How I got rid of long-term plantar fasciitis, or heel pain
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- Hi there! Please click "Show More" to see my written summary of this whole video, it may answer questions you have.
My name is Paul, and I had plantar fasciitis (heel pain) for about 2.5 years. This video describes how I got it, what I tried to heal it, and what finally did the trick.
DISCLAIMER: I'm not a health professional of ANY kind. This is just what I did to get rid of PF.
The following five elements were important, and mutually-reinforcing. (See time-codes at end of each item to click directly to that part of the video. Thanks to viewer Andrew Rohn for these.)
(1) STRETCHES: More than just the simple stretches my podiatrist gave me. I used lunge stretch, modified lunge, standing on stairs from toes and letting my heels drop down. Did this 3-5 times per day, at least. Also did yoga, and poses that involve the calves, thighs and glutes were best -- like down dog, pigeon, and laying on your back and pulling knees towards you. (See video starting 11:44.)
(2) MASSAGE: I vigorously massaged my legs and feet using the heel of my hand, my knuckles, fingers, massaging my calves and around the Achilles heel twice a day for at least 10 minutes each time. Also used a foam roller to release tension in my legs. And massaged my thighs with my elbows. (See video starting 19:25.)
(3) STRENGTH: Built up strength in my legs and feet. I had laid off walking to avoid the pain, but my muscles got weak and, I think, left the plantar fascia to do the work that muscles are supposed to do-which only prolonged the pain. So, for strength I started running, worked my way up to 3 miles once or twice a week. I also used gym machines to work on my ankle, calves, glutes. (See video starting 30:00.)
(4) GAIT: A physical therapist told me I was walking off-kilter-ways of walking I had subconsciously adopted to avoid pain, but which were now throwing off my gait and making things worse. I practiced a nice even gait slowly and in front of the mirror, or just out on the street until things started getting better, and I could pick up the pace. (See video starting 37:12.)
(5) SHOES: I tried many kinds of shoes, and the ones that finally helped were Birkenstocks, both sandals and shoes. Birkenstocks have a cork foot-bed that conforms to your feet, and a low heel. For running, I got Vibram “barefoot” shoes and typically would run only on dirt or grass. (See video starting 45:58.)
All these elements were mutually reinforcing. The body is all one system. I found it wasn’t just a matter of stretching or massaging my feet, but about getting the whole system back in shape.
TAPING MY FEET: Also, taping my feet (using Leukotape P 3.8cm wide) provided some relief -- it didn't attack the root of the problem, but provided some relief when I needed it. In this video, I show one simple taping method -- search UA-cam for more.) I describe my taping method starting at 7:30 in this video.
It took probably a few months to fully get rid of the PF -- that is, measuring from the time I started doing all 5 things above at once (not including taping, which I stopped at some point earlier, because it doesn't get at the root cause and I didn't want it to mask whatever real progress I was making). After that, I had some little lingering effects, but it was essentially gone.
Hope this video helps! May your plantar fasciitis go away!
Best wishes,
Paul