Plantar Fasciitis - Memo/chat

[Masshole Horn 775]

The recruiting thread was getting into this topic.

I had my first flare up of PF this year. My older sister has it too, so looks like it'll be something to work on going forward for me. She got me a pair of Vionic flip flops and I've been getting used to them. Also making sure I always wear shoes on the hard flooring throughout my home.

What works for you? Shoe brands, insoles, stretches, physical therapy, etc...

[austintx 82]

This is the fucking content I'm here for. Heels have been killing me the last couple of years. I just got these Byriver Acupressure things the other day so I will let people know how the work. Also thinking about getting some Hoka Ora 3 slides for around the house. 

[Anton Chigurh 3,319]

I can’t find the YouTube video that has the stretches I used, but here is what worked for me:


I did wall calf stretches (putting the ball of your foot angled up against a wall, but crossing your leg over your other one instead of doing it straight) several times a day.

Before bed, I would stretch the shit out of my PF by squatting down like in the photo below and working it as much as I was comfortable with. I’m no doctor, but I believe doing this helps to stimulate blood flow to the area since it doesn’t get very much.

Sorry for crappy photo, but it’s the best I could find.



There are other ways to stretch the PF, but this one really worked for me since it uses body weight instead of relying on yourself to push or pull in a certain direction.

When waking up, I’d be sure to do kind of a hand massage of the soles of my feet before getting out of bed, and I forced myself to wear shoes all day even if at home. For me, Brooks Ghost have been great. They have a ton of heel cushion which helps your Achilles/PF chain have to do less work so that it can heal.

A shoe with a higher heel drop can also help by loading the hips and knees more, relative to the ankle/foot (Brooks Ghost are a 12mm drop) when you walk or run, further allowing the PF/Achilles chain to heal.

Doing all of that and wearing the right shoes fixed me right up.

[Prepuce of Doom 21,079]

Keep a few of these around wherever you sit for long periods of time. 

 

[BottleRocket 646]

Adidas alpha bounce slides are all I wear around the house.

[BottleRocket 646]

dp

[TwiceHorn 31,495]

7 hours ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

Keep a few of these around wherever you sit for long periods of time. 

 

A frozen water bottle can be great too, especially when the pain is flaring.

I have always had tight calves and I suspect that it is related to this.  But, I also play volleyball twice a week and I think it's the jumping that causes the microtears and the overall tightness from my toes up to my glutes that aggravates it and makes it painful at times.

It is also somehow related to biking.  I am a frequent mountain biker, when the weather is decent and there is a definite correlation there to PF.  My theory is two fold.  First, cycling tends to overuse the frontal leg muscles (quads) and underuse the hamstrings and glutes, creating an imbalance that further tightens the rear tissues.  Second, for better or worse, I tend to keep the ball of my foot over the pedal spindle when I pedal, like a roadie wearing clipped shoes.  That angled, "toe pointed" position seems to wreak absolute havoc with my PF, as driving the car with foot on accelerator at a similar angle relative to my tibia, seems to very certainly cause flares.

FInally, some wear braces at night to keep the feet at a right angle to the tibia, keeping things loose, apparently.  I was able to train myself to do this most of the time by focusing on it before I slept.  My prior habit seemed to be "pointing my toes" toward the foot of the bed, particularly when on my back.

Edited December 22, 2022 by TwiceHorn

[Prepuce of Doom 21,079]

I can offer that skateboarding in flip flops is a great way to aggravate your PF. 

[TwiceHorn 31,495]

2 minutes ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

I can offer that skateboarding in flip flops is a great way to aggravate your PF. 

Probably some other stuff too.

[Gale Snoats 242]

I tore my plantar fascia playing tennis about a year ago.  I was at the baseline and started to sprint forward to get to a drop shot and, as I pressed with the ball of my foot to move forward I heard and felt a loud pop.  It was like someone shot me it hurt so fucking bad.  I had to hop off the court and for several days I couldn't put any pressure on it at all.  After 5 or so days I was able to lose the crutches but was in a boot for 6 or 7 weeks.  Lots of stretching and physical therapy and it got better slowly over the next few months.  I'd say I was close to 100% by about month 6.  It's been really hard to trust my foot and really move at 100% but I'm pretty much there.  My pt took molds of my feet and I got some custom made full length arch supports.  I wear those now and they seem to really help.  Long story short -- stretches like those above and find someone to get really good arch supports custom made.  

[RMac5 1,551]

I had PF in both feet several years ago, it was a nightmare. I learned to stretch my pf and calves first step out of bed of a morning. I also found some inserts that are rigid and only buy shoes with good arch support. I haven’t had any issues since making those changes, I am very thankful too.

[beer 3,220]

Something everyone forgets - NSAIDS must be taken like its a new scheduled medication on your list, taken whether it hurts or not, for many weeks if not months before this is going away.  Probably going with Naprosyn to reduce the number of times/day you have to remember to take it.  This is really key.  I have had so many patients that did all the right things but didn't take anti inflammatory meds, or stopped taking them when they got a little better, and it never goes away. Yes there is risk of complications but a bigger risk that you will still have foot pain if you don't take them.  Typical course is 2 or 3 months - in addition to the orthotic or boot or whatever.  This is a slow recovery condition worthy of a visit to a physician for monitoring the progress. 

[CooterBrown 18,014]

I had PF severe pain in my right heel and knee for years. It had gotten so bad, I could barely walk. I started wearing Birkenstocks in the house (bare foot is bad) and replaced all insoles with the Cadence EX model. 100% of the pain went away in 2-3 months. For inserts, make sure you get fitted at store that specializes in foot problems. I went to In Step but Carvel is also good. Turns out that even though I wear a 11.5 shoe, I needed a 10.5 insole because of my high arch. I would’ve bought the wrong size and wondered why it didn’t work.

My wife also swears by the different stretches and does them every morning.

[HouTex 1,878]

This helped my PF.  I used Dr. Scholes heel inserts as well.  

[Red Five 40,862]

A friend was telling me that he has a bunch of these that he keeps in different places. One pair at home, one in his car, one at work, etc. Had PF bad until he started wearing these. 

https://www.oofos.com/products/mens-ooahh-sport-slide-sandal-black-matte?variant=18121795207283&&&gclid=CjwKCAjwiOCgBhAgEiwAjv5whAM6YFxFTlWxzh_T_3rDeppvbIdljC5Ce-vEGRzPzowsRwfe8OyAtRoCeL4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Marshall_Lucky 624]

Can confirm these are amazing. Podiatrist recc’d those for my PF last year - they’re comfortable AF.

[High Plains Drifter 11,050]

 

I had it bad. I finally got one of these, and it def helped. Pain in the ass to sleep in though. I even wore it just sitting around watching TV or when riding in a car for long periods of time. Google "Plantar fascitis night splint".

 

Also, the podiatrist made a plaster mold of the bottom of my foot, then they made some hard plastic inserts from it. I wear the inserts under the shoe liner.

 

Stretches that pull the toes back and also bend the ankle are good-- see Anton Chirguh's pic. A variant of that is I would lay on my back in bed, tuck the sheets in tight at the foot of the bed, point my toes straight up against the sheet, and pull the sheet up toward me. The tension in the sheet would bend my toes back.

 

When sitting at a desk, sit with your feet pulled up under your chair, with only the part of your shoe under your toes on the ground. The weight of your legs puts a gentle stretch on the bottom of your feet.

Finally, never ever walk around barefoot.

[William_Cannon 86]

This helped my PF.  I used Dr. Scholes heel inserts as well.  

This, stretch your calves and to a lesser extent your hammies.

If you have flat feet or high arches consider getting orthotics or special inserts like Super Feet. If you’re not sure if you’re flat footed , a litmus test is your Achilles. While standing barefooted, it should be straight and not deviated to either side.

I fought it for years and it ended up being my calves that drove the PF.

[Masshole Horn 775]

So 4 months into wearing Vionic flip flops around the house, I have no more pain at all. I wake up and put them on and slip out of them before bed.

[tx 3 putt 76,988]

I highly recommend super feet insoles