Devices To Correct Foot Problems

[richard]

Most of us spend more time in our street shoes than in our hiking boot--hope they help.

Plantar fasciitis can be nasty stuff and slow to heal.

I have flirted with mild plantar fasciitis and have had some professional advice. It is basically an inflammation of the ligament running along the bottom of the foot between the heel bone and the forefoot. The key is taking it easy and stretching of it and the achilles tendon/calf muscles. (If mild, just stretching may be enough.)

Some basic methods of stretching:
* Wall pushups (or equivalent) to stretch the achilles tendon and plantar ligament
* Rolling the bottom of the foot on a ~1.25 inch roller or tennis ball to stretch the plantar ligament. (I just use a ~6 inch section of wooden dowel.)

Anti-inflammatories (eg ibuprofen) can also be helpful.

Excessive pronation and/or arch collapse can also stress the ligament and thus insoles with arch support can help if this is a contributing factor.

There is good info at https://www.aofas.org/footcaremd/conditions/ailments-of-the-heel/Pages/Plantar-Fasciitis.aspx and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis

Doug

I had (still have) a problem with plantar fasciitis. It developed slowly at first and got progressively worse while doing my nightly walking. I thought it would get better by walking through it. It didn`t. I had to stop walking completely. It took a loooong time to heal. I tried "PROFOOT" arch supports. They helped a lot. Also stretching the calf muscles helps and is important to prevent a reoccurrence. I`m pretty sure my problem started from walking in sneakers that were too loose in the heel. Still, I can`t walk barefoot around the house. I have a pair of sneakers with good support I use instead of slippers. It`s important to keep stretching. If it starts coming back a little I have to back off some.

 

[peakbagger]

Still, I can`t walk barefoot around the house. I have a pair of sneakers with good support I use instead of slippers.

The person I sectioned much of AT had never had it until he got remarried and moved into his new wifes home. She makes everyone take their shoes off while when he lived solo he kept his shoes on. The doctor told him to keep a clean pair of shoes at the door and never go barefoot again around the house. Last thing I knew it hasn't come back.

 

[DougPaul]

Yes, walking barefoot (ie zero arch support) can be a problem if you have plantar fasciitis.

Another alternative to shoes is Chaco sandals--they have a very significant amount of arch support. (Almost too much for me--I have to wear wool socks with them to cushion the arch.) REI carries them.


As an addendum to my earlier post on PF, one should note that there are other causes of bottom of the foot pain (some are listed in http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-topic-overview) and it may be worth getting a professional diagnosis. Once you know that it is indeed PF, the self-treatments listed in the earlier post are often sufficient to control the problem. If you still have problems, I suggest you seek professional help.

PF is a nasty injury...

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

I had (still have) a problem with plantar fasciitis. It developed slowly at first and got progressively worse while doing my nightly walking. I thought it would get better by walking through it. It didn`t. I had to stop walking completely. It took a loooong time to heal. I tried "PROFOOT" arch supports. They helped a lot. Also stretching the calf muscles helps and is important to prevent a reoccurrence. I`m pretty sure my problem started from walking in sneakers that were too loose in the heel. Still, I can`t walk barefoot around the house. I have a pair of sneakers with good support I use instead of slippers. It`s important to keep stretching. If it starts coming back a little I have to back off some.

Like many other wear-and-tear problems, it often develops slowly. However, it may show up suddenly after some event such as a big hike or walking in shoes with inadequate support.

Proper insoles, shoes with proper support, and stretching all usually help. As you note, stretching the calf muscles and achilles tendon is helpful, but stretching the plantar fascia directly by rolling a dowel or tennis ball underfoot can also help. (The calf stretches do also stretch the plantar fascia to some degree.)

Doug

 

[sierra]

I have also noticed that walking around the house is very uncomfortable without shoes. I'll keep my shoes on and get a wooden dowel, I actually have a pair of Chaco sandals might try them as I hate wearing shoes in the house. I'll give it some time, but if I don't see improvements, I guess I'll see my doctor. One thing in my favor, I heal well from just about anything. Total doctor visits in the last 20 years, (4).

 

[DayTrip]

Seeing a lot of references to tight calves in this post too. My calves have been super tight past year or two. I always chalked it up to getting in "hiking shape" but maybe this tightness is contributing to foot issues? Guess stretching will be of benefit to me as well.

 

[DougPaul]

Seeing a lot of references to tight calves in this post too. My calves have been super tight past year or two. I always chalked it up to getting in "hiking shape" but maybe this tightness is contributing to foot issues? Guess stretching will be of benefit to me as well.

Yes--tightness in any of the plantar fascia, the calf muscles, and/or achilles tendon all increase the tension in all. The earlier mentioned stretches can help all three.

Doug

 

[ChrisB]

Total doctor visits in the last 20 years, (4).

Sierra,

I would not fool around with hearsay and "this worked for me..." type of advice.

I had some serious PlantarF and saw a podiatrist. Best $$ I ever spent.

She fitted me with inserts that costs about $20 a pair from her office. She told me to remove the foot beds in ALL my sneaks, shoes and boots (except ski boots) and use the inserts instead. Which is what I did. Problem solved (with the addition of some serious stretching.)

The inserts she Rx after analyzing my gait, foot falls, etc. etc. are cork, have 6 degrees of compensation and provide very solid support.

Life is short and hiking essential. Go with a Pro!

My .02
cb

 

[jniehof]

I'm a fan of the Barefoot Science insoles. It sounds a bit woo-woo but it's worked pretty well at strengthening my feet and restoring my arch. That lives in my day-to-day shoes, including office.

After this weekend I need to clarify/caution: these live in my day-to-day but I don't use them in my running or hiking shoes. I spent most of the past three days on my feet in my regular street shoes and they got turned to hamburger. We're talking a LOT here; a mile or two a day is fine, but I was putting in 5, 6 miles and a fair bit of standing around. In that case, switching from remediation to support would have been a good idea.

 

[sierra]

I'm already taking action, Superfeet in my civilian shoes, stretching my calf muscles, rolling a frozen bottle under my foot and I'm going to a foot doctor. I'm not messing around, my feet are everything to me, I'm hoping, I can get a cortizone shot at my doctor visit as well. Thanks for all the help in this matter, from all that replied.

 

[DougPaul]

I'm already taking action, Superfeet in my civilian shoes, stretching my calf muscles, rolling a frozen bottle under my foot and I'm going to a foot doctor. I'm not messing around, my feet are everything to me, I'm hoping, I can get a cortizone shot at my doctor visit as well. Thanks for all the help in this matter, from all that replied.

The sooner one starts, the sooner one can hope for results...

I normally tell my doctors, if my legs don't work (or can't be fixed), then they will have to treat my resulting psychological problems...

Hadn't thought of a frozen bottle, but any hard surface cylinder of about the right size should do the job. (Off hand, I can find several empty spice bottles and pill bottles in my kitchen that will work. A short section of PVC pipe or a Lexan 500ml Nalgene bottle should work too.)

An anecdote about the use of anti-inflammatory drugs: At one point in my dim dark past, I was suffering from severe achilles tendonitis and was given a week-long course of a systemic anti-inflamatory (it wasn't cortizone, but the lesson should still apply). All my wear-and-tear problems felt much better for the duration, but returned soon after the course ended. One has to be careful not to increase one's activity level during and immediately following the chemical aid. The inflammation may have been reduced, but that doesn't mean the the injured tissue has had much chance to heal yet. (I still had to do the rest with light activity, slow rebuild, and slow resumption of activity routine...) It also helps to fix the initial cause of the problem before resuming activity too... (eg proper insoles and/or shoes).

Doug

 

[sierra]

The sooner one starts, the sooner one can hope for results...

I normally tell my doctors, if my legs don't work (or can't be fixed), then they will have to treat my resulting psychological problems...

Hadn't thought of a frozen bottle, but any hard surface cylinder of about the right size should do the job. (Off hand, I can find several empty spice bottles and pill bottles in my kitchen that will work. A short section of PVC pipe or a Lexan 500ml Nalgene bottle should work too.)

An anecdote about the use of anti-inflammatory drugs: At one point in my dim dark past, I was suffering from severe achilles tendonitis and was given a week-long course of a systemic anti-inflamatory (it wasn't cortizone, but the lesson should still apply). All my wear-and-tear problems felt much better for the duration, but returned soon after the course ended. One has to be careful not to increase one's activity level during and immediately following the chemical aid. The inflammation may have been reduced, but that doesn't mean the the injured tissue has had much chance to heal yet. (I still had to do the rest with light activity, slow rebuild, and slow resumption of activity routine...) It also helps to fix the initial cause of the problem before resuming activity too... (eg proper insoles and/or shoes).

Doug

The frozen bottle really feels good. I'm also using some webbing to stretch my calf muscles. I am taking Advil as well, I have had great luck with Advil for all my injuries. Truth be told, I try to heal on the move. I'm still doing 3 miles with my dog every morning and plan on hiking next week. I also tell my doctor my plans. When I had Patella Tendon issues, I looked at my doc and said " Don't say don't Hike, just help me fix it". I have 25% percent scar tissue in my knee's and they work really well, I healed while hiking, aka Terry Fox. Not to say some injuries don't stop you, I've just never been there, (yet) knock on wood.

 

[DougPaul]

The frozen bottle really feels good. I'm also using some webbing to stretch my calf muscles. I am taking Advil as well, I have had great luck with Advil for all my injuries. Truth be told, I try to heal on the move. I'm still doing 3 miles with my dog every morning and plan on hiking next week. I also tell my doctor my plans. When I had Patella Tendon issues, I looked at my doc and said " Don't say don't Hike, just help me fix it". I have 25% percent scar tissue in my knee's and they work really well, I healed while hiking, aka Terry Fox. Not to say some injuries don't stop you, I've just never been there, (yet) knock on wood.

I can see how the cold might feel good, but it is generally safer and more effective to stretch warm tissue. Using webbing (or a towel) to stretch one's achilles is also a good technique--FWIW I generally use a wall pushup, one leg at a time.

I have used my share of ibuprofen myself. ("Vitamin I", the aging athlete's friend...)

Fortunately, I have too been able to get past my injuries so far... However, I have had to back off on the activities for extended periods more than once. (And I even know who Terry Fox was!)

BTW, tendons and ligaments often have a poor blood supply and heal slowly. (Cartillage too...)

Another bit of personal experience which might be helpful: Some of my wear-and-tear injuries have had a phase where they are functionally asymptomatic but not ready for full use yet (as evidenced by the pain and swelling of reinjury the day after what appeared to be an ok day). This lack of feedback made it difficult to determine what I could do safely and resulted in a number of reinjuries. I found that by feeling for palpation pain* (or soreness) I could determine the state of the damaged structures even when they were functionally asymptomatic in normal (non-hiking) use.
* palpation pain=pain felt when pressing on or kneading a structure with one's fingertips.

Doug

 

[skiguy]

I'm a fan of the Barefoot Science insoles. It sounds a bit woo-woo but it's worked pretty well at strengthening my feet and restoring my arch. That lives in my day-to-day shoes, including office. Going a prolonged time without them and the arch does start to fall again without having that regular stimulation.

Targeted strength work can also help; sometimes the feet get stuck taking up slack from elsewhere. Hips seem to be the latest "source of all your problems" fad and MYRTL (video) is the one all the cool kids are using. Jason Fitzgerald's IT Band routine is another good one that's hip and quad focused; it's a bit abductor heavy so I add in some cross leg-lifts (on the right side, left knee up and out of the way, lift the right leg) to get some adductor work.

I just wanted to give a shout out to jniehof to say thanks for providing the link to barefoot science. I have had issues with planter fasciitis on and off for a long time. Among all the other treatments and recommendations in this thread I would say that the use of the barefoot science insoles has had the greatest impact in heeling my foot pain issues. I am now religious with using proper foot ware all around but the above mentioned insoles are a daily staple in my shoes. Thanks again as my feet are stronger than ever and I hope others are doing better with any issues they may have when it comes to foot pain.

 

[jniehof]

I just wanted to give a shout out to jniehof to say thanks for providing the link to barefoot science.

Hah! Thanks. When I saw this thread had come back, I thought "Oh, I should pop in and post a caveat on the Barefoot Science things...."

I dinged up my PF pretty bad back in July, not the normal long-term irritation of plantar fasciitis nor really a tear, just a bit of overwork on a fast finish long run in the middle of a lot of volume. It's been something I've been managing, not requiring total rest or anything. Oddly enough it's happier after a run, but gets angry a few hours later in the day.

Anyhow, I realized that keeping the Barefoot Science insoles in was probably counter-productive, since they work by causing a little irritation in the arch and forcing the foot muscles to activate. When stuff's already inflamed, not so good. I switched back to the Sole insoles for just support and things are clearing up nicely...once it's healed up, I'll go back to the Barefoot Science, but probably back down a couple of levels to readjust.

So I'd file them under "good prevention, poor cure."

 

[sierra]

Back when this thread was active my PF was of great concern. I continued doing the exercises I mentioned, but the key was putting green Superfeet in my everyday shoes. My PF has been gone with not so much of a trace of it coming back.

 

[skiguy]

Back when this thread was active my PF was of great concern. I continued doing the exercises I mentioned, but the key was putting green Superfeet in my everyday shoes. My PF has been gone with not so much of a trace of it coming back.

Great news Sierra. I certainly was concerned myself but very psyched now to feeling a lot better. I was the classic case for this...a pronater, with a low arch, and almost 50 years of hiking and climbing, wearing poor everyday foot ware with lousy arch support. For me it was a collective approach with due diligence. Fortunately I did not have to use a lot of anti-inflammatory drugs but diligently employing all the other methodology mentioned above. Probably the most significant thing I did was to go through "ALL" my shoes and get rid of the beat up ones that were not capable of using a good footbed. Using the Barefoot Science program really helped which I used exclusively for 3 months. I am now able to use Superfeet but revert back to the Barefoot Science program when needed. I probably should have been better monitoring my foot ware to begin with and not wearing run down shoes on a daily basis. As I have mentioned on this board before I have worked in the Outdoor Industry and have fitted foot ware...I should have known better. I guess it is kind of like a landscaper whom never cuts the grass in his own backyard. The other thing I have observed over time is that new shoes and boots do not guarantee a good footbed. Even expensive foot ware. Not that they are all bad but next time your at an Outdoor Outfitter grab an expensive shoe/boot off the wall and compare it to a stock SuperFeet.

 

[sierra]

Great news Sierra. I certainly was concerned myself but very psyched now to feeling a lot better. I was the classic case for this...a pronater, with a low arch, and almost 50 years of hiking and climbing, wearing poor everyday foot ware with lousy arch support. For me it was a collective approach with due diligence. Fortunately I did not have to use a lot of anti-inflammatory drugs but diligently employing all the other methodology mentioned above. Probably the most significant thing I did was to go through "ALL" my shoes and get rid of the beat up ones that were not capable of using a good footbed. Using the Barefoot Science program really helped which I used exclusively for 3 months. I am now able to use Superfeet but revert back to the Barefoot Science program when needed. I probably should have been better monitoring my foot ware to begin with and not wearing run down shoes on a daily basis. As I have mentioned on this board before I have worked in the Outdoor Industry and have fitted foot ware...I should have known better. I guess it is kind of like a landscaper whom never cuts the grass in his own backyard. The other thing I have observed over time is that new shoes and boots do not guarantee a good footbed. Even expensive foot ware. Not that they are all bad but next time your at an Outdoor Outfitter grab an expensive shoe/boot off the wall and compare it to a stock SuperFeet.

Good news, glad your better as well. It is a scary injury for those of us who "need" our feet. I'm with you, 40 years of hiking and never gave my everyday shoes a second thought, I think it was DougPaul here, who pointed me in that direction. It probably never would have been a problem for me, but for my dog Bud. He makes me walk about 25 miles week and that was enough to tax my feet on poor insoles. Live and learn, this thread really helped me out. This site might not get the most traffic, but what you get, is quality stuff.

 

[DougPaul]

Good news, glad your better as well. It is a scary injury for those of us who "need" our feet. I'm with you, 40 years of hiking and never gave my everyday shoes a second thought, I think it was DougPaul here, who pointed me in that direction. It probably never would have been a problem for me, but for my dog Bud. He makes me walk about 25 miles week and that was enough to tax my feet on poor insoles. Live and learn, this thread really helped me out. This site might not get the most traffic, but what you get, is quality stuff.

I have occasionally wondered how your feet were doing... I'm happy to hear that they are doing well.

I'm currently "enjoying" Achilles tendonitis in one foot now due to an attempt to switch from hiking boots to trail runners. I've been here before--it is usually a long slow battle to heal...

Doug

 

[sierra]

I have occasionally wondered how your feet were doing... I'm happy to hear that they are doing well.

I'm currently "enjoying" Achilles tendonitis in one foot now due to an attempt to switch from hiking boots to trail runners. I've been here before--it is usually a long slow battle to heal...

Doug

Thank you Doug, it is a relief, healing injury's as we grow older is a dicey proposition. I have been strongly considering the switch myself. I already dumped my leather boots for Keen's that are lighter, but they are still high ankle boots. The closest I've come is picking out a pair at REI and walking with them around the store, before leaving them on a shelf and bolting for the door. My main concerns are these in no particular order. Ankle support, after years of hiking and a bunch doing running descents, I'm deathly afraid of rolling my ankle and not having the support to keep from injurying it. Durabilty, it seems like even with a quality shoe, they just don't last, ( I more then 10 yrs from my boots easy). Wet feet, don't like them don't want them. Now all that aside, maybe the lightness is worth it all. I'll probably give it a shot next year, since I can't lighten my pack, it's the next step.