Run Run Away

Question:

Someone suggested taping it and I find that works VERY well for me.

Could you give me details? Tape how? Sorry to be so off-topic in  this forum. Robin "Why are you trying to be a non-conformist like everyone else?"

Response:

Hello Chris, Yes I also suffer real bad from Plantar Fasciitis,  I have been getting shots into the heel to help with the pain.  Gets so bad I can’t stand to walk on it. Some things you can do is: keep taking the anti-inflammatory (my Dr. recommends Alive with Naproxen.  Also I got a pair of New Balance 305’s ($39.00 at Feet are Us) and that helped a lot.  The other thing is never go without shoes, this makes the condition much worse.  They recommend a pair of "Berkinstines) spelling, sandals for around the house when you don’t wear your regular shoes.  Last but not least, stop by a drug or health store and pick up a pair of "orthoses" (good inserts), this will help stretch the fascia. On the NET is a couple good home pages that discuss Plantar Fasciitis, I don’t remember the URL, by using a search engine (Yahoo or Alta Vista) you will go right to it.  You will probably have this problem the rest of your life. The "description" on the WEB for the person that has this condition fit me well; Over 45, about 40 pounds over weight, and used to walk a lot, but has since stopped…   Hope that helps. Darv Meler

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My family and I are going on a six-week, typical tourist type camping trip to  the Northwest in May/June ‘98. We plan to do lots of hiking, etc., but I have  recently been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis..very painful. Supposedly,  according to the doctor, it should be "healed" by around Dec. of this year,  but with a lot of research, I’ve found that many people suffer with it for  years if not a lifetime.

Response:

Some things you can do is: keep taking the anti-inflammatory (my Dr. recommends Alive with Naproxen.  Also I got a pair of New Balance 305’s ($39.00 at Feet are Us) and that helped a lot.  The other thing is never go without shoes, this makes the condition much worse.  They recommend a pair of "Berkinstines) spelling, sandals for around the house when you don’t wear your regular shoes.

Yes, I  bought a pair of New Balance 550’s (I think) and have also found that  Aleve helps me MUCH more than ibuprofen. By Berkinstines, do you mean Birkenstocks? My podiatrist told me NEVER, NEVER,  NEVER, NEVER to wear mine anymore…I really miss them! My favorite "around  the campsite" shoes. Was hoping maybe there was a "secret boot" out there that would be helpful for  hiking, but am finding that maybe it’s more the inserts and medication that do  the trick..along with the stretches. Has anyone tried any of the products from Feel Good catalog? What about  magnetic therapy? Hoax? Thanks, Robin "Why are you trying to be a non-conformist like everyone else?"

Response:

My family and I are going on a six-week, typical tourist type camping trip to  the Northwest in May/June ‘98. We plan to do lots of hiking, etc., but I have  recently been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis..very painful. Supposedly,  according to the doctor, it should be "healed" by around Dec. of this year,  but with a lot of research, I’ve found that many people suffer with it for  years if not a lifetime. My question is this…what moderately priced shoes/hiking boots would you  recommend? Does anybody else out there suffer with this problem? If you can  help me, I’d appreciate it very much…and so would my family.

Someone suggested taping it and I find that works VERY well for me. I also take a lot of "vitamin I", also known as ibuprofen. Sometimes I even take it as a preventative before I get into a situation that might lead to a foot or ankle stress injury because I feel it allows me to stretch better and thereby avoid injury altogether. But I think my pain is probably milder than a lot of other people’s. Chris Taylor

Response:

My family and I are going on a six-week, typical tourist type camping trip to  the Northwest in May/June ‘98. We plan to do lots of hiking, etc., but I have  recently been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis..very painful. Supposedly,  according to the doctor, it should be "healed" by around Dec. of this year,  but with a lot of research, I’ve found that many people suffer with it for  years if not a lifetime. My question is this…what moderately priced shoes/hiking boots would you  recommend? Does anybody else out there suffer with this problem? If you can  help me, I’d appreciate it very much…and so would my family. Robin "Why do you want to be a non-conformist like everyone else?"

Response:

says… Supposedly, according to the doctor, it should be "healed" by around Dec. of this year, but with a lot of research, I’ve found that many people suffer with it for years if not a lifetime.

If you continue to exercise, don’t expect it to heal anytime soon.  I developed this problem back in the mid-80’s when I was running 90+ miles per week and racing every other weekend.  It never cleared up until I got off the racing circuit in the early 90’s. My question is this…what moderately priced shoes/hiking boots would you recommend? Does anybody else out there suffer with this problem? If you can help me, I’d appreciate it very much…and so would my family.

My experience was that the running shoes I was wearing were irrelevent.  I would presume the same would be true for hiking boots.  What DID work for me (and I ran for about 8 years with the problem), was to ice the foot three times a day and tape it before running.  The taping method is as follows:    Start with a strip under your big toe, wrap around the heel and end up on top of the small toe.  Now, starting in the back of the foot, tape across the bottom of the foot in strips.  Don’t completely wrap the foot.  All you’re trying to do is support the arch.  Work your way forward.  When you’ve taped the entire arch portion, finish off with a strip that starts on top of the big toe, wraps around the heel, and ends up beneath the little toe.  Note:  You may need to use a sports adhesive spray (NOT STICK-UM unless you want a permanent wrap) if your feet are prone to sweating like mine are.    One other tip…  When you go up or down stairs, make sure you place your entire foot on the step, not just the toes or the balls of your feet.  The same is true when hiking.  You don’t want to stretch the toes.  That’s what puts pressure on the injured area.  (Smearing for rock climbing would be out of the question.)  A good exercise is to put a newspaper on the floor and crumple it with your toes.  You could also do it with a towel.    To ice the foot, I recommend using an ice cup.  Freeze a spoon or tongue depressor in a dixie cup, then peel away the cup.  Using the spoon or depressor as a handle, massage the ice on your foot for 20 minutes.  Do this 3 times a day.   Hope this helps! — Ron

Response: