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Need a Quick Recovery from plantar fascia

Hi Folks

my first injury in 2 years of training happened monday evening. a quick 10k run went very well with a new PB and everything seemed fine. next morning my left foot ached when it was flat on the floor and after doing some research i think i have Plantar Fascia. have rested it since monday but work doesnt help and i have a 50mile charity ride on sunday and an olympic dis Tri on July 7th..... so need to get back out on my feet. im guessing biking and swimming are o.k but the running seems off limits....... so was wondering of any quick fixes for this problem. (ice and stretching and pain killers and pain gels used at present)

Thanks in advance

also my running shoes are bout 1yr old and were properly fitted, i am flat footed but has never played up before, perhaps i pushed myself toooooo much after a long day at work

MiKe

Comments

  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Quick fix for PF
    Put a tennis ball under the sole of the feet and gently start to push down whilst rolling the ball backwards and forwards,this stretches the tendon,gradually increase the pressure each time.You can use a golf ball #couldbepainful. Also if the foot has been inactive for a while,due to sitting or sleeping,stretch the leg out,then point your toes away from you,and then hold it for about 30secs then with the leg still stretched out try to point the toes back towards the body,repeat a few times,this should reduce the tension,ice is ok initially, but stretching and massaging is a better option.
  • I had same thing (supposedly) last April. Spent a fortune on seeing specialists, getting new trainers (even though I didnt really need new ones) etc. Cycling made it bad too...
    Off triathlons ALL season. Arch of foot really painful.
    Got appointment to have it injected in Nov/Dec, but as they scanned it I was told it wasnt PF but it was Plantar Fibromas (not sure on the spelling), no injections done. Has taken a year to fully recover....
    So, good luck to you. I hope it doesnt last as long as mine did!
  • CydweliCydweli Posts: 6
    Have suffered with this in the past 1st time it took a while to recover from,but second time I changed my trainers and had them fitted correctly and also bought which I can only describe as a wooden rolling pin with ridges on it from e bay cost about £4 and rolled my foot over it daily seemed to work for me. Good Luck.
  • Phil TPhil T Posts: 49
    There isn't really a quick fix solution to PF which isn't probably what you wanted to hear. I suppose possibly taping techniques could be considered quick fix but they can be a faff. Have a look on Youtube for plantarfasciitis taping I'm sure something will appear.

    If it is PF it's a soft tissue injury so rest is vital. Calf & Hamstring stretches, NSAIDs, think of calf muscle compression stockings. The plantarfascia, in the view of many is the same structure as the Achilles/calf muscle complex, hence why we recommend stretching of the posterior muscles of the leg. I also recommend a tin of beans, label off and leave it the fridge then use it to roll your foot over.

    If you think you're flat footed I'd get this checked out by a sports/NHS biomechanical podiatrist. Flat feet aren't always problematic but excessive pronation can be and the two are different. I'm a pod and I've had patients appear at my clinic telling me they are flat footed when they aren't. Steroid injections are ok in most cases but if the cause is your mechanics then that needs to be addressed. Speak to the GP soonest and ask for a referral preferably to Podiatric Biomechanics.

    If your trainers are a year old I'd consider a change. Also try heel lifts in your trainers that will take some force off the PF/Achilles but the stretches become even more important if you use them. What trainers do you use? How do you run (heel strike forefoot strike)? There are a lot of factors to take in hence why I'd say consider getting checked.

    Cheers Phil
  • XpiderXpider Posts: 22
    Thankyou so much for all your advice !!

    I'm currently rolling a frozen bottle of water under the arch and this seems to help a lot . I did a charity ride yesterday only 50miles and my foot was fine and didn't cause me any trouble what so ever, tho I'm guessing because all the pressure is on the front of my foot and at no real point was my foot flat. I have researched some stretchers so am a little pro active with them, Fingers crossed as i have a lot booked in in the coming months lol

    Thanks again for your words of wisdom
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