PREVENTING plantar fasciitis

[Q.]

Okay, I think I have a pretty good handle on what it is but I would really like to prevent it in the future if possible. On the 16th, I did a full body w/o in the weight room and immediately followed that with an hour of racquetball. The next three days, I worked on clearing a lot that we have and that was pretty physically demanding and it involved walking on an uneven surface for a lot of hours. By Monday, my plantar fasciitis was acting up again and I couldn't do much of anything on my foot for about a week after that, which was a real pain in the... I mean nuisance!

I used to get this occasionally when I was playing a lot of basketball but I'm not certain as to what exactly I did differently to aggravate or not from one time to the next. I guess it was just too much something on my feet but I can't pinpoint that something. I've read that "stretching and excellent conditioning should help prevent some cases of plantar fasciitis" but I was wondering if anyone has some more specifics. It seems so hit and miss that I don't know what causes it to occur one time and not another and maybe there is no hard, fast explanation.

I'm playing racquetball again today for the first time and I will stretch it out as well as I can but I'm just really hoping to NOT be hobbled later on today or tomorrow morning! I did take a few NSAID's while it was acting up but not very many. Maybe that would have helped shorten the duration.

Thanks for any replies in advance!

[Bill2380]

Several years ago I had pretty bad plantar faciitis. I've also had problems with heel spurs in my right foot. Short term an antinflamatory will help. Long term the only cure I've had is to have orthodics made by a foot doctor. I wear them every day and have not had any reoccurance of the problem. I'm not sure if there is a relationship, but I take an EPA/DHA supplement which has antinflamatory benefits as well. My knees and feet don't hurt anymore on the morning after b- ball since I've started this. Hope this helps.

[Kaiser]

Brad, remind me to answer this tomorrow if I forget. You know my history with PF and subsequent broken calcaneous, etc.

[cappuccino]

Hey Kaiser, don't forget to answer this question for Q.

[Q.]

Ditto

[galya]

It is funny because I was going to ask the same thing. Mine occurred a couple of days ago after going to an arcade and playing a few games where you had to ride a plastic horse like it was real (now, don't laugh, I know it's pretty dumb). Once I got off, I could not step on my right foot without terrible pain. All the symptoms point to PF. It put my lower body out of the gym (and walking on my right foot) for 6 days. Treated it with hot/cold patches. It has been both better and worse, but still can't walk for over an hour without cramps.
Yesterday I did a test at the mall in a store where they sell orthopedic inserts and the computer test said that I have an abnormally high arch and most pressure falls on my heels and the outside of my foot.
I would be interested to hear other stories and tips on how to prevent it in the future, because I can't imagine having to wear inserts my whole life.
btw, Happy New Year

[Kaiser]

Brad, here ya go, the best info culled from 7 years of suffering from PF, one torn PF band, and one broken calcaneous as a result, plus a lot of long hours doing research and talking to my podiatrist (who is also a good friend since college). Apparently I have the worst level you can have - if it recurs again for me, my only option is to have the PF band 'cut' about half way through to relieve the pressure. It is a severe measure for those who, like me, have gone through every other modality of treatment. By cutting out basketball and distance running, I've been able to hold it at bay for over 2 years now though.

-I'm going to address the most common reason for PF: 'falling arches'. There are other forms, as galya has mentioned above, but those are generally easier to remedy. As you get older, your arches tend to flatten, a natural result of aging gravity and wear. When they flatten, this stretches the plantar fascia band, a band that runs from the ball of your foot back towards your heel. The stretching can cause pain in two ways:
1) If the band stretches and microtears occur, those tears are filled in by 'scar tissue' (the very unscientific and inaccurate description that I can provide) and this tissue can cause discomfort.
2) If the tearing is occuring near the heel, the resulting 'scar tissue' that fills in is calcified... which can lead to a heel spur, which can also be painful.

All of this falls under the catch-all phrase of plantar fasciitis.

What can you do to prevent a worsening of symptoms?
-The best, although not cheapest, method is to see a podiatrist and have him analyze your arch and gait. He may presecribe a custom orthotic if your arches are not neutral and supportive, and this alone can take care of any problems and allow you to play b-ball, etc. with no problem.
-Stretch, gently, the PF band. Using a golf ball, roll under the arch of your foot slowly for 5 minutes or so a day.
-Keep your calf muscles loose: tight calf muscles mean tight tendons and this pulls more on the PF band. I spend extra time daily stretching my calves to prevent a recurrence,
-Wear supportive shoes with good arches.
-Don't walk barefoot...especially on hard surfaces indoors. A good pair of shoes will work wonders.
-Running a lot will often exacerbate the problem. PF is most ofen a chronic use injury.
-Strengthen the ankle and surrounding muscles. Work the shins with a DART. Work balance work on a beam or unstable surface like a wobble board for the ankles. The more support they can provide the better for your arch.

There are more, including exercises to strengthen the arches involving curling up a flat towel with your feet, but first things first. I've forgotten a lot of others as well. I'll try to post more as I remember.

[Q.]

Getting older??? Who's getting older!?!

Do you think, as a first step, just buying some kind of over-the-counter support would be worth a shot? If so, what? Arch supports? I have little heel cushions but that would seem to only help with the symtoms, when present, not the cause.

I've been trying to remember to stretch out my calves and foot before playing racquetball. On Thursday, I did about an hour long full-body workout and then played racquetball for an hour and no foot problems so maybe the last occurence was a result of adding all the other stress on my feet (clearing the lot) afterward... or maybe the stretching helped...?

Thanks a bunch for the info, Kaiser, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Now you can go back to schmoozing the babes in the OFF TOPIC section!

[Kaiser]

Man. OK, I'm serious here. If it comes off as 'shmoozing' then I'm stopping all playful banter. That isn't my intent more than it is the kind of fun jabbing you do in a group of friends. Really, I don't want it to be misread. Becka and I have had enough interactions via PM and e-mail that she knows I am not trying to do that with her, and I would guess Capp doesn't even get that drift from me. I don't have enough interaction with Mesha to even have to worry about it. But if I am giving off that 'vibe' (to use a term from YOUR generation ), then I'd better stop it. I assumed the salivating was being done by all the other guys - I've tried to keep the compliments clean and polite.

Back to YOUR problem: The OTC arch supports and heel cups can help, but it depends on what exactly is causing your problem. If you have a good insurance plan, go to a podiatrist and get it checked out. My insurance company covers one custom orthotic cost of about $325 (I got the heavy duty kind made for basketball) a year. Then I ordered extra, which my friend the podiatrist gave me at less than his cost (for mine, about $120). With that route, you'll know you've done your best to ameliorate the problem.

Happy New Year to you and your family Brad! Especially that lovely daughter of yours! (OK, I threw that in just because of the comments you made above. [img]smile.gif[/img] )

[Q.]

Originally posted by Kaiser:
the kind of fun jabbing you do in a group of friends

Just more of the same! Don't worry!

The "lovely daughter" is back from London and in crisis mode (to be expected ) with the start of school right around the corner. I'm very glad to have her back, though!

[Q.]

Somebody please delete this. Somebody's server hung up when I tried to post the reply and I wound up doing it twice!

THANKS IN ADVANCE!