Workouts with Plantar Fascitis
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Anonymous
| I've been battling plantar fasciitis for a few months now. I can walk a little before it hurts too much and I ride my bicycle around the neighborhood for maybe 30-minutes a few days a week. Beside swimming and a rowing machine (as I don't have one), what are some cardio workouts I can do that won't irritate my plantar fasciitis? Thanks |
Anonymous
| Mine went away after 6 months but it only pained me after a workout |
Anonymous
| What are you doing FOR your PF? I think focus on that for now. |
Anonymous
I normally stretch my hamstrings, back, calves, ankles, etc every day for about 30 minutes as part of just getting going every morning. I've been doing that for over 2 years. My PF has been hitting hard for about 7 months. And I've really focused on it for about the last 2 months. I went to ortho and got an x ray as I thought it was a heel fracture because it's not worse in the morning. No tenderness on the arch. It gets worse the more I use it. etc. But Xrays showed it was PF. Started prednisone instead of cortisone shot. I rested for about 3 weeks straight taking 800mg of ibuprofen twice a day and icing it several times a day. Walked around the house in a ortho boot (I work from home). That really didn't help. Started using ortho slides around the house and stretching it and doing foot exercises. Doesn't seem to help. I started online physical therapy 2 weeks ago. I also massage my calves and feet with a massage gun 3 times a day. I lift weights 4 days a week. This doesn't seem to aggravate it. I have orthotic insoles and heel cups. The insoles seem to make it hurt worse so I use heel cups most often. Most of the time it feels OK until I walk for 5-10 minutes straight then my heel kills me. I can't run or it hurts very quickly. So that's why I'm looking for cardio ideas. I haven't done cardio besides riding my bike in months. Any hopping, stepping, skipping, etc kills my heel. |
Anonymous
| I've also used those night splints for about 2 weeks but my foot always feel asleep and would wake me up after a few hours so I stopped using that. I also used a PF supportive compression sock for a while. Didn't hurt but didn't seem to help either. There is just so many products, advice, ideas, ...it's really hard to know what to do and when to did. One the biggest problems I have is some much advice is to rest is and strengthen at the same time. Doesn't make sense to me. Stretching is not rest. Strengthening is not rest. I don't know. It's all so confusing. I just want to be able to workout without pain and I certainly don't want it to make it worse or delay the healing. |
Anonymous
| I had what I thought was plantar fasciitis - I could barely walk in the morning. I was taking a supplement and it turns out that it was causing high liver enzymes. When I stopped taking it, the liver enzymes went down and the plantar fasciitis went away. I suggest getting a few tests done before assuming PF is simply a physical problem rather than systemic issue. |
Anonymous
|
Do this one thing for two weeks and report back.
Buy orthotic slippers (see below for sample link; these adjust to your foot's width). Then, first thing EVERY SINGLE TIME you get out of bed, put your feet in these (not on the floor) and wear as much as possible while at home. I hope/think you will be very pleased at your rapid progress. https://www.amazon.com/Litfun-Orthopedic-Slippers-Adjustable-Fasciitis/dp/B0F62FDZ1M?th=1 |
Anonymous
DP. I also have PF and wanted to see what these slippers would do. The only thing that helps me is stretching (lower back, hips, hamstrings, etc) |
Anonymous
| I’ve had it for years and nothing worked until I started reformer Pilates. The stretching and muscle strengthening in the calf has made a world of difference. I’m not limping for the first time in years. |
Anonymous
I have a very similar pair but they aren't all fuzzy. They are orthopedic slides for PF. I wear them when I'm in the house. And just as an FYI...I know you say to use them first thing because that's when it's usually the most painful, but my feet don't bother me in the morning. I still wear my slides as soon as I get up. |
Anonymous
This is what I struggle with...when is stretching too much stretching? When is strengthening too much strengthening. When is doing these things doing more harm than good? If I knew stretching and strengthening was the key...I would do it all damn day, but it also needs rest because stretching and strengthening hurts my heel. I currently do 2 x 30 seconds of calf stretches pushing the wall, 2 x 30 secs of soleus stretches (foot a few inches from wall and push knee to wall), 2 x 30secs of downward dog, 2 x 30 elephant walks from down ward dog. 2 x 30 seconds of single leg downward dog. I also use my massage gun a lot throughout the day. I do single leg calf raises for strength, towels scrunches, ankle exercises with bands, toe yoga, I sit on then heels, I sit with my feet dorsiflexed. I do dorsiflexion exercises with bands. Big toe exercises with a band. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing too much. When does it heal? Like I said....I did nothing for a few weeks and that didn't help either. I stretch my hamstrings and lower back (I have a bad back at times). |
Anonymous
What was the supplement? I have heard that a inflammatory diet can make PF worse so I do limit sugar, alcohol, and processed foods. |
Anonymous
| You need to treat the PF, full stop. Go see a manual PT, who will treat your PF by working on your calf (it's referred pain). 3-4 visits over 2 weeks and you will be fine |
Anonymous
| I still ran on it but got Brooks Glicerin Max. Ugly, but I was able to run. Probably made it so it took longer for the PF to go away but I did eventually. |
Anonymous
| I found relieve as well by icing my arches. I froze a disposable water bottle and just rolled back and forth with my feet. |