Planta Fascitis [Archive]

MedicineMan

11-23-2004, 02:18

Thought I would give a brief summary of what is happening with my feet. Thinking that as hiker/backpackers, others here on this site may someday enjoy plantar fascitis.
I'm one of the 6million who entered the medical community seeking remedy for this innocous yet often debilitating condition.
As some of you know it arrives randomly, leaves randomly, can vary from an irritant that lasts a week, a month or a lifetime. In rare cases those suffering from p.f. can end up in a wheelchair.
The treatment scheme goes like this:
1. physical therapy---stretching the calf muscle until you think you can stretch it no more and then stretching some more
2. drugs: non steroidals are the norm and you can minus Viox now
3. steroid injections--directly into the fascia where it meets the heal cup, now this is a pain you will never forget when he/she fishes the needle around in your foot to deliver the steroid (betamethasone valerate) into several spots
4. orthotics

I have failed all of the above and now in contention (eg submitted to insurance and praying for coverage) for Ossatron therapy

5. Ossatron--machine which bombards the heel cup and attaching fascia with high energy sound waves....much much akin to lithotripsy in kidney stones (been there too)....wont be able to walk for a week afterward, will be able to hobble lightly around the house/work week afterward, no hiking for 2+ months post. 80% success rate
6. Open radical surgery--- physically separating the plantar fascia from the heel cup.....if Ossatron fails.

So I'm off the trail until Spring at the earliest. If I'm one of the rare who end up housebound with p.f. I'll have a drawing here at WB for gear.

If any have any questions let me know and I'll try my best to answer.

Pencil Pusher

11-23-2004, 05:02

Geez, that sounds rather painful. I remember a thread on this subject from a while back. Well I wish you the best for whatever the future holds for them feet. Aren't you the kayaker? That's an interesting way to see the scenery while resting the dogs.

peter_pan

11-23-2004, 09:15

MM,
I had chronic PF when I retired from the Army. It actually started a couple years prior. After about 10 years of a more restful lifestyle it dissapeared. I still take it easy, no more running, for fear it will come back. Bottomline is, that if this is chronic, it can take a long time to reverse its painful ways. Good luck. PP

MileMonster

11-23-2004, 10:10

Wow, sorry to hear that. I hope the next therapy works for you.

HikeLite

11-23-2004, 10:43

Med Man,

May I ask your body weight, footwear type, and typical pack weight?

Lone Wolf

11-23-2004, 10:51

I went through the same s**t 2 years ago. When it first started I could not walk for a couple of days. The one thing that helped me and gave almost immediate relief was Superfeet insoles. I swear by them now.

jlb2012

11-23-2004, 12:24

I've had PF seriously a couple times - what worked for me was to be real careful in the morning so that I did not tear it again and then very slowly stretch it out until I could put my foot flat on the floor. It may be that Superfeet help some but I have had some minor PF even with Superfeet. What Superfeet really helped me with was the achilles tendonitis - have not had any problem with that since I started using Superfeet.

One option that I have not tried but that sounds good is a sock like thing that you wear at night - there is a strap at the toes end that connects up to another strap above your calf - the effect of it is that your calf remains stretched slightly (toes up heal down) while you sleep thus reducing the chance of reinjuring in the morning.

Skyline

11-23-2004, 13:16

Sorry to hear the bad news, HOI. I know from your posts here and on the PATC Trails Forum you spend a lot of time hiking and doing trail maintenance around SNP and south. This is gonna hurt more than your feet. Best wishes for a full recovery.

jlb2012

11-23-2004, 16:22

Sorry for the misunderstanding Skyline - I am not subject to PF at the moment although I do have a heal that the bottom of which is a little sore when I first step on to it but it is not serious. My bigest problem right now is recovering from the Sipsey trip - serious case of bursitis (shoulder) and tendonitis (elbow) from all the sawing I did. I must be getting old - a weeks worth of blowdown work and I'm out of action for a month - sigh.

JoeHiker

11-23-2004, 18:09

I run a lot. Multiple marathons per year and a lot of mileage. Two years ago, I developed PF. It was pretty bad. I tried the tennis ball, I tried heel pads, I tried PT, I even tried wearing those nighttime socks (e.g. http://www.thesock.com). This went on for almost a year and nothing worked.

Finally, I recalled reading that the cause of PF was usually tight calves. I became religious about stretching and massaging my calves. I'd sit there 15 minutes before a run massaging and stretching. Then I'd stop a few minutes into the run and stretch some more. Never made any exceptions.

Immediately, I began noticing improvement. Within a few days I was running without pain. Within a week, I didn't feel any pain even in the morning when I got up. Within a month, I'd almost forgotten I ever had it.

It takes a lot of time and patience and if your PF is really bad it probably won't help as much, but give it a try.

Footnotes

11-23-2004, 21:00

MedicineMan,

I am sorry to hear of your problem. I had PF for 2 1/2 years. I also had tried everything. I had the injections in my heel three times. I did the $300 orthodic thingy and I did stretching religiously. Out of all of it I believe the stretching was the most help, but for me not a cure. My doctor recommended against surgery so in desperation I tried one of the "night boots" that keeps your foot in a position that keep the calf muscles stretched at night. I had two different boots. The first was just too uncomfortable to sleep in. The second one was just what I needed to supplement regular stretching. It took 5 months with this combinations, but it worked for me. Hope you find some relief.

Foot Notes

MedicineMan

11-23-2004, 23:53

Stretching religeously is what gets me now from the car and into work but each step is a pain.....without stretching there is no cure for P.F. and in my case no mobility.
Superfeet are in the boots, and I wear LLBEAN Crestas (around 600 trail miles)....but many months ago in an effort to go lighter I switched to Vasque Breeze for 180 trail miles, the orthopod thinks the switch could have been a factor.
I weigh 189, 6'1", typical pack weight for winter trip 3 days is 28pounds including food and water.

I post on the Ossatron afterwards and as I heal up...it is certainly a strange phenom compared to a sprain or a cut.
I'm not whining anymore considering One Leg and others but you all know how it is when you love to do something and its taken away, so my fingers are crossed but at the same time I been paddling a lot more.

Litefoot

11-24-2004, 00:26

A long, slow stretch of my calves first thing in the morning and rather expensive custom orthotics fixed my wagon.

Frosty

11-24-2004, 00:34

many months ago in an effort to go lighter I switched to Vasque Breeze for 180 trail miles, the orthopod thinks the switch could have been a factor.A factor in cause or cure?

MedicineMan

11-24-2004, 06:47

and I loved them, saved 1pound over the Crestas but alas they werent for me per all indications...you know its all in the genes....

tlbj6142

11-24-2004, 11:31

Finally, I recalled reading that the cause of PF was usually tight calves. I became religious about stretching and massaging my calves.What sort of stretching? Just the calf or do you pull back on your toes as well? For the calf stretch do you do the "hands on the wall, one foot forward and lean" thing? Or the put your toes up the wall a few inches and lean into the wall?

Messaging the calf or the arch of the foot??

My calves (the "fat" part of my calf) rarely feel tight, but my lower hamstrings certainly do.

Big Guy

11-24-2004, 20:30

Medicine Man: Sorry to hear of your continual foot problems. Hope the insurance approves your treatment and you have a speedy recovery. Would love to meet you on the trail one day. :(

MedicineMan

11-24-2004, 21:03

Man its good to here from you, was talking abou you the other day...remembering the Pancakes from Aunt Jemima on The Priest....thanks for the encouragement and yes true surgery will be next if the Ossatron fails....that will make a total of approx 13K for all treatment allocations.
I'll give you a call someday but maybe not to talk about P.F.!!!

Thanks to all who have wished me luck. I never ever said I wanted to hike the entire AT but now almost halfway done it has crossed my mind that someday I might actually make it to Maine.
I told Baltimore Jack that after my youngest heads off to school I would like to have finished the AT and consider a thru of the PCT, funny, now a 10min. stroll in K-mart and I look like an 88year old with one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave...pitiful :)

I cant describe the stretches but when I do them I do them until it hurts and then push some more, and more and more until the calf muscle is in spasms...it feels wonderful for a little while, then I sit down and after 10 mins get up and the pain is there in full force.

I'll keep all posted on the Ossatron (lithotripsy).

Suzanne

12-14-2004, 18:48

I found your comments on what is called orthopedic lithotripsy here in Australia. I have just had my second treatment, and am wondering how you are getting on. It is very difficult to stop walking etc for the 2 months that I also have been advised to stop all weight bearing activity. Luckily I have a a25 metre swimming pool where I can do some exercise each day.
So I wonder if you could let me know how you are getting on?
I am fascinated with this web site that simply came up when I did a search for lithotripsy. I suspect that my husband and I would like a hike on your appalachian trail!!

MedicineMan

12-14-2004, 23:53

(spent a little time in NZ)....now about the plantar and the lithotripsy, you'll get a kick out of this...
I missed a doctors appointment-my fault, then last week I called to see if the ossatron had been approved by insurance...they said yes just waiting on the hard copy and then she asked if i wanted to schedule an appointment...i said no that i would call next week to see when we could schedule ossatron...the following week i called and they said i missed an appointment.....and they havent called back or really responded to my calls to them....typical arrogant american md's....
so i am now shopping around for another orthopedic physician, but this time it should go quicker since i was already approved for ossatron....

so to answer you querry I havent had the lithotripsy as of yet, still jumping through hoops....no fair dinkum here I'm afraid.

Suzanne

12-15-2004, 03:07

Well, there you are, I am ahead of you!! I have had my second actual treatment. Did they tell you that the treatments are quite painful?

Unfortunately my health insurance company doesn't cover orthopedic lithotripsy, and I am fairly upset to be paying for them in full. ($Au450 ($US380) for three treatments). How does this compare to what it costs in the US?

It's summer here, and too hot to any real hiking, plus there are six weeks of school holidays and the camping grounds are chockers with rampant uncontrolled and noisy children. So I hope to be back walking in February, but understand that I have to take it very easy initially.

Where is the best place to get info on the Appalachian trail? We read Bill Bryson's book a while back. We sort of thought it would be an interesting thing to do. Does one HAVE to carry all ones food, or are there places where it is close enough to civilisation that more provisions can be bought? And what about wild animals, anything scary?

tlbj6142

12-15-2004, 11:52

Where is the best place to get info on the Appalachian trail?This site. Really, you can't beat WhiteBlaze.net when it comes to AT info.

Pencil Pusher

12-16-2004, 05:23

And what about wild animals, anything scary?
The Aleutian Snipe, commonly found in rural eastern America. This is a nocturnal creature that typically is attracted to the faint glow of headlights. Not particularly dangerous, but it is known to continuously shreek in the presence of humans. This can make for a rather sleepless night, especially when they travel in packs of multiple snipe. However, the Snipe is usually hunted by the Boy Scouts of America so depending on club activity in your area, the snipe population may be non-existent. Either way, be sure to use your headlamps sparingly.

C-Stepper

12-16-2004, 09:00

Where is the best place to get info on the Appalachian trail? We read Bill Bryson's book a while back. We sort of thought it would be an interesting thing to do. Does one HAVE to carry all ones food, or are there places where it is close enough to civilisation that more provisions can be bought? And what about wild animals, anything scary?A good source, as well, is the MAIN source, the Appalachian Trail Conference, link here http://www.appalachiantrail.org/

MedicineMan

12-18-2004, 07:36

Well after a 2 month wait I have been approved to have Ossatron...Jan 1 is the big day and if all goes well I will be able to hike again 2 months after the treatment.
Its funny how the insurance company easily takes my money with each payday but is so slow and reluctant to give it up when I need it.
I hope all saw the difference between a national health care plan as mentioned by our Australian contributor who mentioned that Ossatron there cost $380 per treatment, compared to the $9000 for both my feet! But at this point I could care less what it cost because my condition has reach the piont where even walking on flat carpet is a great pain.
I will be 'under' while they're blasting my feet but will report afterwards how it went.

zenribbits

12-19-2004, 04:03

1.) If slowly stretching in the morning helps alleviate the pain, would applying heat during the night with heating pads or boot warmers inside a sock help too?

2.) What exactly is Planta Fascitis?:confused: <O:p</O:p

-zen

MedicineMan

12-19-2004, 05:35

http://www.plantar-fasciitis.org/

dont know about heat at night, neither of the two md's seen, or the physical therapist, or the excercise physiologist I work with mentioned it.....but for acute injuries that is the norm, cold then heat, cold then heat...platar fascitis is a chronic overuse syndrome involving a calf muscle that has become out of balance in its strength, so i dont know if alternating heat/cold would work as a treatment scheme.

zenribbits

12-19-2004, 12:54

Great link. Thank you very much. Keep us posted on your recovery.

-zen

form

11-06-2012, 15:47

i had the same thing and went to the dr he took both his thumbs and pressed hard ,it hurt like hell cause he damaged it even more,he offered no solutions,i heeled it myself with those insoles they sell on tv,in fact i could walk right away after i put them in my shoes.i think it was caused by me trying to jog to much to fast.now i hike with no problem but still buy good aftermarket insoles

Hosaphone

11-06-2012, 16:13

It looks like MedicineMan must have made out OK after the Ossatron? He is still semi-active here and has made some posts about hiking trips he's been on.

Hosaphone

11-06-2012, 16:14

A good reminder that we need to take care of our bodies and especially our feet when beating them up out there... I'm going to make a point of doing a lot more stretching on my next trip.

Cookerhiker

11-06-2012, 16:34

I developed PF about a year ago. It's better now thanks to occasional stretching and wearing heel inserts. Also, I returned to Reboks for everyday shoes which I think made a difference.

Here are other threads:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?81783-Can-I-walk-thru-plantar-fasciitis&highlight=plantar
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?68607-Plantar-fasciitis&highlight=plantar
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?66861-Plantar-Fascitis&highlight=plantar

More than you ever wanted to know!

Hosaphone

11-06-2012, 16:36

Cookerhiker

11-06-2012, 16:51

... Seems like one of those things that could end your hike in an instant if you aren't careful or you don't know much about it.

You're right. Last November day after Thanksgiving, I started a 60 mile hike in Shenandoah NP when my foot developed a pretty severe pain at the end of my second day. I had some rocky stretches both then and the next day. When it intensified, I bailed out and luckily obtained a hitch to my car. It was disappointing in that the weather was perfect but I made the right choice.

MuddyWaters

11-06-2012, 20:10

Old thread!

I hand PF starting when I was a freshman in college at 18 yr old, I first noticed it wearing sperry top-siders. After a while I could barely limp back to my dorm. Didnt have problems with athletic shoes though. It was sporadic for several yrs.

by about age 24, after a few yrs of very heavy weightlifting , I could not walk barefoot, and could not even take a step when getting out of bed in morning. Still didnt hurt much wearing athletic shoes though. Ortho diagnosed the PF and prescribed Ibuprofen. Did nothing.

Ran into an orthotic salesman that took imprints of my feet to show that my arches were falling, gave me orthotics to re-shape my foot and put arch back in it. Cause is hereditary and poor designed footwear. At first it was like walking with golfballs under my feet, very painful. After several months my feet had adapted an I had arch in my foot again, as the imprints showed.

Never had a bit of pain again. Have worn the orthotics for 20 yrs everyday, in every pair of shoes.

YMMV.

ti

hikingirl

11-06-2012, 20:35

I am a nurse who had this. I could not walk on my foot at all. I went to a Ortho doc who gave me a boot to sleep in for a couple of weeks. Have never had it since. I am also a runner, and later went to a running store they sell a band to put your foot in the same position as my boot and much cheaper. Might want to try it

Del Q

11-06-2012, 20:43

Stinks. I suffer daily pain, for like 36 years from a car accident.

Had a brief issue with this..............whatever you wind up doing treatment-wise, soak in hot water and I REALLY like "The Thumper", fantastic massager.

Not like the lame Homedics sold commercially, they use these on HORSES!

Zero risk..............soak in hot water, jacuzzi, use the Thumper a few times a day, can only help you out.

Lastly.............I have learned that where the pain is .........is not necessarily where the real problem is. Once you get this under control, were there other contributing factors?

Alignment
Calves
Weight
Overall flexibility
???

Gipsy

11-07-2012, 04:09

My father had PF and later so did I. Mine occurred approx 1999 or 2000. I had gone to the doctor and was put on Vioxx (now off the market). The doctor told me that if the Vioxx didn't help, the next option would be injecting my feet (with the risk of rupturing the fascia and requiring surgical repair). The Vioxx did not work at all. I spoke with my father by phone, told him the situation, and that I was worried about having the injections.

He told me that he had PF in the past and cured it in about 3-5 days. His treatment was to take 1800mg of "over the counter" Calcium a day, for a week. I was willing to try anything at this point. I bought the more expensive Os-Cal brand and started my regiment. It was totally gone in 4 days!!!

I'm not promising this will work for you, but it HAS worked for my father, myself, and 2 others that I told about it. Give it a shot, you hve nothing to lose except the PF!