Yoga and/or Pilates

[bgroot]

I know that picture was likely just for a laugh, but I wanted to point out that yoga is not always the crazy bendy women looking like pretzels. Chances are that girl is also super strong but I wanted to make the point that hyper-mobility is often actually a drawback for effective yoga, rather than a gift. Runners need strength AND flexibility to remain injury free (and fast!!!).

And specifically to your foot, Jenn, have you tried the old rolling the frozen water bottle under the foot trick? That or the golf ball method? Both are great treatments (although very painful sometimes) for PF. In my experience, getting over a bad case of PF requires having to deal with some intense pain while kneading out the very tight connective tissue. It hurts while doing it, but it will eventually loosen up and go away altogether.

[Jwolf]

And specifically to your foot, Jenn, have you tried the old rolling the frozen water bottle under the foot trick? That or the golf ball method? Both are great treatments (although very painful sometimes) for PF.

Yeah-- for about three months.

[Nicholas]

BTW - the pic (above) was just a smart-a$$ google-search for Nick's sake. I knew he'd have a funny response if I posted it, (and he did) - but point taken.

Hey...I resemble that remark! Not the picture, just the remark.

I ordered the Blue Dog Volume 2 DVD but it just runs through a sequence of poses with very little verbal assistance or instruction, especially on what to do if you can't do the full pose. I have now ordered a book that I saw in Chapters that has a lot more helpful info on what to do and how to do each pose. The last few pages list some sequences for particular goals. The book has a short DVD included but the one at my local store was missing the DVD....of course.

[turd ferguson]

Oooohh, that DVD looks good too. Must ... resist!

Have fun Nick!! (You wouldn't want your RMT to punish you.)

Hey, I can do that!!! Oh, wait, she's facing the other way....Where was she when I was 21???

daycare

[trixiee]

Thanks Brian. That was a helpful perspective.

I wanted to update that I did get the Sara Ivanhoe DVD that Arlene recommended. I do really like the style. The problem with it (and with my other DVD) is that I can't fully do many of the standing poses or other weight-bearing poses (even downward dog) without aggrevating my foot. I learned that the hard way, unfortunately, so have backed off for a bit (but I'm trying to regularly do some of the sitting and lying-down stretches/poses for hips, back, and hamstrings). I hope that once this foot thing isn't bothering me AT ALL I'll be able to do more of the complete routines.

I was doing 3 legged downward dogs and planks for a long time, and doing balance work on the one side only... I found I could do things like squats though, where most of your weight is in the heels... have you tried that?

[ultraslacker]

Oooohh, that DVD looks good too. Must ... resist!

Have fun Nick!! (You wouldn't want your RMT to punish you.)

Hey, I can do that!!! Oh, wait, she's facing the other way....Where was she when I was 21???

daycare

zing!

[Jwolf]

I was doing 3 legged downward dogs and planks for a long time, and doing balance work on the one side only... I found I could do things like squats though, where most of your weight is in the heels... have you tried that?

The heels are the worst place for pain for me, so no. Even things like chair pose were causing problems. But even when I put pressure on the front of the foot, it causes problems because everything over-stretches and then tightens up.

As for three-legged downward dogs and planks-- um, I don't think I have the strength for that. Yup, need to work on the core.

[Nicholas]

Oooohh, that DVD looks good too. Must ... resist!

Have fun Nick!! (You wouldn't want your RMT to punish you.)

Hey, I can do that!!! Oh, wait, she's facing the other way....Where was she when I was 21???

daycare

Daycare hadn't been invented back then. And George Harrison just wouldn't have looked the same in that pose.

[redhead]

The heels are the worst place for pain for me, so no. Even things like chair pose were causing problems. But even when I put pressure on the front of the foot, it causes problems because everything over-stretches and then tightens up.

As for three-legged downward dogs and planks-- um, I don't think I have the strength for that. Yup, need to work on the core.

Jenn, it's ironic that the various poses you've mentioned that seem to cause you the most problems are the same ones that seem to be recommended to help with PF.

Example...
(I added the bolding)

Yoga for Plantar Fasciitis

From a chiropractor’s perspective, the most effective in-clinic treatment options include Active Release Technique ®, Graston Technique ®, adjustments of joint restrictions in the foot and ankle, and taping and orthotics for severe cases. Instructions for home rehabilitation exercises such as rolling a tennis or golf ball under the arch of your foot, rehabilitation of weak muscles, and gentle stretching of the involved musculature are also essential elements of a thorough plan of management. Shock wave therapy is another technique that is now showing some evidence in the literature for its success. Another effective treatment option for this pesky condition is yoga.

Yoga can function as an effective adjunct to in-clinic treatment or recommendations. Since the plantar fascia connects so intimately with the fascia of the back of leg, downward facing dog pose couldn’t be more perfect for addressing the tight fascia of the calf as well as the musculature which can tighten in concurrence with the fascia. Dolphin pose and chair pose (utkatasana) will similarly target the posterior calf with the intention of lengthening the fascia through that area, thereby releasing some of the fascial tension into the bottom of the foot. Downward dog and dolphin pose will target the upper calf (gastrocnemius) while chair pose will focus more intensely on the lower calf (soleus). Garland pose (malasana) is another posture that will aid in releasing the soleus and Achilles tendon.

In working up the chain, the hamstrings also should be lengthened via poses such as standing forward bend (uttanasana), standing half forward bend (ardha uttanasana), and big toe pose (padangusthasana). The hamstrings connect both with the calf on the lower end and the pelvic ligaments and musculature on the upper end. Therefore to address the upper link of the hamstrings, one-legged king pigeon pose (eka pada rajakapotasana) will create an opening through the sacrotuberous and dorsal sacral ligaments as well as the buttock muscles on the front leg.

As the connections continue into the lower, mid, and upper back as well as the arm of the opposite side of the body, spinal twisting poses as well as eagle pose (garudasana) will aid in releasing the fascia through the upper components of the chain.

Numerous fascial paths exist in the body. Entire yoga classes could be organized to specifically target certain fascial connections. Therefore, the above mentioned poses will provide a loosening of the line of fascia that begins at the bottom of the foot and works its way up through the posterior aspect of the body. If you are one who suffers from Achilles tendon troubles, tight calves or hamstrings, these poses are excellent.

Addressing the muscular weaknesses in the body is also essential for developing an ideal plan not only to address the tight areas of the body, but strengthen those which are weak. Most often, weak links cause tightness; therefore, without targeting the origin of the tightness, no amount of stretching will correct the problem. The root of the problem must be discovered for an optimal plan to be derived for an individual.

Remember, a healthy body comes from a balance between the length of our muscles, the strength of our muscles as well as the order in which they contract. Neglecting one area will lead to problems in another. Enjoy the process of learning the balance of your body.

----------

My name is Carla Cupido and I am a chiropractor in Vancouver (Kitsilano), Canada, who believes strongly in the bond between yoga and chiropractic. I will be writing a series of articles on neuromusculoskeletal conditions and their connectedness to yoga from a chiropractor’s perspective. I encourage you to learn as much as you can about the human body, as the more you understand, the better able you will be to protect yourselves from injury. I wish you all the best in your practices and in your lives! Namaste.

You can contact Dr. Carla Cupido by email at carla@drcarlacupido.com or via her website: www.drcarlacupido.com. Her practice is located at 3623 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, V6R 1J2. The phone number at the clinic is 604-222-4131.

And yup... you should be practicing the plank. You're a runner. You know that all runners need a strong core. Plus the plank is commonly used in most yoga routines, if not on it's own, at least as a transition between other poses.

Anyway....... good luck. Hope you get better soon Jennifer.

[Jwolf]

Tree pose is one of the worst, athough I know that balance and strengthening of the foot is important. I think the issue with me is that I already do the calf and hamstring stretches that my physio gave me-- doing MORE of them with yoga might be too much. There is also an aspect to this foot injury which is very pesky-- that there seems to be an irritation that is not REALLY PF and it never really goes away. WHen it gets painful, the tissue around it tightens up, which gives the PF-like symptoms. The trick, I've figured out, is to not do anything to make it worse. Because no one has given me any treatment for it other than the standard PF treatments.

[trixiee]

Have you had a plain old regular massage?

I had ART, Chiro, stretching, etc... it was going away, but occasionally really hurt. Had a massage, and voila! Foot pain went away. (That was, however, about 6 - 7 months after initial injury)

[Jwolf]

Have you had a plain old regular massage?

The physio and chiro both do essentially their versions of targetted massage, which I also can do with the rolling pin, golf ball, etc. It does work-- I can feel it working-- but it doesn't completely go away. I don't know that it's the type of therapy that makes a difference, but more the style of the practitioner (my physio does the manipultive stuff more like the second chiropracter, but not at all like the first...)

And I'm reluctant to try another specialist at this point...

[Jwolf]

I was thinking about this thread today at the gym. Today cycling made my foot hurt worse than running (so yes, I'm really going to stop!-- no point in that), and the pain came back right in the same spot-- on the inside of the heel. I could release it a bit by vigourously massaging the inside of the arch, so I think I try to really work that golf ball and rolling pin in there more regularly. Ouch-- it does hurt. Thanks for the extra suggestion, brian. My phsio did suggest that as the best way to work out the tightness, but I do admit I haven't always been doing just that.

[bgroot]

If you are getting the most pain in the heels then you must have a pretty advanced stage of plantar fasciitis so almost anything that will help it will also be painful. Its a really tough one to cope with because its either painful and gets worse, or you have to endure more pain in order to feel better, and even then, it's not guaranteed.
As far as specific yoga poses for it, I would recommend simple to sit on your heals with your toes tucked under your feet. For the average person, this seems a little ridiculas because its so simple. For you it might already be pretty intense. Try and sit on your heels for at least a minute, if you can tolerate the stretch in the fascia. The next day, try to go for 2 minutes. If it does not hurt at first, it will after 2 minutes, but it'll really help loosen the tissue. Keep working it up day after day until your can do it for 5 minutes, and you should be good to go.
That's the best thing I can think of as a yoga teacher and a runner who has felt the pain of PF.

[trixiee]

If you are getting the most pain in the heels then you must have a pretty advanced stage of plantar fasciitis so almost anything that will help it will also be painful. Its a really tough one to cope with because its either painful and gets worse, or you have to endure more pain in order to feel better, and even then, it's not guaranteed.
As far as specific yoga poses for it, I would recommend simple to sit on your heals with your toes tucked under your feet. For the average person, this seems a little ridiculas because its so simple. For you it might already be pretty intense. Try and sit on your heels for at least a minute, if you can tolerate the stretch in the fascia. The next day, try to go for 2 minutes. If it does not hurt at first, it will after 2 minutes, but it'll really help loosen the tissue. Keep working it up day after day until your can do it for 5 minutes, and you should be good to go.
That's the best thing I can think of as a yoga teacher and a runner who has felt the pain of PF.

Can you find a picture of this pose?

[Jwolf]

If you are getting the most pain in the heels then you must have a pretty advanced stage of plantar fasciitis so almost anything that will help it will also be painful. Its a really tough one to cope with because its either painful and gets worse, or you have to endure more pain in order to feel better, and even then, it's not guaranteed.
As far as specific yoga poses for it, I would recommend simple to sit on your heals with your toes tucked under your feet. For the average person, this seems a little ridiculas because its so simple. For you it might already be pretty intense. Try and sit on your heels for at least a minute, if you can tolerate the stretch in the fascia. The next day, try to go for 2 minutes. If it does not hurt at first, it will after 2 minutes, but it'll really help loosen the tissue. Keep working it up day after day until your can do it for 5 minutes, and you should be good to go.
That's the best thing I can think of as a yoga teacher and a runner who has felt the pain of PF.

Can you find a picture of this pose?

I know what he means-- it's not a yoga pose, just a stretch. Sit down and kneel, but put your toes down to the ground and your heels up so that your butt is on your heels and your toes are on the floor (so your feet are in a dorsiflexion position, or feet "flexed" and not pointed).

It's one of the standard stretches I knew to do for PF, but my physio didn't advise that one. It hurts when I do it for too long, so I always thought if it hurt it was too agressive and I should back off. Now I see it's probably better to build up to it.

[bgroot]

It definitely will hurt after a couple minutes. It will hurt for someone without PF as well. Its because you're stretching the fascia and not a muscle like we are used to doing that we have to go about doing it differently. You've got the stretch right, from your detailed description. It should feel like a stretch at first, but then as you get to over a minute or two, it'll become more intense, and you should expect it to be painful to some degree. as long as your not using any active muscular strength in these types of stretches, the pain will not make it worse, but should help it get better. When stretching muscles, you still want to ease into it gently, but any sharp pain is a warning sign to stop what your doing much faster. The fascia takes at least 90 seconds to begin to relax in a stretch where muscles are sometimes less than 30 seconds, hence not needing to hold a stretch for your quads or any other muscle group for more than a minute.
If you've ever seen an Osteopath (If you can find a reputable one, I highly recommend looking into booking a visit) they will be able to help you more than any chiropractor or massage theropist, but any adjustments they offer likely will hurt. Only after the treatment will it get better.

[Jwolf]

I'm skeptical that I need yet another specialist-- all the ones that were recommended to me were good and were supposed to be "better than anything else", but no one is really perfect. My physio is probably the best, but now I'm happy enough with the home care.

[bgroot]

Fair enough. Without all the money in the world it is tough to explore all of the options out there. PF is just the worst because it is so painful to overcome. I've heard one massage therapist claim that having your plantar fascia stripped is more painful than childbirth. The worst of it is, that if you don't stretch it out, it will never get better.
Best of luck with your stretches and exercise!!!