Anyone here with Plantar Fascia issues?

From another post I wrote earlier today:

I had PF several years ago and it was fixed by a combination of things mentioned in these posts. One piece that was critical for me , that I didn't see mentioned, was ART treatments.

http://activereleasetechnique.com/

This has been a Godsend for me. My PT is an ART practitioner. The combination of the treatment along with rolling on a frozen water bottle, not walking around barefoot and stretching the calves knocked out a bad case of PF in about 6 weeks. I saw my PT for treatment 2 to 3 times a week during that period and he encouraged me to keep running on it. I noticed an immediate difference right after the treatment. I have used ART for a couple other soft tissue maladies as well with equally positive results.

Once the PF was resolved, I went back to barefoot around the house because I believe it's critical for strengthening the feet, toes and ankles.

A comment on barefoot running. I don't believe it's the end all, be all for running. It has it's place. I do form drills and strides barefoot when weather and terrain permit, but wear shoes for everything else. I also don't prescribe to the theory that you need to have shoes built like airbags for your feet. You have to have some feel for the road (or trails).

I didn't rupture mine, but I had a mild case of Plantar Fasciitis. I started running again after taking a few months off, and lucky me- I ended up with a bruised heel. I am a heavy heel runner, so that was my contributing factor. I also ended my run with an incline on the large hill back to my house- incline running also contributes to bruised heels.
Do you have a pain in your heel when you walk/run/workout? That's what I was experiencing so I went to the doctor and she said it was Plantar Fasciitis. To help deal with it, I first cut down my running from everyday to every other day until it felt better. To manage the pain, I took tylenol about an hour before I ran, and I also bought awesome little thing called Tulli's Heavy Duty Heel Cups. I got them on Amazon (if you're looking, they're the ones that are the turquoise color and have the waffle pattern on the bottom) . They're little rubber cups you slip into your shoes (I kept them in my running shoes, that's when I had the pain the most) and they worked wonders. They absorb the shock from the foot plant on the ground to help ease some of the pain. I also started doing more resistance training since it's relatively low impact on your heels, and I ended up absolutely loving it- now I do strength training 4 times a week, with cardio now only 3 days. My condition took about 2 1/2 weeks to heal up.

If your pain is unbearable though, I wouldn't recommend working out. It'll only make it worse, further hurting your exercise routine. The last thing you want is to be laid up not being able to even walk.

Yes, I had it for several years. Every morning as soon as my feet hit the hardwood floors, there was incredible pain on the heels of my feet. I put up with this for what seemed like forever. I did all the over-the-counter type of insoles, gels, etc., to no avail. Went to a podiatrist -- who fitted me for a special made and expensive insert for my shoe as well. Absolutely no relief whatsoever. I rolled the balls under my feet while at my desk, the frozen water bottles, the warm bottles, anything that I could find on the internet and from friends suggestions to get relief. Finally, I went to an acupuncturist --- after two friends swore by getting relief -- and much to my surprise after 3, maybe 4 treatments at most, it was completely gone. All the pain completely gone. Its been over a year now, I'm barefoot every chance I get or in shoes with very little support (flip flops, flats, etc). Prior to my own experience, I would have never in a million years thought acupuncture could help me, but it did. :happy: But its miserable living with it day in and day out...I hope you find something that helps.

Yes, I have PF.

At times it was so bad I literally could not walk in the morning. I once dropped to my knees and crawled to bathroom. Another time I kept my feet in full tip-toe mode and made it that way.

The pain is worse after the foot is in the extended position for a long period of time and the heel muscle is shortened/tightened during sleep. Then in the morning when you try to stretch the heel out again you end up ripping the muscle again and have pain.

I get relief from stretching the heels on the edge of a step. Let the heel drop below the edge and hold it there. No bouncing, just hold for a few minutes. Do this daily.

I also use shoe inserts (just the over-the-counter kind) and that helps me tremendously.

The best relief I get though is from wearing a boot at night. It's designed for plantar fascitis and it holds the foot perpendicular to your ankle. It's awkward to wear in bed but the benefits are unbelievable.