Can I walk thru plantar fasciitis?

[kayaker4ever]

I've had it and friends have had it and the one thing that consistantly worked and cured all of our problems was to get about a 5" piece of pvc or even just a large can of soup and every chance you get through the day roll it back and forth under your foot. Also when you wake up take a few minutes to lay there and stretch your foot by pushing the toes of your foot toward the foot of the bed. Do this several times as hard as you can and you won't have the pain you usually have when you get out of bed. Also take some Ibuprophin.

[perrymk]

This is a book that helped me with PF.

The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution
by Jim Johnson
http://www.amazon.com/The-5-Minute-P...5283195&sr=1-7


This is the main stretch recommended in the book:
•Plantar fascia stretch
This stretch is performed in the seated position. Cross your affected foot over the knee of your other leg. Grasp the toes of your painful foot and slowly pull them toward you in a controlled fashion. If it is difficult to reach your foot, wrap a towel around your big toe to help pull your toes toward you. Place your other hand along the plantar fascia. The fascia should feel like a tight band along the bottom of your foot when stretched. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds. Repeat it 20 times for each foot. This exercise is best done in the morning before standing or walking.
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00149

Here is the best photo I could find of the stretch.
http://images.teamsugar.com/files/up...ot-stretch.jpg


I did the stretch 10 times for 10 seconds each hold, 3 times per day. It took a couple of weeks to notice improvement, a couple of months to feel good again. I maintain with doing the stretch (as part of my full body stretch routine) doing the stretch 5 times for 10 seconds each hold once per day.

I hope this helps.

[Minnitonka]

Sorry to hear about the PF- I got it 2 years ago and it lasted for a good 6 months. I did what everyone said, saw a podiatrist, got heel inserts made, went to PT for 6 weeksw 2x per week, did stretches in the morning etc... Eventually, the podiatrist gave me a cortizone shot in the foot. I think that actually made it worse!!! Some people swear by it, I don't. The podiatrists say taht helps the ligaments heal quicker. For me it caused more pain. So you really have to weigh your options.

What helped me the most were switching to BIRKENSTOCK shoes. they have a negative heel- that made a HUGE difference. Also I slept in the foot braces at night for a couple of months. The heel inserts the doctor made for me actually made my feet hurt( maybe he did not quite make them right, I dont know).

Unfortunetly the PF came back this year while doing a lot of hiking. I think it is becasue I was not careful and used inappropriate shoes sometimes during the day for other things. Then, when my old hiking boots wore out, I bought a pair of scarpa boots that did not really fit properly and started breaking them in and my feet really began to hurt!!!

Long story short, I found a great pair of boots, but the damage is done. I ice my feet at night, sometimes take ibuprofen, stretch my feet in the morning and sleep in splints. I am back to wearing my old worn out Birkenstocks , when not hiking and trying to get my feet back to a good condition again...

I feel your pain. Sorry to hear you are ging through all of this. There is not much you can do, other than stretching and ibuprphen, when you are on the trail. I would give your feet a break and try to take care of them. A little down time now, is better than months or years of a lot of pain and not being able to hike at all. and yes, as the others said, I would find a good podiatrist.

[teachergal]

Minnitonka, What boots did you find that helped the PF? I asked my dr and it was right before I got my RX inserts and he said to wait till I had them - he didn't seem to have any real preferences. I have a pair of LLBean Cresta Hikers that are about 10 years old and I need to replace them, I'm inclined to just order another pair, but they are currently the only shoes I have that irritate the PF - but that could be b/c of the hiking, not the boots, although I walk 3-5 miles a day so my day hikes are just an extension!