[Nighthiker]

I also switched to new balance for running. I obtained a pair slighty wider to accept Spenco inserts and I use the New Balance cross training model to run in. Two of my pair of boots also are sized to accept inserts. I also utilize different weight of socks and sock material. Recently during biking I was getting a little grief after about twenty miles. I have been to several bike shops looking at foot wear. It was suggested that I need to wear a stiffer shoe for biking. I also examine, massage and change socks while hiking.

[BoyNhisDog]

Maybe you need more support if your feet are bruising so easily. I have never had that problem. In fact I have never had a foot problem after using these inserts in all my footwear: Click here->Birkenstock Support Inserts These will support your foot like no other product that I have tried. They are contoured to your foot with a good arch support unlike most out there. The good news is they are only 12 bucks. Put them in a good stable hiking boot that will protect your feet from the pounding of our hard rocky trails out here and you may have a solution. Good luck.

[azbackpackr]

How's this for dredging up an old thread! But it was the topic I wanted, so instead of starting a new topic...

So, reading the thread over, I did check the Mayo Clinic guide to symptoms of Plantar fasciitis. However, although my feet hurt when I get out of bed, especially my left foot, it is never my heel, as described in "symptoms." When I walk it feels like I have damaged the outside part of arch, but also sometimes feels like it is just an extension of an ankle problem. That's with the left foot. On the right foot, the ball of the foot hurts sometimes.

I have had to switch to wearing sneakers a lot. I have Tevas and Chacos here. Nothing could be worse than those Chacos, because they (as Joe has said) feel like having a brick on your foot, and the arch is in totally the wrong place. There is an arched area in Chaco soles that is in front of the heel, on the outside of the foot. Why would anyone want an arched area there? Ouch! In fact, I never had this particular ache problem in the past before I bought the damned Chacos. It is possible they CAUSED the problem, or at least, greatly aggravated it. They are cute, but are by far the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever owned. Take that, Mr. Chaco.

On the other hand, the Tevas don't provide enough support. So, I stick to my Asics running shoes. I wear flip flops, too, but only to walk a block.

I talked to a physical therapist who is my neighbor here (talked to him in Spanish so I may have missed something, or he missed something) and he did this big poke into my arch, but I guess I didn't make him understand where the problem was, because he didn't poke the right place. I just about jumped out of my skin. Then he was all like, "Aha, see there's your problem." I'm thinkin' gee, anyone could have poked me that hard in that spot at anytime in my 59 years, and I would have jumped out of my skin. But it wasn't near where it hurts! He was saying I should get an Xray to look for bone spurs, be looked at for Plantar fasciitis. At least, that part was good advice. And he said that the tropical climate, the heat and humidity, do cause inflammation. Also probably good info. And he kind of showed me a foot exercise I could do, curling toes around a towel or something like that. Or, he said, you can do it on the beach in the evening, using the sand instead of a towel.

What if I have to quit hiking??? I have been looking at some really fancy pannier racks to put on my full suspension mountain bike, and thinking of devising a dirt road route from Eagar to Flagstaff--I believe it's possible. Awesome racks: http://www.oldmanmountain.com/ (I have a road bike, too, but mtn. bike touring sounds more fun.) And thinking about that 100+ mile lower Colorado River run from above Ehrenberg/Blythe all the way to Imperial Dam near Yuma. And other river trips. Sea kayak touring, etc. Things to do if I can't backpack any more, that is.

Any thoughts or experiences? Hope it all gets better when I get home to DRY Arizona! It has really cut into my plans here in Costa Rica. Yesterday was a national holiday here, and I had planned to go back to Curu Wildlife Refuge, but it is only seen via hiking, basically, so I didn't go. I am really trying to stay OFF my feet more. There is a bike here at the house. I rode it to school the other day. Two blocks. Sheesh. That's bad, when you don't want to walk two blocks. I don't have my hiking boots here. They might be of help as well, they are more comfortable than my Asics.

I'll have to change my screen name, to, to azkayakr or something. Sorry to go on and on, but I'm worried.

[Jim_H]

Oh Liz, remember your son. Arch supports, heel lifts, all of that stuff is the hair brained idea to fix a problem that only exists because we think we need "support" when none is needed. How ever did the various species with feet like ours make it 4 million years before these modern inventions came about? Pretty well, it seems. If you have an injury, take time off. If not, try forefoot landing, not heel landing, and get out of the support mentality. I'll never go back to the orthotics. Why would I? They created more problems then they fixed, and I still have some slight knee problems from them. Maybe in time they will be 99% gone, but I am about 90% of what I was before I started having pain all the time. In a flat shoe with no support, I am far more comfortable then I ever was, and my back doesn't hurt, either. It never was the flat feet causing me these problems, as the quack podiatrists will tell you (Doctors, yeah, right) it was the shoes with the heel raises, primarily, and then their non-evidence-based solution, the orthotics, which made it worse. You can get an X-ray from virtually any MD, and if there are no heel spurs or fractures, then assume it is either joint related or soft tissue. Joints would be hard to treat, but you can still strengthen your foot and get better.

[PLC92084]

@azbackpackr
I. too, have been forced to contemplate the possibility of switching to biking. I've suffered a panoply of ped problems since I decided to start running five years ago. Most have been overcome (quality shoes, decent inserts, proper warm-ups/training) but not all. I've got a chronic pain in my right foot somewhere near the junction of the metatarsus/phalanges (little toe). It seems to ebb depending on the level of punishment I subject it to... One of these days, I'll probably get it looked at. If it stops hurting, I'll only have to contend with the occasional aching knees.

[Darth Stiller]

I got plantar fasciitis last year, starting in May. It started with pain when I got out of bed, right on the heel. It was only in my right foot, and I feel this was probably related to a severe ankle sprain I got the year before.

After trying to ignore it for 4-5 months, I finally went to a doctor in Sept and got diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. His approach was to go straight to cortisone and rest. he said if that didn't work then surgery was the next option. Seems as though the only things he suggested were what would make him money. My boss has plantar fasciitis in both feet and he said that custom fit orthotics worked for him. But it took 6 months before they really had an effect. The doctor didn't seem very enthusiatic about orthotics, and he admitted that insurance wouldnt cover them.

The cortisone worked at first, but then it eventually came back, and with a vengeance. In october I bought some generic orthotics at Costco and wear them all the time. The improvement has been gradual but very real. It's been 6 months now and I have only slight pain after running or hiking. Previously it had progressed to where it hurt for days. i did give running a break for about a month, and that also helped. I also sleep with night splint on that foot to stretch the ligament so it doesnt hurt in the morning.

[azbackpackr]

Yeah. While I understand where Jim is coming from, going barefoot hurts big time. Wearing flat flipflops hurts. Wearing my sneakers is better. Walking barefoot in the sand, one of those things people say is great for your feet, just about kills me. Very painful.

My sneakers are ordinary Asics gel running shoes.

The difference is, I think, that Jim has a problem he was born with, whereas I believe I have an injury of some kind, something I did recently, I think. I did a little bit of running on the beach, maybe about 5 times since I got here. And I think I may have hurt myself, or aggravated an old injury. I have always disliked running, but there was no other free exercise available other than boring walking. Puntarenas is flat. I'm a hiker. Walking isn't really exercise if you are a hiker. But now I am relagated to riding a rusty, creaking beach cruiser bike owned my my host family.

I can't wait to get back into my hiking boots, see if that helps. Because of this foot problem and because right now my classes don't really please me as much as they did, and because I know I can't afford to travel to see more of Costa Rica in the coming weekends, because of these things I am just about ready to go home, am counting the days.

Thanks everyone for the info. I hope I can find a job with insurance so that I can see a doctor sometime. I actually had a job like that last year, but got laid off. There are so few jobs with benefits in Arizona.

[MtnBart01]

" I have always disliked running, but there was no other free exercise available other than boring walking. Puntarenas is flat. I'm a hiker. Walking isn't really exercise if you are a hiker" REALLY?
Does it cost money to go jump in the ocean and take a swim?
You could always call a Wambulancia.

[Outdoor Lover]

My ex had the perfect cure for Plantar Fasciitis. He kept playing softball with it, even though it hurt and finally just tore the ligament and the problem was gone.

By the way bart01 that is one precious Avatar!!!!

[azbackpackr]

Swimming is not always great at beach here. Motor boats very close to shore, recent run of skanky red tide, etc. Just found out about a private pool nearby, got an invite, but maybe only for one swim.

[paulhubbard]

Liz, have your doctor order a test for Uric Acid. years ago I had so much pain in my ankle that I couldn't walk without crutches. After Xrays, MRIs, and other various medication tries, my doctor finally wondered if it was gout (yes, even in my ankle). Turned out my Uric Acid was off the charts. After taking Alloprurinol for 2-3 months, the pain was and remains completely gone. Allopurinol is cheap and has no adverse side effects.

Gout is not just a male, big-toe type of issue...

[azbackpackr]

Liz, have your doctor order a test for Uric Acid. years ago I had so much pain in my ankle that I couldn't walk without crutches. After Xrays, MRIs, and other various medication tries, my doctor finally wondered if it was gout (yes, even in my ankle). Turned out my Uric Acid was off the charts. After taking Alloprurinol for 2-3 months, the pain was and remains completely gone. Allopurinol is cheap and has no adverse side effects.

Gout is not just a male, big-toe type of issue...

Interesting! I don't have a doctor at the moment. I do still think it could be due to an injury. However, it could be that I will have to get it looked at when I get back. I will keep track of the suggestions, (make a list) since I had a few suggestions from that physical therapist I talked to the other day as well. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion, it definitely goes on the list!

[Outdoor Lover]

Liz, have your doctor order a test for Uric Acid.

Totally agree, good call Paul!

[azbackpackr]

My feet are a little better today as a result of mostly staying off them. When I got up in the morning and put my feet onto the tile floor and stood up and walked, they did not hurt.

I do believe I injured them running barefoot on the beach about 2 and a half weeks ago, then aggravated them by walking in Tevas all over Puntarenas on the cement, followed by some hiking on the Nicoya Peninsula, plus more walking around in sandals on sidewalks. I am going to continue this free treatment of staying off them, see if it continues to get better.

[Canyonram]

Check out 'Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatment for athletes' by John Vonhof. The 5th edition was released in Feb.2011. While Vonhof is a runner, he covers foot problems experienced by other outdoor folks including hikers/backpackers.

On sale at Amazon for $13.57 + plus shipping. Might be available at Bookmans or REI. (Note that is much cheaper than buying endless versions of hiking boots and orthotics or a trip to the podiatrist.)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0899976387?tag=hikearizona

[Darth Stiller]

If it’s getting better with rest, then it sounds like it could be plantar fasciitis. One of the main treatments that’s recommended with that is rest because PF is basically a kind of minor chronic injury. When mine hit it was at a specific time and exacerbated by poor shoes that I was wearing all the time. Rolling a frozen water bottle under your foot can also provide some relief and stretch the ligament so it doesn’t fray when you run/hike/walk/etc.

When my PF got bad, it began to not only hurt my heel, but also the sides of my foot and Achilles sometimes. At the bottom of my heel I felt a kind of burning sensation. I think its definitely worth investing in a cheaper pair of generic orthotics. The rest will make it better, but once you start exercising again, it’s bound to flare up again. Orthotics take a long term approach to the solution since they won’t provide immediate relief, but 6 months later the issue has disappeared. Not sure why it takes so long to work, but from my experience and what I’ve heard from others, it is what it is.

[CannondaleKid]

My PF used to be terrible 10-15 years ago and was most noticeable when in-line skating. If I didn't warm-up with heel-toe stretches for 5 minutes I'd be in pain for 2-3 miles until it either went away or I just zoned out the pain.

After enough sleuthing it appeared my problem was being caused/aggravated by the shoes I wore at the time. The problem shoes were Nike's... their arch has always been too far back or too high for me.

By paying much more attention to the arch of whatever I wear and I've had no PF issues since.

Unlike azbacker, my Tevas have provided plenty of support where I need it, and continue to be my favorite for hiking.

[azbackpackr]

I didn't bring my hiking boots here. They are comfy.

I am going to look some more at symptoms for the PF. I don't have ANY heel pain whatsoever. However, that may not be a primary indicator, despite what I read on the Mayo Clinic website.

I walked to school today, wore my tennies, nothing hurt. Walked barefoot when inside the school, it still hurt a little. Walked home in the tennies, nothing hurt.

Thanks, everyone. Will see how things are when I get back, also.

[CannondaleKid]

I am going to look some more at symptoms for the PF. I don't have ANY heel pain whatsoever.

My pain was along the bottom from ahead of the heel forward about 2-3".

[azbackpackr]

Much better the past two days. So, at least symptoms are relieved by staying off my feet. Time will tell if it was just a short term injury or if I will have to worry about it later on, especially in terms of hiking, and jobs. (There are a lot of jobs where you have to stand up all day. I will try to avoid getting one of those!)