School me on plantar fasciitis and orthotics

[Benneke10]

I've been having some foot pain over the last few months and finally went to a podiatrist to get it looked at. He said that I have a ~1cm leg length discrepancy that is causing plantar fasciitis on the side of my longer leg. He says I need to wear custom orthotics to compensate. They cost $300 and my insurance deductible is $250 which I could manage if I have to.

Are all orthotics created equal? Should I be getting some that are specifically designed for hiking/running/skiing/cycling? Should I shop around at all or just get ones from the doctors office? They did a scan of my foot and will put the order in once I pay. I'm in SLC if anyone has any local suggestions.

[mcski]

There’s an orthotics thread already. He will prob want to sell you a couple diff versions so you can have one for running and one for regular shoes. Insurance will typically only pay for 1 pair per year. 300 is fucking cheap for orthotics. I’d ask what material are in his and is he talking half or full sole length. You can use one good hard material pair in all your shoes. You just have to more them from shoe to shoe. Don’t know how old you are but seems like leg length would have been caught before this and created issues sooner. In the interim you can freeze a soda bottle and roll your foot back and forth on it. It takes a while for PF to resolve. Check out the other thread too for more info. A buddy of mine just got a pair of sweet carbon fiber orthotics so I’d probably see what other podiatrist in your area are using for materials. They all have labs they send the scans or models to for production. Very few still do anything in the office.

[brutah]

I'd go to a physical therapist for a second opinion. I had bad PF for a few years. I wear super feet orthopedics in all my shoes now and vionic flip flops to wear around the house (though I now go bare foot most of the time as I don't get PF anymore).

I tried a lot of things to solve it like orthopedics and dry needling. Which only offered temp relief.

PF is often caused by alignment issues like having one leg shorter than the other, but that could be caused by something up the chain.

Ultimately, my PT found that my sacroiliac joint between my spine and hip was the cause and locked up. Once she re-mobilized it, I had instant relief and the PF disappeared in days. I now do specific exercises and stretches to keep it mobile and it really hasn't returned. I have been to her to have her remobilize it on occasion.

Bottom line: my PT told me was that PF is almost always a symptom of a larger alignment issue. Orthopedics are only going to treat the symptom not necessarily the cause.

Just my two cents

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[mcski]

And there are lots of generic orthotics online to address most feet issues (and last longer than superfeet material). The main issue would be if it’s really leg length that’s the issue. There was a huge increase in PF cases during the pandemic and everyone was working from home and not wearing g shoes much so they didn’t have the support they unusually had walking around (even if it was minimal). Going barefoot is begging for PF with most feet

[boltonoutlaw]

Had PF and solved it with off-the-shelf PF footbeds available at CVS

[Benneke10]

Thanks for the replies. Brutah (or anyone else), any good recs for PT in SLC area?

[mcski]

Rolling it on a frozen water bottle is prob the best PT you can do for it. Ymmv

[Yonder_River]

I would skip the custom orthotics, just get the super feet or similar like previously said.

Stair stretches a few times a day and calf stretching immediately after getting up from sitting is important. Possibly a leg brace for sleeping if you can stand it.

I'm finishing up my second bout with it right now. I would have been over it sooner if I rested more but I've been playing sports which keep triggering it. I may have to go to a PT as well, never though of that. Brutah - do you know the name of the hip stretches you are doing?

[rod9301]

I had pf for a couple of years and a prp
Injection cured it a few years ago, never returned.

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk

[mcski]

PRP is super pricey, rarely covered and not all Pod offices do it. It’s still questionable whether it actually helps or not

[rod9301]

It worked for me for elbow tendonitis. Which took 3 shots, pf took one

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk

[brutah]

Thanks for the replies. Brutah (or anyone else), any good recs for PT in SLC area?

The PT who helped me worked at TOSH in PC, but has since retired. Regardless, I think the staff at TOSH is phenomenal (both the murray and PC offices). They also do free injury assessments.

I would skip the custom orthotics, just get the super feet or similar like previously said.

Stair stretches a few times a day and calf stretching immediately after getting up from sitting is important. Possibly a leg brace for sleeping if you can stand it.

I'm finishing up my second bout with it right now. I would have been over it sooner if I rested more but I've been playing sports which keep triggering it. I may have to go to a PT as well, never though of that. Brutah - do you know the name of the hip stretches you are doing?

I would also suggest on top of the calf stretches yonder suggested, working the other side of your leg aka your shin muscles. Mainly standing with one leg forward and lifting your toes, first directly forward and then to the right and left. Strengthening your calf and shin muscles helped me as well.

The hip stretches that I was told to do and continue to help me involve laying on my stomach and then bringing my heels to my butt. I do this about 20 times and then I bring my legs up to a 90 degree angle while still on my stomach and windshield wash them, again about 20 times. The windshield wash can get my hip to pop/remobilize at times. the other stretch that allows my hips to self-mobilze is the pretzel stretch (on your back, bring one leg over the other at a 90), but I do it on the edge of a bed/table so that the leg I bring across can fall lower than my body.

I also stand with hands on my hips and make circles and figure 8s with my hips. You can also stand with hands at your side and then rotate at the hip right and left and let my arms swing. These standing movements i do before working out and seem to help keep my hips and ankles loose.

[Yonder_River]

Awesome, thanks!

[XXX-er]

I already had custom orthotics when PF happened to me so they didn't prevent it and I don't think a custom is necessary for rehab, an off the rack surfoot or Sole would be a good enough, getting the right one is the trick, recovering form PF took about a year of no running

If you are a heel-striking runner or one of them people who clump around making a lot of noise with every heel strike get on the balls of your foot & become a forefoot striker

I had motion control shoes for awhile, it was impossible to heel strike with those shoes , i don't know if they are a thing anymore but they sure helped me back in the day