Dealing with Plantar Fasciitis

Five years ago I had terrible plantar fasciitis. It was bad.  I went to three different doctors, tried a lot of things, and endured a lot of pain before I finally cured it. To save you some suffering here is what I did to cure it:

1) Sleeping in a boot.

I paid a lot for this boot at the podiatrist, only to see it on the internets for way less

Basically when you sleep, you point your foot, and yyou plantar fascia shortens and tightens. Then when you go to stand up in the morning, you suddenly lengthen it, creating small tears and inflammation (and pain). The boot keeps your foot dorsiflexed all night, thus keeping the plantar fascia lengthened. I won't lie- the boot sucked. It was hard to sleep in, I kicked myself in the other shin all the time, and the velcro straps ruined so many of my sheets. I had to sleep in the boot for a solid 6 months, but it really made a difference. Not having terrible plain when I first stood up was a sign that I was healing.


2) Getting orthotics
The third doctor finally told me that the root of my problem was my high arches. My arch wasn't being properly supported, so my plantar fascia was constantly being pulled on. When you are taking 20,000 steps during a long run, that is a lot of strain on that poor thing! This was the easiest fix to implement- my feet felt so much better during long runs.

3) No going barefoot or wearing flipflops.
Again because I have high arches. When I was walking around barefoot, or in crappy shoes, my arch had no support. This was the hardest thing for me to stick to, especially in the summer. Who wants to wear sneakers to the beach? Or in the house?

By doing these 3 things my plantar fasciitis was pretty much gone in 6 months. Since then I've felt it start to twinge, but I have always been able to get it to go away by doing. Here's how I prevent it from coming back:

1) Wearing my orthotics and replacing them when they get worn-out
I will admit that I am cheap, so sometimes I try to push my orthotics or shoes when they are worn-out. It's not worth it! I notice almost immediate relief when I replace them.

2) Stretching my plantar fascia and rolling it out using a frozen golf ball
I do toes pose and roll out my foot on a golf fall at night while watching TV. This helps keep my plantar fascia long and adhesion free.

3) Wearing my SLS3 plantar fasciitis sleeves
I wear these around the house which helps to keep my arches supported when I am barefoot. I also wear them on long days at the hospital when I am on my feet all day to give my feet a little extra support. They are comfortable and breathable- way better than having to wear shoes all the time!

Have you ever struggled with plantar fasciitis? Want to win a free pair of SLS3 foot sleeves? 

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