Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Hello Forum

One of my students ,13,recently described to me a heel pain and we got it looked at by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Trainers. He said it was Plantar Fasciitis. He gave us stretches with flexing and achilles stretches to do and toe curl excercises. He also said to stretch and massage in the morning before you take the first step and tear the recent scar tissue that just formed. There are shoe pads or cups to use also???

I was wondering if anyone has been involved with this or has knowledge of rehab or any other measures of prevention??\

Respectfuly

Jacob

Oh yes. Plantar fasciitis was an old friend of mine for a long time. The stretching and massage is important, and sleeping in an immobilization boot can help as well. Pulling a towel under the feet with the toes, while the heel is anchored on the ground, or pulling oneself across a carpet with just the toes are excellent exercises.

For massage, a cold tennis ball, raquet ball, or golf ball works well. There are special balls made with spikies and whatnot that can be heated and frozen for the same purpose, and you may want to consider them.

An important thing to consider is how the athlete developed this condition. If his feet point out when he walks or runs the condition will be chronic because his arch is not in position to do its job. If he doesn't have a perfect stride, post back here and describe it. Don't tell him you're looking, just watch his feet when he walks towards you. It is important to correct any stride dysfunctions because they will lead to a whole series of injuries that will keep happening until the dysfunctions are corrected.

Plantar fascia taping can also be effective. Hard to explain how to do it over the net. but it's worth looking into and getting someone to show u how to do it.

Slizz /Demus

A lot of great point from you guys they will be taken into much consideration!

Thank You

Jacob

Demus said:

Plantar fascia taping can also be effective. Hard to explain how to do it over the net. but it's worth looking into and getting someone to show u how to do it.

OOOH yea, especially if you have to train through it. Definitely look into that. And shave the kid's foot before taping if you don't use underwrap Just a tip from personal experience. :oops:

Aww schucks!

My diagnose came today: Plantar fasciitis, both feet..

No more bouncing around for a while for me I suppose. I do not know how I got this but I suspect it was a long time ago and it have gradually become worse. In the mornings it felt like the achilles/ankle joint was stiff which I attributed to my old achilles issues (from the Army service) or even old age (40th anniversary three weeks ago).

I was wrong, it was plantar fasciitis! Time to take this seriously and get well!

I probably overpronate a lot when walking, and have a very "high" arch on the foot. Going to the physiotherapist tomorrow to get some custom soles for walking and to correct any issues in my stride..

I read your tips about massage and stretching. But do we know what really causes this and how "actively" I can use the feet while it is healing?

I have already begun stretching in bed before getting up in the morning. But it seems like that is just a temporary relief: Ref http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis

Bouncing, jumping etc. is probably a "no go"?

Knee bends with elevated heels?

How about using a rowing machine for a low impact cardio workout?

How about just walking around in shoes with good dampening/gel?

Backcountry snowboarding in powder with no jumps? (have to walk up the same place we ride down again)

Other tips on how to get rid of this.

Hot and cold baths for the feet?

Correct any issues the physiotherapist identifies in my stride?

Supplements (fish oil and vitamin D is already in my diet)?

Anything else? I have so many good experiences in letting the body heal itself that I want to avoid surgery, injections and all the other stuff.. What I am afraid of is that I have been living with this for so long without listening to my body that the plantar fasciitis has become permanent..

Good tips are very welcome!

This is a crosspost from another forum:

This topic is very interesting to me, as well.

I've struggled with PF in either foot for over a decade. When I played rugby in my 20s and 30s, once it showed up, it was there until the season was over.

I'd like to offer you any kind of solution, but as of yet I haven't found a consistent one. Mine went away for about 3-4 years but showed up after I started coaching rugby again. It seems to get to a certain point then just stay there. I went once to a doctor for it, and he said it was either a cortisone shot or a $500 orthotic insert, and I didn't want either. I know several other folks who opted for either, or both, and in most cases relief was temporary.

What's helped me (a little) is:

1. Submerging entire foot in ice water. This seems to work better than putting the foot on ice, or a bag of peas, or whatever, though it is pretty uncomfortable until you get used to it. I feel better on 2-3 x daily with this.

2. Stretching and MFR. I use a lacrosse ball or a footrubz ball on my foot. I also do a stretch that's called a "plantar stretch" that you can find online. I do this each morning when I wake up and multiple times through the day. I've recently acquired a Strassberg Sock, but as of yet it's been too distracting to sleep with. Look for trigger points in the calf to work on.

3. Foot strengthening. Picking up marbles. Scrunching up towels, etc...for me, it seems that wearing the vibram 5F shoe helps improve PF (for walking, and non-explosive training) more than the other.

One thing I've started recently is some Graston-like MFR work on the sole of my foot and the trigger point areas on my calf using a smooth plastic scoop. This left serious marks on my calf, almost like a bruise (reference the 'gua sha' oriental folk medicine for examples) but not on the sole of my foot. It's too early to tell if this is really doing anything

Thanks for the tips!

I visited the physioterapist today.

According to him those of us with a high foot arch are prone to get plantar fasciitis as we get older. Depending on genetics, how active we are, weight etc.

He sold me on a set of custom made personalised soles to support the arch of my foot in my shoes. According to him the feet will adapt to the soles and the problem will probably be gone. The effect will remain there for a day or two if I go without the soles as well. Gymnastics training should not be a issue.

Sounds almost too good to be true! Will be a very interesting experience!

T2T said:

Thanks for the tips!

I visited the physioterapist today.

According to him those of us with a high foot arch are prone to get plantar fasciitis as we get older. Depending on genetics, how active we are, weight etc.

He sold me on a set of custom made personalised soles to support the arch of my foot in my shoes. According to him the feet will adapt to the soles and the problem will probably be gone. The effect will remain there for a day or two if I go without the soles as well. Gymnastics training should not be a issue.

Sounds almost too good to be true! Will be a very interesting experience!

That is true. The orthotics are a crutch but you know what? If you like them you should use them. There is always the option of doing the above exercises to keep your feet strong, or walking around barefoot to keep your feet strong, but the reality is that most people won't do these things and in that case the orthotics would be an appropriate choice, though not my preference.

I would certainly consider using them while you are repairing your feet manually through progressively deeper massage and the exercises, just to maintain quality of life while you recover (if nothing else).

I should probably mention that according to the doctor and physio guy, there were no exercises that would help on this issue..

I am doing the exercises as I do believe in helping the body to heal.

T2T you are the second person who i have heard say that! my mother in law has it and she says her doctor told her there is no way to help it. She tends to exagerate and look for any excuse for pity (gotta love inlaws) but now that you said it, it makes me wonder why some doctors don't tell people of at least SOME of the things that were listed in this post

IJL said:

T2T you are the second person who i have heard say that! my mother in law has it and she says her doctor told her there is no way to help it. She tends to exagerate and look for any excuse for pity (gotta love inlaws) but now that you said it, it makes me wonder why some doctors don't tell people of at least SOME of the things that were listed in this post

They are not taught this. That's why they don't tell us, it is not how they approach the disease. They believe it is an entity unto itself, not the consequence of a correctable structural deficiency.

OH! ok that makes sense! thank you for explaining

Quick update:

Have been using the orthopedic soles for three weeks. Have also done exercises.

Status is that I am much better. Not 100%, but I am now so well that I have taken up running again after a 5-6 year ban. I literally jumped out of bed the other morning and that was something I would be really afraid of doing before christmas as the pain was intense.

I go around barefoot whenever I am indoor (always did, that is the culture here).

So far it seems like the orthopedics is the big difference, even though I only wear them at work or when walking outdoor.

If my rate of recovery continues like this I should be 100% healed before easter. Some of the reports I have read do mention the problem coming back again after a period of improvement but we will see. Will keep you updated if this is interesting.

Hi guys!

I've had some experience with this.

I'm 34, 280 lbs and playing bball. I couldn't even walk for a while because of this.

No NSAID pills, no cortizol shots helped solving this problem. Proper stretching was an almost immediate help, and all pain has gone when i threw my old bball shoes in the trash can... Barefoot walking is good as well.

My sister has plantar fasciitis and it's actually related to her hips. I have a problem with my right hip really hurting after working on roundoffs because of the twist involved - not surprisingly for me, after I work on roundoffs a lot, a couple of days later I get plantar fasciitis like pain in right foot. It's worth looking into, the hips may not be the root cause for everybody but it certainly is for some people.