Thirty Years To A Thirty-Second Plantar Fasciitis Cure

30-second plantar fasciitis cure, for a tight medial calf muscle.

Tight calf muscle, detected from location of plantar fasciitis stinging sensation on medial heel. Morning after 2-hour treadmill workout, the previous day. Easy dynamic fix. Photo by FitOldDog.

Like washing your hands to prevent lethal infections (see Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis), and removing the pump handle to solve the cholera mystery (see John Snow), the logic behind the ASTRO makes sense. It was the final piece of the puzzle, that led me to the experience described here.

A 30-second plantar fasciitis cure?

It’s all in my latest book describing eight years of research.

plantar fasciitis cure

Click image to go to Amazon.

30-second plantar fasciitis cure for pain in area '2' of FitOldDog's plantar fasciitis distribution map.

Yep! Area ‘2’ of our plantar fasciitis distribution map. A classic case of post-run, early morning heel pain. Fixed! Photo by FitOldDog.

Felt that old plantar fasciitis stinging pain, as I got out of bed this morning.

And as I walked into Weaver Street Market, to pick up a baguette for breakfast.

  • Should I lock my foot in a boot for weeks?
  • Buy some Z-Coil Shoes?
  • Have a dangerous cortisone injection?
  • Buy a freezing-roller?
  • Give up running ?
  • Stretch and roll for ages?
  • Visit a Podiatrist, Chiropractor, or Sports Medicine Physician?

Nope! None of the above. I just activated the local arch machinery – a dynamic solution to a dynamic problem – the 30-second plantar fasciitis cure.

Dynamic activation of the affected region of my arch machinery, to get that muscle to let go. And leave my heel alone. Probably the soleus muscle, which has given me trouble in the past. Did I give it a massage, as shown in the video linked above? Nope! No need!

Used our dynamic plantar fasciitis cure, instead.

A 30-second plantar fasciitis cure, following FitOldDog session on treadmill running rehab

The treadmill is a great place to rehab, as you return to running on the road. Two hours is a solid endurance workout. Photo by FitOldDog.

I modified my movement as I walked, to activate this muscle. It’s like a muscle specific warmup. All I had to do was increase the inner spiraling movement around my ankles. As I smoothly displace load from the lateral edge of my feet, medially, towards the ball. In fact, this is a source of real power in running, if you can get the whip-like actiong right (still working on that). It requires freedom of the hips and shoulders, as described in Jack Heggie’s Feldenkrais-based book, on running with the whole body.

Took me 30 seconds to eliminate this pain (GONE!).

If you’re not sure how to do this? Exaggerate the swing of your shoulders as you walk, while relaxing your ankles. This will increased the lateral swing of your hips, in the opposite direction (coupled oscillators run your body – but that’s another story). This pulls your knees towards and away from your center line. Pulling your feet along with them. If this feels difficult, it’s time to visit body awareness training, with a Feldenkrais lesson. At least read Jack Heggie’s wonderful little book, on ‘Running With The Whole Body‘ AND do the exercises.

If you are still having trouble with this movement, read about my first Feldenkrais lesson, with Karen Dold.

Karen and Mr. Bones

FitOldDog’s Feldenkrais instructor, Karen, with Mr. Bones, FitOldDog’s skeletal Anatomy teacher. Photo by FitOldDog on his old Blackberry.

Feldenkrais Lesson: I arrived at Karen’s house, for my first lesson. Not sure what I was in for. It was nothing I expected. Karen asked me to walk around, briefly. Then she came out with an odd question, “Kevin, where are your hip joints?” I looked down, and pointed to where I considered them to be. I’m a veterinary pathologist. I know my animal and human anatomy fairly well. But, I was way off base. I indicated locations that were too lateral. Too much to the side. Level with my big hip bones (iliac crests). Then Karen said, “Come and meet Mr. Bones!” Boy, was I wrong. My hip joints were much closer to the midline. Lying well inside my iliac crests. I realized that I was sitting on a much narrower fulcrum, or balance point, than I thought. In fact, if my hips are moving freely, it feels as though I’m balancing on a single point.

I never approached walking or running in the same way again!

The key to Feldenkrais is that brings your mental body map inline with your actual body map. Karen was always asking strange, mind-opening, Feldenkrais questions, such as, “Which of your ears is closest to the respective shoulder?” “Which of of your legs/arms/ears feels heaviest?” If you think your hip joints are more lateral, you’ll walk like a robot. Instead of smoothly rotating your hips and shoulders around your spine. Robot walking encourages heel strikes. Fluid hip rotation prevents this damage mode of human movement. Just explore what this means. It can totally change your movement health. All thanks to Moshe Feldenkrais, and people like Karen, who continue his work.

For further thoughts on our approach to a plantar fasciitis cure , and why it works, click here.

A guide to better body movement book to help you find a plantar fasciitis cure

To learn more about pain, read this great book.

Remember: When it comes to our bodies, the location of pain is often remote from the source of the pain. Not always, but often. Our reaction to pain can be appropriate, or helpful. Or not! The first reaction is to lock up the affected area. In an attempt to avoid further pain. This can be good, but not for plantar fasciitis. Certainly not in the early stages of this progressive disease! Especially if you are hoping for a quick plantar fasciitis cure. A tight muscle is best released with gentle exercise. Also called active recovery. This can be in the form of local massage, or controlled, but relaxed movements.

I tracked my sore heel to my soleus muscle region. Just inside and behind the left tibia. It was clearly sore, from the previous days treadmill workout. Yep! Two hours is a pretty long workout, when it comes to running. I’m careful to resist the tendency to lock my calf, allowing free movement of all the muscles involved in arch activity. Your arches are a complex, and highly dynamic, piece of machinery. A slight exaggeration of the inner roll of my foot was all it took to gently stretch and activate the sore muscle. This immediately eliminated the pain, projected to my heel. I consider this to be a form of nociception that should be interpreted with care.

Took me 30 years to learn how to do it.

Through Wing Chun (My first introduction to Biomechanics, in the late 1980s), Yoga, Pilates, Chi Running, Feldenkrais, Continuum, meditation a bunch of other stuff, and finally the ASTRO.

All this insight is summarized in our plantar fasciitis treatment book.

But what if it doesn’t work. What if you develop chronic plantar fasciitis heel pain?  Guidance is available here.

Guidance (Remember, we do not dispense medical advice): Plantar fasciitis is a progressive disease! It is important to determine which stage you are in, and whether to seek professional assistance. Which assistance will depend on your situation. For me, the first time, it was my son and a TriggerPoint Performance Roller. The second time, I needed an Osteopath to straighten out my hips. Rosemary required a diagnosis of collapsed arches (flat feet), before the correct treatment could be applied.

Prior to seeking professional assistance, I would do a little work on the affected muscle. This maybe elsewhere in my calf, in my thighs, hips, or even in my shoulders. Yep! Everything is connected. In the case of this soleus muscle complaint – not an injury, yet! If there was no improvement using my body movement skills, I would move on to rest and ice, gentle stretching and rolling. If the muscle refused to let go, I might have to resort to dry needling! I would just follow the trail to get it fixed. It’s detective work.

You have to patiently explore and test each treatment option. Before moving on!

Plantar fasciitis can be weird. We’ve heard of cases being both fixed and cured by barefoot running or pregnancy. Our book provides a process you can follow. Or become your own detective. Ask questions on Plantar Fasciitis Facebook pages. There are several. Send us your story, or a video, as Rosemary did.

Whatever you do, fix it before serious damage is done.

Wishing you happy trails,

FitOldDog.

 

Comments

  1. I was 10 times treated once a week with ultrasonic vibration on my foot for 20 mins. And it helped. Took some months after that before it was completely gone. I didnt rest it. Just going on with it. Had a soft gelly soul with a hole in it I found on the internet. Used that during very painful first months. Hope it suits you reader to get relief from that painful foot.

  2. Really good post. You explain about dynamic plantar fasciitis in a correct manner. Great thanks for sharing these wonderful post

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Disclaimer: As a veterinarian, I do not provide medical advice for human animals. If you undertake or modify an exercise program, consult your medical advisors before doing so. Undertaking activities pursued by the author does not mean that he endorses your undertaking such activities, which is clearly your decision and responsibility. Be careful and sensible, please.