PLANTAR FASCIITIS IN ONE SPOT!

has anyone attempted to marathon train with a bad case of plantar fasciitis.. Getting treatment at moment and it seems to be just on my heel and not down my foot but it has stopped me running for 2 weeks as it hurts a lot!!  Its driving me mad not running as I had become very fit prior to this happening.. Done few halfs,10k 5k etc but never marathon,base build up of 30 miles per week. Its a vlm charity place so extra pressure not to mention family life and part time work.. Should I give place up or is it realistic to get rid of plantar in time to train.. any suggestions greatly appreciated

Thanks,Im prob not icing it enough,its just the first injury Ive had to stop me in my tracks,also the prognosis on the internet is rather depressing! I shall try in a few days and see how I get on and just keep trying I guess...

if it is PF - there are other conditions that can cause similar discomfort so you really need a professional assessment to tell - then it can take some time to resolve.  I guess the internet has told you that already.  some people recover from PF quickly, others can take ages - I've been suffering with it since January as an example.

rest is the obvious first choice with foot massage and stretching the plantar (loads of advice in t'internet).  once it feels OK again, then try a gentle run and if pain returns, the stop and rest again.  it might be useful if after a period of this and it's not improving, then getting some professional advice.  they may suggest solutions such as orthotics, night splints (keeps the plantar stretched in bed) or even cortisone.   

you can still keep fit by by cycling or rowing machine but thet doesn't help for full marathon training as they aren't impact sports like running.

for me, rest, stretching, night splints and a change of running shoe has helped and I'm getting back to sopme decent miles but I know I still have a way to go.

and you don't have to pull out of VLM yet - you have 6 months to get ready.  give it till the New Year.

Fwiw, when marathon training I've found a monthly sports massage a very worthwhile investment. Sometimes stretching is just not enough to keep muscles in good order

My doc gave me 1 week ibuprofen 400mg 3x a day.  Rest.  I supplemented with night splint and heel air cast. 2 weeks and it 2 was pretty much gone.  It rarely bothers me a month later but i still wear the air cast daily and night splint occasionally.  I have started icing as I up mileage cautiously.  I am an otherwise healthy 29 yo male.   

The strassburg sock is what I use.  It is proven to some extent an seems to help.  I heard ibuprofen doesn't work as there is no blood supply in the tendon.  I was sceptical but appeared to work.  I heard cortisone is better but it is very aggresive and weakens the tendons (I also wondered if it'd help me lose weight as a side effect - a reason cyclists dope with it but the doc wouldn't give it me)!  

I have had PF since November 2011. It went after a couple of months and then I started training for this years VLM. All went well until I upped my mileage and then it returned. I had to stop training and withdrew from the marathon. I have only just started training again on soft ground and it still hurts a bit.

I have tried ice, stretching exercises, physio, heel cups, etc. My GP has told me to start training again as the excercise might help. He thinks after nine months it should be on the mend. My advice is try different things see what helps but you have to give it time  not rush back into training. There doesn't seem to be any easy answer.

cortisone is hot and  miss with PF - various reports from those who say it cleared the issue, opther say it didn't and caused other problems.  take from that what you can!

nightsplints/strassburg socks only prevent that first foot on the ground morning pain - which can be very very painful - but I'm not convinced they actually do offer a solution to the root cause of the problem.  but then I'm not sure anything actually sorts the problem out - it's the combination of a number of approaches that seems best.   

I've changed to Kona One One shoes recently as reviews have said they help - and I think they do.  recent runs have produced little or no post-run PF pain

I think Cortisone seems to be a last resort,it definately seems to be a combination of trying different things.Someone has recommeded a physio that assures me is the "king" of getting rid of it. He lives locally so will see how I get on and post back. Am doing all other stuff at moment and have been given more time from charity to decide. The shoes are interesting as that would have been my next question when I get back to running. Its only been a few weeks,so I guess Im not very patient,all of you guys have had it ages,so I appreciate the time taken to offer solutions. I will learn never to ignore niggles again and had no idea the effect on my mood, not running has had! I can barely walk at the moment so would be happy to do just that for now..

physios can be fine but you might be better served seeing a podiatriast as they specialise in foot issues.  I used the services of a local sports injury centre and was treated by the chief medic (he was in charge of the medical support for the Paralympics) who admitted that PF is one of the most difficult injuries to treat effectively as there's no single treatment that is guaranteed to bring a positive outcome.

Plantar fasciitis can be treated very effectively with shockwave therapy. Combining shockwave with all other conventional physiotherapy stretches and massage etc. will give you a better chance of fully recovering from plantar fasciitis.

PM me for any personal enquiries I am based in beds and bucks.

Hi  Newy  it seems strange you have only got this in your heel,

I had P.F in both feet at different times it is horrible i used the wooden foot rollers on it for an hour in the evening,  i have a foot spa which i added 6 tablespoons of rocksalt each evening,, to be honest i never stopped running with this, i just cut down my distance, Also i does not hurt when you run with P.F. its the following morning trying to get out of bed which is the killer. i had it in my left foot for 4 months befor things looked up, Im affraid to say i had it for 6 months in my right foot good luck time is a great healer

Dear bloggers,

I have read some interesting comments regarding the management of this dreadful condition we know as plantar fasciitis.

Some of the comments are quite true with regards to available treatments and the avoidance of corticosteroid injections.

I am a musculoskeletal specialist podiatrist based in Southampton. I am also a runner and manage sports related injuries. As plantar fasciitis is so common I have developed my own website dedicated to the condition. Feel free to take a look at the free videos. There is plenty of information on available treatments.

www.plantarfasciitisgone.com

If anyone has any questions please get in touch

kind regards

Benn Boshell

Hello,

Have been off here for a while as trying all  the suggestions given on here ,and it became a full time job as well as working! For me what has worked so far,and I have a long way to go but it I can walk almost normally now and I have been limping for 3 weeks!!, is icing morning and night,full bowl of iced water,freezing my foot off, towel grabbing and step calf stretches every day. I have also resorted to ibubrofen 3xtimes a day 400mg as toro suggested..I did not want to go down this road but it HAS helped. Heel cups,shoe inserts for me was useless and painful.I am also having a leg massage every two weeks for 1 hr. The exercise programme HAS to be followed EVERY day . Its a pain but if you only do it the odd time it will not work.. I am feeling more positive but I know I have a long way to go..Btw I am planning to go the barefoot route over the next year if i can run normally. I am now unsure what to do about marathon training,it looks like I will be off 6 weeks in total if im lucky which means by mid dec I will try running.. well I cant start following a marathon training programme from Jan can I after being off so long?? Any advice please would be great...

Benn

Thanks for these videos,very helpful and hopeful.. I will pass them on..Its great that you run as you can understand the frustration and the podiatrists I have visited have all suggested stopping running and almost taking up knitting!! If you saw my blog about returning to running after 6 weeks,perhaps you could advise if I would be wise to give up VLM training.. I was doing about 30miles per week before injury..

Benn - nice site - wish I'd known about it when my PF was bad but most of the method of cure you suggest I've tried - it's just nice to see it all in one place.

you might want to take a look at Hoka One One running shoes which have been a big help to me - and there is a lot of evidence to support them as a good way of overcoming PF pain from running.  a zero drop, forward rocking motion and deep cushioning all help