Foot Problems

[Pauline]

We just passed 750 miles on our walk 1000 miles plan for this year and I have developed a foot problem. It started around 700 miles, a dull pain in the heel of my right foot. I frequently get foot pain when we have done long walks and it always goes away. This didn't.

I went to the doctor who said it is plantar fasciitis and there is not much I can do. It eventually heals but it can take months. I don't think I need orthotics because I only wear very good walking or hiking shoes, never anything else. I am trying a compression sock. I ordered some tape on a friend's recommendation but have not tried it yet. I guess this is what @Kathy (Trekcapri) was talking about when she wrote about taping up feet on her long distance hike in Spain! I couldn't understand why anyone needed to tape anything.

Anyway, the advice is to stay active but not too active, and do more stretching. We were walking 30 miles a week, but for the last few weeks we have gone back to 20 miles.

All this just in time for three weeks in Switzerland!

Any advice? Anyone want to share their foot problems so I don't feel so bad.

 

[Roz]

I'm so sorry about the heel problem, Pauline. Did your doctor suggest any specific stretching exercises? I am a big believer in exercise therapy. If you google plantar fasciitis exercises, you will find quite a few suggestions.

 

[Chris]

I was surprised your doctor didn't recommend stretching exercises. Time for google.

 

[Pauline]

She did suggest exercises. We do regular stretching and I am doing more foot stretching. Also getting foot massage (thanks Steve!). I bought one of those things you roll your feet one.

I will google for exercises and do more of them!

 

[SusanSeattle]

Hi Pauline,
So sorry to hear this. I have also had PF. It takes such a long time to heal!
I found Runner's World to have some really great articles and videos online.

http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/plantar-fasciitis

I also have a foot roller I use at home & one of these little spiky balls for when I travel:

https://www.amazon.com/Therapists-C...97291&sr=8-4&keywords=green+foot+massage+ball

 

[susan]

I'm sorry to hear that you are now dealing with plantar fasciitis. When I was doing a lot of hiking about 10 or so years ago. I ended up with plantar fasciitis. It was so painful. I really sympathize. Wearing shoes without a lot of arch support (slippers/sandals that were flat and fashionable in Hawaii) did not help matters.

I really did not want to go the route of the orthotics but did end up getting them and they really did help. Even after getting them, I was stubborn about using them, but I realized that my feet really benefitted from them. At first they were a little uncomfortable and now when I don't wear them all of the time and then do wear them, they bother me at first until I get used to them again.

If I am remembering correctly, I think I stopped hiking and doing long walks for a few weeks and then built back up the length of a walk or hike. I also used a tennis ball (and still do sometimes) as a way to massage the bottom of my foot, rolling my foot over it back and forth with slight pressure. I think I also did some sort of stretches. I either wore my orthotics or Chaco sandals, which have excellent arch support. After a month or two (can't remember now), my symptoms disappeared completely and I have never had further issues with plantar fasciitis, but I have been very diligent with what type of shoes I wear.

In the summer, I wear my Chacos (and can walk for miles and miles in these) or my sneakers or hiking shoes with my orthotics in them. If I have to wear fancier shoes (rarely), I have some sandals that have moderate arch support. I no longer ever wear flat sandals or shoes without any arch support. In the winter, I have these very squishy (inside) snow boots with a store bought arch support pad that works, but I don't walk far in them. I wear them at work. My other boots either have excellent arch support or I slip in my orthotics.

I also can now use those arch support liners that you bake and mold to your feet for walks that are not too long to save the hassle of always switching out my orthotics to a different pair of shoes. Those might helpful for you. One of the things about orthotics that is different than just good support shoes is that they mold to your foot. The arch support liners that you back almost do the same thing.

I know how much you love to walk and hope your feet heal soon!!

 

[susan]

Hi Pauline,
So sorry to hear this. I have also had PF. It takes such a long time to heal!
I found Runner's World to have some really great articles and videos online.

http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/plantar-fasciitis

I also have a foot roller I use at home & one of these little spiky balls for when I travel:

https://www.amazon.com/Therapists-C...97291&sr=8-4&keywords=green+foot+massage+ball

I was typing my reply while SusanSeattle posted. I also used that porcupine balls for a while! I don't know what happened to mine now. Maybe that is why I switched to a tennis ball.

For me, the major pain did not last too long, but it did take a few years for me to be able to wear any other shoes besides shoes with my orthotics in them or wearing my Chacos. Luckily, I was living in Hawaii where I could wear Chacos all year round! If I did wear other shoes, I would start to feel that pain again.

 

[Kathy (Trekcapri)]

I went to the doctor who said it is plantar fasciitis and there is not much I can do. It eventually heals but it can take months. I don't think I need orthotics because I only wear very good walking or hiking shoes, never anything else.

Hi Pauline sorry to hear about your PF. You're so far ahead in your 1000 Miles challenge so I bet you can definitely take it very easy and giving time to heal for the next few weeks & still meet your goal.

You received some wonderful recommendations. Like others, I try to stretch a little before each walk and I force myself to start off slow and then pick up the speed after about 20 minutes as a kind of walking warm up.

I did tape my feet when I did the Camino last year. I used Leukotape to help prevent blisters from forming which is caused by the rubbing motion between your skin and your socks. I also used a 2 sock system to further reduce the friction. But for people who have PF, I think they more commonly use Kinesiology Tape for it. I have no direct experience with that so can't say if it'll help you.

I am so thankful that I didn't develop major foot issues on my Camino other than the normal pain one might feel after walking long back to back miles. After the first few days on my Camino, I reduced my miles trying not to walk more than 14 miles back to back which helped. Towards the end, my feet started hurting especially after my longer days. My sister recommended I get some shoe inserts so I purchased a couple of brands from the local Farmacia and they helped a lot. My pain wasn't as intense and some days I didn't even have any pain. I don't know if you've tried inserts yet and I'm not sure if they will help with your PF, but I thought I'd mention that experience using them here as well.

Hope you feel better.

 

[joe]

I also suffered from this a few years ago. Painful, and a reminder to us not to exceed our limitations (and how are us people who love to walk/hike going to learn this otherwise? ).

I did quite a bit of stretching exercises, but I have the impression that it just slowly went away by itself after about four months. I also suspected that it started because of a change in the type of sandal I wore - naturally I gave these away and went back to the previous model I used. You might want to check if you haven't done a similar change that you didn't pay attention to.

I think it's a good idea to keep a good natural anti-inflammatory substance that works for you. For me, I've found that a supplement based on curcumin and pepperin (the two active compounds of tumeric and pepper) helps me with incidents in which I've developed a persistent inflammation that doesn't go away easily by itself.

If you're generally healthy and allow your feet the time to heal, I believe that you'll be able to eliminate the problem.

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

Stretching your feet, using roller balls and cutting back on long walks should help. The jury's out on the usefulness of orthotics unless you have serious back or foot problems. They are too readily prescribed.
Several years ago I developed a back problem and was told to get orthotics as 1 foot shorter than the other. I also had painful feet. I was told to always wear shoes even in the house going from shower to bedroom. I followed this advice religiously for 2 years.
Then....most people have 1 foot shorter than the other, orthotics unnecessary and a booming industry. I abandoned them, don't wear shoes all the time in the house and several years on am just fine.
Wearing good shoes, listening to your body or rather your feet and probably doing shorter walks and wearing good shoes should be enough. PF is a very common problem. Given all your walking, I'm surprised that you haven't developed aches and pains before this
It will go away in time.
You've received some really good advice here.

 

[Pauline]

I get pains in my feet from all the walking we do, but nothing that has persisted like this (it has been over 2 weeks). This is a different pain from what I usually get.

Last year I was wearing light Lowas that started causing me foot pain after walking in them for a month. I had to wear them for 3 weeks of walking in Switzerland (could not find a replacement there) but I found that taking them off for 20 minutes after 2 hours of walking made it okay. And I put a better insole into them. When we got home I got rid of the boots.

This year my feet have been good with the Oboz shoes.

I am doing excercises, using those spiked balls to roll my foot on (also got a wooden one), walking fewer miles. I will remember to start out slower when walking and do some stretches before we walk, plus more stretches after. I guess it will just take time to get better.

Thanks for all these suggestions!

With all this extra time because of not walking as much, my hall closet got a deep cleaning and reorganization today!

Has anyone tried a compression sock? I ordered one and wore it a bit yesterday. It felt good. I might try it when walking tomorrow.

 

[Amy]

I also have plantar fascitis as well as arthritis in both feet. I saw a podiatrist last year, who recommended that I stop walking/running for a while, as well as use an orthothic all the time, even around the house with slippers. She also had me start PT with stretching exercises. I always do the stretching before I even get out of bed, it really helps. It took a few weeks to all kick in, (ooh, excuse the pun!) but now my feet are totally pain free. Which is good, since now I'm back to the PT for my stupid knee! (as my orthopedist said, parts of getting older are just no fun)

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

It was a podiatrist who told me to wear shoes all the time as well. I did that for quite awhile.
I wear compression socks when I travel. I've never heard of them for plantar fasciitis. But if they feel good, why not.
Yes our aging bodies.

 

[Rome Addict]

My preliminary diagnosis was plantar fasciitis. With my job I was unable to take it easy in terms of walking (7 miles a day) and ended up permanently crippled. Getting better does not happen unless aggressively managed. 3 surgeries on each foot later I am able to walk some distance (1 mile) but still most of the time in a wheelchair/scooter. I don't think cutting back to 10 miles is going to be sufficient.
Couple of suggestions. 1) custom inserts. Wear them religiously. 2) orthopaedic boot at night. It forces your feet into the proper plane. PF causes tendons to tighten up so you end up sleeping almost like you are walking tippy toe. 3) ice when finished walking. 20 minutes cold then 20 minutes warm. Repeat.
4)NSAIDS. Ibuprofen or naproxen take it religiously. Not as a pain killer but an actual healing drug. Helps prevent inflammation response which is what is actually what is going wrong with you. 5) I got some relief from acupuncture. Don't know that it "fixed" anything but dealing with the pain it helped.

6) Birkenstocks. The dropped heal kind. Be very careful here. Buy a pair and then break them in extremely slowly. 1/2 hour a day for a week, then 1 hour/day for a week gradually increasing. You are going to feel so much better that you are going to want to rush it. Don't.
Everything else mentioned here also helps, stretching, the ball thing all are good things.
In Thailand I get thai foot massages weekly. Probably too expensive for you but try to get at least 1 or 2 a month.

 

[chachalaca]

I am late to the conversation-sorry about the PF diagnosis. A lot of us here seem to be keeping you company. I also have orthotics, and I buy really good shoes. At this point, many years later, I only need the orthotics in certain shoes (tennis shoes, hiking boots) and I can feel when I need to stick them in other shoes. I would suggest getting them (made by the podiatrist), they might help your rehab along.

The best advice from my podiatrist was never go barefoot, always have a slipper w a 1.25" heel. This means my slippers are Okabashi sandals or even an old pair of Dansko slip ons...odd but I'm not barefoot.

I also had PT and they did some foot massage while I was there. This was a long time ago, now I would definitely include acupuncture in my rehab routine.

Good luck!
Laura

 

[Pauline]

I always wear my Birkenstock sandals in the house and don't usually go barefoot. I've been doing that for 20+ years. Birkies don't really have a heel though - but nothing I wear does. I even take them with me when we travel. My current ones are old and I will replace them.

I am getting regular foot massage and I can afford it - it's free! Steve and I both took many massage classes years ago. He gives great foot massage.

I think what I have is mild. We had several rest days this week and our weekly walking total was 10 miles instead of our usual 30. Yesterday I did a 5 mile walk and my foot hurt a bit but not enough to make me stop walking. It hurts in the morning. I am wearing the compression sock when we walk and around the house if it is hurting. I am icing the foot once a day.

I don't want to go to orthodics yet. I have really good walking shoes with great insoles. We leave for Switzerland in a few days but we do easier walking there than at home (because we use the gondolas etc. to do the climbing). I'll see how I am after 3 weeks there. Hopefully better!

Today, though, I slipped off a ladder in the garage and landed, thump, on my sore foot. I'm not quite sure how that happened but I blame my Birkenstock. My foot doesn't seem any worse.

Yes, this is not really a travel topic, but travelers so a lot of walking and I thought I would get some good advice here! Thanks!

I also suspected that it started because of a change in the type of sandal I wore - naturally I gave these away and went back to the previous model I used. You might want to check if you haven't done a similar change that you didn't pay attention to.

I keep thinking about this because usually when I have problems, it is the shoe. I had Lowa boots once that I wore for two years and then they started hurting! I think maybe they had worn out. I did recently get a new pair of Oboz but I went back to my other ones for awhile and there was no difference.

I did trip on a long hike just before my heel started to hurt. Nothing hurt at the time, but it was a twisty trip - my foot got caught in a dried mud cow print - a deep small hole.

 

[chachalaca]

Oh! Something I remember Dr. saying was never wear slip ons....like clogs...because the bottom of your foot /toes/ fascia try to "hold on" and grip which is counter-acting to your stretching.

 

[Pauline]

Oh! Something I remember Dr. saying was never wear slip ons....like clogs...because the bottom of your foot /toes/ fascia try to "hold on" and grip which is counter-acting to your stretching.

Birkenstock sandals are like a slip on! I'll start wearing shoes in the house.

 

[Cameron]

Years ago, I had plantar fasciitis and you have my empathy! Mine hurt more when first standing -- could barely walk until I stretched my feet and ankles.

Just by pure accident, mine healed, which I attribute to my switch in exercises. Since walking was difficult, I started riding a stationary bike. After a few weeks of pedaling, my fasciitis was gone! I don't know if this works for everyone, but it worked for me. My doctor was amazed that this worked. It must be the way I pedal! LOL

Also, I have a bone spur in one hip and my ortho doc told me to never go barefoot in the house. She told me to always wear shoes with a slight heel 1/2-1", instead of flat, and not to wear shoes that put weight back on my heels.

 

[Pauline]

Today I am wearing light Merrells in the house instead of Birkenstocks. I took notice how my foot felt in the Birkenstocks and I think it is clenching when I walk in them. I won't replace them!

My heel hurts most in the morning. I am fine walking for up to two hours, then I feel it.