Feels Like Stepping on Glass in the Morning? Could be Plantar Fasciitis...So, if you have plantar fasciitis, it's likely that first thing in the morning, or after you've been sitting for a bit it feels like you are stepping on glass on the front of your heel. Frequently a running injury, sometimes starting with an increase in weight, or overuse of the muscles in the lower leg, causing muscular tension, and sometimes a muscle imbalance in the lower leg and foot. If your discomfort is categorized more as 'arch foot pain', then it may be a precursor to this injury. All the following 'tactics' will help that as well, if it is caused by the tension in the tendon along the bottom of the foot, or lower leg. If any of this sounds familiar, there's a chance it could be plantar fasciitis (fash-ee-eye-tis or fash-eye-tis depending on who you're talking to). There can be other causes of pain in foot, including heel spurs, so you may want to look those up too, if you are experiencing this kind of pain. As some of you will read in your research, there are tactics I used to get rid of mine with two weeks of dedicated attention. The sad part is I dealt with it for OVER A YEAR! You wonder while you have plantar fasciitis if it's just going to go away on its own, since your foot/feet feel better once you walk a bit, or get into your run, but then after the run, you sit down for fifteen minutes and you can hardly walk the rest of the day! I tried numerous techniques, but not all at the same time, until an avid runner of 25+ years shared this effective course of action with me... In the past month, I have had two clients clinically diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, who shared with me that their orthopedist suggested anti-inflammatory prescriptions and cortisone shots. These may be helpful for some people, but is truly only treating the symptom. Unfortunately, they both tried those tactics, and in both clients they didn't offer them any relief. More often than not, the causes of pain in heel of foot is relieved tremendously with muscle work...so before you get that shot, or start popping the pills, PLEASE try these strategies. 1) Rigid support inserts in all my shoes, we use an 'over the counter' brand sold at all running stores called Superfeet, this was INCLUDING my slippers. With my plantar fasciitis, if I could keep from walking bare foot or in unsupported shoes, it would allow the tissue on the bottom of my foot to fully 'heal'. (pun intended) Something to keep in mind is that flip-flops, mules and clogs can make this condition much worse...and you may want to consider only wearing them for short periods after you are healed, and not at all while you are working to get rid of the darned aching foot. Please don't send me hate mail for this, my clients never liked to hear it either...I'm just the messenger. 2) Ice everyday, several times a day along the bottom of my foot, especially that part at the front of my heel. Forget the care for plantar fasciitis...if you are a runner, have kids in the house, bump into things, have animals you can trip over in your house, you need to have a cold gel pack you can reuse. Ice in a baggie is nearly impossible to get all the tissue that needs to be iced, without getting every article of clothing or furniture wet every time you have to ice an injury...and using the frozen peas you may accidentally serve guests is just bad form. We keep our cold gel packs in the freezer and use them often! I recently had a client with a really painful case, and when we did some massage and stretching before the icing, it helped a lot. If your cause of pain in heel of foot is plantar fasciitis, the injured tissue between the arch of your froot and the front of your heel may burn a bit when the cold therapy is applied. A rule of thumb with any cold or heat therapy is to limit the time of the application to no more than 15 minutes or so. Normally, about that time, you will have gone through the uncomfortable part of the icing therapy, and the sensation will be slightly diminished. Please let it warm up slowly, and don't jump up from your chair to get back to your day!
3) Stretch, stretch, stretch...we found that stretching the front and back of my leg helped a ton. Just stretching one or the other doesn't make as much of an impact on the plantar fasciitis...but beware it is really difficult to get a stretch in the front muscles around your shin. The stretch I do to really get the calf to stretch is standing like I'm going to walk up the stairs. I stand on a step, facing up the staircase (please use the first step up, in case you lose your balance) and place the ball of one foot on the step, letting my heel drop below the front of my foot. NOTE: Stretching is not a sport of pain. the stretch should always be comfortable. 30-60 seconds is the amount of time we've read over and over to allow the muscle fibers to really stretch out. Now, a stretching trick you'll want to know when dealing with this sinister foot pain is that there are three muscles in the calf,
one will stretch with your leg straight, and the other two important muscles will stretch when you bend your knee...so you'll want do both stretches, to loosen up this whole muscle group. In both of these pictures, the muscles being stretched are in the back leg. 4) Massage, massage, massage. This type of massage may take on more of a masochistic element than you would prefer, but sometimes requires a bit of pressure to get the muscles to the mushy point and get the circulation moving. There are a couple of tools you can use for this, if you don't have someone to help you out, like a fabulous Nationally Certified Massage Therapist with tons of experience with plantar fasciitis. I've used a rolling pin, a golf ball and a tennis ball or two. The rolling pin I used in working out the muscles of my lower leg, including those to the outside of my shin. The tennis balls can work for this as well, but aren't nearly as much fun as pulling out that rolling pin you use once a year. The golf ball I would leave somewhere I'd be sitting for a bit, usually at the computer, (my clients keep theirs in the drawer of their desk at work, or by the couch for use while they are watching the tube) and it is used to 'massage' the bottom of the foot, primarily on the arch. That term (massage), is used very loosely here. There is no way a small block of concrete on a tender spot is considered anything close to comfortable, particularly when you are in the throes of plantar fasciitis 'outbreak', but after I had a massage 'session' with that little white ball, once I dried my tears, I felt a tremendous amount of relief. At the time the golf ball was preferrable to Gary rubbing my feet, because it hurt so bad, I was likely to kick him, which isn't apparently recommended for marital bliss. I know someone else who used a frozen can of coke for this, but it doesn't inflict nearly enough pain to do any good (just kidding)...it gets the ice and 'massage' done at the same time, if you are one of those busy people with this insanity of a foot problem. 5) Last, but not least in treating my plantar fasciitis was a taping technique, which allows support of the tissue along the bottom of the foot. The tape this guru recommended to us is called 'Elastoplast', and is available in specialty pharmacies...you probably won't find it at any of the big box pharmacies, so check your local family owned pharmacy. Here in Fort Collins, The Good Day Pharmacy on Lemay will order it for you. The picture of the taping pattern will be posted below when I get them together. Good luck...the discomfort of this pain in the heel of the foot, plantar fasciitis is enough to make you crazy, particularly when it's keeping you from running!!
Return from Plantar Fasciitis to Running Injuries
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