I fear this is happening to my left foot. I've been so damn careful in terms of my running and I thought I'd just bruised my left heel somehow, but it hurts all the time and has been like this for weeks. I thought wearing my night splint would kick it, but it hasn't done anything. Once I'm up and about the pain just comes back. The only thing that helps is a massive dose of Advil, which I want to avoid. Any thoughts?
Plantar fascitis
- Thread starter jjb
- Start date
The pain is the symptom rather than the problem. In my experience, people who get heel pain like this often have core related issues, which causes impact problems on the ground. Splints do not solve the problem, they stretch the tissues.
Usually, people who get heel pain overpronate on the opposite side and on the same side of the pain the quads, psoas and other tissues that flex the hip tighten, and on the other side the back of the leg tightens as well. This shortens your stride and eventually will cause your core to tighten up and distort.
Basically, the problem is caused by the distribution of force. If the problem is chronic, it is possible to have a stress fracture but that is less probable. See a good sports certified chiropractor to get some good treatment and advice. My book, Cheating Mother Nature, what you need to know to beat chronic pain (available on Amazon.com) may be a good read for you since it can give you some guidance on who do see, why its happening and where to go.
I hope that helps.
Usually, people who get heel pain overpronate on the opposite side and on the same side of the pain the quads, psoas and other tissues that flex the hip tighten, and on the other side the back of the leg tightens as well. This shortens your stride and eventually will cause your core to tighten up and distort.
Basically, the problem is caused by the distribution of force. If the problem is chronic, it is possible to have a stress fracture but that is less probable. See a good sports certified chiropractor to get some good treatment and advice. My book, Cheating Mother Nature, what you need to know to beat chronic pain (available on Amazon.com) may be a good read for you since it can give you some guidance on who do see, why its happening and where to go.
I hope that helps.
Boy, am I confused now. I thought smaller strides were key with barefooting. I've been trying to shorten my striding since coming back from my last injury (stress fracture, right foot, December 2015) and I really thought I'd solved the problem.
I saw Dr. Craig Libensohn back in January or February, but he was far too expensive. Not really sure what to do now, other than read your book...
What did Libensohn say? The key is not smaller strides, but in barefoot running, it is a mid foot strike. The theory is that this will absorb shock better, yet you will require many more steps to run if you have a short stride, and you will be trotting, which is harder on the body. There is evidence that many indigenous barefoot runners in places like Africa do heel strike when running faster.
Since we are all build differently, you cannot compare yourself to someone else and if you had a stress fracture a while back, it is likely because of problems with impact.
I am assuming you are in California, based on your visit with Craig Libensohn. Sports chiropractic is big there, and you may be able to find someone who is sports certified who you can afford.
Since we are all build differently, you cannot compare yourself to someone else and if you had a stress fracture a while back, it is likely because of problems with impact.
I am assuming you are in California, based on your visit with Craig Libensohn. Sports chiropractic is big there, and you may be able to find someone who is sports certified who you can afford.
Well, I only met with Libensohn once, as his prices were too high for me. So it's really tough to determine where he was going with his consultation. But I got the sense that we were going to be embarking on a lot of core work.
I ran 9 miles this morning and as per the norm, I wasn't heel-striking. But I'm running in the street and on the sidewalk, with a portion of the run on a dirt path, so the surface is certainly hard. However I ran pain-free the whole time -- except at the end when my legs started to tire.
Now, my heel is hurting. I guess I'll just try to stretch out as much as I can. Tough to know what to do really. There aren't that many Sports Chiros near me that I've found.
Jjb,
I know two other people but they're in San Diego. I don't know their prices but only know their offices are close to each other.
The first is Ben Ramos of flow force rehab. The second is Michael Rintala. Rintala works with lots of runners and has more experience. He is a DNS instructor. Ramos is a recent grad who is highly motivated and very knowledgeable.
I know both would look at everything under the sun having you also doing lots of corework and foot conditioning. You can look them up if you're interested. You can even hit up Ramos on FB and ask for an affordable practioner near you. He knows lots of people and lots of people in the business know who he is.
I know two other people but they're in San Diego. I don't know their prices but only know their offices are close to each other.
The first is Ben Ramos of flow force rehab. The second is Michael Rintala. Rintala works with lots of runners and has more experience. He is a DNS instructor. Ramos is a recent grad who is highly motivated and very knowledgeable.
I know both would look at everything under the sun having you also doing lots of corework and foot conditioning. You can look them up if you're interested. You can even hit up Ramos on FB and ask for an affordable practioner near you. He knows lots of people and lots of people in the business know who he is.
