How I Beat Plantars Fasciitis (Hopefully)

On January 10, 2013, I was in the middle of my last long run prior to the Tinkerbell Half Marathon.  I was going to run 11 miles.  At mile 6, my left foot began to ache and by mile 10, the pain had changed from a mild ache to sharp pains.  I limped back to the car.  I had never had any foot issues, my shoes were relatively new (less than 100 miles on them) and I had been relatively injury-free to that point.  Between that date and the Tinkerbell Half Marathon (about 9 days), I iced my foot in hopes the pain would subside.  Long story short, the pain did not go away.  I had my foot taped at the Tinkerbell expo and decided to run the race anyway.  After all, it was my first half marathon, I had paid a fortune for the pleasure of running at Disneyland and I wanted to at least try.

I ran the Tinkerbell injured and somehow got through to the finish line.  A month later, still in pain, I ran/walked/limped through the Princess Half Marathon at Disney World.  Let me start by saying that running while I was injured was probably the most stupidest thing I have ever done.  Well, maybe not the stupidest but certainly in the top 3!

After the Princess Half Marathon in February 2013, I was in PAIN.  It hurt so much to walk that I had to use crutches.  My first appointment with my chiropractor I hobbled in on crutches.  She could hardly touch any place near my arch without tears welling up in my eyes.  Fast forward one year: I was able to Tinkerbell in 2014 pain free! 

So....these are the tools I used to beat plantars fasciitis:

1.  The Aircast Foot Brace
The foot brace is a neoprene sleeve that I wore every day until I was able to walk/run without pain or a flareup.  It is a neoprene sleeve with an air bladder that contours to the bottom of your foot and arch.  As the symptoms lessened I wore it less and less.  It helps the plantars fascia heal by stabilizing and not allowing it to stretch fully.  There is an air pocket that contours with the bottom of your foot and minimizes the stress on the plantar fasciia.  While it can be ordered many places, here is the amazon link.

2. Night Brace
This is worn at night when you are sleeping.  Sexy, right?  There are several different models on the market at several different price points.  The brace keeps your foot flexed so the plantar fascia does not shorten at night.  By wearing the brace, there is not pain when you take your first steps in the morning.  I have owned several models since I left one at my parents' house, one was lost when we moved (seriously, how do you lose something this bulky and ugly?!) and a third lonely boot was lost on a vacation.  Here is one model of boot that can be ordered on amazon. 

3. Tennis Ball
I rolled my foot on a tennis ball every chance I had.  Seriously!  I have tennis balls stashed away in my office desk, the center console of my car, my purse, my nightstand, my dresser, and several other places.  I just rolled my foot on the tennis ball any time I thought about it.  Watching TV, reading, working, commuting (don't worry~I was the passenger) became my "rolling the foot" time.

4. Massage Therapy and Chiropractics
My massage therapist, Nicole from Soothing Kneads is a miracle worker.  She understands the human body and is also a chiropractor.  She integrated massage, Active Release Techniques, Graston Therapy (torture?), and many other techniques.  While her massages are WONDERFUL, she is up to date on the latest and greatest treatments and she was integral in my recovery.

5. Kinesio Tape
I use (and still do) kinesio tape when I run.  My favorite brand is Rock Tape but KT Tape is probably more popular.  I have trouble with KT Tape sticking but I have never had a problem with Rock Tape sticking and staying for multiple days.  There are some great videos  Rock Tape's website and KT Tape's website about how to tape for specific injuries.

My best tip~don't run injured (duh!) and don't push yourself.  It took me almost a year to be able to run without flareups and pain.  I have no doubt that if I had not ran 2 half marathons injured, it would not have been such a long recovery period.  Don't push yourself when you are injured.  Give your body the time to allow it to heal.

If you have had this injury-that-must-not-be-named, what did you find useful?  Share your tips below and help others who are struggling with plantars fasciitis.

Pink shoes photo used in title shot: photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/whappen/2229446669/">Wha'ppen</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a