Forums >Health and Nutrition>Plantar Fascitis Question
PossumTrot
thanks for the suggestions. I have orthodics already And I have been doing foot stretches. I have also stopped wearing filp flops this summer (which i hate!) I just wish this would go away!
I'm a flip flop guy too. I bought a pair of Mosquito's and I wear them all of the time without problem. Hope this helps.
My prewash:)
There could only be one possumtrot on here.. Are you a crawler?
As for the PF, trust me last year I tried everything imaginable and expensive. I switched to a more flexible shoe and adopted the Chi running method. I also think yoga and really massaging my calves did wonders. Look up trigger point therapy and try it for your calves and achilles tendons. Mine hurt whether I ran or not so I started back running small distances. Now I am going for my first HM this month. Good luck! I know it's frustrating!!!
"Carpe Diem"
I've been batleing PF for a while now. My doc just suggested that I try a new flip flop by Crocs (Prepair)
http://www.crocs.com/crocs-Prepair-Slide/10382,default,pd.html?cid=067&cgid=men-footwear
I battled PF for a long time... and religiously followed all the advice of my orthopedic surgeon and my PT wife... $600 custom orthotics, burly motion-control shoes, never going barefoot, new shoes every 300 miles, no flip-flops, putting shoes on first thing in the morning, strassburg socks, etc, etc, etc.
Nothing fixed it. It only got worse over time. My options seemed to be a)stop running or b)do something radically different.
So I threw away the orthotics, bought some Vibram FiveFingers, and started walking, then running barefoot.
Two years later I run 3-6 miles a week barefoot and I haven't had a hint of PF since...
Your mileage may vary since I'm just a sample size of one...but I'm totally sold (as are many others). A lot of research is starting to back up the conventional wisdom that the human foot wasn't designed to run in a huge cushioning shoe... it evolved over time to work just fine as it is... barefoot.
There could only be one possumtrot on here.. Are you a crawler? As for the PF, trust me last year I tried everything imaginable and expensive. I switched to a more flexible shoe and adopted the Chi running method. I also think yoga and really massaging my calves did wonders. Look up trigger point therapy and try it for your calves and achilles tendons. Mine hurt whether I ran or not so I started back running small distances. Now I am going for my first HM this month. Good luck! I know it's frustrating!!!
I can run(a short distance ) but I can't hide...On my walks I have started doing short runs(.25 mile). I try to do the Chi method and, if I am doing it correctly, it takes a lot of 'pound' out of the landing. It feels funny and it probably looks funny. Kind of reminds me of what I would have thought of someone running that wasn't an athlete However, the minute I lose my concentration I am back to 'normal' running. I notice when trying to do the Chi method my steps are much quieter and softer. Does that sound right? No pun intended
You are correct about the soft landing. Shorter strides more turnover helps too. We are all proud of ya!!!
Can you give me a little more detail on the shorter strides more turnover ?
Thanks!
I cured a case of PF by switching to the Nike Free 5.0 (flatter and flexible) and doing feet strengthening. I slowly introduced them into my training, and phased out the trainers. The idea is to get your feet strong, and to allow them to move naturally. You can also try racing flats, but make sure they don't have the plastic crap on the bottom that splints your feet. Also, introduce them slowly. I also walk around the house barefoot all the time, and wear Converse All-stars (flat and flexible) for walking. The modern running shoe with all its stiffness and plastic and weight causes more problems than it solves.
I took a quick look at your running log, and it appears that you run most of your miles between half-marathon and marathon pace. You might try researching aerobic base training, and the different theories on what level of intensity you should be running for the majority of your time on your feet. Injuries are usually the result of too much stress, which is the combination of the time on your feet, level of intensity, not following good recovery principles, and the mental stress from everyday life.
You can get rid off the PF. Just strengthen all those little muscles in your feet! try not to over-stretch, just strengthen.
--Jimmy
Can you give me a little more detail on the shorter strides more turnover ? Thanks!
Push toward 180 steps per minute.
I personally had severe PF for about two years and am very recovered.
Things that helped in the worst stages:
- Not running
- Calf stretch
- Putting insoles in every pair of shoes I wear
- Sleeping with the nasty socks
- Massage, especially before getting out of bed and taking first steps, also 30 minutes worth at night by my kids
I took about 6 months off from running during the worst part.
Now, to keep it at bay, I:
- Sleep with my feet hanging out from the end of the bed
- Take the first steps of the day very gingerly with close monitoring of any minor symptoms
- Self massage sometimes in the evenings, maybe once a week, depending upon symptoms
I pay very close attention to symptoms.
Barefoot and happy
However, the minute I lose my concentration I am back to 'normal' running.
That was my experience too, until I ditched normal running shoes. Then it became natural and automatic.
The shoes are getting in the way.
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