flat feet

[sk]

acording to my doc, my arches are falling. i know that my feet and knees hurt all the time but i thought that was just becuase i am getting old. i have to go see a peditrist this month and get some kind of orthodic for my hiking boots. so the question is, will smart feet be enough? will i ever wear keen's again? how bad does this suck? i also want to know if this could have been cuased by or caused the planter facitis i had las fall??

:cry:stoopid feet any way.

[catbirdseat]

acording to my doc, my arches are falling. i know that my feet and knees hurt all the time but i thought that was just becuase i am getting old. i have to go see a peditrist this month and get some kind of orthodic for my hiking boots. so the question is, will smart feet be enough? will i ever wear keen's again? how bad does this suck? i also want to know if this could have been cuased by or caused the planter facitis i had las fall??

:cry:stoopid feet any way.

Smart feet are some sort of commercially available insole? Try them and see if they work. I tried Superfeet insoles and they didn't help.

 

Fallen arches are the cause of plantar fasciitis, or so I believe. The fibers in your arch called the fascia pull on the bone of your heel as you rock up on your toes. This causes inflammation at the attachment point. But supporting the arch of the foot, the fascia pull tangentially on the bone rather than away from the bone, and the inflammation with luck will go away.

 

The other way in which insoles work is by forcing your foot to pronate correctly, that is rocking it outward which effectively raises your arch, and takes force off the fascia and the bone of your heel.

 

The thing that can be done with custom orthotics is that the pronation can be adjusted by building up thickness on the inside as needed.

 

I'm no expert and Layton could probably say it much better than I.

[sk]

acording to my doc, my arches are falling. i know that my feet and knees hurt all the time but i thought that was just becuase i am getting old. i have to go see a peditrist this month and get some kind of orthodic for my hiking boots. so the question is, will smart feet be enough? will i ever wear keen's again? how bad does this suck? i also want to know if this could have been cuased by or caused the planter facitis i had las fall??

:cry:stoopid feet any way.

Smart feet are some sort of commercially available insole? Try them and see if they work. I tried Superfeet insoles and they didn't help.

 

Fallen arches are the cause of plantar fasciitis, or so I believe. The fibers in your arch called the fascia pull on the bone of your heel as you rock up on your toes. This causes inflammation at the attachment point. But supporting the arch of the foot, the fascia pull tangentially on the bone rather than away from the bone, and the inflammation with luck will go away.

 

The other way in which insoles work is by forcing your foot to pronate correctly, that is rocking it outward which effectively raises your arch, and takes force off the fascia and the bone of your heel.

 

The thing that can be done with custom orthotics is that the pronation can be adjusted by building up thickness on the inside as needed.

 

I'm no expert and Layton could probably say it much better than I.

 

that totally helped though. and you are right they are superfeet

 

 

[rob]

I wear orthotics due to fallen arches. Superfeet didn't work for me at all. I also tried some thermo-moldable inserts, to no avail.

 

I have several custom pairs for each of my boots. I don't need them in my everyday shoe, just in my hikers/climbers/runners.

 

I still wear keens, so maybe there is hope for you.

Edited May 10, 2007 by robmcdan

[sk]

I wear orthotics due to fallen arches. Superfeet didn't work for me at all. I also tried some thermo-moldable inserts, to no avail.

 

I have several custom pairs for each of my boots. I don't need them in my everyday shoe, just in my hikers/climbers/runners.

 

I still wear keens, so maybe there is hope for you.

 

cross your fingers for me

 

did you have any trouble with getting your insurance to cover your orthotics?

 

i am hoping if i wear orthotics in my running shoes and hiking shoes i will be in good shape.

 

Edited May 10, 2007 by Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer

[layton]

Catbird's description was incorrect (sorry) of fallen arches causing, and also the etiology and condition of plantar fascitis. I don't have time to get into it right now, but plantar fascitis is not an inflammation, but NECROSIS of the fascia due to inadequate blood supply. This can come from LOTS of reasons...bad shoes, over-use, poor biomechanics, etc. Your fallen arches and foot pain are not cause and effect of each other, but really two symptoms of an underlying issue. In your case, it's most likely underdeveloped intrinsic foot muscles and poorly fitted shoes. Just a guess.

 

I posted an exercise regime for fixing your flat feet. Lemme try and find it. Standby....

Edited May 10, 2007 by layton

[layton]

Ok, I found it. I'm designing a protocol for this, so this is just off the cuff shit.

 

 

-write the alphabet with your big toe...gradually add ankle weights.

-try to active mold you foot into an arch. start by passively forcing you foot into this position, and work your way up to being able to do it while weight bearing. this is called the "short foot" exercise

-do a 1-leg stand, then close eyes...all the while doing the "short foot". Progress to a rocker, then a wobble board-eyes open, then closed.

-with your heel on the ground, sitting in a chair, curl your toes. Put a towel on the ground and curl it up...then spread it back out. Add challenge by putting a weight on the end of a towel.

-Stretch your big toe out (abduction) by pulling towards your other foot on your big toe, and adding counter resistance by pressing in the other way on the head of your 1st metatarsal (the base of your big toe).

-Grab things like golf balls with your feet.

-strengthen your tibialis anterior muscle. Place your toes under a dumbell or weight, and lift your foot up. This should burn.

-Stretch your calfs. Stand on the edge of the stairs facing uphill and drop your heel down.

-Likewise, hold some weights and stand at the edge of the stairs as mentioned above, and SLOWLY lower yourself down.

-walk around the house barefoot. progress to walking outside in a safe (no glass!) environment barefoot.

 

If you can do ALL these exercises, you will not only fix a lot of foot,hip,leg,knee,back issues, you'll be a ninja master.

 

[sk]

Have i mentioned lately that i love you??

 

thank you mikey. I will get on the exercises for my feet. I think you are right. i have been wearing the same hiking shoes for about the last 5 years.

 

bottom line....can this get better?

[catbirdseat]

If plantar fasciitis is caused by necrosis and not inflammation, why is it that it can be successfully treated by cortisone injection?

[i_like_sun]

Have i mentioned lately that i love you??

 

thank you mikey. I will get on the exercises for my feet. I think you are right. i have been wearing the same hiking shoes for about the last 5 years.

 

bottom line....can this get better?

 

 

 

 

Hi Muffy, I'm not as "know-ed" as Mr. Layton is (hopefully eventually) but I've dealt a similar problem.

 

I was born with essentially zero arch. When I was about 14 my feet and knees started KILLING me, and I developed some achilles tendinitis. Basically my feet were pronating (sort of rotated out) and my knees were going super valgus (knock-kneed).

 

I saw a super good PT and started doing a lot of what Layton listed above - especially going barefoot everywhere - but also working on my gluteal and leg muscles to get my knees more varus (not knock kneed). I do know that women in general have greater Q-angles in their knees, so maybe that could help the knee pain. Also, I got some custom orthotics that put my arch into a good biomechanical position, and this further helped me retrain my movement patterns. Fast forward to current day and I still make efforts to be super stable and conscious about how my body's structures move, but its gotten a lot easier (I do realize however that there are massive structural changes that happen between the ages of 14 and 23!).

 

These days, I still have a natural tendency to go flat footed and knock kneed, so I still wear my orthotics (especially when hiking and climbing carrying loads) but I don't have to rely on them nearly as much. I can wear flip-flops and go barefoot and my feet and knees behave properly just because I've trained my muscles to go that way. So yeah, training movement patterns I think is the way to go.

 

One exercise that I've found really good is standing one legged and doing body weight squats on one of those half-stability balls (most health clubs have them - basically a disc on the ground with a bubbly half). It makes all those little foot muscles burn like shit, and I find that my gluteals get a really good workout too (doing this in front of a mirror where you can watch you knees helps a ton).

 

I hope yur feet and knees feel better soon.

[sk]

thanks sweety. I hope i get to call you doc ilikesun too!!!! the more medical professionals out there the more i can count on you guys to take care of me and help me keep from falling apart.

 

this is all new for me cus i have always had really high arches and i have always gone barefoot. I actualy hate shoes and never wear them at home. I think i just wore crappy shoes hiking and running and at the office for too long. that will teach me. *sigh* i have been on line looking at shoe options, and it doesn't quite feel like the end of the world. I hope the doc says it's okay for me to wear my super high shoes and boots after i get my feet cooperating again. i think the bottom line is i can't by 7$ shoes any more and expect them to perform like 130$ shoes.

[i_like_sun]

Yeah, cheap shoes are a bummer. In fact, shoes in general are a bummer! Seriously, when you like going barefoot all the time the last thing you want to do go waste some bucks on foot prison!

 

We need to get yer tooties happy soon though. Because we've got a himalayan trek coming up in ten years!

 

By then I'll either be

1) as smart as Layton and making some dough

or

2) working as an over-qualified full time dirt bag / bum, and eating food from the dumpster.

 

If the latter happens, I could sell lemonade to pay for out little trip to Asia.

[layton]

If plantar fasciitis is caused by necrosis and not inflammation, why is it that it can be successfully treated by cortisone injection?

 

It's not treated successfully with cortisone.

[layton]

Ilikesun's one-leg squat on a Bojum is a great exercise...although pretty advanced!

 

Muffy, have you tried the power of positive thinking? -

 

[sk]

Ilikesun's one-leg squat on a Bojum is a great exercise...although pretty advanced!

 

Muffy, have you tried the power of positive thinking? -

 

i called my mommy and she helped me feel better. I have a serious shoe fetish. I have like 30 pair. and now i will have to get rid of them and get a few expensive pair. i have really cute high heals sandals and pumps and boots and and and.... *sigh*

 

it's funny i like to look at shoes i don't like to wear them

 

mikey says think positive....

 

this will get better

 

like that???

[sk]

Yeah, cheap shoes are a bummer. In fact, shoes in general are a bummer! Seriously, when you like going barefoot all the time the last thing you want to do go waste some bucks on foot prison!

 

We need to get yer tooties happy soon though. Because we've got a himalayan trek coming up in ten years!

 

By then I'll either be

1) as smart as Layton and making some dough

or

2) working as an over-qualified full time dirt bag / bum, and eating food from the dumpster.

 

If the latter happens, I could sell lemonade to pay for out little trip to Asia.

 

you better start selling lemonade now.

 

I hope i have a sugar daddy by then

[catbirdseat]

If plantar fasciitis is caused by necrosis and not inflammation, why is it that it can be successfully treated by cortisone injection?

 

It's not treated successfully with cortisone.

I've been told that cortisone works in the short term. The problem almost invariably returns.

[kevbone]

acording to my doc, my arches are falling. i know that my feet and knees hurt all the time but i thought that was just becuase i am getting old. i have to go see a peditrist this month and get some kind of orthodic for my hiking boots. so the question is, will smart feet be enough? will i ever wear keen's again? how bad does this suck? i also want to know if this could have been cuased by or caused the planter facitis i had las fall??

:cry:stoopid feet any way.

 

Thats for the info muffy.....How is this climbing related? Should this be in spray?

[layton]

Sometimes it works in the short term, usualy there is a concominant inflammation, which the cortisone stops. But then you're left with the real problem, the weakening and decay of the plantar fascia. And what does cortison do? It weakens and decays tissue? It's like stopping an oil leak in your car by filling the tank with sand. (i just made that up)

[i_like_sun]

Ilikesun's one-leg squat on a Bojum is a great exercise...although pretty advanced!

 

Muffy, have you tried the power of positive thinking? -

 

i called my mommy and she helped me feel better. I have a serious shoe fetish. I have like 30 pair. and now i will have to get rid of them and get a few expensive pair. i have really cute high heals sandals and pumps and boots and and and.... *sigh*

 

it's funny i like to look at shoes i don't like to wear them

 

mikey says think positive....

 

this will get better

 

like that???

 

You are so cute Muffy.

 

If I'm feeling bummer, I try to do something that makes me happy. Today I went and combined bananas and coconut in my blender. That certainly helped.

 

Oops, this isnt' spray...

[sk]

Ilikesun's one-leg squat on a Bojum is a great exercise...although pretty advanced!

 

Muffy, have you tried the power of positive thinking? -

 

i called my mommy and she helped me feel better. I have a serious shoe fetish. I have like 30 pair. and now i will have to get rid of them and get a few expensive pair. i have really cute high heals sandals and pumps and boots and and and.... *sigh*

 

it's funny i like to look at shoes i don't like to wear them

 

mikey says think positive....

 

this will get better

 

like that???

 

You are so cute Muffy.

 

If I'm feeling bummer, I try to do something that makes me happy. Today I went and combined bananas and coconut in my blender. That certainly helped.

 

Oops, this isnt' spray...

 

I climbed today my feet hurt but i am happy so it's okay

[i_like_sun]

Ilikesun's one-leg squat on a Bojum is a great exercise...although pretty advanced!

 

Muffy, have you tried the power of positive thinking? -

 

i called my mommy and she helped me feel better. I have a serious shoe fetish. I have like 30 pair. and now i will have to get rid of them and get a few expensive pair. i have really cute high heals sandals and pumps and boots and and and.... *sigh*

 

it's funny i like to look at shoes i don't like to wear them

 

mikey says think positive....

 

this will get better

 

like that???

 

You are so cute Muffy.

 

If I'm feeling bummer, I try to do something that makes me happy. Today I went and combined bananas and coconut in my blender. That certainly helped.

 

Oops, this isnt' spray...

 

I climbed today my feet hurt but i am happy so it's okay

 

 

Muffy, do you have Burkenstocks????

 

I really want some; sandals always seem to improve my mood.

[sk]

yep i sure do. i got my first pair 17 or 18 years ago. they hold up well as long as you don't use them to cross rivers or wash the car

 

[i_like_sun]

yep i sure do. i got my first pair 17 or 18 years ago. they hold up well as long as you don't use them to cross rivers or wash the car

 

 

Hummmm, its my B day this week....... maybe they'll magically appear! [****hopes hopes ****]

[i_like_sun]

yep i sure do. i got my first pair 17 or 18 years ago. they hold up well as long as you don't use them to cross rivers or wash the car

 

 

Hummmm, its my B day this week....... maybe they'll magically appear! [****hopes hopes ****]