Anyone Else Suffer from Plantar Fasciitis?

I've had arch/heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis for over 6 months now and was wondering if anyone else on here had this problem and was able to fix it? I used to be a distance runner, and that's what started the pain. I took a few months off running and bought a road bike to replace running. The pain got better, but never quite went away completely. Anyway, the pain is coming back in full force now after my first real ride on the bike (20 miles). I've tried rolling tennis balls under my feet, icing them, and just ordered one of those socks that supposed to stretch out your arch while you sleep...Hopefully the sock will help, but does anyone have any advice for me? I use MTB shoes and clipless pedals, which I would think would help the situation because of the stiff sole, but so far no luck.

 

I had plantar fasciitis (for years) in my competition days from jumping rope bare foot.

I found rolling on golf balls far more effective than tennis balls. Far more painful as well.

 

Hi
I am also running and I am dealing with [FONT=&quot]plantar fasciitis[/FONT] for more than a year now. There are many more things you can do to treat your PF, more than mentioned above. But I understood that treatment efficiency is very individual. If something works for one it may not work for the other.
Did you try Taping? I have found it very useful. Taping will keep your foot from getting injured again while you run and will help you get through your daily routine . There are a few Taping techniques you can find in YouTube or google - just type "Plantar Fasciitis Taping" in YouTube search.
I think you should not run hills. Although it is a very good exercise I think it is the cause for my Plantar fasciitis flare up.
Pay attention to your gait. It might be the key to your relief.
I also found a very informative website in: [FONT=&quot]http://www.plantar-fasciitis-elrofeet.com[/FONT]
Take care & Good luck

 

Cool, thanks for the replies. I have stopped running altogether, which is why I have a road bike now (it's more fun anyway!). I haven't tried taping yet, but I will give it a try soon. I just received "the sock" in the mail so tonight will be my first time wearing it. Sure hope it does something as I'm getting sick of just accepting that it hurts to walk/bike.

Wlfdg: I have tried the golf ball technique before, but like you said, it hurts way more than a tennis ball so I figured it wasn't helping. I think I was wrong though because I have heard from other sources (and now you) that golf balls work and the pain isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

If you look at the insole of your cycling shoe, im willing to bet its flat as a board. Assuming the sole is carbon fiber (as most, even cheap road shoes are) its stiff as hell. You take a foot thats supposed to be a shock absorber, stick it in a tight, unsupporting shoe, and all goes to hell.

Theres a few really good options. The best being to get some orthotics made for your cycling shoes (not your everyday drug store dr sholls, get them custom made). I have a pair of CF insoles in my shoes and they have been really great. While youre at it getting the mold done for the cycling shoes, might as well get some for your everyday shoes, afterall, youre in them more. in most cases, a supportive orthotic with stretching will provide a good deal of relief. If it gets to the point that nothing is working, it might be worth seeing a podiatrist for a plantar fascia release, which involved cutting some/all of the medial band of the plantar fascia

 

Feltski, thanks for the advice. I've thought about having orthotics custom made but it sounds so expensive. It probably is the only way I will truly recover, though. "The sock" has been working...my only problem with it is that you only get one sock for $30 and I need one for each foot! So for now, I'm just switching feet every night.

 

its worth taking a look. your insurance might pay a good part of it, assuming you have health insurance. Also, it may seem pricey, but im willing to bet its gonna cost less than the doctors visits you will without a doubt be needing if you dont get this taken care of. Pay a little bit now or a lot more later.

 

From the sound of it you have already seen a doctor, podiatrist or someone. What are they doing besides giving you the sock?

Stretching the calf helps a lot because the fascia is continuous from the calf down in thru the foot. Deep tissue massage for the calf and sole of the foot also helps. So do custom orthotics. By the way the sock c/b the best tool you have for this problem. Wear it whenever you are going to be off your feet for an extended period. Plantar fasciitis is stubborn. Good luck.

 

I had a terrible case of Plantar Faciaitis. I tried all of the tricks that people said would work before I gave up and went to the Dr. The only real way to cure it is to allow it to heal in the proper position. You foot naturally relaxes at night and the plantar fascia starts to heal during the night, your first step in the morning tears it again. The Dr. gave me a boot to wear at night that kept my foot positioned so that the plantar fascia was in a stretched position. I wore that and went to a few PT sessions to learn some stretches and for them to do some deep tissue massage. Within a few weeks the pain was completely gone and I have never had a problem with it since then. I wish I had gone to the Dr. much sooner, I could have saved myself quite a bit of pain.

The Dr. told me that orthotics would cushion it and that he could give cortizone injections to ease the pain but that they were literally only putting a Band-Aid on the real problem.

 

I am an orthopedic tech. I worked closely with a Foot and Ankle specialist. The plantar facial band runs under the sole of the foot from the base of the great toe back to the calcaneous and up the posterior leg. Having an evaluation by a doctor is always good advice. I have seen patients use taping, called plantar strapping. I have seen a night and day difference with patients I have taped up. Arch supports help as well. While custom orthotics are the best choice, Spenco makes a good cushion you can use to replace your shoe's original cushion. Usually available at sporting goods stores. Many patients have undergone cortizone injections, but they are quite painful as the tissue where the steroid is injected is very tight and resistant to expanding. The boot, what we call "night splints" maintain the foot in a neutral or 90 degree position while you sleep. You can try to mimic this with something you have at home, such that it keeps your PF tendon stretched while you sleep. Most of your pain erupts in the AM I'm betting. Then there are patients we put into a cast. This forces compliance and make the tendon rest as you can no longer flex or step off while resting the tendon. Finally there is surgically debrieding or releasing the tendon, but most find the means to fix this issue before attempting this extreme. Good Luck!