plantar fasciitis

Does anyone have any experience or success with healing plantar fasciitis?

My physical therapist diagnosed it, and gave me exercises to do, and used to treat with dry needling.  I moved to a very rural area, and have not yet found a practitioner.

I continue with the exercises, on a sporadic basis (my usual with exercises and vitamins).  I am healthy , vigorous, 72, I do a lot of physical work on my property (no partner and good hired help not available), and like most permies and homesteaders, total rest is not an option.

I notice the condition is progressing, now my heel feels bruised.

I wonder if a comfrey or other healing salve might work.

I wonder if arnica might be counter productive because it decreased the discomfort but didn’t heal the tissue.

I wonder if heat to increase the circulation would promote more healing, whether mustard plaster would work for applying heat.  And maybe intermittent elevation  higher than the heart to help flush cytokines, if they are even there in this kind of condition.

Any ideas or knowledge or brainstorms or conjecture to share?  And if anyone has experience how they restored their plantar fascia I would especially appreciate that!

Thanks

I am still learning to use the search function here on permies.

I found this great thread in food as medicine😊

Might as well keep the discussion there!

https://permies.com/t/151292/kitchen/Natural-remedies-plantar-fasciitis#1232749

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Does anyone have any experience or success with healing plantar fasciitis?

My physical therapist diagnosed it, and gave me exercises to do, and used to treat with dry needling.  I moved to a very rural area, and have not yet found a practitioner.

I continue with the exercises, on a sporadic basis (my usual with exercises and vitamins).  I am healthy , vigorous, 72, I do a lot of physical work on my property (no partner and good hired help not available), and like most permies and homesteaders, total rest is not an option.

I notice the condition is progressing, now my heel feels bruised.

I wonder if a comfrey or other healing salve might work.

I wonder if arnica might be counter productive because it decreased the discomfort but didn’t heal the tissue.

I wonder if heat to increase the circulation would promote more healing, whether mustard plaster would work for applying heat.  And maybe intermittent elevation  higher than the heart to help flush cytokines, if they are even there in this kind of condition.

Any ideas or knowledge or brainstorms or conjecture to share?  And if anyone has experience how they restored their plantar fascia I would especially appreciate that!

Thanks

Try apple cider vinegar.. I hope it helps!

https://www.footinjuryclinic.com/blog/7-fact-or-fiction-remedies-for-plantar-fasciitis/

I am hesitant to recommend anything to any one.  We are such individual human beings that what might work for one may not work for another.

If this can help someone, then so be it.

I cured my plantar fasciitis this way.  First of all, I went to see a podiatrist that specialised in posture.  She spent an hour and a half testing me and made me some bespoke in-soles for my shoes, which I had to wear at all time indoors and outdoors.

I was sent to see a physio for massage and exercise, but soon realised that it was not for me.  So morning and evening I decided to massage my own feet (deep enough but not so deep as to hurt myself) with home made ointment of Hypericum and Comfrey, alternating the ointments each day. I spent a good 5/10 minutes on it.

I also took homeopathic remedy Rhus.tox 30C for a while but I would not recommend doing this just on my saying so.  

The above worked for me and it took about 3 months but I am now free of the pain and no longer use the in-soles.

I hope you find a way soon.  It is so painful.

Second the insoles suggestion. Supporting the arches, which fall and lengthen with age can take some of the tension off the places where the tendons attach to the bones and alleviate pain. Wearing very arch supporting shoes with some good padding can be very helpful. A running shoe store may be able to help.

We used a plastic water bottle, filled with water and frozen solid, as a roller to ice and massage the bottom of the foot several times a day. A golf ball or tennis ball, depending on tenderness level, was also very helpful in deeply massaging the length of the plantar fascia. Regular, consistent practice of both of these was very effective in healing the plantar fascia.

Oddly, daily consumption of chia seeds was said by the treating physician to have been part of the healing process as an anti-inflammatory food.

Thank you for the suggestions. I find it interesting, and at the same time it makes a lot of sense that for different people the causes and cures would be different as well. The constants seem to be massage and stretching.

I will be making some herbal salves. And trying to be more consistent in the stretching  and massages.

Mine involves pain at the hip, and to the outside side of the shin bone.

I had a physical therapist who also used dry needling with electro stimulation at the sacrum.  I had to move away.  

I walked in to a physical therapist office today, asking what modalities they practice there.  I was told that dry needling was not allowed in this state.  You have to go to an acupuncturist.  Believe me I would go, but as remote as I am currently located, an accupuncturist would be hard to find!

Thanks again for the suggestions!

About ten years ago I developed extreme foot pain when I tried walking first thing after getting out of bed. I could walk it out and be fine the rest of the day. Doctor diagnosed plantar fasciitis. His suggestions didn’t help with the problem. Then my hubby pointed out that I had for the past few months developed a sleeping habit of laying cocked askew on my stomach, pointing the toe of my right foot…the one affected. So I tried wearing a boot to bed so that I couldn’t point my toe. And I forced myself to sleep in a different position, using pillows to prevent me from flopping back onto my stomach. After about a month, the pain diminished to the point that the problem totally disappeared. Perhaps it was coincidence, but I haven’t had the problem since…..but I make a point of not laying on my stomach with my toe pointed.

Don’t know if this tidbit would have any bearing upon your own problem. In hindsight, I was shortening the tendon by sleeping in that position.

Hmmm
I may be pointing the toe of my affected foot when you sleep, I will be on the lookout!
Thanks Su Ba

Thekla McDaniels wrote:I found this great thread in food as medicine😊

Might as well keep the discussion there!

https://permies.com/t/151292/kitchen/Natural-remedies-plantar-fasciitis#1232749

I described the magnesium therapy that worked for me in the thread above. It wasn't a food related therapy, but it was a long-winded post so I won't repeat it here...

I read that post , Robin, and I have magnesium on its way.  Thanks

Thekla, I hope it helps. The nice part is that the extra magnesium is probably something you need anyway (most of us do) even if muscle tightness isn't the source of your foot pain.

If you take oral magnesium there is only so much you can absorb without getting the runs. I've found that at my limit of oral magnesium I still need more, so the transdermal application is still necessary. Stress causes the body to use up magnesium so the amount needed can shift a bit depending on what's happening in life. Good luck!

Update:

Still seems I am in the chronic condition phase of this.

I made comfrey salve which I massage in at least once a day.  It does seem to help some, but minimally.  

I asked a doctor, he didn’t seem very interested.  And did not see any benefit to physical therapy or acupuncture.  

I finally got Epsom salts .  Having no bath tub, I am using a 7 gallon coconut oil bucket.  The epsom soak up to the top of my calf was miraculous.  I soaked before going to bed, the next morning the improvement was clear.   I didn’t soak the next night, and the pain was at its worst again.

Today I have already soaked once, will do so again before bed.  

I searched the web, and found an obscure website that actually discussed the variables, and I learned that with connective tissues, activity decreases the pain, with muscle the opposite… so I am doing the stability exercise several times a day as it stretches the whole complex of connective tissue encapsulating the foot from above the ankle to the ball of the foot.  This seems to be helping.

Finally, it occurred to me to look up tendon and ligament health in my new herb book (Making Plant Medicine by Richo Cech.)

Looks like gotu kola will be very helpful.  Some is arriving in a couple days.

I’m really excited to give the gotu kola a good 3 month daily trial.  In the Ayurvedic tradition, it is said to stimulate rapid healthy growth of skin, hair and nails, speeds healing of wounds, hyperextended joints and stretched or injured ligaments. it improves vascular health.   And it aids the memory.  

I'm glad to hear that the epsom salts worked. I've found that magnesium chloride works better for some reason. And I need to do it regularly and at fairly high levels on my skin. I don't know why that is, but my body tells me when I don't have enough. My whole family has the same issue so there may be a genetic reason.

I add concentrated mag chloride to my lotion and put that on my skin so that it can absorb all day. That seems to be the only way I can get enough.

Great suggestions so far so I can only add this...

When my podiatrist asked what i wore around the house for shoes I told him socks, or most often barefoot. At that he cringed and suggested I wear slippers with good arch supports. I think that has helped me the most despite doing things already mentioned here like water intake and exercises.

I feel like such an old man now with my "slippers", but her I am... aged!

Thekla, I have had bouts of PF over the years and yes it is a really painful experience, particularly when getting out of bed. The problem as I understand it is that the fascia runs in a sheath and the inflammation causes a really thick gluey stuff to stick the fascia up, causing pain.  Apart from the magnesium, which works, I use a bottle (wine of course) filled with warm to hot water and roll my foot over it, gradually applying more pressure.  The water needs to be fairly hot to bring blood to the area.  Do it for about 20 minutes then put feet in iced water.  As Su Ba says above, lengthen the tendons/ fascia.  I do this by using  "Theraband" elastic under the toes and forefoot then pulling the band up and pushing down on the resistance.  Hope this adds to your options. As said before, we are all different so things work differently for each person.

I'm with Robin. Magnesium all the way! I've suffered with it to some degree since I was a teenager.
It all came to a head when I was in San Antonio for a conference and there was a lot of walking.  A friend took pity on me and bought be an umbrella to use as a cane, but for several days, every step was like stepping on a knife.
Ever since, when my feet start getting sore at all, it's into the epsom salt bath they go.  I've also got some magnesium supplements and a deodorant-stick concoction that our local soapmakers make.
Magnesium always helps, but I find the earlier I catch it, the easier it is to heal.

I went to find the William E Prowse plantar fasciitis massage video, and couldn’t, but someone else had recommended rebel massage videos on youtube

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K_XyC1qJNqg

I watched several of the videos on PF and learned a lot about HOW I should be massaging my foot.

It’s pretty hard to replicate all the actions on my own foot/leg, but still when I massaged before standing up today, I worked more areas with more  actions, for longer.

Hard to say if it’s the triple soaking yesterday or the change in massage quality- probably both- that accounts for the improvement, but it’s much better today.

Just the same, I highly recommend the rebel massage videos.  I will be searching for a used copy of Prowse’ book “Plantar Fasciitis Survival Guide”. I’ve been stuck, or getting worse with the PF for more than a year!

Now that I am getting some progress I want to keep it going!

K Eilander wrote:I'm with Robin. Magnesium all the way! I've suffered with it to some degree since I was a teenager.
It all came to a head when I was in San Antonio for a conference and there was a lot of walking.  A friend took pity on me and bought be an umbrella to use as a cane, but for several days, every step was like stepping on a knife.
Ever since, when my feet start getting sore at all, it's into the epsom salt bath they go.  I've also got some magnesium supplements and a deodorant-stick concoction that our local soapmakers make.
Magnesium always helps, but I find the earlier I catch it, the easier it is to heal.

I can probably make a similar magnesium deodorant stick, I have some cardboard tubes and all my  soap ingredients ……

Paul, I have one of those stretchy bands from the physical therapist, I will try the stretches you mentioned.  And stretch right after the heat soak.

If it’s “gluey” in there, or there are adhesions, maybe drinking marshmallow root cold water infusion will get things all slippery slidey in there.

And yes, Steve, I have slippers 😊.  I started wearing them all the time indoors after the third broken little toe from catching  a chair leg 😫

I've instructed John to stand on the bottom step(facing up them), with only the balls of his feet on the step, and dip his heels down as far as he can, to stretch them, then rest by raising to level or higher. Slowly, gently working them, a few times per day, for several, gradually increasing reps. That, combined with the magnesium oil and massage has helped him, immensely, just as it did me, when I started back to work (8 - 12hrs/day on cement flours, of course), after a few years maternity leave. Losing weight helped me a LOT, too.

Oh! Good idea, Carla.  I can do that after the hot soak and massage for greater lengthening and stretching
Thanks!

Thekla McDaniels wrote:I can probably make a similar magnesium deodorant stick, I have some cardboard tubes and all my  soap ingredients ……

I went to get a list of the ingredients and it turns out there is no magnesium in the "foot and body balm" stick (as they call it) - though I think that would be a great addition. (Also, since I bought this, they've moved away from these plastic containers to black cardboard tubes as well.)

Anyway, here is's the ingredients they use, if that helps in working out your recipe:

Wow!
Thanks, I have just about everything, just not all the essential oils.

It’ll be a question how to get the magnesium in there.  I’ve made deodorant with baking soda.  If I can pulverize and sift Mg salts to a similar size, that’ll be the challenge!  Next possibility would be dissolving, then making a water and oil type preparation as I do my lotion/skin cream… I will figure something out, and when I do, if it’s not too hard or expensive, I know the woman who sells my soap in her store might have customers who would try it.

And if anyone is passing through Grand Junction, Colorado, I recommend “Willow Creek” the most fabulous tiny shop ever in the 400 block of Main Street.

She sells bulk herbs, antique jewelry, beads, tea, art, soap, lotion, herbal remedies.  Really a collection of wonderful things like no other on earth!  Proprietor is Debora.  Say hi!

If you dissolve the mag in an equal portion, by volume, into very warm water, you can then simply pour it into a spray or roll-on bottle, and apply it, that way(it's what we usually do).

I study corrective exercise and want to chime in.

Massaging the soles of the feet is fantastic. Most people suggest hard items for self-massage but I find that silicone balls (often sold as grip strengthening devices) are ideal for massaging the foot. If the foot is highly inflamed, the softer tool will cause less pain and will be gentler on your nervous system (Stress the nervous system out and that will make things worse. If you find yourself holding your breath, then you may be adding to your body's distress, which is not what we want.). Beyond that, I find that the instability of the softer ball activates the intrinsic muscles of the foot more, which are important for overall foot stability. Another tool that can alleviate tension in the foot and improve alignment are toe spacers (Correct Toes is the brand name product, but there are many far less expensive options on the market as well).

Plantar fasciitis involves microtears in the fascia, and you generally do not want to stretch tissue that is torn because it can exacerbate the tears. Rather, you want to stretch associated muscles that may be unduly pulling on the affected area. In this case, the plantar fascia connects to the achilles tendon, which inserts into the soleus calf muscle. Consequently, you may get relief from first massaging the calf muscles and then stretching them. To stretch the deep soleus muscle, you will want to keep the knee bent as you direct your shin forward of your ankle. Tight hamstring muscles can also contribute to increased tension on the plantar fascia.

Then you want to strengthen weak tissues in the region. Eccentric heel drops, barefoot walking, toe yoga, and short foot exercises should help. Start small and do not push yourself past the point of pain. If you feel pain, try to regress the exercise or abstain until you can perform without pain. Traditional podiatry generally treats the symptoms at the expense of the causes. So refraining from barefoot walking and the use of orthotics can relieve pain in the short term, but it will not address the root cause and will make the condition worse by further weakening your muscles.

Finally, global stress can exacerbate muscle tension and tissue inflammation, so take care of yourself. Especially make sure you are getting enough sleep and take time to recover from strenuous activity.

If you want to learn more about corrective exercise approaches, check out Dr. Ray McClanahan, Dr. Emily Splichal
, Dr. Mark Cucuzella, and biomechanist Katy Bowman.

Hi Angel,  that’s a lot to take in!  Thanks very much.  I am glad to know how much I already have going for me, in that I have been wearing sensible shoes with cushioned soles and wide toe boxes for all my adult life.  

I have had a lot of success with therapeutic movement…. I am most familiar with yoga and gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis.  The differentiation between fasciitis and fasciosis is quite helpful  to know.  

It’s no wonder this has been going on so long.  I have associated pain in the muscles lateral to my shin bone, sometimes medial aspect of knee, hip- not in the joint but up by my pelvis, laterally.

The physical therapist used to dry needle my sacrum with electrical stimulation.  It was when I couldn’t see him any more that things began to deteriorate further.

Having followed all the links you posted, I say well no wonder I was stuck!  I think I will have to write it all down though to take it all in.

Thanks again

So here’s something that might be useful:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/soleus-muscle-anatomy-4684082

It’s a website for anatomy, and it allows a person to rotate the drawing.  

I was massaging a deep and very painful muscle deep in my upper calf.  Some how I thought it might be the soleus.  Web search … etc.  It was the soleus.  And working that sore section has been loosening up foot and ankle, and that is a relief, and progress!

I didn’t check, but my impression is that the website has similar quality drawings of the rest of the musculoskeletal system.  If that’s so, it’s quite a (free) resource!

I think I will look at shoulders next, they are complex and essential, and sometimes mine get a little impatient with me!

Here I am dropping another pebble to mark my pathway (as in Hansel and Gretel,).  In other words an update on my plantar fasciitis (PF) journey.

I’ve come a long way, but still have a ways to go.

Most recently I have added twice daily yoga to the soaking, massage, supportive footwear and stretching exercises, to loosen up the tightness restricting my movement in various locations on my right side, and causing pain the in my foot.  I am getting a better range of motion, less tightness and less PF pain.

I am doing yin yoga, slow and deep.  I don’t want to set any muscle spasms in motion.  And in all the research for yoga, I discovered a thing called yoga nidra, which I have also been doing.  It involves attaining a restorative brain state, not hypnosis or meditation, I don’t know much about it yet other than that it’s quite refreshing.

I’ve been drinking gotu kola tea twice a day for at least 6 weeks, (supposed to heal/support connective tissues).  It seems like my hair and nails have been growing faster and stronger, so that may also be contributing to the increasing elasticity in the involved connective tissue.

I just reread the whole thread and discovered a lot of suggestions I had forgotten about, so I have plenty of strategies to continue the healing and restoration process.  At this point, sometimes the first few steps in the morning are barely uncomfortable, but there are still plenty of mornings when the whole heel feels bruised and tender.  I’m looking forward to the time when I forget I ever had it.