Tell me about plantar facia tears...

[widebody911]

... the doc thinks I might have one.

I'd been having a pain in my heel for a few weeks now; it was worst when I'd get up after sitting/laying down for a while, but once I got moving, it was tolerable. I'm 235lbs with flat feet and moderate pronation, which I know doesn't help.

I was playing basketball today (I'd been playing about an hour), and I took off running (in a straight line) and I felt something "give" in the bottom of my foot, between my arch and my heel. It was almost like a release of tension, with a slight "pop" but very smooth. The immediate pain was moderate, but my foot was really stiff, so I called it a day. By the time I got cleaned up and back to my desk, I could hardly walk. I called up my primary, and they said they might have an opening "some time next week" so I said to hell with it and went to the ER. They took X-rays, which didn't show anything obviously out of place. The ER doc says it might be a partial tear, and I'll be seeing a podiatrist sometime in the next couple of days. They put me in this funky boot and told me to stay off of it. Of course the only parking I could find was about 1 nautical mile from the ER.

It hurts like hell, but when I last checked, it wasn't very swollen. I didn't see any bruising yet. Did I mention it hurts like hell?

What can I do to speed this along? I don't want to be a gimp for the holidays; I'm spending christmas in San Diego, and it's going to suck at this rate. I did some searches, and saw mentions of ice and tape, as well as massage.

[vash]

thom. been dealing with this for years. i lived with it. then i bought about $500 dollars worth of over the counter shoe inserts. i finally found one that works for me. from the walking company. it has a "half ball" right in the middle to support the tendon. it helps ALOT! i have two sets that move from shoe to shoe.

learn to stretch your calf muscle..which apparently stretches the foot also. i do it without thinking now. i stand on a curb, face uphill..whatever. it also helps.

good luck buddy.

[Tobra]

I can help, but first you gotta give up the ghia.








Doesn't hurt that bad?

Ice is your best friend on this deal, 15 minutes out of every hour you are awake. No walking barefoot, stay off it as much as possible, blah, blah

It could be PF tear or sprain/subluxed joint. Where exactly does it hurt? On the bottom, yeah, hence the name "plantar," but is it on the big toe side or the little toe side, closer to the heel or the ball of your foot, maybe right in the middle? PF tear is a whole other ballgame from plantar fasciitis.


Tape is generally good, low dye type strapping, but tough to do on your own foot. Support in shoe can help, but may just aggravate it. Do Not Go to the Good Feet Store I like Superfeet brand supports, company started by funny little fella from the PNW who would cut your tie off if he caught you wearing one in his biomechanics lab. May tolereate softer support better like SOF or Spenco. Will do better in stiff soled shoe, like a work boot. If it is a torn plantar fascia, it will be bruised, if no bruising, sprain/subluxation much more likely.

If you have the xrays, backlight them and take a picture. You can get crutches at the Goodwill Store, or at that Deseret Industries place on Auburn Blvd, out back and to the left.

The tight calf just puts strain on the PF and puts pressure at the 5th metatarsal head and serves to unlock the midtarsal joint. This takes stress off the bone and puts it onto the soft tissue, and that's bad, mmmkay.

[Reifle]

I feel your pain! 6'7" about 250 lbs and love bball! I had to get orthodics made and it still took a long time for the arch to settle! I also had a reflexoligist (sp) massage my feet and this sped up the process and was walking normal in no time. I also rolled a tennis ball under my feet on the ground while watching TV - it helped as well.

[Normy]

I had plantar facitis in my left foot in 2008, and my right foot in 2009. In my case, it was caused by insufficient stretching, improper footwear, and age [44].

I run about 100 miles per month, and about 1000 miles per year. I run in ASICS running shoes...the only shoes that hold up! Ask any distance runner which shoes are the best and they will always say ASICS. I run on the balls of my feet, and tend to push off with my right feet, so I tend the wear the left front side of my right shoe. I coat the front of my shoes with "Goop", which is a thickened rubber cement. By doing this, I can get 500 miles from a set of running shoes, which takes me about 5-6 months. Most running magazines will tell you to replace your running shoes after about this distance irregardless due to the fact that the shoes padding is pressed down, and doesn't protect your knees as well. I buy Asics "Foundation" shoes from www.roadrunnersports.com, since this odd motion-control shoe is difficult to find in stores.

N!

[widebody911]

I've been wearing the Spenco inserts for years.

I've seen you mention the Good Feet Store before; I believe you, but what is the deal, specifically? I've heard guys at work talk about them.

I stretch my ankles, calves, hams, etc religiously.

The pain is in this area

[Drdogface]

Hmmm....mine was more in the arch Go see Tobra...he's local and will help you more than thru PPOT. Yep, it hurts like a bi...itch.

[MOMO3.2]

I am sorry to hear of your injury.

I had that knife blade to the bottom of the foot feeling that lasted for about 18 months. After a couple months, I said to hell with it and stayed active despite the pain.

I play in competitive tennis leagues now and have not had a problem in about 5 years.

I have heard wearing the boot at night that stretches the calf muscle helps.

Good luck to you.

Mike

[Tobra]

So you felt it give in the middle of your arch but the pain is in your heel, atypical, but not unheard of. There are a ton of ways to treat the chronic stuff, you have a more acute thing going. Ice will still help you a lot, steroid shot would do you some good too. If you are going to SD soonish, you need to be resting it, icing and taking ibuprofen with food if you are able. Roll tennis ball or can or something in your arch in the morning before you get out of bed, do the stretches for your calves with your knees straight and bent

It is not that the Good Feet place has bad stuff, they just overcharge in an obscene fashion and will sell you three sets of insoles and a pair of shoes no matter what is wrong with you or if they would do you any good. For example, the supports I suggested are about $40, you would pay $250 for something equivalent with those other guys.

[widebody911]

Well, it hurt like hell when I tried to get up this morning. And I'm feeling kinda dumb now for declining the offer of crutches.

[Tobra]

you can get crutched at Goodwill or the Deseret Store on Auburn Blvd, like I say. PM me if you want to come in and get a shot, can even give you the pelican discount.

[madmmac]

I know the pain. Tore mine coaching basketball, running backwards all practice reffing a scrimmage game. Some pain in the evening, iced it and really thought nothing of it till the next morning. I absolutely could not put my foot on the ground and had no idea why.

Crutches, walking boot, drugs, injections, rehab and then finally needed release surgery. More crutches, walking boot, drugs, injections and rehab. Big toe was numb on the outside for about 8 months after surgery but that came back. Then a neuoma under my big toe flared up and has never went away. It's like walking around with a small rock in your shoe under your big toe. I may finally have surgery to remove or kill the nerves--we'll see, I have been putting up with it for 4 years now.

The best thing I found early on for some relief is to wear the night splint that pulls up on your toes to stretch the facia while you sleep. Although it is not all that easy to sleep with it on...it does help.

Good luck.

[peppy]

I too suffer from de flat foot... When I was a teen I had steel shanks that I wore in my shoes.

I have been looking for some lately, but the shoe store is out of business.