pain in a week. Does anyone have experience, if running on a treadmill rather than the street really makes a difference for plantar fasciitis? I have read that the hard surface puts extra stress on the foot, but am generally not a big fan of running inside.
  • AlyAnt26
    AlyAnt26 Posts: 58
    I have suffered from this since October of 2010, at least! That's when I first remember it being present. It would make my whole ankles sore! I stretch daily, and often, and when it's really flared up, I sleep in my night sock (http://www.thesock.com/). The only problem with the sock, is that it makes your toes numb. It helps a little bit, better than nothing.

    I did find however, that with this first 30 pounds of weight off my body, it's A LOT better!!! I can only imagine what more weight loss will do for my condition!

    I loved reading all of this, thank you to all who contributed!
  • legacysh
    legacysh Posts: 464
    I roll my feet over a tennis ball. Helps TONS. Also, arch supports are a must. Hope your feet feel better soon.

    ALso, rolling your foot on a small can of Frozen juice feels great!
  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    The stretches and tennis balls work great; however, the only permanent relief I got was wearing custom orthotic insoles from the podiatrist. If you have insurance that covers this, I would certainly get a pair. I've been pain free for 2 years now.
  • PanteraGirl
    PanteraGirl Posts: 566 Member
    Thanks for this post.....my boyfriend has it.....since he bought supportive shoes and lost some weight.....he has surprisingly been much better.....but I'm glad to hear from others, so that I could pass the information to him....should he start having problems again.!

    Again.....thanks!
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