Taking care of yer aching feet (guest post)!

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Thanks so much to Meg for this at-my-request guest post.

Please to enjoy.

Feet– sometimes called ugly… used to propel and support us (when we are standing, walking, running, jumping, etc) throughout the day…. are sometimes neglected in the world of the athlete.
Let’s face it: when your feet aren’t happy, you are miserable.

After suffering from plantar fasciitis (finally learned to spell it) this summer, I thought it imperative to discuss this and what can be done to prevent it.

The plantar fascia is the “meaty part” of the bottom of the foot, that runs essentially under the arch from the heel to the balls of the feet. (This is the part that usually feels really good when massaged). The -itis refers to the inflammation that occurs in this part of the foot.
Generally speaking, the complaint may be pain in the heel. It is worse in the morning and improves as the day goes on. One might experience more pain after long walks.

In my case, the pain started in the achilles tendon. The achilles tendon comes off the calf muscles (back of the lower leg) and actually becomes the plantar fascia — (pretty cool how our muscles and tendons are inter-connected). It would hurt A LOT after I ran or walked or did anything on my feet. In the morning, I couldn’t walk. It was embarrassing. If I sat for a period of time, it was challenging getting up and walking across the room.

When I looked up recommendations for treatment, many sites and physicians suggest orthotics, heel stretching exercises, ice therapy, night splints, medications, as well as some other interventions.

If you know me, you know that I do not take medications unless I am dying. You also know that I have worn orthotics in the past and walked these flat and ended up with knee problems from the orthotics and slower running times (not saying that you should not invest in orthotics if recommended– for me, I need to do exercises to keep my pelvic girdle healthy). And you know that I rarely listen to doctors… I know BAD… but I experiment and figure it out.

So, when I sought advice from a colleague, Mort (a retired chiropractor), he asked me what I was doing to my achilles tendon. He said it was so tense, he was surprised it hadn’t ruptured or calcified…. ooops.. He recommended that I do cross-fiber friction/massage with a towel, using vitamin E in a lotion to help break up the tightness. Mort also suggested I roll my feet on a ball. (I began using a baseball– as I work in baseball, easy to come by. Needed to find a golf ball, but for now, this was better than nothing).

I asked another colleague to do some deep tissue work… a combination of ART (active release technique) and some trigger point work. I have a very high tolerance for pain, but OUCH!!!! Starting at the juncture of the calf and the achilles tendon, he massaged the tissue all the way down the achilles through the plantar fascia– and when I thought we were finished, REPEAT!!! (and then the other foot)… he used a lotion that had vitamin E and arnica (a natural agent that reduces swelling). It was recommended that I roll my feet daily on the golf ball (could start with a bottle or the baseball to warm the tissue up) and I could use bio-freeze or a lotion like the one he used.

And amazingly so, that was the beginning the healing process. The tissue started to release and I could walk somewhat easily with minimal pain. Until the 3-Day walk…..

Day one of the 3-Day walk, i was in pain. Fortunately, there was a chiropractor as part of the sports medicine team in the walk… and she adjusted my hips, thoracic spine, neck and then did a release on my feet.

WOW!!! I felt the calcaneus bone move instantly… and the pain and tightness that ran from my foot to my hip released.

The calcaneus bone is the heel bone. It, like all bones, is supposed to have a natural rhythm in its joint or movement. My heel had gotten stuck, so to speak. When the heel was adjusted, the true healing began. The bone was stuck, so the normal tracking of the tissue had changed.
Because I was training for a marathon, the repetitive foot movement was further irritating the fascia.

My thoughts:

— shoes that fit and provide comfortable support… you are running in these. Do you feel like they will support you through your natural movement or restrict you. If the shoes restrict your natural motion, you might create a new movement pattern b/c of compensation.
(shoes should be rotated in the course of a week.. ie– don’t train in the same shoes every day and the shoes you train in should not be worn all day. shoes also need to be replaced about every two or three months, pending the mileage.)

— orthotics…. they don’t work for me. That does not mean that you shouldn’t use them, if your feet pronate (collapse or are flat).

— heel stretching… IMPORTANT… this is actually your calf stretches. I use stairs and drop my heels. I use a stretch board and turn my foot in and out and keep it straight (changing foot position changes the stretch). I keep my knee slightly bent and I extend it.

— icing after run… for me, to keep my feet healthy, I need to soak my feet in a bucket of ice water for about 20 minutes.

— rolling the fascia…. to warm up for my runs, bike-rides, spin classes, I roll my feet on the golf ball. I do the same to cool-down.

— stretching after your runs…. if your hamstrings are tight, your hips are tight, low- back is tight, your calves are tight, and your feet feel all of it. sometimes I use a yoga video in the am or pm to feel centered and loose.

It is important to note that a little prevention goes a long way.

Motion originates in the feet. Let’s keep them happy.

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Comments

  1. First off, I love feet. Not in a fetish kind of way, but in a “our feet are the way we connect to the earth” kind of way. And I think feet are like snowflakes. Weird? Probably.

    Anyhow, I can’t wait to send this post to my aunt who is struggling struggling struggling with PF (I have not learned how to spell it). I send her stuff from time to time when I see something about it, but never EVER have heard about seeing a chiropracter. And I love my chiropracter, in ways that would be impolite to mention here.

    GREAT post! Thanks guys!

  3. Feet are important…I ahve someething goign on with one of mine…and it hurts…can’t ignore it unless I want to SIT all the time…which I don’t. Hope it goes away soon!(am using doc perscribed stuff on it)

  6. I have super wide feet and wear Birkenstocks all summer. I’d wear them now, but it’s below 0 with the wind chill. I actually like the way my Birks look, though I realize the chunkiness isn’t for everyone. I think good shoes are key to avoiding foot problems.

  8. That pesky PF. I’ve been suffering for over 2 yrs. I’m super bad about taking care of it. I usually get it somewhat under control, run a marathon, then pay the price!

  9. Great post. There are some really good tips here. (Having suffered with Plantar Fasciitis for 3 years, I can totally relate.)
    The only advice I would add is: don’t let it get so bad that you have to have shock-wave therapy. Really. Just don’t.

  12. Great guest post! My problems are usually not in my feet, but my knees, however, I have suffered through more than my share of broken toes (I have weird toes and they lend themselves to breaking) so I can empathize with the pain.

    Happy feet make happy runners ^_^

  13. This is such an informative post! I will share this with a friend who suffers from plantar fasciitis as well. I massage my feet everyday with lotion. I love how it loosens and relaxes my feet after being cooped up for 12 hours.
    – Kaith

  14. Thanks so much, Meg! I didn’t know about any of this. My mum is a certified veterinary chiropractor so I know the value of it… we really have to make sure we care for our feet.

  16. It’s so important to take care of every part of our bodies – thanks for the reminder about our feet! They carry so much of a load each day and I often forget about them until they bother me!

    Great post and wonderful writing.

  17. Great post and wonderful tips – as I am just starting to have some heel pain, I will definitely heed Meg’s advice and hopefully avoid the worst of what can come.

  18. Wonderful Guest post from My “Wonder Woman” Meg!!! Hard to believe anything slowed this woman down!!! Well Said, Well Written!!! Very Sound, Researched, And Proven advice!! I JUST LOVE HAPPY FEET!!! 😉
    Love ya Both!
    Monique

  19. As I sit here with a possibly sprained foot/ankle, this post REALLY resonates with me. I’m going to find a golf ball, get some arnica lotion and get the Boy to massage my foot. That’s what love is for, right?

  20. What an awesome post… I think we take advantage of those little buggers so it’s nice to see them get some recognition 🙂 Definitely something I’ll show the husband to get some new running shoes!

  21. Thanks for a great guest post. I have some minor heel pain occasionally when I’m up in the miles or doing something weird (apparently the 30 day shred just made my heels wanna cry by week 4). I am going to seek out a golf ball and in January look into getting a second pair of shoes. The ones I have now feel FAST but I’m not sure if they’ll be comfortable for distance. I’m fairly decent at remembering to stretch but I *hate* icing (I’m essentially cold blooded and hate anything that makes me cold).

  22. Thanks for all the detailed info! I hear tons about plantar fascitis but no one ever bothers to fill in the specifics. And I am so interested in learning more about ART now…hmmm…

  23. i had probs with my shoes as they were a bit tight at the front. but i guess it was natural as the shoes were very new that time and i was also using such type of shoes for the first time. so it was uncomfortable at starting, like feeling a bit itchy.
    But yea we need to take care of our feet also as it carries our whole body weight. Its a very useful guest post

  24. ART, a medically patented technique used to treat soft tissue areas of the body, such as scar tissue, adhesions, nerve entrapments, myofasciitis, and other conditions involving the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. ART is effective for all types of injuries. ART helps the healing of patients suffering from conditions ranging from chronic migraine headaches, back, neck, and shoulder pain, knee problems, plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, etc… These conditions and many more can often be resolved quickly and permanently with ART.

  25. Body Works Inc. specializes in Active Release Techniques, or ART, a medically patented technique used to treat soft tissue areas of the body, such as scar tissue, adhesions, nerve entrapments, myofasciitis, and other conditions involving the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. ART is effective for all types of injuries. You should never neglect you feet. If your feet hurt it usually means they are trying to tell you something and it can effect your whole physical wellbeing so listen to your body and take care of them.

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