Transitioning out of orthotics advice needed for PF

#21
I am so depressed, after

I am so depressed, after going without orthotics for 5 days the foot and arch pain is so bad I had to put them back in/on tonight . I just can' afford to not be able to walk especially since i have 3 small kids that I have to chase after. I guess maybe going completely cold turkey was a really bad idea. Advice anyone? Should I start by removing them and walking around for 1 hour a day for several days, then 2 hours etc? That is the way I was weaned into these evil menaces, I guess that is the way out? Right now I feel very hopeless, like I am tied to these dang things forever. Will keep up the icing, stretching, foam rolling etc. If I really start to have a pity party for myself, I remind myself that I am not in a wheelchair, I am not paralyzed, I will run again etc etc.
cry_smile.gif




Liz
 
#22
I think it would be wise to

I think it would be wise to most definitely decrease your dependence on them slowly, a little at a time. At least you answered a very important question, "At this moment, how far and how often can I go without the orthotics?" You've learned that you cannot go far very often. So yes, incorporate some free barefoot time each day, and add a few minutes each time, until you can break free of them once and for all.

I still think it is critical for you to perform some good foot strengthening exercises though, at least every other day. Perhaps Jimmy will chime in here with some exercises you can do for this. Let us know how you progress.
 
#23
Hi Liz,I think getting the

Hi Liz,

I think getting the orthotics out of your life if similar in a way to getting cigarettes out of your life and some of the same principals apply.

I had orthotics in my shoes and runners for around 8 years after being told that my knee problem was caused by my running style. I remember the podiatrist saying that running was the worst thing I could do and I should give it up.

That was not an option I told him.

I'd been a runner for over 20 years at that point and not about to sit on the couch.

I got a set of orthotics and the recommended Brooks Beast shoes. After this point running was terrible, just the sheer weight of the shoes and orthotics, it was exhausting.

I would always notice when I completed a run that my hips felt disjointed. I still got terrible shin pains and achilles tendon pains, so really if you had to give the treatment a pass or fail it would have to be fail!

Luckily I read the Born to Run book back in '09 then went on to read Pose Method of Running which make up the two most important books in my running career.

I remember worrying about taking the orthotics out of my shoes because you build up a dependency on them (like cigarettes) but after some initial pain the feet were fine. The next step was to get rid of my cushioned shoes and shoes with arch support.

It took around 4 weeks for my feet to get stronger, I helped them by doing toe raises, doing the golf ball massage every night.

I bought a pair of Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot shoes and found that getting rid of the heel improved my back problems that I have had for years. I would get backache if I had to stand for more than half an hour, I was so blind to the cause, it was the shoes all along.

Running barefoot takes a real shift in mental awareness, it is not something that will happen overnight, it will be a long journey but you have taken the first step.

I would recommend you keep a diary, either online or hand written and note down all you aches and pains during the transition phase as it will give you a real boost when you get setbacks, you can go back a few months and see that you are making improvements after all.

Learning to run correctly is a must though. Understanding the technique is also needed. It's not just as simple as saying take your shoes off and run.

I am so happy with my running form now I want to be out there all the time. You will get to that stage too with patience and persistence, it is not a thing you can rush.

Keep on going.

Neil
 
#25
i forgot to mention i believe

i forgot to mention i believe i'm going through the "curative crisis". it's an idea i used to teach when i was selling weight loss shakes and i believe it applies to this as well. i've posted with others on another forum about the same thing. once you solve one problem another old injury pops up and they pop up in order of newest to oldest until finally they're gone.



i know i'll get better and so will you. it takes time and don't feel bad about using inserts or shoes to relieve the pain. you, everyone, needs to realize going bf is like going to the gym. you have go in, lift your weights, do your stretches, cool off, and get some rest. resting is just as important as the lifting, if not more. it's how the body repairs itself and gets stronger. without sufficient rest you'll just tear your body down until you either give it a break or it will force one on you.



don't dispair and i say continue the running. just in small amounts every other day. at lest twice a week to start and go from there.



mike



TJ, if you read this, and i'm sure you will. we could use a spell check here!
 
#26
Sorry, Mike.  Low on the

Sorry, Mike. Low on the totem pole. Is that how you spell totem pole? Hee.
 
#27
you never know until you ask.

you never know until you ask. being tired and i had a beer i will say almost anything i'm thinking.
 
#28
First off let me say I am not

First off let me say I am not feeling nearly as low today as I was last night. I was panicking big time, I was in my head way too much and thinking that I was back to having to wear my orthotics pretty much all day and thinking if I did not do that the pain would be atrocious (it was last night, another reason for my panic. Today I walked around the house barefoot for a couple of hours and broke out the birkenstocks to wear taking the kids to soccer and gymnastics. I took off shoes while driving and have only worn the orthotics for 2 hours while i was at a bday party at a fire station and walking around on cement floors. Back to being barefoot now that I am home, so all in all not too bad considering.

Neil, thanks for sharing your story and experience. I need to hear from people who sucessfully weaned off orthotics, last night I got to thinking maybe it is not possible to wean from them because I have damaged my feet so much etc, etc (stinkin thinking last night) But today as I said above I feel much more positive. How did you learn to run with correct form, did you hire a running coach or just read the books? I keep thinking I probably need one (a running coach) as I never played sports in school or had any training on running other than my own reading. I want to find someone local though and I just wonder how possible that is when I am looking for a barefooter as well. Glad to hear you have had such success in curing your back pain, that is a wonderful freedom isn't it? I have found yoga is really good for my back, as long as I practice and do a couple of stretches for my low back each night I am pain free. I will check out the video I posted a bit later this evening, making dinner for my kiddos right now and just snuck on line for a moment.



Mike, thank you too. I know you are right! PF is my oldest running injury. I am feeling much more positive today. I know I am going to have ups and downs but right now without running I can swing really low really fast. I am going to give running a try again next week, I just want to give the PF a few more days to heal a bit. I am running in the pool though two days a week and working out the other 3. (I normally do 6 days a week but am trying to give my body some extra healing time)

I just want to say one more time a heartfelt thanks for all the encouragement, my spirits can get very low and I can feel very discouraged, but you always buoy me up!



Liz
 
#30
Liz, i got my pf from

Liz,



i got my pf from working, not running. i did like most here and learned the hard way. tmts and wound up with tofp, and have it again on top of this chest cold. you can take lessons but you still have to go out and do it to learn it. there are lots of good guides online on how to start. follow them and remember to relax and go slow.
 
#31
Hi Liz,I feel your

Hi Liz,

I feel your frustration and have experienced for months the curative crisis Migangelo talks about. Believing BF is the ultimate cure is the only thing that keeps me from pitching in and putting my shoes & orthotics back on. I don't have PF, however, a collossal bunion on my left foot and subsequent surgery with a pin in my first metatarsal, then 2 sprained ankles (in boat anchors) have resulted in a seriously weakened left foot though I didn't know it until I took my shoes/orthotics off last summer. It took several months for my feet to accustom to the orthotics, so after ditching them it has been now many months of tendonitis in various places, giant calf knots and most recently a stress reaction in my foot from back to back 10 milers on a rocky uneven trail and ankle deep mud in some places. My ankle swells up like a peach on some days and I have to dial back again then build up. I have a problem with limits but am really learning them. Flat pavement is where I'm running super slowly now until my feet, ankles and legs get stronger because every time I try to increase speed my foot is pissed. It's a long process but I truly believe our feet are amazing and that the shoes messed mine up. Hang in there.
 
#32
Thanks for the encouragement

Thanks for the encouragement migangelo and twinkletoes, I appreciate it. Ran another mile on Thursday barefoot. It was 65 degrees and gorgeous out. Feet are sore today and PF is flaring, but so far, knock on wood, does not appear to be getting worse.



TJ, I did get a natural inflammatory from the health food store, not inflammarest but another brand which Iassume is similar. When I am feeling less lazy, I will post the name.

Off to the ballet with my daughter, now those are some people with serious foot pain. We get to meet them afterward so maybe I will ask if they ever had PF and how they treated it, LOL!



Liz
 
#33
Ask them if they ever get

Ask them if they ever get hammer toes, Liz. Let me know if your new anti-inflammatory works well. It could take a few days of taking it before you know for sure.

Glad you're still hanging in there Twink! I too believe shoes are what messed my feet up.
 
#34
Definitely hanging in TJ- I

Definitely hanging in TJ- I am completely hooked on running BF, but I admit I was clueless as to just how much shoes had misshaped my legs and feet. I wore high heels regularly for years and the result is that my calves and achilles are not happy with this new normal of being mostly BF. I also really wish I hadn't worn the VFFs when I started, but there you go- I hadn't found y'all yet.

A day or 2 between runs to recover is a must for me in spite of what my brain tells me, like- "it's so balmy here and dumping snow at home, so go run as many miles possible while you can because you're so behind your goal of 1000 miles this year and you have to run that 1/2 marathon BF in 9 weeks". I must constantly be mindful that it will take longer than weeks or months to reshape, condition and develop my feet & legs after 3+ decades of shoe-abuse.

I don't know how much it works, but I take turmeric as an anti-inflammatory and use alot of tiger balm topically; and TJ I thought Longboard was talking about the female part of another plant at first!
 
#35
Twinkltoes, the tiger balm

Twinkltoes, the tiger balm does nothing really other than tricking your brain and nerves into focusing on that skin sensation, have you tried arnica cream? It is a homoepathic remedy. Also I would be cautious about running a 1/2 if you are in pain. I pushed through my knee pain to run a 1/2, mostly because I had a friend coming to do it with me and as a result I could not run for 3 months (unrelated to my PF but that is what brought me to BFR)



Liz
 
#36
I appreciate your input Liz

I appreciate your input Liz and hear you about the pain thing- shin splints after my first 1/2 is what brought me here. Arnica didn't do much for me but I know people like it. Mostly I swear by KT tape, but tricking the brain isn't all bad otherwise red wine wouldn't be so delicious! I dream to be completely pain-free, however, it's not likely since I'm 40 and something always aches somewhere after all the skiing, skating, running and car accident injuries over the years! LOL. It's a matter of determining degrees of pain and adjusting accordingly at this juncture. :)

I bashed my foot up on a (2nd of weekend) 9.5 mi run where the mud was ankle deep in places and my friend's beagle bolted so I had no choice but to keep going to help look for him. I knew my foot was in trouble but I love that beagle...After nearly 4 wks off, I am back up to 4-7 slow miles every other day and usual morning ankle ache which goes away by the time I reach the kitchen. Yay!
 
#37
No I agree, if you get relief

No I agree, if you get relief from the tiger balm by all means use it, I have some too! I am 41 and falling apart and patching back up as well. I just found with the type of person I am, I had to remove all race goals this season otherwise I would end up crippling myself. I signed up for a 10 miler in May that has since sold out, but as bummed as I am about not running it, I realize that while fighting PF and trying to transition to BFRthat race just is not in the cards this season. There is however a little 5K 4th of July weekend at the beach that I may set my sights on. Now that think back on it, nothing funnier than watching all of us shod on the beach trying to keep the sand out of our sneaks, won't be an issue for me this year!

Liz
 
#38
I totally know where you're

I totally know where you're coming from Liz- kind of feel like Humpty Dumpty some weeks and have a problem dialing back when it feels so good to channel my pent-up energy. I set the May 1st 1/2 Mary goal only because I had built up to 9.5 mi BF off-road, and signed up thinking the same rule applies BF as it does in shoes: if you can do 10, you can do 13. Well, most of me can, but my ankle and soles need gentle training increases for the next 9 weeks. Luckily the course is one I already know and it's mostly flat and paved- As long as I finish before the fast walkers I'll be content! (this time)

I have a new morbid fascination watching shod runners' form when they're flailing and jerking all about- and the sand or mud in the shoes is funny stuff!
 
#39
You may have posted this

You may have posted this earlier (I have no brain power left after 3 kids, yes, I blame them) but are you running the 1/2 barefoot or in minimalist shoes? I had originally (before I switched to BFR)planned to run another 1/2 in May (I did my first this past Nov in 2:07, not too shabby considering I did it with bi lateral knee injuries and I am a turtle so that was blazing fast for me) I loved it and planned to do that 1/2 and then a full marathon in November, but it is just not in the cards this year. In fact I pulled all the muscles along the right side of my spine last night picking up my 1 1/2 year old so I am a train wreck right now. I do plan on trying to do a short run outside today and to spend some time running in the poo (if my children allow it while we have family time at the pool today) You have to let me know how the 1/2 goes! I will be rooting for you and stashing my jealousy (hehe)



Liz
 
#40
Your poor back! What in the

Your poor back! What in the world is poo running? I have my heart set on running the 1/2 bare, but carryng or stashing my Speedo water shoes just in case. We'll see. I ran my first 1/2 in Asics, the 2nd in cheap flats, and this one I want to do in skin. I have VFFs but don't like them and haven't worn them since October. I think I'm the slowest runner I know. I care more about getting up the distance and then at some point after the 1/2, I'll work on increasing speed.
 
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