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Plantar Fasciitis
Mar. 14th, 2008 11:05 amWoodwardia asked me to write up something about Plantar Fasciitis for a Live Journal friend of her's. Since I know a lot of people with this problem, and am often asked about it, I'm posting this here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis
I'm a performance dancer in a very physically demanding dance form. A few years after I started, probably in my late thirties, I got plantar fasciitis and had to take a six month leave from my performance group. I tried everything up to and including cortisone shots. Nothing worked. Then I met a sports medicine specialist at Kaiser who showed me how to live with the problem. Using the techniques I've described below, I've been able to live with plantar fasciitis, manage it, and keep dancing for almost twenty years. Unfortunately, doing this is not easy and takes a great deal of work every day.
According to the Kaiser doctor, you need to realize two things to deal effectively with plantar fasciitis. First, once you get plantar fasciitis, it _never_ goes away, it just hides for a while. You will have to manage it every day for the rest of your life. Second, you do most of the damage when you first get out of bed in the morning.
Managing plantar fasciitis means stretching. All the time. You can't possibly do it too often or too much. This is relatively easy for me, since I don't drive and I'm often waiting for a subway train or bus. I stand on a stair in the station with the heals of my feet hanging over the edge and -- very gently -- provide downward pressure. Another good stretch involves planting your foot on the ground and leaning forward against a wall. Anything that stretches the systems of muscles and tendons that go along the bottoms of your feet, up the backs of your legs, and over your buttocks.
For people who drive a lot, I think it must be much harder to integrate stretching into your life, but I would suggest that whenever you get out of the car, or in any other situation where your muscles were relaxed, lean against the car (or whatever) and stretch before you do anything else. If appropriate, consider standing at your desk at work, or in a meeting, and stretching while you work. The key is to make stretching so much a part of your everyday life that you don't have to think about doing it; you just automatically stretch throughout the day.
The second issue is getting out of bed. When you've been lying down for six or eight hours, your muscles and tendons are completely relaxed. If you suddenly use them when the tendons are inflamed, you encourage the inflammation.
My doctor had me take a towel or the belt from a robe and, while still in bed, lie on my back. I would put the belt around the bottom of a foot with the two ends of the belt in my hands and -- very gently -- raise my straightened leg off the bed until I could feel the tendon go tight. I would stretch each leg every time before getting out of bed -- even to go to the toilet. Being gentle is important because your tendons are relaxed and easier to damage. Since I have the plantar fasciitis under control, I no longer do this stretch, but I lean forward against the bed and stretch each morning. (Watching me this morning is when Woodwardia remembered to ask me to write this!)
Even after you think you are completely cured, remember that you aren't, and be sure to listen to your body. Keep stretching. At the earliest sign of renewed plantar fasciitis, increase your stretching and back off your exercise. That said, when you aren't injured, get lots of exercise. Keep your muscle tone up and your weight down, which reduces the weight your feet and legs must support and maneuver, and thus the stress on the tendons.
When the plantar fasciitis is at it's worst, do not put your full weight on the arches of your feet when barefootor or in unsupported slippers. Wear well-supported shoes from the instant you get out of bed. Get inserts with good arch support since those stretch the tendons on the bottom of your feet. If you can afford it, you might consider prescription arch supports molded to your feet.
Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
-- Donald
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis
I'm a performance dancer in a very physically demanding dance form. A few years after I started, probably in my late thirties, I got plantar fasciitis and had to take a six month leave from my performance group. I tried everything up to and including cortisone shots. Nothing worked. Then I met a sports medicine specialist at Kaiser who showed me how to live with the problem. Using the techniques I've described below, I've been able to live with plantar fasciitis, manage it, and keep dancing for almost twenty years. Unfortunately, doing this is not easy and takes a great deal of work every day.
According to the Kaiser doctor, you need to realize two things to deal effectively with plantar fasciitis. First, once you get plantar fasciitis, it _never_ goes away, it just hides for a while. You will have to manage it every day for the rest of your life. Second, you do most of the damage when you first get out of bed in the morning.
Managing plantar fasciitis means stretching. All the time. You can't possibly do it too often or too much. This is relatively easy for me, since I don't drive and I'm often waiting for a subway train or bus. I stand on a stair in the station with the heals of my feet hanging over the edge and -- very gently -- provide downward pressure. Another good stretch involves planting your foot on the ground and leaning forward against a wall. Anything that stretches the systems of muscles and tendons that go along the bottoms of your feet, up the backs of your legs, and over your buttocks.
For people who drive a lot, I think it must be much harder to integrate stretching into your life, but I would suggest that whenever you get out of the car, or in any other situation where your muscles were relaxed, lean against the car (or whatever) and stretch before you do anything else. If appropriate, consider standing at your desk at work, or in a meeting, and stretching while you work. The key is to make stretching so much a part of your everyday life that you don't have to think about doing it; you just automatically stretch throughout the day.
The second issue is getting out of bed. When you've been lying down for six or eight hours, your muscles and tendons are completely relaxed. If you suddenly use them when the tendons are inflamed, you encourage the inflammation.
My doctor had me take a towel or the belt from a robe and, while still in bed, lie on my back. I would put the belt around the bottom of a foot with the two ends of the belt in my hands and -- very gently -- raise my straightened leg off the bed until I could feel the tendon go tight. I would stretch each leg every time before getting out of bed -- even to go to the toilet. Being gentle is important because your tendons are relaxed and easier to damage. Since I have the plantar fasciitis under control, I no longer do this stretch, but I lean forward against the bed and stretch each morning. (Watching me this morning is when Woodwardia remembered to ask me to write this!)
Even after you think you are completely cured, remember that you aren't, and be sure to listen to your body. Keep stretching. At the earliest sign of renewed plantar fasciitis, increase your stretching and back off your exercise. That said, when you aren't injured, get lots of exercise. Keep your muscle tone up and your weight down, which reduces the weight your feet and legs must support and maneuver, and thus the stress on the tendons.
When the plantar fasciitis is at it's worst, do not put your full weight on the arches of your feet when barefootor or in unsupported slippers. Wear well-supported shoes from the instant you get out of bed. Get inserts with good arch support since those stretch the tendons on the bottom of your feet. If you can afford it, you might consider prescription arch supports molded to your feet.
Hope some of this helps. Good luck!
-- Donald
