Treadmills

[studor]

Bird
Don't think I would go the shot route -- I went for physio once a week for about four weeks and had a nice looking young lady massage my foot and then put the ultrasound on it for about half an hour and then shock therapy. Worked like a charm and the view wasn't bad either

 

[Bird]

Don't think I would go the shot route

I'd be a bit reluctant to go that way myself, both because of some of the cons I've read and because I hate having needles stuck in my foot. You see I also have scars from surgery 60 years ago when they cut across the top of the big toe, and 3 parallel cuts on top of the foot (51 stitches, if I remember right) to remove the tendons or leaders from the top of my foot to splice the Achilles tendon, which was shrinking, or at least failing to grow, as a result of polio. So I can't wiggle the toes on my left foot. But I had needles stuck in the bottom of my foot about 53 years ago to deaden it before the doctor burned a plantar wart from right in the middle of the bottom of the foot, and I had needles to deaden it for a doctor to cut on and straighten a toe about 20 years ago. It's hard to hold still when someone sticks a needle in your foot.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Bird,

I know a little about stretching. Only do it when the muscles are warmed up, never stretch a cold muscle. Don't stretch to the point of where you feel pain. A little discomfort is okay, but no pain. Don't bounce the muscle while stretching, slow and steady is the key. I guess the calf muscle in most people needs to be stretched more. By stretching for a longer duration, 3 minutes, the muscle gets accustomed to being stretched that far and will let you stretch it further as time goes by. You can even hold a stretch for 20 minutes or more. I regularly sit in my leg stretcher for up to a half hour at a time. The science of stretching is called kineseology. (sp) There's a lot of fascinating reading on the web.

The short duration stretching, 10 to 15 seconds or even less, is called dynamic stretching which is good to do too. But the static stretching for longer periods is really what helps.

Good luck, Andy.

 

[ultrarunner]

Very timely and keep us posted on your recovery...

I never had any feet problems till I spent a 3 day weekend on my BX23...

My right heel couldn't bear any weight and I hobbled in to see the Doc... He told me to stay off the tractor and use a night splint. It's been 5 weeks and I'm just itching to get some seat time...

Good Luck and I can truly say, I feel your pain.

 

[Runner]

Bird,

Sorry to hear about the foot problems. I run and walk 32 miles a week or so, and have had plantar fasciatis before too. No fun, but for me it was only temporary and I was over it in few days. Aspirin before the run helped and it always seemed like once I got started and warmed up, the pain went away. Haven't had it in a long time now.

I had something else happened though, that you might want to know about. My doctor told me my cholesterol was a "little high" and as a knee-jerk reaction, put me on Lipitor. I figured it couldn't hurt, but after a few weeks of taking it, I started having extreme foot pain and joint pain, to the point I could barely stand. I thought I was having planatar fasciatis again an that it would go away, but it never did.

Finally, I concluded that the only thing that had changed in my life was taking the Lipitor. So I stopped taking it and problem solved. This has been about a year ago and I have had no more foot/joint problems.

Something to think about if you're taking any medications and exercising.

Best of luck with your situation.

 

[Bird]

That's interesting, Gary. I'd have never thought Lipitor would cause something like that, but it does seem that most medicines that are advertised have more bad side effects than the ailment they're meant to cure. I do take a 12.5 mg capsule of Hydrochlorothiazide and a 20 mg tablet of Simvastatin each day, which my doctor says is about as mild a dose of blood pressure and cholesterol medicines as there is.

 

[Runner]

The doc also told me to start taking an aspirin a day, blood thinner I guess. Anyway, I work outside around the house where I'm constantly getting scratches, etc, and in the shop wrenching on things. I swear, on that regimen, even the tiniest scratch and I thought I was going to bleed to death. So I stopped that too.

Because I've been running for years, I do not have blood pressure problems and all the tests showed that I have no arterial blockage whatsoever. Therefore, I got the impression that the Lipitor and aspirin was recommended just as a precaution that they give to any guy over 50.

I never even thought about the idea that Lipitor might cause those kinds of side effects, but even the product label says that it can. It was also giving me headaches to which I was never prone before or since.

If I really thought that I had a problem, I'd probably try and find some other regimen to address it, but this all seemed like overkill to me, so I made the decision to stop it.

 

[tglass]

Bird, I also saw about the flat foot with the powerstep, and the foot Dr. told me my arches were almost higher than a normal foot. Anyway, they worked for me.
Runner I guess I've never saw that on the bottle and I do take Lipitor. How long did it take before you felt a change after discontinuing it?

 

[Runner]

tglass,

I'm not sure I saw the side effects on the bottle. I think it was on one of those product data sheets that comes with it, you know, the microscopic fine print about three pages long?

You can also see what other people have experienced if you google lipitor side effects on the computer.

Anyway, I was completely back to normal in a couple of weeks and have not had a recurrance of the pain since. My feet and joints hurt so bad that I literally couldn't stand up in the morning when I first got out of bed. Eventually, it would subside a little, but trying to run with that pain was terrible.

 

[pennwalk]

Bird, My wife has Plantar Fasciitis. She does the stretching exercises and got prescription inserts for her shoes. The doc suggested a big can of frozen lemonade to roll her foot over when it was hurting. She is doing much better. The cortisone shots didn't help her very much. About the pain from statin drugs. Her doctor recommended trying CoQ10. It is supposed to help some and not others. AARP had an article about how beneficial walking is. My doctor has recommended it for me. It is hard to get my heart rate in the 130-140 range that he recommends. I'm more of a stroller.

Chris

 

[Bird]

Yep, Chris, I read the article AARP published on the benefits of walking. I have always been a fast walker, but I tell my wife if she walks any slower she'll be going backwards. We seldom go shopping together because she says it's too hard to keep up with me and I tell her I can't walk as slow as her without staggering. My wife suffers from a bit of leg pain; seems to run in her family and she's had everything from MRIs to x-rays to physical therapy, etc. and the doctors don't really know what causes it. But she goes out for a walk 3 or 4 times a day, down to the corner and back, because it helps the leg pain. But of course it's not going to get her heart rate up any.

I've seen some pictures of rolling your foot over a can and I've read about massaging with ice. I asked my doctor about it and he didn't seem to think it would help me, but said it couldn't hurt and if there was any swelling at the end of the day (I've not had any), then ice would be beneficial.

 

[LBrown59]

Seems like I'm always on a treadmill , so I don't need to get one.
LOL

 

[Runner]

Bird,

My wife and I are just the opposite of you and yours: She walks all the time for her exercise and sometimes we walk together. She walks so fast I can barely keep up with her. In fact, her normal walking pace is about the same as my hot-weather running pace (more of a jog).

I guess that means I need to get with the program....

 

[tallyho8]

About 2 years ago I woke up one morning to a bad case of Plantar Fasciitis and it hurt like the dickens especially in the morning. I tried many different home remedies with no success. I suffered for about 3 weeks and then it went away as suddenly as it started and thankfully has not recurred.

 

[Bird]

About 2 years ago I woke up one morning to a bad case of Plantar Fasciitis and it hurt like the dickens especially in the morning. I tried many different home remedies with no success. I suffered for about 3 weeks and then it went away as suddenly as it started and thankfully has not recurred.

I'd sure like for that to happen for me, but since it's been over 4 months, I'm not really too optimistic.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

Bird,
google "foot log" - it's a textured massage unit for runners, and helps with the fascitis. So do Gel inserts. A coworker of mine got a pair of knock-off crocs and that helped her, but they make my feet hurt. you can also find in running catalogs several items to help with plantar fascitis, from eleastic bands that hold your feet stretched while you sleep to neoprene and velcro wraps that go around your arches (for those times when you're not wearing shoes in the house)
good luck.

 

[Bird]

Erik, that foot log does appear to be something I would like. I do wonder whether there would be a local store I could buy it from instead of ordering online. And I am using gel inserts, but just heel cushions. The doctor said I shouldn't be using the one that includes an arch support. And while I used to go barefoot around the house all the time, I don't do that anymore.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

check dedicated running supply stores - otherwise, online is it so far as i know.
on the the hand, it also works for rubbing out sore muscles on the backs of your leg.

I've also considered making one out of a cheap rolling pin, some 3M #99 spray adhesive or barge cement, and a scrap of welcome mat. (the thin "boot scraper" style - with lots of texture)