It started as a dull ache in the summer around the rim of my left heel. It culminated in me limping home 2 weeks ago from work. Did I take the bus? Oh heck no!
So, first, this is a self diagnoses as I am actively avoiding my family doctor after my last visit. Why? I had gone in to talk about my hay fever and how it has aggravated my snoring.
The doctor recommended gastric bypass surgery. I’d never heard of that to treat hay fever before!
I spoke with my Gran, who weighs 80lbs, and she laughed. Apparently she, as her father before her, is a very loud snoring human. As is my dad (her son).
Anyway, no way am I going to see my family doctor about anything correlated to weight gain unless it’s drastic.
So after much research on the Internet and speaking with many friends I’m quite confident self-help options are going to help me recover.
I really liked the detail and approach in this article about stretching, yoga and things that help & aggravate symptoms.
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/yoga-for-plantar-fasciitis
- Over the counter insoles
- Calf stretches
- Rolling a hard ball on the bottom of my foot
- Ice
- Ibuprofen
- Rest
- Commuting in running shoes
- Yoga postures that flex & stretch my calves & feet
- Cycling inside on my trainer
It’s taken me a while to get in this much pain so I know it will be a while to recover. Thinking back over the past year I have had a few changes that would exacerbate plantar fasciitis:
- started commuting with a full backpack
- stopped doing other activities
- wore older footwear even when my feet started bothering me
- Ignored my early symptoms
- Doubled my walking distances by canvassing
- Gained some weight
So, if you start to get that ring of fire around your heel, please, don’t be a Nat! Get checked out by a healthcare provider, try some self help options and talk to friends & family. You may not need to wince in agony for long.
