Runners Experience with Plantar Fasciitis (muscle, build, biking, training)

[Opsimathia]

I would go to a specialist now and have them help you get fitted for the proper running shoe for your foot. You have to replace your running shoes every so many miles as well. They may recommend a support item like how people with bad wrists wear support gear for lifting.

For now I would not run until you see your specialist and get your cardio in a non-weight bearing form like swimming or cycling.

It could be PF or it could be a stress fracture too. (that does happen with running)

Go get it checked out as the sooner the proper treatment is applied, the soon you will feel better and it will prevent further damage that could require more expensive and intensive treatment.

[wutitiz]

I had PF a few years ago due to working a job that involved lots of walking on concrete surfaces. Quite a few co-workers experienced it too. I read somewhere that it is generally slow to heal, because the fascia (sp?) does not get much blood flow. Given that, massage and/or rollers would seem to be a good idea, because that would stimulate blood flow. I started wearing slightly heavier work boots on the theory that it would absorb shock. I finally settled on Merrell boots and now swear by them.

I did the 'inch worm' exercise where you stand barefoot on flat surface (e.g. wood or tile floor) and pull yourself along with your toes (repeatedly curl and then straighten your toes to pull yourself forward).

The one thing that helped me more than anything was running a few miles barefoot each week. I read somewhere that it would make the feet stronger, and it did. Now my feet feel bullet proof, and I haven't had a hint of PF for several years. I suggest building very slowly and cautiously w/ barefoot running. I run 1-3 miles barefoot at 7mph at the end of every treadmill session, approx. 3 times per week. Obviously you want to wait until you are fairly well healed, but if you do this it will keep the PF from coming back.

[Kayekaye]

I've had PF since a foot tendon operation that kept my foot immobile for a year. Six months in a cast to see if it would heal, then six months after the operation. That was in 2005.

I've done the cast since then, do the ball rolling, inching on the floor, massages, seen doctors for years. Nothing. They said it will never go away. It just feels like it is a stiff piece of metal running under my arch. Not really painful anymore just...there. Feels better when I use the roller on it, but it never goes away.

[grmi66]

Originally Posted by wutitiz

The one thing that helped me more than anything was running a few miles barefoot each week. I read somewhere that it would make the feet stronger, and it did. Now my feet feel bullet proof, and I haven't had a hint of PF for several years. I suggest building very slowly and cautiously w/ barefoot running. I run 1-3 miles barefoot at 7mph at the end of every treadmill session, approx. 3 times per week. Obviously you want to wait until you are fairly well healed, but if you do this it will keep the PF from coming back.

Forgot about this as well. Started off by walking barefoot on my treadmill for 4-5 minutes at the end of a training session or walking in the grass at the local park. It did not take much time, maybe 5-10 minutes at the end of a workout a couple of times a week. Plus it helped my running form, makes you land towards the front of your feet instead of on your heels.

[gonpostal]

Originally Posted by SorryIMovedBack

Not a runner, but I had PF pain until it tore. Before it tore, I had 2 injections, and I have read that people who have injections are more likely to get a tear, which I suspect is because they over-do it without the pain to remind, lol.

But how mine tore was I launched myself out of the way of a falling tree, and the PF tore at launch. Then I came down on that foot 3 more times before I ran far enough from the tree.

The interesting thing is that after it tore, which was excruciating, like walking with a spool of thread jamming into the arch, it healed up fine and there is no more pain. Like, the tear is nature's way of putting an expansion joint in there.

I looked up the sports med treatments on the 'Net after foot dr. wasn't helping a lot. Put it in a cast is what football does, immobilize it. So, I taped it 6 ways to Sunday and I wore tie shoes and laced workboots that were elevated at the heel and lower at the toe. After the PF healed, it felt a little weak and "twangy" like a rubber band, so I still taped, but less. I ran one strip around my heel, then 3 in a fan from heel to ball or foot, then two across the foot at instep and across ball of foot.

Within 9 months, I could walk barefoot and still can 5 years later. I no longer need tape. I have no pain whatsoever. Let the thing tear = temporary huge pain then permanent improvement. I don't need special shoes, or insoles or anything. I don't have to roll my foot on a can or use any medical devices. I can walk and hike very long distances. I stand on my feet all day working. I never was built to be a runner.

They actually do release surgery. Your foot did its own surgery.

[gonpostal]

One man's medicine is another man's poison. For me, walking barefoot makes it worse, though for some it makes it better.

Here's a doctor's take on it:

No evidence exists for an ideal treatment of this condition without identifying and treating the causes, which can be many. Since we have no literature to guide us, I offer this advice based on my experience treating hundreds of runners and guiding them in self corrections.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

The PF is designed to manage a relatively small amount of stress. The intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the foot are designed to receive signals from the fascia and in turn manage the majority of the load. When those muscles are dysfunctional, the load is transferred to the PF, which is unable to handle it, and results in tearing.

You can repair these tears by using palliative methods, but PF may return as soon as you resume running. The only way that you can actually fix plantar fasciitis is to address the root cause: weak foot muscles. (Thank you Lance from Barefoot Science for the insight).

Several structural causes can contribute to PF:

Weak intrinsic foot muscles
A misaligned and weak first toe
Tight, shortened calf muscles
Tight plantar fascia
Other important contributing factors:

Increased mechanical stress from running or other activity
Obesity
Suddenly switching from supportive footwear that inhibit intrinsic foot muscles to flat shoes (flip flops) or barefoot
Poor walking and running mechanics
Wearing overly supportive footwear weaken the foot and make it less stable.

How Do You Correct Plantar Fasciitis?
Try a combination of these treatment principles (which is most effective will depend on the cause):

Using an orthotic, arch support or taping should be a temporary mode of relief while you strengthen and lengthen the tissues.
Applying a support device over a long period of time is akin to wearing a cast on a broken arm forever (resulting in muscles atrophy from disuse).
HTP heel seat is a useful, non-supportive tool for short-term relief while you strengthen the foot.
Perform eccentric heel dips from a stair. Place your foot on stair and drop your heels down. It is OK to have a little pain doing this as long as it progressively improves.
Dorsiflex the big toe to lengthen a tight plantar fascia.
Gradually stop wearing any type of shoe with a heel during ALL activities.
Work on foot intrinsics, such as picking things up with your toes and walking barefoot. For more foot exercise ideas, see this video at Heel That Pain.
Practice natural running technique that involves making light ground contact, reduced loading rate, and more proprioceptive cueing. For more info, check out Chi Running by Danny Dreyer, this instructional video by Newton Running, Evolution Running by Ken Mierke, and the excellent teaching of Lee Saxby of Terra Plana VIVOBAREFOOT (see video).
Throughout the day, strengthen your big toe by pushing it into the ground as often as you can whenever you are standing. This will wake up the foot muscles and help recreate the arch.
If you first toe curves inward, consider a straightening product like Correct toes by Dr. Ray McClanahan.
Use the principle of gradual progression and body sensing when making any changes.
Avoid NSAIDS (Motrin, Ibuprofen, etc). These drugs interfere with natural healthy healing processes.
See a good health provider who understands natural running and walking.
Wear minimalist footwear!

one mans medic

[wutitiz]

I view the barefoot running as more of a prevention than a cure. You have to first get at least semi-healed through rest and maybe massage. Then you can rebuild a stronger pair of feet by barefoot running. Then after your feet gain strength, the fascia will not be subject to so much stress, and the PF will be less likely to return. If you don't have access to a treadmill, I imagine you could get the same effect from running with minimalist shoes like the vibrams or Merrell 'glove.'

Another thing I just recalled was that I used to do some flexing/stretching of the feet before getting out of bed in the morning. I think hitting the floor with stiff feet is hard on the fascia if you have PF.

[LLN]

I had it real bad when I was in the navy...and running a lot. Navy paid for some really expensive shoe inserts. All I remember was that the doctor was really smokin hot!

Wore them religiously for a year or so. Feeling good about life. Then one day I could not find one. Went without. World did not end. Never looked back.

If I can't walk tomorrow morning I am gonna be really po'd!

[dmills]

Thanks for the feedback all! I have been incorporating some of the suggestions here, including:

- Restricting my running to running on a track
- Sleeping with a PF boot
- Stretching my foot and calf each morning before I get up
- Doing hip strengthening exercises each morning
- Icing my foot daily with a frozen water bottle
- anti-inflammatory medicine (Aleeve)
- Wearing shoes around house (vs going barefooted)

My benchmark for whether it is working is the amount of pain I feel each morning. Previously my pain level was about a 4 or 5 on a scale from 1-10. This morning, it was about a 2 or 3. Keeping my fingers crossed that what I am doing is working and it doesn't get worse.

[Don in Austin]

Originally Posted by dmills

Any runners have exper with PF? I am just starting to feel it come on. I can still run on it. How did you treat it? Did it eventually sideline you? If so, for how long? Any advice? Thanks

Take a break and ride a bike or something instead! Yes you can "run through it" and it is usually worse when you first get up, but you need to stop what brought it on in the first place. There are specific stretches that will help. Also important to wear shoes with good support and leave them by the bed and put on them on to go to the bathroom at night. Barefoot is not good. Walking over loose rocks, cobblestones, etc. is really not good.

I learned more about this than I ever wanted to know. Not as a runner, but a long distance walker.