How I Cured My Plantar Fasciitis Without Doing Any Foot Exercises.

 

About 10 years ago I completed my first marathon. It was a great experience. After the race,I took some time off from training, as many people do.  A few weeks later, I felt it was time to do something again.  I did not need to do marathon distances, but I figured my body could handle 5-10 miles at a time.  After doing this distance 2-3 times a week, I noticed some pain in my right arch and heel.  This made no sense to me.  It was apparently plantar fasciitis. But...why now?

The first thing to check was my shoes.  I had the same brand and model as I did when I was in training, but new.  I had purchased another pair of the exact same shoes. So that was not the problem.

Then one day I just happened to be at a "fun run" event at a local running shoe store.  This was a good opportunity to see video of my running form. They had the high speed video camera set up right by the treadmill.  I suspected it would reveal how my foot was striking the ground the wrong way. Maybe the foot was pronating too much.  Or maybe it was turned out, or turned in too much.  

So I recorded my stride, and what I saw was completely unexpected.    Every step with the right foot was on the far right edge of the tread. Every step with the left foot was directly in the middle of the tread.  Now I know that when I was on the treadmill, I was centering myself in the middle.  I know that my head and chest were centered in relationship to the console.  And yet the video showed something different. 

Initially this made no sense. But then I realized that it wasn't HOW my foot was striking the tread, it was WHERE. The far lateral position of my foot relative to my torso was causing the plantar fasciitis. The foot needing to create movement from a less than optimal position, and so it had to work much harder to achieve it.

I then surmised that the time I had taken off from all exercise had weakened my core muscles.  While it was smart to take some time away from running, I should have continued with some sort of core training.  Because I did not, the core was too weak to keep my hips and pelvis level. When my pelvis tilted, the left foot went midline and the right foot went too far laterally. 

So I did what I should have done the first time.  As I took time off from running, I worked on strengthening my core.  And I was treated by another chiropractor to help realign my pelvis. A few weeks later, I again started running again.  No plantar fasciitis.  

So to reiterate:

 I DID NOT DO ANY FOOT EXERCISES TO CORRECT MY PLANTAR FASCIITIS! 

The best doctors and therapists know that where the pain is and where the problem is are often two different areas.  I can only imagine that if someone like me had gone to a foot and ankle specialist or podiatrist, they would have never found the true cause of my condition.  If the clinician never looks past the area of pain, it is impossible to see the big picture.  I am sure some foot and ankle stretches would have helped, but I am also certain  that I would have never recovered so quickly without looking to the core. 

If you are interested in some examples of core exercises click here for a link to my Youtube page.  Everyone needs to work their core muscles. Call us for an appointment if you are interested in starting a new core routine. (616) 301-3000.