So, I sucked it up and went into the free injury evaluation at Carle today. It's a pretty quick way to get diagnosed and yessireee, I have plantar fasciitis. The guy started going over what to do, which is all the things I have been doing. I am allowed to swim and cycle, but I shouldn't do long runs for a while and shouldn't always be on my feet. He did appreciate the fact that as a pre-school teacher, that's impossible. It's kind of like telling a waitress or a nurse or -- a runner -- to sit down.
Then he said I really needed a lot of deep tissue massage.
For .01 seconds I thought of myself naked lying down under the care of my favorite massage therapist Ms. Lorree Harty at Erickson Chiropractic Clinic all calm and cool and pain free. Yeah, I know better. This is when I go to physical therapy or Bodyworks Associates at the ARC and let them beat on my feet and my calves until I'm clenching the table in agonizing pain. I know there's usually a giant release of badness and then better mobility later, but holy shit, it makes rolling your injured, overused IT bands on a foam roller feel like snuggling puppies in comparison.
But the guy who diagnosed me this a.m. at the sports clinic... he didn't really say that. He said, "PT would be good. But you could also put a metal spoon in the freezer and then take it out and really grind it into your foot. -- It's gonna hurt though -- at least if you're doing it right."
Grind? Self-abuse in the name of medicine. Fabulous. Love it. So thrilled.
And, of course, although Carle is in-network for most items with my insurance, it's not for PT. But the sports guy wasn't an MD so he couldn't make the referral, so I had to call my primary to send me back to Eric and Rebekah at Athletico. I'm waiting for my favorite nurse Jo (Happy Nurse's Day!) to send the referral over so I can set up an appointment. Since I already told Rebekah about my heel randomly hurting at their information table at the half marathon, she wasn't surprised when I called and gave her the heads up at 7:45 a.m. (The poor thing had an info table between Great Harvest and Biaggi's. I would have just sat there and stuffed my face the whole time if I was her. But then again, pretty much a bear waking up after six months of hibernation has more food control than I have.)
So there you have it. Dr. Google was right, and I've been doing all the stretching and icing and resting I can while still maintaining my lifestyle. It was nice though that he didn't use the word -- orthotics. I know they're coming, probably for all three of us in this house, but until someone in the medical profession utters the words "go get them now" rather than "you'll probably need them." I'm not calling the podiatrist. Ever since they charged me $165 to wrap my foot in 2008 and $185 for a 10-minute appointment, I've totally been against going back. Seriously, I could have found a trainer at a wellness clinic somewhere that could have done that for nothing. And it didn't help. What did help? Losing the body weight of a large golden retriever from my body. Go figure.
I'm still scheduled to do the Twin City Twosome on May 14th with MacTroll. If worse comes to worse, I could walk it. But I don't want to, but somewhere in my head I know that's the smarter thing to do.
6 comments:
Ack!!! Is it better now that you know?
You'll hear/read all sorts of advice in the next few days... I know I tried everything. The massaging with a tennis ball while you sit helped me, as did the Strasburg sock, sort of (I wouldn't rush to get one - it's kind of weird). What I credit the most with helping me is that I stopped walking around barefoot, ever, and wore only supportive shoes like Birks even as slippers when I was just sitting around the house. That said, other people I know say that being barefoot HELPED them, so who knows?
Yeah, barefoot running helps take pressure off my disk issue in my back, but I haven't done it since feb. Because I knew I'd need to run my half in shoes. I think the road is really just a whammy for me. If I stick to trails and tracks my body seems happier and less prone to injury. But I hate sitting around waiting. I'm a doer. I dont know how to sit still. And somehow going to PT feels like forward momentum. I also know I won't slack off if someone helps hold me accountable.
Hopefully, my rehab will go as well as yours did!
I'd really recommend getting a 'stick' (thestick.com, I think) and working on your right calf and possibly right hamstring. I get REALLY bad PF and it's from a recurring knot I get deep in my calf. Also, if you want to borrow a Strassburg sock, let me know, I have one ;) It never helps me, only getting rid of that knot does. The knot comes back when i sit crazy - legs crossed or with my right leg tucked under me. Good luck!
LOL, so I'd literally be beating myself with a stick? Is the sock easier to sleep in than the splint? I sleep on my side and sometimes it makes the other leg uncomfortable and I end up tearing it off in the dead of the night.
The sock isn't bad if you're not a stomach sleeper like I am ;) The stick is a roller, you don't beat yourself with it ;) You can try mine out if you like!
Well, maybe it is because I go to PT 3 times a week at this point... and have learned to enjoy it. But I love getting all massaged, and working out and then chillin with ice and electro stim for 20 minutes. It is almost like a vacation for me :) Maybe you will have just as pleasant of an experience. lol. I do a lot of stretching to keep those knots out of my calves... Anyway, I really hope you get to feeling better soon so you can hit the trails again. Being down when you are not used to it is seriously miserable :/ I feel incredible sadness watching my softball team play without me.
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