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Wife finally made me go to an orthopedist at the practice she worked at. He recommended cheap Walmart heel cups only and stretching twice a day on stairs, a couple months later I had zero pain. I still stretch at least once a day on the stairs but no longer need heel cups. Been over 5 years since I’ve had pain.
Sounds like yours is a lot worse if they are recommending surgery, though. I had a difficult time walking at its worst, but was always able to deal with it when I had to. I was probably lucky enough to have a lesser case than some.
To the OP. I hope you can get it figured out without surgery. Keep us posted on how you’re doing
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most painful things I’ve ever had when it’s been at its worst. Felt like two broken feet that had broken glass shoved into them.
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I’ve had people tell me all about their pf and how they can only run 6 miles a day instead of ten. I don’t think they’re experiencing real pf. It can be so severe it makes you yell involuntarily
Running 10 yards would have been impossible when mine were at its worst, but then again I think that anyone capable of running 10 miles is already doing a better job of stretching and things than I ever was.
I was actually resistant to the orthopedic doctor’s recommendation for the cheap heel cups at first because it really felt like I needed arch support, but everything I tried with arch support either made it worse or at best had no relief. The heel cups seemed counter intuitive to me, but they helped massively!
doctor gave me celebrex. had a nasty side effect that changed me from not being able to walk, to not being able to sit.
tried all kinds of insoles and boots.
Timberland titan work boots are the only thing I seem to be able to wear to keep it from flaring up.
Sometimes i use a hard 3/4 insole if it starts to feel funny.
It did flare up pretty good a few years ago and I got a steroid shot which helped.
other tips for those that might experience it:
don't go barefoot, even around the house.
freeze a bottle of water and roll your foot on it .the rolling and the cold will help relieve the inflammation some, especially at the end of the day.
There was roller that you put in the freezer that works pretty good too. it was featured on shark tank.
Really important, and the one I struggle with is, lose weight.
Needless to say, that sounded painful as hell. He had to spend some time with a boot and recover just as he would have after surgery.
Another thing that I credit for ‘maintenance’ is that I rarely wear anything but Keen and Ecco footwear. I got my stride ‘analyzed’ at a shoe store called ‘The Walking Store’ and those were the recommendations. I do have a pair of New Balance shoes that I occasionally wear, but like a previous poster talked about, I toss them the minute that they appear to be looking worn and replace them with a new pair.
I’m pretty diligent with my stretching and footwear because I never want to feel like my feet have broken glass in them ever again!
I have been using Spenco Orthotics for about 10 years and they really help
https://www.amazon.com/Spenco-Orthotic-Support-Length-Insoles/dp/B0040K…
But one morning I got out of bed and had incredible stabbing pain in my heel. I limped around for a couple of days, then bought one of these
https://www.amazon.com/Spenco-Orthotic-Support-Length-Insoles/dp/B0040K…
There's no way that I would be able to sleep with that contraption on, but I started wearing it in the evenings for a few hours while watching tv or whatever, and just as quick as the pain came on, it went away. It took about a week.
That was about 3 months ago and it hasn't come back on me.
Weird!
I didn't have it nearly bad enough to warrant surgery and it was before I heard about a vibrating ball. I did have it really bad for a while though and I used a softball to roll it. I also wear nothing but New Balance shoes.
Stretching: has worked for a lot of pf patients, including some here. If you can’t hold a full ass to grass squat for 10 seconds with your heels on the ground, your calves need to loosen up. You can find a variety of stretches for this online, or go to a good PT.
Shoes: low drop or zero drop shoes help with tight calves by allowing the foot to sit parallel to the ground instead of toe low and heel high. This helps with lengthening the calves and taking the work out of the plantar fascia. Altra makes good shoes with lots of toe room and no drop.
Lifestyle: I’ve heard PTs give out some seemingly strange advice that’s worked wonders for a variety of patients. For pf, two have popped up a few times. First, go barefoot more around your house. Not even socks on. It seems counter intuitive to take off your shoes when your feet hurt like hell, but having your foot flat on the ground and your skin in contact with the ground will stretch your calves and give you sensory feedback. Secondly, untuck your bed sheets at the bottom of the bed. Tight bed sheets are a known culprit of pf because they can force you to sleep with pointed toes. If you wake up and dread putting your feet on the ground first thing in the am, it may be that you’re sleeping with your toes pointed and your calves and fascia are tightening up over night.
Riding is ok , foot immobilized in supportive boot, then a hard landing will cause a flare up, and I’ll be off the bike for three months. It’s the endless cycle of re-injury and downtime that has me investigating surgery options. Appreciate all the good responses gents thanks!
Those are what I have had really good luck with and referred to in my earlier post, I just had a brain fart and couldnt recall the brand.
A few weeks later I took the family to the KS State Fair. One of the vendors was selling a high zoot gel insert that they GUARANTEED to eleminate PF pain. $40 bucks for snake oil...gimme some.
The pain was gone in 3 weeks. I popped the originals. They replaced them for free. Wore the next pair almost a year. 10 years later...still no pain.
There is relief out there.
An update, ortho found some tears in both plantar tendons in august, I did the recommended stretching icing etc.
it seemed to subside by November, and now it’s back.
i try to stretch calves to keep them from tightening but I can feel the tears in the plantar straining while I’m stretching, I think I’m doing more harm than good trying to stretch.
Back in august ortho said if it comes back we’ll do prp injections and shockwave.
Worth a try I guess?
The Dr won’t give cortisone as he says it make the tendon more likely to rupture
Pit Row
I had PF really bad in my right foot. I couldn't walk most mornings and a lot of pain. After DR visits, stretches, icing, etc. I tried a different boot for work and daily shoes. BAM! No more painful PF. I may get a flair up once in a blue moon, but apparently light and thin footwear makes it worse. I went from Oakley work boots to Danner work boots. Went from Adidas minimalist shoes to normal Under Armor shoes. It made a huge difference. Obviously everyone is different, but this was huge for me.
I just joined the PF club, only in my left heel. Walking is painful, running also painful and I avoid that now. I can ride my KTM dual sport for errands but haven't tried riding moto yet.
Have any of you with active PF ridden moto and how did it go for you? I wear Fox Instinct boots, I like the arch support they provide.
Orthotics from the foot DR. Etc.
Hard Plastic 2001.
( still can't live with out them )
Just had casts made for another set......
Wasn't it a great idea to wear Vans shoes ( with Zero Arch support ) back in the day..
It's pretty prevalent in my left heel as well and it doesn't bother me at all on a moto track, it's only when I walk.
Have had it for years.. stretching helps. In work boots or daily pull on boots i use custom orthotics.. ive been wearing brooks adrenaline GTS (gts version is important) and brooks glycerins with their insoles and ive felt great lately.. never had issues while riding..
Custom orthotic inserts took away 90% of my pain
I dont have Plantar Fasciitis, but I suffer from Mortons nueroma. Which makes it feel like your sock is bunching up and wadding up your big toe and a couple next to it. Mostly the right foot. Can make walking tough and creates a real creepy feeling. Super annoying.
I had a neuroma removed
( my foot was falling asleep when I rode to work on a bi ycle about 30 min in on a 45 ride )
Now I have a bigger one 10 years later but it doesn't bother me...
So they said leave it....
Nurses who hustle 12 hour shifts on cement floors have the Plantar surgery pretty regularly
I actually make custom Orthotics for a living. Foot pain is a major issue for a large majority of us actually. Way more than you think. There is no reason why it can't be addressed for moto also. Just because we wear boots doesn't mean we can't also use better insoles or even custom insoles to help. I always recommend the Tech10's due the inner boot and the ability to modify that if needed. Don't be afraid to try things, and if you have something that works for your daily pain maybe try and incorporate that into your moto boot.
I had custom Orthotics made in 01
They're Gold !!
Just had two more cast last month
They will be ready Aug 1st lol...?!
Oh and try to avoid walking barefoot especially on hard surfaces. I have a pair of house slippers (kuru brand) they were rated one of the best for PF. Keep em next to my bed that way I can slip into em first thing in the morning.
Before I got custom orthotics, brooks shoes worked the best (for me) at curbing the pain.
Edit: Also got an injection from by doctor back in October, the same day they scanned my feet for othotics.
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