Give a Person an Inch, and You Get a Foot Injury?

After my run last Sunday I experience severe pain in my right heel and arch. I thought that it was just an out of shape foot and it would get better, but by the afternoon I was finding it nearly impossible to put any weight on my foot at all. I continued working out each day, but by Wednesday it hadn't gotten much better. I went to visit my chiropractor for my routine exam (shoulder problems... I'm a mess it seems) and told him about my foot. He took a look at it and told me that if it wasn't better by the weekend I would need to get x-rays. He was concerned that I may have fractured one of the 26 bones in that darn foot.
Well, as you can imagine, that was a bit disheartening to hear. Thoughts of no longer training, and having to wear a boot cast were running through my head. I took it upon myself to find an "alternative" diagnosis. I was determined to not let this keep me from training for this marathon! So with a little google-ing... I found this.

"Plantar fasciitis refers to the syndrome of inflammation of the band of tissue that runs from the heel along the arch of the foot"
Okay... yes, that is where the pain is...
When a patient has plantar fasciitis, the connective tissue that forms the arch of the foot becomes inflamed (tendonitis) and degenerative (tendinosis)--these abnormalities cause plantar fasciitis and can make normal activities quite painful.
Yep, quite painfull... got that


Plantar fasciitis is sometimes seen in recreational athletes, especially runners. In these athletes, it is thought that the repetitive nature of the sports causes the damage to the fibrous tissue that forms the arch of the foot.
Makes sense right? So, how do I keep the pain at bay?

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis are typically worsened early in the morning after sleep. At that time, the arch tissue is tight and simple movements stretch the contracted tissue. As you begin to loosen the foot, the pain usually subsides, but often returns with prolonged standing or walking.
So the verdict? Stretching and icing should keep my pain at bay, and eventually my foot will get used to the fact that I'm not going to stop running just because it likes to whine. Enter me going through nightly ice packs and yoga stretches. My foot feels great today, and I'm all ready for my 4 mile run on Sunday!