Plantar fasciitis appeared out of nowhere a little over 2 months ago. I'm doing physical therapy, arch supports, new shoes, the rocker board, the Pro-Stretch, swimming, and NO running - NOTHING is working. I've had this twice before and my experience has been that it goes away when it damn well feels like it, which is usually about 6-9 months. Anyone got the magic solution? This is getting really old.
Yes, shockwave therapy is the magic cure you're looking for.
cortisone injection provides at least a temporary benefit
I've heard dry needling does it for some people, but haven't tried it myself.
If nothing changes the cure time, should you just run thru it? Or does that make it worse?
Short answer: Heat not ice, warm up tissue and stretch entire lower body and core before even getting up from bed or sitting for lunch break, start wearing wear Zero drop minimalist footwear and build back up from scratch once you start running again. Also while you're waiting for it to heal do cycling and weight lifting so you come back stronger than ever.
Never ever run through muscle tightness. That's likely what killed your plantar fascia.
Watch this. It will explain how mobility issues hurt your plantar fascia. You can also have just torn the crap out of it. But most likely it's the former. Just missing a bit of mobility causing the plantar fascia to be subjected to more stress than it should be.
Does any of this help?
Going into a boot fixed mine. It still took a while.
Time.
Mine was always worst in the morning, a brace like this for sleeping helped a lot
Alpha Medical Plantar Fasciitis Night Splint Heel & Foot Pain; P.F. Brace L4398 (Medium)
MyLittlePony Size12 Men's Velcro Straps wrote:
Short answer: Heat not ice, warm up tissue and stretch entire lower body and core before even getting up from bed or sitting for lunch break, start wearing wear Zero drop minimalist footwear and build back up from scratch once you start running again. Also while you're waiting for it to heal do cycling and weight lifting so you come back stronger than ever.
Never ever run through muscle tightness. That's likely what killed your plantar fascia.
https://youtu.be/72p58Iy6u7MWatch this. It will explain how mobility issues hurt your plantar fascia. You can also have just torn the crap out of it. But most likely it's the former. Just missing a bit of mobility causing the plantar fascia to be subjected to more stress than it should be.
Does any of this help?
I had my PF cured by the best PT on the planet. My problem was tightness not in the calves, but below them, on the inside. He massaged it like crazy, and it hurt, but it got me better.
But this video has so much more, and it talks about weak glute medius, which I have. I didn't know it could contribute to PF! I've been strengthening my glute med, but don't have PF now. The modified calf stretches are great, too. I stretched like crazy with no result, so this suggests why. This guy is prophetic.
Mine finally abated when I stopped walking barefoot in the house. Got a pair of birkenstocks and have not had a problem since.
The only sure cure for PF is death. Amputation has a decent success rate, but the phantom-limb effect can ruin it.
another runner wrote:
Yes, shockwave therapy is the magic cure you're looking for.
Yup, ESWT worked for me.
I had it for 6 months and tried everything in the book but it didn’t go away. Finally got shockwave; PF cleared up after the 4th treatment. If this sh!t comes back I’m going straight to shockwave next time.
Don’t stretch your tendons. They aren’t stretchable.
Common knowledge is to stretch them but that makes no sense.
Massage your calves.
Don’t bend toes and feet more than normal standing position.
Reduce stress on plantar by pointing toes outward
Good luxk
I had a good result from an exercise used to relieve achilles tendonitis. On stairs with your weight on both feet, raise the heel of the affected foot as far up as you can, then lift up your other foot to put all your weight on the hurt foot, standing one footed with the heel up, and slowly lower the heel below the stair tread. Repeat as often as you can, up to 15-20 times. It hurts like hell at first, but within a week of doing this exercise every night, I began to feel relief, and then within 3 weeks, I could finally run without pain. The reason I think it works,and is not just some sort of placebo "cure" is that it combines stretching with strengthening of the muscles in the foot and the calf. But obviously, by the responses here, everybody is different, so I would hardly guarantee that this exercise would work for you! Good luck--as you can tell, there are many who sympathize with you, from their own experience!
Superfeet green, even if you have flat feet + neutral shoes with cushioning.
Bad Wigins wrote:
The only sure cure for PF is death. Amputation has a decent success rate, but the phantom-limb effect can ruin it.
Lol that would probably leave me in a straight jacket.
I have had 4 PF episodes and you are correct...nothing really works. I have used superfeet, foam rolling various areas of the lower leg, new shoes, various straps/socks/taping etc. But on the positive side it eventually just disappears on its own...usually when you are about to completely give up all hope. So my advice...just run through it. Ultimately it probably reflects a problem with your stride...probably overstriding with one leg...so figure out what it wrong with your stride.
older, fatter, and somewhat upbeat wrote:
I had a good result from an exercise used to relieve achilles tendonitis. On stairs with your weight on both feet, raise the heel of the affected foot as far up as you can, then lift up your other foot to put all your weight on the hurt foot, standing one footed with the heel up, and slowly lower the heel below the stair tread. Repeat as often as you can, up to 15-20 times. It hurts like hell at first, but within a week of doing this exercise every night, I began to feel relief, and then within 3 weeks, I could finally run without pain. The reason I think it works,and is not just some sort of placebo "cure" is that it combines stretching with strengthening of the muscles in the foot and the calf. But obviously, by the responses here, everybody is different, so I would hardly guarantee that this exercise would work for you! Good luck--as you can tell, there are many who sympathize with you, from their own experience!
+1 Tried everything; this is what worked for me as well. Do it with both straight and bent knee.
Make your arches spasm as often as you can every day. It’ll relax the muscles of the arch, allowing them to function properly. PT would try to do the same thing for you.
I have had every single other therapy mentioned on this thread, I think, to no avail. This is the sole thing that has helped. Have had it on and off since 1993. Mostly off since I started with the arch spasms 7 years ago.