[pct-l] Plantar fascitis

[Trevor McKee]

Hi Guys,

I've never had foot issues until this last December when I was doing farm work in rigid boots, cold weather where my feet never had a chance to warm up, not enough stretching, and bare feet on hard floors where I was housing. Enter Plantar Fascitis! 

I've been struggling to get it under control since then. Icing, elevating, resting, stretching, golf ball rolling, massaging, tiger-balming, etc. 

The most interesting info I have to pass on to you is my research on footwear. It seems like there is a big movement away from over-cushioned, overly rigid, overly in-soled shoes. People are starting to revert to the basics, along with those helping practices above, and getting results. Shroomer made a great post about Plantar I will paste below which was a catalyst to my new experiment. I've been OTC insole-free for about two months and feel way better. I've also been doing short stints of barefoot walking on forgiving surfaces, going slow and stepping intentionally to build back up the natural agronomics of my muscles and ligaments. I have a pair of New Balance Minimus 80's on the way and am looking forward to trying them out. 

In my opinion our culture is going the wrong direction with rigid boots and too much padding. We are making our feet weak and inviting issues. Think about it. When you are wearing shoes that constrict the natural movement of your toes, musculature, and ligaments you are putting stress on other areas that are trying to compensate in order to meet your demands of movement. 

My Mom is suffering from such bad Plantar Fascitis it seems like there is no answer for her. Her podiatrist stuffs a new insole or lift in there every week or month and nothing changes. Her quality of life may include painful feet forever. I have shared my new thoughts and ideas with her, but am anxious for her to try- and that goes for anyone who reads this. Everyone has a unique situation and may react differently or may have a different degree of severity. 

I think the best thing we can do it be patient, and be in-tune with our bodies needs- even if that means slowing down and kicking the doggies up for a day. Analyze your triggers and do research on a new routine or system for yourself. 

So glad someone started a topic on this! Hope to hear more. I will paste Shroomer's note below. 

Mayor Trevor
www.SoletoSoil.com


Shroomer wrote:

"In 2010, I'd been
training in light trail shoes all winter with no problem and a month before
setting out on the PCT I decided to try Superfeet.  I had plantar's
Faciitis within a few days.  I pulled them out, but suffered with light PF
all across the deserts.  The 5 weeks of snow in the High Sierra in seemed
to cure it.  The pace was reduced drastically and the swelling was helped
because it was as if my feet were on ice for much of the day, which in fact
they were.  Walking wet also chilled 'em out.  I blasted up the northern
Sierra and across Oregon hiking 30 to 35 mile days for weeks and did just
fine.

Then came WA and a tougher trail again, but we kept up the high mileage for
the first week or two and bam, the PF came back gangbusters.  I padded and
cushioned everything I could and  lived on vitamin I all the way to Canada.
Then the worst was that even off trail it didn't go away.  By mid November
I was getting ready to see a Dr. when I read "Born to Run" and heard  of
the importance of not cushioning your feet so that they can strengthen
naturally.  I pulled out the heal pad.  Instant relief.  A few days later I
pulled out the arch support.  Even better relief.  Within the week I had
pulled out everything including the insert!  That fast, the pain that had
been plaguing me for 3 months was gone!!!

So, over the next year, I trained with light shoes with no insert at all
and then headed off on the CDT in 2012 and hiked the whole darn thing with
no pain.  Rocks, scree, snow, roots and being lost in total disasters of
overgrown vegetation and downfall, and my feet felt great!

I've been training for the AT for the past year and all this winter in the
oldest trail shoes I have.  They're like walking on thick paper they're so
thin.  They're about to come through in several places and have no traction
whatsoever, but I love them.  They cause my foot to become tough and my
ankles strong.  Having to adjust for slippery slopes and rocks makes you
become more observant of what you're stepping on and how you're supporting
yourself.  Not relying on tread makes me conscious of walking with care,
and I'm still fast for an old goat!

Since 2010, I've come to love the feel of all the rocks and roots.  It's
like getting a foot massage whenever I hike.  Going without an insole at
first can be kind of scary, and your feet may even get a bit bruised.  For
this I still carry a simple, flat foam insert to provide a cushion if I
find I need one.  But I haven't had to use it since the CDT.  At the GGG a
few weeks ago, Ken Powers told me he also carries a simple foam pad for
hard rock sections.  He'll put them in when he needs them and then take
them out when he's back on softer trail.  He and Marcia hike in the
lightest "slippers" I've ever seen and they've done huge distances in them,
and they're feet stay healthy.  We can build strong feet in spite of all
the years of cushioning and padding we've done to them previously.

So, if you can persevere, stick with the lightest shoes and insoles you can
manage, or so insoles at all.  Don't hurt yourself, maybe keep the insoles
in your pack at first.  I carried mine for the first 1,000 miles or so of
the CDT and only threw them out in Colorado when it became clear I wouldn't
need them, but I still keep a foam pad, just in case.

Good luck, I think you're on to something!

Shroomer"


On Feb 24, 2014, at 7:02 PM, Kevin Taylor wrote:

> Landy,
> 
> I had plantar fascitis last year, from running and it went away with foot massage (using a hard rubber lacrosse ball)and calf massage (by hand and with a stiff foam roller).  Tight calf muscles definitely contribute.  The problem came back a couple of months ago with the long training hikes and new shoes.  I went back to the same treatment, and also had to change shoes.  Now it is mostly ok.  I talked with a 2013 thru hiker (Journal) from my town, and he said it was a common problem and he needed to stretch and work on his calf muscles every day.  For me, the Brooks Cascadia 9 is too soft in the heel and made the problem worse. It helped a lot to get a professional massage (foot and calf).  If your calf muscles are stiff and knotted, massage was painful but worked well for me. You definitely need to get it under control before you start the PCT.  
> 
> Kevin
> 
> 
>> On Feb 24, 2014, at 4:11 PM, "Landy Figueroa" <landykf at gmail.com> wrote: >>Hey all, >Anyone deal with plantar fascitis on the trail?  I was given the gift of PF >this summer while stupidly hiking with stiff hiking boots and a heavy pack >for work.  It's the devil.  My foot is painfully bothersome today after a >training hike.  I look forward in dread at the possibility of this plague >on the trail. >>Also, anyone ever try those yoga-toe things to spread your toes out?  I >notice the PF is worse when my toes are squished together in the front of >my shoe.  Probable solutions are wide toe-box shoes like Altra shoes, >possibly hiking some small time a day with something like yoga-toes in the >shoes to spread my toes and exercise my arches in that position, bringing a >golf ball and some sort of foam roller on the trail (high maintenance, >geez).  Discuss please. >>Landy 
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