Are Your Feet On Fire? How I Got Rid Of My Plantar Fasciitis Once And For All!

Can you barely walk when you get out of bed? Does it feel like you’re treading on broken glass all the time? As Bill Clinton used to say… “I feel your pain!” I joined a soccer league a couple of years ago to get in shape. I was having a blast until it happened. Somebody slide tackled into me and I pulled a muscle in my calf. At the time I thought nothing of it. I’d played different team sports all of my life and injuries were just part of the game whether it was football, basketball or soccer. I just needed to ice it and rest for a while. I walked with a limp for a bit while the calf was healing. My calf healed within two weeks but shortly afterward my feet started hurting. They weren’t just aching but instead they were burning with each and every step. The pain was relentless and the mornings were the worst. I could barely get my socks on. What was this?

It hurt so badly I couldn’t wait a week to see my doctor and ended up at an urgent care clinic over the weekend. They took X-rays as a precaution but after hearing my symptoms they told me that it was most likely plantar fasciitis. Little did I know that I had the “Lord Voldemort” of sports injuries. To be precise plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the thick tissue at the bottom of the foot that connects the heel bone to the toes. It makes up most of the arch of the foot. My plantar fasciitis was relentless and no matter what I tried I couldn’t get rid of it. I wore special boots at night to stabilize my feet, went to a physical therapist, stretched all the time and took Ibuprofen 24 hours a day. It took six months of trial and error but eventually I exercised the demon that is plantar fasciitis.

The following are the treatments that worked for me. Everyone’s feet are different so there are no guarantees but if you’re reading this blog post you are a fellow sufferer and willing to try almost anything:

1. Tennis Balls

At night your arches tend to tighten up and the pain in the morning is the worst of the day. Everyone that’s had plantar fasciitis describes it the same way… “it’s like walking on broken glass!” Roll both your feet before bed and when you get up on a tennis ball and apply a decent amount of pressure. Do this in a seated position every day and focus on the arches of your feet.

2. Flip Flops

Shoe manufacturers have spent millions researching how to protect us from foot pain. The result has been shoes that weaken our feet over time. The average running shoe is so insulated that the muscles in your feet may have atrophied over time. Most shoes are also designed for a heel strike which is not healthy. Before you spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of orthotics go out and get a pair of decent flip flops. That’s right flip flops! They force your toes to grip and keep the muscles in your feet working. I started wearing them as often as I could get away with it and noticed that my feet didn’t hurt at all while in flip flops.

3. Bed Covers

If you have the dreaded plantar fasciitis you’ve noticed that your feet are super tight in the morning. I noticed that when I slept I tended to pull the covers over my feet. That slight bit of tension on my feet all night long made walking in the morning almost impossible. I started setting my feet free and let them stick out of the covers while I slept. The difference in the morning was significant. Don’t constrict your feet with heavy bed covers at night. They don’t like being trapped.
 
 
4. Stretch Those Dogs

This may seem simple but it won’t work unless you are consistent. I did heel and calf stretches three times a day for a month. Yes, a month! I know it may seem like a bit much but once you’ve felt the incredible foot pain of plantar fasciitis you’ll gladly do anything it takes.

5. Foot Massage

Pay for a decent foot massage from a professional massage therapist. It will help stretch the thick tissue in the arches of your feet and give you temporary relief from the pain. If you’re suffering from plantar fasciitis any relief from the chronic burning in your feet is well worth the cost.

You’ll find that plantar fasciitis is a worthy opponent but through persistence and patience you can get rid of it and start living a normal existence again. Try to avoid any drastic or expensive solutions if you can. I bought expensive orthotic inserts and found that they did little or nothing to ease the pain. I also had to throw away or donate half of my shoes to Goodwill. A thick sole or extra cushioning doesn’t mean that a pair of shoes will be good for your feet. The only true test for any new pair of shoes is to wear them for a few days and see if your plantar fasciitis flares up. I ended up learning that my $200 Rockports were killing my feet and my $30 Asics were the best foot healing therapy around. Everyone’s feet are different so you may find that a pair of Rockports works well for you. Through extensive trial and error I found the remedies above that worked for me. Hopefully they will work for you. Good luck, may you find yourself free from “PF” walking barefoot on a beach somewhere!

About the Author of “How I Got Rid Of My Plantar Fasciitis Once And For All!”:
Trip Albagdadi is a regular guest contributor to the iM Sports Blog. His work has been featured in numerous online as well as traditional print publications.

Photo Credits for “How I Got Rid Of My Plantar Fasciitis Once And For All!”:
“Plantar Fasciitis? Try Flip Flops” – Kai Hendry via photopin cc
“Tennis Balls for Foot Pain” – HelloImNik via photopin cc
“Free Your Feet” – Mr.Tea via photopin cc
“No More Chronic Foot Pain” – CaptPiper via photopin cc

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Have you ever experienced the chronic foot pain of plantar fasciitis?