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foot injury

I have unfortunately managed to get a foot injury - plantar faciitis, my god does it hurt or what!!!!. Ive tried sessions with a physio and i course of anti - inflammatry tablets but im still not able to run.

Its been 8 weeks since i last managed to run and as a result im not going to be able to race in my last event of the year which was going to be the Phuket triathlon, gutted is an understatement !!!!

I would most grateful for any help or advice on how i can get my running shoes back on again.

Comments

  • toadtoad Posts: 104
    If you feel you have given conservative treatment a good go,and it is confirmed that you have plantarfasciitis you may want to consider the possibility of coricosteroid injection. It is often very effective but its application is quite painful. However i know plenty of athletes and soldiers who will happily put up with a few seconds of discomfort in order to make a quick recovery. If you do decide to go down this track it is absolutely important that you sort out your lower limb biomechanics, prescription of orthotics or a firmer arch support if required can be helpful and often are necessary to prevent recurrence.

  • Thanks for your reply to my message about my foot injury.

    I did discuss with my doctor about injections in my foot but he seemed reluctant and gave the impression that they were a last resort and that in many cases they did not work.

    Would i benefit from visiting a podiatrist ?
  • toadtoad Posts: 104
    podiatry would be a good bet, however it will take time to adapt to the new orthotic and it is unlikely you will get a miracle cure.

    Taping the arch of the foot can often give you an idea of whether an orthotic will do the trick ( your physio may have tried this already)

    Freezing an orange and then rolling the arch of the foot over it for 5 minutes a day, can help stretch the plantarfascia as well as reduce discomfort.

    dorsiflexion splints worn at night can also help stretch the plantarfascia but they are a bit of a nuisance.



    My personal recommendation to patients is if the problem has not resolved within 8-12 weeks and they are wanting to get on with things provided they have tried a conservative aproach then an injection is worth considering.



    Its really a matter of priorities, if you are happy to wait, miss a few events and concentrate on swimming and cycling chances are with podiatry and corrective exercise it will eventually get better.

    If you really need to compete or feel an inability to run is going to drastically reduce your chances of getting where you want to be, an injection is worth considering, obviously there are complications with injections eg infection however provided things are done properly the risk is minimised.

    It may pay to ask your doctor if he/she knows of a specialist sports physician that they can refer you to for advice, often these specialist do plantarfascia injections regularly and can give you a good idea of how successful they are........ then it is up to you to make an informed choice.

  • JonhinioJonhinio Posts: 289
    As well as a frozen orange a golf ball is also good to roll under your foot. There was a good article in last month's runners world about treatments etc
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