%^%& Plantars Fasciitis

[girlbug2]

So now my right foot has been officially diagnosed as having Plantars Fasciitis.

My doctor prescribed a series of stretching exercises but was useless beyond that. He said if it gets worse I should make an appointment to come in and get X rays.

People I've talked to have said their PF has lasted anywhere from a few months to a few years and never really goes away completely. It sounds like once you get it, it's for life.

I'm supposed to "stay off my foot" to give it a chance to heal. How the heck can I do that?? I could stop training for a while, but aside from that, I have things to do and a life to lead. There are chores and everyday things that require walking all day long. Just driving somewhere requires at least a walk from my front step to the car and back. Should I get a crutch to avoid walking on that foot?

My instructor said the night splint helped him keep his foot stretched, so I'll at least invest in that.

Any other ideas from your personal experiences with this annoying condition that you could share?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Any other ideas from your personal experiences with this annoying condition that you could share?

Yes. I don't know your personal circumstances, so don't take this the wrong way. I had actually forgotten that I had that problem for about six months, a number of years ago. If I got up at night to go to the bathroom, the walk down the hallway was more of a hobble. The pain was intense. Usually I was better at work in the daytime, but sometimes that wasn't good either.

Then it went away. Took about six months. To this day, I don't know exactly what caused it why it went away. It was intensely painful while it lasted. Sorry you're experiencing it!

 

[mook jong man]

I had it for a little while , I got rid of it with a combination of rolling a golf ball under my foot for a few minutes a day , and a strengthening exercise where I would scrunch up my toes to my heel to drag a towel on the floor towards me. It hurt a lot whilst I had it , but after the exercises it started to dissipate very quickly.

 

[jks9199]

So now my right foot has been officially diagnosed as having Plantars Fasciitis.

My doctor prescribed a series of stretching exercises but was useless beyond that. He said if it gets worse I should make an appointment to come in and get X rays.

People I've talked to have said their PF has lasted anywhere from a few months to a few years and never really goes away completely. It sounds like once you get it, it's for life.

I'm supposed to "stay off my foot" to give it a chance to heal. How the heck can I do that?? I could stop training for a while, but aside from that, I have things to do and a life to lead. There are chores and everyday things that require walking all day long. Just driving somewhere requires at least a walk from my front step to the car and back. Should I get a crutch to avoid walking on that foot?

My instructor said the night splint helped him keep his foot stretched, so I'll at least invest in that.

Any other ideas from your personal experiences with this annoying condition that you could share?

Plantar's Fascitis is kind of chronic. It's kind of like back pain. It can take a long, long time to recover. Do the stretching. Work on keeping the foot stretched. I never used the night splints, but they've helped some people. Cortisone treatments can help, but my doc was very reluctant because they don't really address the problem, just mask the symptoms. I had one episode/case that lasted more than a year, and I still feel it acting up every once in a while.

 

[girlbug2]

Update:

I went to a specialty athletic shoe store (Snail's Pace, a chain in my area) on the advice of another MAist and described the problem. It seems they are familiar with PF and had a lot of experience with prescribing shoes and insoles to customers with PF complaints. They had me stand on a machine that read the pressure points in my feet. I apparently lean forward too much on the balls of my feet and don't distribute my weight to the heels as much as I should (sound familiar to martial artists out there?). They put me in a pair of test shoes and watched me walking back and forth outside. Based on that info I then tried walking in other shoes which had more arch support to compensate for pronation, and also tried out a few insoles. I picked the ones that were most comfortable when walking.

After wearing the shoes and insoles for one day and one Krav class, I woke up with much less pain in my foot, maybe half of what it had been this week. So far this is great! I hope the trend continues. Meanwhile I am doing the stretching exercises when I sit at the computer or watch tv, and I have also tried the golf ball stretch. Something must be working.

Thanks for the replies. I will keep updating the progress of my foot, maybe the info will help somebody else dealing with PF.

 

[Buka]

I've had it before, and, yes, it sucks. But there's more than a good chance you'll beat it. I'd offer two things -
1. If available, go to physical therapy.
2. Have orthotics MADE for your feet, not the ones off the shelf.

Please keep in mind, this is the internet and it may be the worse place in the world to get advice on health conditions. We be Martial Artists, not medicine men.
I am not a doctor, nor a therapist, but I work in a physical therapy unit and deal with it fairly regularly. I'm not sure what causes it, but it goes away in most folks we deal with. It might be a good idea to find a good acupuncturist, too.

If it still bothers you after a while, P.M. me and I'll send you any info I can.

 

[Monroe]

I had an Orthopedist make my insoles from a cast he made of my feet. He gave me two options, pay about a $1000 for insoles or OHIP would cover surgery to cut the nerves that get trapped in the joints. I checked with a Podiatrist with the same answers. #@*!

The insoles worked wonders. I used to get weekly episodes of debilitating stabbing pains in my feet where my nerves were being pinched. The insolves force the space. They don't work wonders though. Bad judgement can still put me in tears.

Obviously, I'm not an expert. But I recommend getting something made specifically for you.

 

[Sukerkin]

Aye, I suffer with PF; it truly is an excruciating ailment, especially first thing in the morning. I have found that even off-the-shelf inserts for shoes work wonders. Custom ones would no doubt be even better but there is the costs to consider.