Plantar Fasciitis No More

Almost a year ago now I wrote a long account of my battle with plantar fasciitis, and wanted to update the record with some advice for anyone in the same boat.

First of all, I no longer have any real idea what was wrong with my foot, Achilles, posterior tibial tendon, calf, or any other part of my leg during that time. Plantar fasciitis is the handiest thing to call it based on the symptoms and likely cause (overuse). But after having rested my foot for the better part of a year and finding the discomfort still there, I have to believe something else was wrong. And the things I’ve tried and had success with since then have borne that out.

My road to recovery began with an e-mail from Runner’s World advertising the book Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof. It sounded like exactly what I needed: a book that would address any conceivable pain afflicting the feet and lower legs. I ordered it (not directly from Rodale Press for $25, as the e-mail suggested, but from Amazon for $14. (What is up with your pre-internet sales appeal, Rodale?))

I’d recommend Fixing Your Feet to anyone with foot problems from running, hiking, or the infliction of punishment from day-to-day activities. And I’m glad to have it on hand for future reference. But its real value to me lay in turning me on to another book that has made the greatest difference to my recovery.

That book is The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief by Clair Davies. Since checking it out of the library I’ve bought a copy for myself and one for a family member, and later pressed my copy onto a coworker who was having leg pain. (The book covers pain throughout the body, not just in the legs.)

Read the rest of this entry »