Pain in feet

[mincymoo124]

I have had this problem for years... whenever I'm running or walking fast I get a horrible pain in soles of my feet it feels abit like cramp but slightly more uncomfortable. I would love to start running to loose my baby weight but it's just too painful to run for longer than 5 minutes which is when it gets unbearable. I have done abit of research and it seems like it could be flantar faciates (not sure how to spell it). Has anyone got any advice for me? Recommendations... maybe specific insoles?
Thanks

I started a thread about PF today but nobody replied!
Sorry, I don't have answers, either.

Plantar fasciitis tends to hurt when you’ve been sitting or lying down and gets better as you go on. So it sounds like it could be something else.
I’d get it checked out. Or you could go to a running shop and get your gait checked.

It would be ideal if you could visit a running technique coach as they can watch your gait and suggest ways of improving your walk/ run stride. Gait analysis from a shop is purely to sell you expensive trainers and isn’t really helping you in the long term. In soles are similar where they may relieve the pain but they’re not fixing the problem.

If you’ve been off exercise for a while you may need to start with lower leg strengthening so that the muscles can adapt to your walking style (when you get tired you always revert to your natural running style regardless of how much training you’ve put in to change your foot strike)

If it is PF then it’s worth trying all the different remedies as there’s no quick fix unfortunately. While the pain’s bad I wouldn’t walk barefoot round the house and try not to wear really flat shoes. Keep stretching your calf muscles and your tibalis anterior muscle (front- think ‘shin splint’ muscle!). I used a pedi roller in the evening when it was really painful and ice if you can take it!!

afaik, gait analysis is pointless if you run on trails; gait analysis is only helpful to folk who run on pavement.

That said, although equally I dunno if this is true; I read that you can get an idea of whether your gait is off neutral by looking for uneven wear on your shoes.

Some people swear by going barefoot as much as possible & only wearing very flat shoes without heels to cure their PF, or stretching hamstrings or quads or doing hip work as only cure . PITA condition.

Some people swear by going barefoot as much as possible & only wearing very flat shoes without heels to cure their PF, or stretching hamstrings or quads or doing hip work as only cure

That's me - I've had two bouts of plantar fasciitis - both coming from quite high-intensity exercise, rather than the reverse.

The best way to deal is stretch, stretch, stretch the calf and the foot. The muscles & ligaments in the foot & ankle are all really tightly packed & do a lot of work.

What worked for me:

• standard calf stretch, quite deep, in three variations: normal ie hips straight forward, feet in line with legs & hips, front leg bent, back leg straight, heel on the floor, stretch on the breath out.

• calf stretch as above, with back leg bending on the breath out, until you really feel the stretch in the lower calf & Achilles area

• calf stretch with back foot turned in - that gets a side calf stretch.

• fill a plastic water bootle (the 250 ml ones) with water & freeze. Then use it as a foot roller. It hurts but boy it's good afterwards

• foot & toe mobility: stand square & well aligned with weight on balls & heels of foot, and then try to spread your toes; do a Mexican wave with your toes.

• foot & toe mobility: doming - look this up on YoutUbe - basically you're trying to use your foot as you might use your hand to get the movement & flexibility into your toes and instep.

• my doctor advised supportive ad not entirely flat shoes, but not trainers. I found brogues was what I could wear in the acute phase. But I'm a huge believer in bare foot walking around the house : it keeps your feet flexible and mobile particularly if you really focus on how your roll through your foot from heel to toe, and really try to peel your foot off the floor to get the small intrinsic muscles in the sole & instep activated. I got back to bare feet as soon as I could with both bouts of PF.

I’d get it checked out and not assume PF. I know a few people who’ve had PF and it doesn’t sound like your description TBH. If it was PF the general advice would be to stop running.