Plantar fasciitis

[sk]

I got this really bad a few years ago from being too cheap to buy new running shoes. The only ting I have to add: for short term pain relief take a nalgene bottle and freeze it. During the day when you're sitting at your desk take off your shoes and socks and roll your feet back and forth on the frozen nalgene bottle. It seemed to really help with pain relief and swelling.

 

i second that. ice is NICE!!!

[gary_hehn]

I found Tulis heel cups to help a great deal with heel pain and to protect the heel. They kind of saved me actually, after trying everything but the cortisone shot and acupuncture.

 

http://www.ortho-net.com/tulis/foot-classic-heelcups.htm

Edited August 9, 2007 by gary_hehn

[mvs]

I got this in 2003 by hiking hard in old shoes after a winter with almost no hiking. The doctor said:

 

1) take this anti-inflammation pill

2) use these heel cups (cheap, from a drug store)

3) never walk barefoot in the morning (esp. in the morning)

4) do this funny exercise with a towel in the morning to stretch your foot.

 

Finally I did my best to keep weight off the heel, because that's when I'd feel the pain. I kind of tip-toed a lot.

 

It worked too, after three weeks it went away, and I bought new "Superfeet" for a cushier ride.

 

Best of luck everyone, it is no fun!

 

[sk]

I had my PT yesterday. I can't wait to talk to mikey

> about it. This guy did all the things I THOUGHT the

> podiatrist should have done. he watched me walk, and

> measured the strength of all different parts of my

> legs. it was brilliant and it think we hit on

> something that will make a difference. he says my

> hip abductors are really really really week compared

> to the rest of me. he also said that when i walk i

> don't extend my leg all the way. i cut my stride

> short and whip my leg around. he says i am making my

> foot do what my ankle should do and that is causing

> my hip to not move right and my foot to be over

> stressed thus the torn fascia. I feel so relived and

> hopeful. I am going to have to relearn to walk and

> really work on strengthening my hips and my

> flexibility.

 

 

i didn't feel like typing this all out again so you get what i wrote earlier today. i need to do my pt and fall into bed

 

[selkirk]

I got this really bad a few years ago from being too cheap to buy new running shoes. The only ting I have to add: for short term pain relief take a nalgene bottle and freeze it. During the day when you're sitting at your desk take off your shoes and socks and roll your feet back and forth on the frozen nalgene bottle. It seemed to really help with pain relief and swelling.

 

i second that. ice is NICE!!!

 

I've got a buddy who used to ice his knees for fun Sicko.

 

on topic though have you ever tried ice massage instead of ice packs?

 

Take a paper dixie cup fill it with water and freeze it. Then start at the top and tear off a bit, grab the bottom of the cup and massage the ice block over whatever your icing. It'll get a deeper cold in 5 minutes than an ice pack will in 20.

 

[layton]

Lots of excellent info on this thread. Everything said so far is right on target.

[sk]

mike, I am interested in how the psoas muscle connects to the medial hip abductor. (at least i think i am) i have a theory on how this all came about. root cause if you will. and i think it comes back to a LOT of years of severe pelvic pain.

 

btw the PT HURTS.

[marylou]

The psoas is realy hard to stretch and tight psoas contribute to a lot of problems. I learned this from my sadistic Rolfer.

 

They say orthotics can correct PF in about 75% of cases.

[Manifest]

The psoas is realy hard to stretch and tight psoas contribute to a lot of problems.

 

Not as hard as you might think. I have had tight psoas issues in the past, and my LMP taught me how to get in there with a tennis ball to work it. Unfortunately, you look like you're humping the carpet but, I've been accused of worse. There is also a good stretch, that isn't really that hard.

[sk]

The psoas is realy hard to stretch and tight psoas contribute to a lot of problems. I learned this from my sadistic Rolfer.

 

They say orthotics can correct PF in about 75% of cases.

 

not in my case. it is not an issue with my feet. my issue is with my gate, the way i walk. my physical therapist said the orthotics although maybe helpful in keeping me from over pronating with not in any way resolve my over all issue.

[sk]

The psoas is realy hard to stretch and tight psoas contribute to a lot of problems.

 

Not as hard as you might think. I have had tight psoas issues in the past, and my LMP taught me how to get in there with a tennis ball to work it. Unfortunately, you look like you're humping the carpet but, I've been accused of worse. There is also a good stretch, that isn't really that hard.

 

i just want to feel like i can walk again. i need an in house physical therapist and massage therapist.

[Chad_A]

The psoas is realy hard to stretch and tight psoas contribute to a lot of problems.

 

A yoga instructor I know once suggested, well, not quite on your knees, but with your butt on the floor, beween your knees; your feet in back of you with the bottom of your feet facing up.

 

Then, slowly bend backward until your back is on the ground. Or, go as low as your body will let you. You can do one leg at a time or with back support.

 

Disclaimer- This just happened to work good for me. I don't know it this is incorrect in some way; in other words, might want to ask a professional of some sort before you try it.

 

 

 

[layton]

I don't think ChadA's stretch is a good one to do at all, I don't recommend it.

 

Here's the psoas -it attaches from the leg/hip to the low back.

 

Here's how you stretch it:

 

Add a sitting butterfly stretch to get the adductors to complement the psoas stretch.

[Chad_A]

Cool, that's why I included the disclaimer. Is it just because of the stress it involves with the lower back?

[layton]

Yeah, and also it over stresses the knees, and doesn't really get the psoas!

 

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