No worries Abner, its really not a problem. You don't have to take down your post. Maybe it will help someone else
Ortho inserts. Take your time. It may take several trials to find a custom or store brand that works. It took me a couple years between boots, & ortho inserts. I now have the combo that works for me and I will never change! also passive stretching in the swimming pool is a good start if it is very painful.
What you can do on the trail isn't all that much different from what you'd do at home. Depending on how bad it is, I'd spend lots of time and effort stretching the posterior chain, take lots of fish oil and ibuprofen, sleep with the strassburg sock, use arch supporting insoles and tape my feet. When I had this before, I did the first two.
No worrie Abner. Maybe your post will help someone else. There is another thread about plantar wart somewhere on this forum.
At home, there is a deep tissue massage therapy called ASTYM that has worked for me. Before treatment, I had serious problems walking throuout the day. Now it is a minor problem comes and goes, mainly a problem in the morning (hence the sleep with a brace therapy, I can't sleep in the brace though) or after a long period of sitting. The way I understand it is this down time allows the tendon to shorten. I find that if I stretch it out before I stand up, it usually will go away within about 5 minutes of walking around. On the trail, stretching, massage, stretching, Vitamin I, stretching, and Tiger Balm. Oh, and stretching. What ever stretch you can do to lengthen the tendon, heel lowers and raises, flexing the toes upward, etc... .
This is another way of looking/dealing with plantar fascitis and foot problems
http://sock-doc.com/2011/03/205/
I had this in my right foot last year. My Podiatrist said that my superfeet insoles were great! I'd already discovered that they helped so was glad I was heading in the right direction. He also recommended running shoes, which I wore for months. I also did exercises - standing on a step and hanging my heels off, pushing against a wall, stretching with a towel before I got up. I also slept in a brace for awhile, but don't need it anymore. It didn't heal up as fast as the dr would have liked so I got custom insoles and they have helped. I never wear shoes without my custom insoles! Also, I don't go barefoot (prob not a prob on the trail, but consider your "camp" shoes), I have some orthotic slippers that I wear when I'm at home. I haven't had any pain in months! I walk daily - 3-5 miles - usually on the sidewalk but sometimes on the treadmill, not trail walking and I don't carry a pack, but I think that ultimately helped the healing process.
I had it several years ago. Once I knocked it out by rolling the frozen soup can several times a day under my foot, I have kept it from coming back by religiously stretching, both the usual stretches described above, and stretching my calves a few times a day (stand in a sort of short lunge position, and lean forward against a wall, to stretch out the back calf). Every day.
If I ever feel even the tiniest twinge while hiking, I find a rock or big branch or something, put my toe on it, and push my heel into the ground, and repeat several times in the next few hours.
Thanks everyone. Right now, my custom orthotics hurt my feet, not sure why... Maybe it gets worse before it getd better.
iceing my feet, ibuprofen and the leg braces help. I mightt have to try the sock some of you mentioned, that could be carried along the trail.
Mine took a little time to get used to them,your foot is not liking standing on a hump in the middle,but if that persists,I'd definitely check back with the doctor.I'm sure your Doctor saw them on you when you picked them up?If not,yep let them make the call,I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time that a wrong prescription went to the wrong person.Good luck with the new feets,your gonna like em,my prediction.Originally Posted by Minnitonka
Have you been stretching? All those muscles from your toes to your butt are connected. When I had plantar fascia, I would get relief just from stretching my hamstrings, adductors and IT band. Stretching the calf makes it better, but I find that a stretched calf doesn't last long. Stretch out those muscles so your plantar fascia can heal without the strain of a tight posterior chain pulling on it.
If your custom orthotics are new or you don't wear them often then DON'T use them until your foot has healed. You’ll just aggravate it. That's quoting my foot doctor. When I had mine it took a couple of months to heal, of course only after I listened to my doctor and stopped hiking and running. So, rest, rest, and more rest. Then slow stretching (lots of examples on the internet). Trust me, eventually it will heal. And when it does stretching will be the key to making sure it doesn't come back.
Yes, I do stretch my feet every morning and i practice yoga, so i am stetchng the calves, hamstrings, psoas muscles and most everywhere else. I appreciate your help everyone. My feet are starting to get a bit better. Hopwefully they will be good as new soon and I can get back on the trail later this summer.
For now, I have done a couple of short hiking day trips and just ice my feet and rest a lot afterwards.
Oh, thank you, I'll try that too. I find that since the orthotics only over half the foot, they feel really weird and hurt. They have the heel inseert / cup and the arch, but then the rest of my foot is not covered. So its kind of painful right after the arch on my foot, I don't know if that is normal. But I will wait till my heels feel better, before trying them in my shoes again.
My orthoyics are also 3/4 length,this I believe is to allow the forefoot(toes)to spread or splay out which is a normal function of the foot.If they were confined that would be/could be a problem in and of itself,but again,your doctor should be consulted on the type and function of your particular prescription,good luck.
nothing to do with feet,but just a plug for a book I started reading;"Yoga bitch",it's pretty funny,and sucked me in with her snarky humor,and certainly out of my normal material I read,you can peruse books sometimes through Amazon Barnes & Noble,thats how I came to read it,I saw you mentioned yoga in your last post ,so thought I'd just pass this on.Cheers
I had crippling plantar fasciaitis that started in 1985, and continued thru about 1992 . Couldnt walk at times when it flared up. Could barely walk in the morning when first getting out of bed.
Re-shaped my feet with orthotics to put arch back in them. Was like walking with golfballs under foot at first, HURT, but kept at it. It gradually gets easier as the foot re-shapes to the orthotic. After a few weeks, there is no pain anymore from orthotic, after a few months you cannot tell they are there.
Been fine ever since
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