plantar fasciitis

john goldfine wrote

Quoted message said:

Out of morbid and gloomy curiosity--I have plenty of time on my hands now that my walking career
has been chopped off at the knees--I'd be

interested

Quoted message said:

in any philosopical thoughts, anecdotes, magical thinking, instant cures, advice, etc., etc. on
the subject of plantar fasciitis.

Speaking as a recent sufferer of PF, the bad news is that there are no instant cures but the good
news is that with patience it will get better. My experience started about March 2002 with sudden
pain in the heel and under-foot region which got progressively worse over the next 2 months,
especially after long hill walks. Strangely though I was still able to do hill runs with only a
little discomfort on the uphill and downhill but more discomfort on 'flat' sections. From the
internet and discussion with fellow walkers and runners it became obvious that I had a well defined
case of PF with all the classic symptoms of increase in pain/discomfort after inactivity of perhaps
an hour or less and serious pain first thing in the morning. I'm sure I've had mild cases of PF
before without it developing into something worse. I've always had tight hamstrings so this has led
to strain on the other parts of the leg mobility system such as the Achilles Tendon (I've had
tendonitis a few times) and the Plantar Fascia. The cure? A mixture of rest and exercise. The
exercise has to be designed to avoid the PF from stiffening up so really means avoiding inactivity
such as sitting about for any length of time but not too much to cause more damge or reverse any
healing of the micro-tears in the fibres. Simply getting up and walking about the house a little
every so often sufficed and I supplemented this with stretching exercises for the hamstrings. I
tried some of the recommended exercises for stretching the PF but this tended to make it worse so I
concentrated on reducing stress on other parts of the walking system,
i.e. hamstrings. Gradually I got out walking on the hills for shorter days and built up to 'normal'
days by the end of the summer. During July I was on holiday in Co. Kerry and found that beach
walks and wearing sandals a lot actually slowed up the recovery process. In September my GP, a
fellow hill walker and runner, managed to get me referred to a podiatrist but by that time the
pain had subsided to mere discomfort which I could largely ignore. However I was given insoles
with good arch support, to apply some gentle stretching to the PF, and a cushioning pad under
my heel to force my foot onto the arch support. The condition has gradually improved until it
is almost unnoticeable but I suspect it will never completely disappear. Avoidance? I now make
sure I have good arch support in all shoes and boots although sandals are a problem but as mine
are past their best I'll be looking for a new pair next spring with a better insole design. I
now make a point of doing hamstring stretching exercises before and after a run so hopefully
I'll never have a serious recurrence.

HTH Graham

"john goldfine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Out of morbid and gloomy curiosity--I have plenty of time on my hands now that my walking career
has been chopped off at the knees--I'd be

interested

Quoted message said:

in any philosopical thoughts, anecdotes, magical thinking, instant cures, advice, etc., etc. on
the subject of plantar fasciitis.

I am unfortunately suffering with this at the moment too. I have been going to a sports phsyio for
help as I have been working as an outdoor instructor.

Things I am doing include:

* Wear good supportive footware - even around the house. No bare feet of floppy slippers. I have
orthotics in my trail shoes which I am wearing all the time at present.

* Avoid wellies (difficult for me caving and gorge walking, but using them with orthotics helps to
stabilise the foot and support the arch).

* Get heat into the area before stretching the foot. Hot/Cold packs from the chemist are ideal or
use a hot water bottle.

* In front of the TV use alternate hot and cold packs to freeze/warm the area.

* Massage the sore area to break up scar tissue by pressing with the ball of the thumb firmly and
repeatedly (after warming the area).

* Gentle wandering is better than inactivity. Inactivity leads to tendon stiffening and scar tissue
formation.

* Stretch the tendon gently. To do this put your foot against a skirting board toes up the wall.
With the sole of the foot flat on the floor flex the knee towards the wall until you feel the
tendon stretch. Hold the position then relax and repeat.

* Strapping helps to stop the tendon over stretching during day to day activity. Difficult to
describe, and almost impossible to by suitable strapping tape. If you can get to a sports clinic
at least once ask to be shown how to do the strapping yourself and buy some strapping tape from
them. You need to be a bit of a contortionist but I can just about strap my own foot now.

Good luck - it is a long job getting it fixed!

Carol

john goldfine said:

Out of morbid and gloomy curiosity--I have plenty of time on my hands now that my walking career
has been chopped off at the knees--I'd be interested in any philosopical thoughts, anecdotes,
magical thinking, instant cures, advice, etc., etc. on the subject of plantar fasciitis.

rec.running is well worth a visit for info on this.

--
Paul My Lake District walking site (updated 29th September 2003): paulrooney.netfirms.compaulrooney.netfirms.comOpen ↗ 122
Wainwrights

Please sponsor me for the London Marathon at: justgiving.comlondon2004Open ↗

"Carol Haynes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"john goldfine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Out of morbid and gloomy curiosity--I have plenty of time on my hands

now

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that my walking career has been chopped off at the knees--I'd be

interested

Quoted message said:

in any philosopical thoughts, anecdotes, magical thinking, instant

cures,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

advice, etc., etc. on the subject of plantar fasciitis.

megasnip of Carole Haynes excellent tips.

As an ex-quack, the above tips are on the ball. :-) and I have suffered from PF in the past. IMHO,
most serious walkers will have an episode of it at sometime in their life. The plantar fascia
stretches from the toes to the calcaneum, ( heel bone), and a bit like the Sydney bridge , it
maintains the arch of the foot.

So anything that changes the normal stresses on toes and heel may lead to PF.

Mine was caused by a long walk abroad in 'crucial sandals". its the gripping in sandals and flip-
flops that causes the problem, and it does not help to walk on broken ground in them. Wellies should
be banned apart from the garden.

Expensive orthotics have cured my problem, and helped my knee pain. I never walk in any shoe or boot
without my pair of orthotics inserted. Get a rec. for a good podiatrist, mine were 140GBP 4 years
ago, but should see me out. When you see a video and analysis of your gait, you realise just how bad
it can get without you realising, everything gets ballsed up, knees, hips and even your back.

As a GP, I could do little except diagnose and refer. Cortisone in the foot is bloody painful, it
helps, but masks the basis of the problem.

HTH

JT

Llangwm Pembrokeshire 3m amsl "et in arcadia ego?"

"John Taverner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

megasnip of Carole Haynes excellent tips.

As an ex-quack, the above tips are on the ball. :-)

Thanks - nice to know I am on the right track ;-)

Quoted message said:

Wellies should be banned apart from the garden.

I agree but ... trouble is there isn't a good alternative for caves and gorges.

Quoted message said:

Expensive orthotics have cured my problem, and helped my knee pain. I

never

Quoted message said:

walk in any shoe or boot without my pair of orthotics inserted. Get a rec. for a good podiatrist,
mine were 140GBP 4 years ago, but should see me out.

I paid £30 for mine and I thought that was expensive. They are 'off-the-peg' but heat moulded
for my feet.

I was a bit alarmed when the physio took an electric paint stripper to them but it seems to have
worked fine.

Quoted message said:

When you see a video and analysis of your gait, you realise just how bad

it

Quoted message said:

can get without you realising, everything gets ballsed up, knees, hips and even your back.

Unfortunately I don't need a video. I went undiagnosed for so long that now I walk on the outside of
my foot and have hip and backache. Orthotics and strapping have helped to restore my gait to
something approaching normal but it will be a while before everything settles back into normal
action again.

Quoted message said:

As a GP, I could do little except diagnose and refer. Cortisone in the

foot

Quoted message said:

is bloody painful, it helps, but masks the basis of the problem.

Hmmm ... thanks for that comment. My physio is saying that if I don't get significant improvement
soon I should get a cortisone injection. I have been holding off because I don't fancy a large
needle in the bottom of my foot and from what you say I will persevere with my current treatment as
long as it takes!

Cheers

Carol

[email hidden] said...

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Quoted message said:

Wellies should be banned apart from the garden.

I agree but ... trouble is there isn't a good alternative for caves and gorges.

Have you considered neoprene open-fin diving boots? IIRC they tend to have fairly solid soles. Of
course, they might let the water in
- but then of course that's what they're designed for and so will wellies if the water's
deep enough.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Expensive orthotics have cured my problem, and helped my knee pain. I

never

Quoted message said:

walk in any shoe or boot without my pair of orthotics inserted. Get a rec. for a good
podiatrist, mine were 140GBP 4 years ago, but should see me out.

I paid £30 for mine and I thought that was expensive. They are 'off-the-peg' but heat moulded for
my feet.

I've got a pair of NHS orthoses which didn't cost me a penny - or are we talking about something
else here? They're not a lot of use in the sort of Teva sandals I like to wear, but they're always
with me in my walking boots and do make life easier even though I don't use them as often as the
podiatrist would have liked.
--
Fran If you need my email address please ask.

"Carol Haynes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

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"John Taverner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news😄U%zb.16039$pi5.936@news-
binary.blueyonder.co.uk...

Quoted message said:

megasnip of Carole Haynes excellent tips.

As an ex-quack, the above tips are on the ball. :-)

Thanks - nice to know I am on the right track ;-)

Quoted message said:

Wellies should be banned apart from the garden.

I agree but ... trouble is there isn't a good alternative for caves and gorges.

What about caving boots?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Expensive orthotics have cured my problem, and helped my knee pain. I

never

Quoted message said:

walk in any shoe or boot without my pair of orthotics inserted. Get a rec. for a good
podiatrist, mine were 140GBP 4 years ago, but

should

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

see me out.

I paid £30 for mine and I thought that was expensive. They are

'off-the-peg'

Quoted message said:

but heat moulded for my feet.

Luckily I've never had PF but I did have some discomfort in ski boots due to bunions and nasty bits
sticking out! The solution was good heat formed orthotics. I reckon now they are the first step in
attempting to fix any foot problems.

Roy.

Quoted message said:

I've got a pair of NHS orthoses which didn't cost me a penny - or are we talking about something
else here? They're not a lot of use in the sort of Teva sandals I like to wear, but they're always
with me in my walking boots and do make life easier even though I don't use them as often as the
podiatrist would have liked.

Same thing. Mine were made in California, so you would expect a bit of a rip-off, but they have done
wonders for my feet, knees and hips.

Watch out for your children, ( if you have any), two of my sons have the same problem, (28,23,),
they are in orthotics now.

JT

"Roy" <roy> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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"Carol Haynes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
berlin.de...

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"John Taverner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news😄U%zb.16039$pi5.936@news-
binary.blueyonder.co.uk...

Quoted message said:

megasnip of Carole Haynes excellent tips.

As an ex-quack, the above tips are on the ball. :-)

Thanks - nice to know I am on the right track ;-)

Quoted message said:

Wellies should be banned apart from the garden.

I agree but ... trouble is there isn't a good alternative for caves and gorges.

What about caving boots?

Unfortunately I don't like them. One of the advantages of wellies is you stand a good chance of
keeping your feet reasonably whereas the only caving boots I have seen would mean wet feet almost as
soon as you find water!

Carol

[email hidden] said...

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Watch out for your children, ( if you have any),

Let's see now, have I any children? <g>

Quoted message said:

two of my sons have the same problem, (28,23,), they are in orthotics now.

My oldest could have problems in the future. He's 15 now but has always had an awkward gait and
walks flat footed despite the existence of a decentish arch. I've got a 6 yr old (who's attended a
couple of URW expeditions) who could be going the same way, so I'll keep a close eye on both boys.
Interestingly they both have the same 'special needs'. I doubt if there's a connection though.
--
Fran If you need my email address please ask.

"Carol Haynes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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"Roy" <roy> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

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"Carol Haynes" <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
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"John Taverner" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news😄U%zb.16039$pi5.936@news-
binary.blueyonder.co.uk...
> megasnip of Carole Haynes excellent tips.
>
> As an ex-quack, the above tips are on the ball. :-)

Thanks - nice to know I am on the right track ;-)

> Wellies should be banned apart from the garden.

I agree but ... trouble is there isn't a good alternative for caves

and

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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

gorges.

What about caving boots?

Unfortunately I don't like them. One of the advantages of wellies is you stand a good chance of
keeping your feet reasonably whereas the only

caving

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boots I have seen would mean wet feet almost as soon as you find water!

True. Wet socks help with warmth if not dryness. Mind you I recall carrying out an inspection of a
36" water main with 18" of water in it. Once my wellies got full of water I reckoned I'd have been
better off bare foot!!

Roy.