As a runner, you know that in order to maintain your running fitness level, getting out for regular session is important. If something is prohibiting you from doing those runs, it’s going to have a direct implication on the results that you see and may even cause you to move backwards, rather than forward.
So, it comes to no surprise then that when injury strikes, you’re feeling pretty negative about the situation. You can’t keep up with those normal runs and worse yet, you feel your fitness slipping away.
If you’re currently suffering from plantar fasciitis, there is hope. Using proper tips and techniques, you can manage this injury and in time, get back to your usual runs, feeling great as you do so.
Here’s what to know.
Wear A Support Brace
The very first thing that you might consider doing is wearing a supportive brace on the foot. This can help to keep your foot in proper position throughout your run, all while providing compression to help relieve some of the common painful symptoms associated with plantar fasciitis.
Ideally look for a brace that has a warp around the mid foot and will provide good support for your arch.
Ice The Foot Regularly
As uncomfortable as plunging your foot into a bath of cold, ice filled water may be, for those suffering, it can provide the much needed relief you’ll appreciate.
You’ll want to ice your foot immediately after each run you do, as well as every few hours following if you’re still feeling tender.
Ice will also help to take down the swelling associated with this condition, leaving your symptoms more manageable.
Avoid Excessive Walking
While running may be out of the equation if you’re in a significant amount of pain, don’t let this make you think that you can just go for a five mile brisk walk instead. Walking can also cause pain or aggravate your already-present symptoms, making it harder to see the results that you’re looking for.
The same goes for simply doing too much walking on a day to day basis. If your lifestyle requires you to be on your feet for hours each day, do your best to get off them and rest them as best as you can. The more rest you get right now, the better.
Consider Orthotics
In some cases, a good pair of orthotics can help prevent the problem from worsening down the road. If you have a very high arch, this could be in part what’s causing some of the pain due to more stress being placed on the heel bone.
See a specialist to be fitted if you think this may help in your situation, rather than just purchasing a pair off the rack. You could do more harm than good if you use orthotics that were not properly designed for your specific foot shape.
In addition to considering orthotics, you might also want to consider picking up a new pair of running shoes as well. If yours are starting to be worn from constant and continual use, this could be driving the heel pain as well.
Always making sure that your shoes are up to date as you go about your runs will be vital for injury prevention. Remember, even if they look new because you always run on the treadmill, this does not mean they are still providing the cushioning support that you need.
Lose Excess Weight
Finally, while it may not be a quick fix or something you really want to hear, losing weight may be your best solution. If you have chronic plantar fasciitis, excess weight constantly coming down on the foot and heel could be what’s causing the pain as well.
Just as excess weight can easily lead to back and knee problems, it can also lead to issues with the foot. Taking steps to monitor your eating habits so they are more inline with your needs can help you get down to healthier weight, promoting less pain overall.
Try using the Weight Tracker Pro to help assist your weight loss efforts. It’ll keep things all organized and help you feel the challenge is more manageable.
So there you have some of the top tips for dealing with plantar fasciitis. Take comfort in knowing that you definitely aren’t alone in this as it is one of the more common running injuries that is experienced.
With proper care, lifestyle management, and prevention techniques, you can overcome it and get back to the runs you enjoy.
Have you suffered from this condition – and, what did you find helped the most to get past the pain?
I suffered and am still suffering from plantar fasciitis. Mine actually resulted in a heel spur as well. It has been almost 3 years since i first noticed the pain and where is gotten slightly better with the help of a chiropractor and lots of extremely painful manual stretching it still isn’t healed. I wore arch supports for months which fatigue my feet even faster, but so far i have not found lasting relief. The biggest piece of “advice i was given was lose weight and the condition will go away. Sorry, losing weight when you can’t walk doesn’t work that well. Finally went to a chiropractor and the tense muscles and joints ended up being in my hips. This caused all of my issues with my knees, ankles, and feet. My advice is to make sure you stretch your hips and legs very well to make sure that everything stays loose. Tight muscles cause problems.
Hi Brooke. I completely agree with stretching the hips and legs. Be careful with stretching the plantar though, this can actually cause a lot more damage. Stretching increases circulation and with increased circulation comes more nutrients and oxygen which helps speed up the recovery process. The wraps I’ve been mentioning help with absolutely everything to be honest. I use the Back wrap (also used as a hip wrap). I have scoliosis so the muscles in my lower back always get tight and sore after I’ve sat or stood for long periods of time. The BFST helps increase the circulation the area and just really loosens it up. It’s warm as well which always feels so nice. I hope the stretching starts giving you some relief. Here’s the hip flexor link for more info: http://www.kingbrand.com/Hip-Flexor-Injury-Treatment.php?REF=46PV146
I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in both feet in September 2013, and the left was worse than the right. I tried orthotics, and physical therapy. Somehow my right ankle developed a heel spur behind the Achilles’ tendon (maybe because I was using it more due to the plantar fasciitis being worse in my left foot?). After trying EPAT treatments (which were very painful!), I ended up needing surgery, which I got in April 2014. Then in July, my FMLA expired, and I was fired because I wasn’t able to return to my job on a cargo airplane in my walking boot. I still have a lot of pain every day, but am finally getting the post-surgery physical therapy which is actually really helping me get rid of my limp.
I am so sorry to hear all that has happened Beth. I’m glad to hear though that the physical therapy is helping. Heel spurs do commonly occur to people already suffering from plantar fasciitis or Achilles problems. It’s the inflammation of your Achilles tendon or plantar fascia that causes the heel spur to develop. It’s really important to get down as much inflammation as possible with a good cold compress. I would do this on the bottom of your foot and on your Achilles tendon. I recommend also looking into the BFST wrap (As mentioned above). I speak to a lot of people this works for. I have included some treatment info if interested. I hope the physical therapy continues to help. http://www.kingbrand.com/Heel_Spur_Treatment.php?REF=46PV47
I am a treatment advisor for a company that deals with soft tissue injuries, and plantar fasciitis is one of the most common ailments I speak to people about. I know that most will tell you to stretch the foot, but please please refrain from over stretching it. I actually suggest try not stretching it at all during your recovery time. Over stretching is
what typically causes plantar fasciitis in the first place. Put a cold compress on it, especially after any activity on your feet. You want to get down any inflammation so the healing process can begin. Blood flow is most essential for healing. The nutrients and oxygen it carries will help mend the tears in the fascia and will add elasticity and lubrication to prevent further damage. I highly recommend looking into the BFST foot wrap. It promotes circulation to help accelerate you healing, as the bodies natural ability to do this is quite slow.
Recommend Treatment:
http://www.kingbrand.com/Plantar_Fasciitis_Treatment.php?REF=46PV1
I have been gaining a lot of weight lately, and that’s when the plantar fasciitis starting coming on. Along with the fasciitis, I have also been experiencing shin splints. How should I try to lose weight without running? http://www.millcroftorthotic.com/plantar-fasciitis/
Orthotics and stretching exercises have really helped me. My plantar fasciitis is finally starting to heal after a few months. You just have to be persistent and patient.
I used to suffer from plantar fasciitis for around 10 years so I can relate to people who have it. No medications or treatments ever really did anything for me (I tried them all haha) but I was actually able to completely cure plantar fasciitis naturally after countless hours of online research. What worked for me:
1. Roll a frozen water bottle under the arch for immediate pain relief, though this is more of a pain reduction rather than a treatment.
2. Follow every step in the free video & in the guide seen at the following link:
curehealthproblem*com/plantarfasciitis (obviously change the * for a dot as it won’t let me post links here). This will get to the root of the problem in a NATURAL way. This is the important bit!
3. Take Bromeliad supplements. Bromelain should be used in place of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications during the post-acute phase of plantar fasciitis to help reduce any inflammation. Before taking bromelain for your plantar fascia pain, meet with your doctor to discuss possible side effects and proper dosage.
Try all those three steps together and hopefully you will get as much luck with getting rid of plantar fasciitis as i did. Just stay confident as this condition does not have to be permanent. Sorry if I rambled but hopefully my comment will be of use to others
xoxoxo
The PF pain I’d been dealing with for years was eliminated in two days by switching to a zero drop shoe.