Saturday, September 25, 2010

PF - No not Changs

How many of you have battled Plantar Fasciitis (PF)? Most know its problems. The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue on the heel bone’s bottom surface, extending to the toes. It can prevent you from starting. I’ve battled it since December. I tried rest, massage, stretching, night splints, motion control shoes (which caused my knee pain), cold therapy, orthotics, anti-inflammatory medications, ice rolling, and more, but the pain persisted. I’m considering corticosteroid injections, but I don’t like that idea. Does anyone have advice? Losing weight is a significant challenge, but it’s even harder when you're limping due to PF.


I continue to bike, walk, and practice yoga to improve my balance. Yoga is the most effective. However, standing for hours is challenging, affecting my tennis officiating since I’ll be on my feet for 6-10 hours daily. I have assignments 8 out of the next 10 weekends, including volunteering at Surph the Murph. I need to minimize the impact of standing all day, as I limp for a few days after events.


Today at tennis, a 12-year-old boy acted out, making us frown. I recalled a story I told him to explain his behavior. Afterward, I felt bad for not running as much and have been grumpy. These life lessons apply to everyone, not just junior players. I’m sharing this story to remind you of the importance of controlling your emotions and being mindful of your comments to others. Enjoy!


There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. On the first day, the boy drove 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled. He discovered holding his temper was easier than driving those nails into the fence.

Finally, the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it, and the father suggested that the boy pull out one nail daily to help him control his temper. After a few days, the young boy finally told his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things angrily, they leave a scar like this." You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how often you say I'm sorry; the wound is still there. Ensure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you regret later.


Carry on my friends.


Comments from my original blog - I merged the blogs.


SteveQ
Wow - you HAVE tried everything! Corticosteroid injections just make it hurt less. They don't do anything to solve the problem. If it's lasted this long, you probably have a bone spur in your heel, and it might require surgery to correct.  That sounds familiar.  Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 11:35:25 AM CDT
Anonymous
Sorry about your problems. I battled bad PF this spring/summer. I iced a lot and strengthened (pick up a bath towel with my toes). I switched to Superfeet Green insoles, and that helped. I also taped my foot using the low-dye taping method (you can google it). This taping helped a lot. Good luck. Sunday, September 26, 2010 at 8:54:54 PM CDT
Karen G
I did the injections- it's not for the pain it's to get rid of inflammation so you can heal. That is why sometimes you need more than one to get it to work. I am not aware of any bad things but I had good results and it did not hurt as bad as I thought it would.  Friday, October 1, 2010 at 11:34:56 AM CDT

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