[emjag]

Allison,
When I had a big struggle with PF, I bought (out of desperation) some arch supports from RRS catalog. They were blue and strapped on with velcro. I wore them every minute of every day for a while. They looked just lovely at work but I didn't care. Very quickly, I felt relief from the pain. Frankly, I was surprised. It is worth a try. I wear them often in my running shoes now. I even bought another pair because I was afraid they would stop selling them .... Good luck.
Eileen

[ponypal]

Well, for once DH is supportive, if only somewhat of "I told you so". He sent me this link, which isn't any new info, just a reminder to all of us:

http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/WT&End.html

So keep up the weight training, all you hurty bodied runners (and wannabe runners!)!! Laura

[adventures]

Well, mine doesn't quite have all the classic symptoms either. Mine's more to the front/middle of my foot, and not at the heel. And it doesn't hurt first thing in the morning.

I should add that I remember having PF problems as a small child. I didn't know what it was at the time, but it really hurt. Probably from wearing those stiff, unsupporting little MaryJane shoes.

Oh, and one more thing. I've made a habit of trying never to take a barefoot step. This has helped my PF immeasurably, as well as some of my other foot problems. I used to go barefoot all the time in the house, so it was a hard habit to break. It's been worth it, though!

I'm planning---very shortly---to resign from the office of President of the PF club. I will no longer be eligible for membership. Who wants to be my successor?

[maggiesma]

Well I hope it isn't PF, and from what everyone else describes as syptoms I don't think it is. My pain is across the ball of my foot and in the arch, it's a deep achy feeling and it cramps up alot. It originally started bothering me after my 3rd or 4th 4 miler so that was why I didn't advance my mileage any further at that point, then it got so bad that I couldn't even run 4 anymore, and now I can only run about 2 minutes and it kicks in....it hurts after about 1 mile of walking....then there's the knee and hip that I'm sure are all related.......ARRRGGGHHHH..

at least I have company!

For success, attitude is equally as important as ability. (Harry F. Banks)

[CindyJob]

Faith plenty of sedentary people get PF. In fact that ws the problem I found with the first podiatrist I saw. He was used to treating overweight middle aged couch potatoes who had gotten too fat for their own feet. COuld just be a result of faulty bio-mechanics! I hope you can't be in the PF club though.Marcia is a great president but the mettings suck!Just frustrated whiners trying not to lick the frsoting off the bat cookies!

[maggiesma]

Well I have a hurty foot too! WAhhhhh

I know that I am not plantar facititis though, it can't be because I haven't sone enough to get something like that. I also have knee pain and hip pain on the same side...ick.

I see a sports med doc next Monday so we'll see.

Sorry to hear about everyone elses aches and pains....it must be contagious!

For success, attitude is equally as important as ability. (Harry F. Banks)

[Kittimom]

you are such a copycat. everyone else has a hurty foot, so you have to have a hurty foot too!

poo.

let's pretend everyone is well, then, ok? so you can copy them that way instead...

http://boards.dietwatch.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

feel better. hope the new shoes work.

* hugs and kittens *

^..^

[adventures]

Sorry you have PF.
And sorry I guessed wrong about it. I was really hoping it wasn't PF.

Glad you caught it early, though. Not to discourage you, but I caught mine early, and it still pretty much wiped out my running for 6 weeks. But I think mine is a little different case. Mine seemed to stem from a particular incident, rather than being a gradual thing.

But anyway, I hope the shoes will help. Please keep us posted.

Hurty-foot healing vibes sent your way!

[MsBIA]

Laura - thanks for the Shoe Dog link. I've ordered 2 pairs of shoes - styles I can never seem to find in the stores, in my size.

*fingers crossed*

(I'll test them on the treadmill before hitting the pavement!)

MsBIA
If it's to be, it's up to me.

[ponypal]

Oh, one more thing. I didn't go barefoot for almost a year on the advice of the doc. At home I wore running shoes every minute I was awake. After the pain went away I switched to flip-flops but during the initial phase doc said I needed heel cushioning and arch support. Laura

[ponypal]

Allison, you are wise to be proactive. The worst pain I've ever felt was PF--I'm not kidding even labor wasn't that bad.

I think mine wasn't caused so much by milage and running as by bad shoes. I would run for my bus in pumps and had my first twinges then but didn't know what it was. I also bought really cheap $20 closeout shoes for my first runs-- I really didn't know any better. Plus I was/am overweight, a problem you, CJ and Marcia can't attribute yours to.

What worked for me:
Icing 5-10 times a day. Roll a frozen 16 oz. water bottle under the arch and heel while knitting.

After I had PT, I did the same massage he taught me, followed by ice.

I put cushy gel inserts in all my dress shoes, barn boots, street boots and my running shoes.

And for your search for the right shoe try RoadRunnersSPorts shoe finder to narrow the in-person search. It allows an injury factor in the analysis. http://www.roadrunnersports.com/cgi-bin/rrs/rrs/rrShoeDog.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1082693989.1072024272@@@@&BV_EngineID=eadcjdkfldhibekgcgecfeedg.0

Laura

[This message was edited by ponypal on December 21, 2003 at 03:37 PM.]

[LSK]

I think mine was started by bad shoes. Those same shoes (running shoes) also started a bunion which acts up occasionally.

Sorry you aren't going to do RnR; glad you're still coming along!

~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~
Weight Maintenance Community Leader

[CindyJob]

UGH...I am so sick of hearing and thinking about ti I could scream...I am sorry to hear you are screwed up too. I am beyond fed up and just ready to cut my flipping foot off and run ona fake one!

[MsBIA]

It can be ... sometimes associated with increasing mileage too rapidly, sometimes associated with excessive pronation, sometimes associated with increasing hill running too aggressively, sometimes associated with running on excessively hard or excessively soft surfaces.

As I understand it, any of the above (and any number of other possible causes) can cause micro-tears in the fascia (a tough band of connective tissue that runs longitudinally along the the sole of the foot, for those who aren't intimately familiar with the anatomy of the problem), which become inflamed.

The link in my initial post gives a lot more (and better) information than I possibly could.

In my particular case, I'm tempted to ascribe it to my ^%&#%$^% shoe situation. I really haven't been running a lot of mileage (not even all of the recommended mileage for the half training program), and almost all of it has been on the treadmill, so no hills, no asphalt, no sand. But I did kind of give up on the shoe quest, and decide to keep on running in my brand new shoes (they can't possibly even have 100 miles on them yet), and wait for the *next* pair to attempt yet again to get the elusive "perfect fit." Having to play "dress up" for a couple of recent holiday events may have contributed a little bit - I didn't wear anything remotely resembling "outrageous" shoes (I don't own any outrageous shoes), but I did wear two different pairs of pumps that my feet just weren't accustomed to, and in my usual way, did a fair amount of walking in those shoes during the course of the day.

The only contribution that I can imagine the yoga may have made is that 2 of my classes are held in a studio that is chronically cold, so the fascia may never have really warmed up enough ... though I never go in to those particular yoga classes without at least 30 and usually 60 minutes of cardio warm up, so I dunno ...

MsBIA
If it's to be, it's up to me.

[Kittimom]

sorry your feet are cranky. but your plan sounds strong.

in your research, did they say what causes PF? is it an overuse injury?

* hugs and kittens *

^..^

[MsBIA]

Well, I've been experiencing more foot discomfort. And I've done some research. And I'm beginning to come to the reluctant conclusion that I probably have an incipient case of plantar fasciitis (http://veggie.org/run/plantar-fasciitis.shtml). Frankly, it seems a bit counterintuitive, because my feet are strong and flexible and I stretch them quite a bit even when not on the yoga mat. Then again, there's the pain.

If the discomfort I've been experiencing is indeed plantar fasciitis, then I think I've caught it *quite* early - I can do all of the recommended stretches and strengtheners I've found. But the doing of those stretches and strengtheners reinforces the "diagnosis," since they definitely affect the tender zones on my feet.

Conclusion #1 - I have to re-enter the fray of trying to find the right running shoe. Probably not for running just yet - but I'm clearly going to need a better shoe just for supporting my foot as the heel heals.

Conclusion #2 - This probably deep-sixes the RnR half-marathon in January. If by some miracle I do find *wonderful* shoes, I will experiment with a few exploratory treadmill runs to see how things go ... but I've "watched" too many people (here and elsewhere) suffer through acute PF and recovery from it, and 13.1 miles is just *not* worth aggravating these twinges until it's a full-blown acute injury. (Never fear, I'll still be going to Phoenix for the par-tay, regardless of the condition of my feet.)

I will also ask my yoga teachers if there are any contra-indications or poses to avoid (or emphasize).

And of course I will implement a program of the stretches and strengtheners that are recommended for prevention of and recovery from PF.

And I'll have to suck it up and do the more boring gym cardio ... can't let my heart and lungs get lazy just because the feet are on strike.

MsBIA
If it's to be, it's up to me.