Foot Issues

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

I am about a month away from my first Camino, and I will be walking from SJPP to Santiago. I have developed Plantar Fasciitis. I will be seeing a podiatrist to get customized inserts before I leave. I have been doing the typical exercises and ice, and I have cut back on my walking to see if it will heal.

I am wondering if anyone has walked with this foot condition, and if so, i'm looking for any suggestions and information about how you fared on the Camino.

Thank you in advance,
Jeanne

 

[mikevasey]

I had it last year, it started about 6 weeks before I was due to walk. I thought it was bruising from cork insoles which had bruised my left left heel and arch. I walked anyway, it was incredibly painful but after a while I just learnt to live with it, until after about 30+ days I arrived on the Camino Arogones, the tracks were flatter and so I was getting more direct impact on my heel. I made a decision to stop for a few days and restart on a more hillier rougher Camino, the San Salvador. That lessened the pain, if I had continued on to the Frances I knew that the flatter tracks there would have been the same as the Aragones and the pain would have still been quite high.
One of the biggest problems while walking was taking breaks, the pain levels when standing on your foot again and walking was a real test.

When I came home I went to the Doctors, she said I had plantar, to be truthful I didn't have a clue what it was, she gave me some foot exercises which were OK, but only slowly seemed to be repairing the issue. Someone on here posted an exercise which cured it in a matter of days. I have not had a problem since September/ October of last year.

Hope this is of use to you, if you get the right exercise it may rectify the plantar before you walk. Good insoles with superior shock absorption are a must. I did not use pain killers, some people do so that might be an option.

Good luck and Buen Camino.

 

[GettingThere]

Someone on here posted an exercise which cured it in a matter of days.

Do you remember what this was, or which thread it was in? I have this too - an effective exercise sounds great!

EDIT: I think I found it - was it the one described in the NY Times article in this thread? https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/plantar-fasciitis-relief.29162/

Thanks!

 

[peregrina2000]

I am about a month away from my first Camino, and I will be walking from SJPP to Santiago. I have developed Plantar Fasciitis. I will be seeing a podiatrist to get customized inserts before I leave. I have been doing the typical exercises and ice, and I have cut back on my walking to see if it will heal.

I am wondering if anyone has walked with this foot condition, and if so, i'm looking for any suggestions and information about how you fared on the Camino.

Thank you in advance,
Jeanne

Hi, Jeanne, Welcome to the forum! I hope that you get relief from your orthotics. My only caution would be to make sure that the customized inserts are not made of hard plastic. If they are, they are likely to cause other problems on the Camino, especially on the Frances with all its asphalt walking. About 6 years ago, I got a pair of silicone orthotics, and my problems (well, my foot problems, anyway) have disappeared. If you are in the US, you may not get directed to a silicone orthotics maker initially, because they are typically categorized as DME (durable medical equipment) providers rather than your standard orthotics maker, and this causes all sorts of insurance headaches. But silicone orthotics are, IMO, the only way to go on a Camino! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[koknesis]

I caught one some years ago when on the trail in mountains. made from a sock and elastic band something like below to wear during night. plus some ibuprofen daily. this helped and I managed to complete the trail, but the pain was gone only after some 4 months. if it gets really acute when walking, then only corticosteroid injections may help. or better just stop and leave the trail. good luck!

 

[mikevasey]

Do you remember what this was, or which thread it was in? I have this too - an effective exercise sounds great!

EDIT: I think I found it - was it the one described in the NY Times article in this thread? https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/plantar-fasciitis-relief.29162/

Thanks!

That's the one, the very first time I tried it something gave or released in my left arch/ heel area, after months of carrying the complaint it was a big relief

 

[wayfarer]

This one may also be helpful.
http://www.mensjournal.com/health-f...-plantar-fasciitis-and-how-to-fix-it-20150721

 

[Shauna]

I had it last year, it started about 6 weeks before I was due to walk. I thought it was bruising from cork insoles which had bruised my left left heel and arch. I walked anyway, it was incredibly painful but after a while I just learnt to live with it, until after about 30+ days I arrived on the Camino Arogones, the tracks were flatter and so I was getting more direct impact on my heel. I made a decision to stop for a few days and restart on a more hillier rougher Camino, the San Salvador. That lessened the pain, if I had continued on to the Frances I knew that the flatter tracks there would have been the same as the Aragones and the pain would have still been quite high.
One of the biggest problems while walking was taking breaks, the pain levels when standing on your foot again and walking was a real test.

When I came home I went to the Doctors, she said I had plantar, to be truthful I didn't have a clue what it was, she gave me some foot exercises which were OK, but only slowly seemed to be repairing the issue. Someone on here posted an exercise which cured it in a matter of days. I have not had a problem since September/ October of last year.

Hope this is of use to you, if you get the right exercise it may rectify the plantar before you walk. Good insoles with superior shock absorption are a must. I did not use pain killers, some people do so that might be an option.

Good luck and Buen Camino.

Hi This is interesting. I have plantar and have just completed from St Jean to Leon in 19 days. It is interesting what you say about walking on the flat. I did not suffer for the first few days as there is more hill walking; however once we hit the flat Roman roads I was in a lot of pain. As I was limited for time and did not want to give up I took co codomol and ibuprofen and this got me through it.
Now back home but still suffering but not as bad. just go prepared with some pain relief and do not be afraid to use it. Been Camino.

 

[mikevasey]

Hi This is interesting. I have plantar and have just completed from St Jean to Leon in 19 days. It is interesting what you say about walking on the flat. I did not suffer for the first few days as there is more hill walking; however once we hit the flat Roman roads I was in a lot of pain. As I was limited for time and did not want to give up I took co codomol and ibuprofen and this got me through it.
Now back home but still suffering but not as bad. just go prepared with some pain relief and do not be afraid to use it. Buen Camino.

The Aragones is quite a bit off road but you still use a lot of flat farm tracks, If I had known I had plantar I may have been able to do something about it, I just thought it was bruising that was not getting the chance to heal, I knew that the paths on the Frances would be more of the same, flat, good walking paths, torture for my foot. I hurt my knee on the Primitivo in 2012 and at the start of last years camino was determined to keep away from it, but the pain in my foot made the rough tracks on it and the Salvador a good option for my plantar or bruising as I thought it was.

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

I had it last year, it started about 6 weeks before I was due to walk. I thought it was bruising from cork insoles which had bruised my left left heel and arch. I walked anyway, it was incredibly painful but after a while I just learnt to live with it, until after about 30+ days I arrived on the Camino Arogones, the tracks were flatter and so I was getting more direct impact on my heel. I made a decision to stop for a few days and restart on a more hillier rougher Camino, the San Salvador. That lessened the pain, if I had continued on to the Frances I knew that the flatter tracks there would have been the same as the Aragones and the pain would have still been quite high.
One of the biggest problems while walking was taking breaks, the pain levels when standing on your foot again and walking was a real test.

When I came home I went to the Doctors, she said I had plantar, to be truthful I didn't have a clue what it was, she gave me some foot exercises which were OK, but only slowly seemed to be repairing the issue. Someone on here posted an exercise which cured it in a matter of days. I have not had a problem since September/ October of last year.

Hope this is of use to you, if you get the right exercise it may rectify the plantar before you walk. Good insoles with superior shock absorption are a must. I did not use pain killers, some people do so that might be an option.

Good luck and Buen Camino.

Thank you for your comments. I have been thinking about what you said about stopping for a few days if needed and possibly taking a bus to where I would have been had I continued walking. That gives me a plan b I hadn't thought about.

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

Do you remember what this was, or which thread it was in? I have this too - an effective exercise sounds great!

EDIT: I think I found it - was it the one described in the NY Times article in this thread? https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/plantar-fasciitis-relief.29162/

Thanks!

Thank you for posting the link. I tired it today a couple of times, and it really feels better already. A lot better than the exercises that I was doing.

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

Hi, Jeanne, Welcome to the forum! I hope that you get relief from your orthotics. My only caution would be to make sure that the customized inserts are not made of hard plastic. If they are, they are likely to cause other problems on the Camino, especially on the Frances with all its asphalt walking. About 6 years ago, I got a pair of silicone orthotics, and my problems (well, my foot problems, anyway) have disappeared. If you are in the US, you may not get directed to a silicone orthotics maker initially, because they are typically categorized as DME (durable medical equipment) providers rather than your standard orthotics maker, and this causes all sorts of insurance headaches. But silicone orthotics are, IMO, the only way to go on a Camino! Buen camino, Laurie

Laurie,
Thanks so much for the advice! I am going to the doctor this week, and I will contact my insurance to see what they say about the silicone inserts. Thanks for the welcome. It is my first forum ever, so I needed to get some help from my daughter on how to post and reply

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

I caught one some years ago when on the trail in mountains. made from a sock and elastic band something like below to wear during night. plus some ibuprofen daily. this helped and I managed to complete the trail, but the pain was gone only after some 4 months. if it gets really acute when walking, then only corticosteroid injections may help. or better just stop and leave the trail. good luck!

View attachment 20073

Thank for the idea of the sock. People have suggested getting a boot, but your solution looks like an easy fix!

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

This one may also be helpful.
http://www.mensjournal.com/health-f...-plantar-fasciitis-and-how-to-fix-it-20150721

Thanks for the information. I will try these exercises as well.

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

Hi This is interesting. I have plantar and have just completed from St Jean to Leon in 19 days. It is interesting what you say about walking on the flat. I did not suffer for the first few days as there is more hill walking; however once we hit the flat Roman roads I was in a lot of pain. As I was limited for time and did not want to give up I took co codomol and ibuprofen and this got me through it.
Now back home but still suffering but not as bad. just go prepared with some pain relief and do not be afraid to use it. Been Camino.

Thanks for the advice. I plan to take ibruprofen with me.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I started feeling a bit of pain a few weeks between my fall Camino and by Pobena it was a disaster. I kept walking, but had to start doing half days only. Got home, limped for 2.5 months. And this was with custom orthotics for flat feet. Before my spring Camino I visited a podiatrist and she forbade me to walk without support: orthotics during work,Birkenstocks at home. She also had me wear a,different type of orthotics for a months instead of my older ones. Hers were a softer kind. For the Camino she recommended switching half day with one, the other with the other pair. And icing, icing, icing. I also had her approce my walking shoes.

I also had one of those hard balls on a rubber band to hold it in place and had one of those funky socks but they disrupt my sleep. I never to.d her about those two strategies

En route I took a slow release voltaren a day. Oddly enough it was the metatarsals, or those lomg bones on the top of the foot that started hurting, I added a pain killer on those nights so I could sleep.

My other foot has started acting up in the last few days; it is gettig iced, a lot!

Best of luck!

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

I started feeling a bit of pain a few weeks between my fall Camino and by Pobena it was a disaster. I kept walking, but had to start doing half days only. Got home, limped for 2.5 months. And this was with custom orthotics for flat feet. Before my spring Camino I visited a podiatrist and she forbade me to walk without support: orthotics during work,Birkenstocks at home. She also had me wear a,different type of orthotics for a months instead of my older ones. Hers were a softer kind. For the Camino she recommended switching half day with one, the other with the other pair. And icing, icing, icing. I also had her approce my walking shoes.

I also had one of those hard balls on a rubber band to hold it in place and had one of those funky socks but they disrupt my sleep. I never to.d her about those two strategies

En route I took a slow release voltaren a day. Oddly enough it was the metatarsals, or those lomg bones on the top of the foot that started hurting, I added a pain killer on those nights so I could sleep.

My other foot has started acting up in the last few days; it is gettig iced, a lot!

Best of luck!

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am wearing Birkenstocks all of the time at home as I find that keeps the pain at bay. Just curious in terms of how you iced on the camino. Do the albergues have ice or is this something I would need to purchase elsewhere?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am wearing Birkenstocks all of the time at home as I find that keeps the pain at bay. Just curious in terms of how you iced on the camino. Do the albergues have ice or is this something I would need to purchase elsewhere?

Some albergues have freezers so,if you have a small bottle filled with water you can put it in when you arrive and use it when frozen. Just make sure it's in a plastic bag that you have had on the ground while rolling you foot on it.

Also, buy a drink in bars, a coffee what have you, and ask them to give you a bit of ice. You only need a few at a time. Ask for them in a glass or cup and then pour them into a ziplock. That way the bar person doesn't have to handle your dirty ziplock. This way you can ice many times a day.

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

Some albergues have freezers so,if you have a small bottle filled with water you can put it in when you arrive and use it when frozen. Just make sure it's in a plastic bag that you have had on the ground while rolling you foot on it.

Also, buy a drink in bars, a coffee what have you, and ask them to give you a bit of ice. You only need a few at a time. Ask for them in a glass or cup and then pour them into a ziplock. That way the bar person doesn't have to handle your dirty ziplock. This way you can ice many times a day.

Thanks so much for the suggestions! This will be very helpful.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

Have you tried Rock Tape?

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

Have you tried Rock Tape?

I don't know what Rock Tape is.

 

[Jeanne McGovern-Acuna]

I don't know what Rock Tape is.

I looked it up, and it looks promising. Have you used it on the camino, and did it help?

 

[julia-t]

Are you in the UK? Superdrug sell it for £13.99 a roll, and also do packs of pre-cut tape for specific issues, one of which is for the foot/PF. That is priced at £6.99.

I too have suffered from PF 4-5 years ago - it lasted for 18 months and was awful - nothing helped and I tried pretty much everything, including acupunture, but no injections. My foot has never really totally recovered and can still be very tender at times.

I am going to buy the pre-cut pack and test it, and if it helps I shall buy a roll of the Rock Tape and take it with me (having watched the videos of how to apply it) should I feel I need it.

Good luck!

 

[Scott Sweeney]

I looked it up, and it looks promising. Have you used it on the camino, and did it help?

I have used that on hikes locally but was unaware of it when I walked this spring. It works much like a compression sleeve only it can be localized to a particular area.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Hi Jeanne
I walked the Camino Frances from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago in April and May this year. Unfortunately I developed Plantar Fasciitis in the first week as an aside to another injury that I was carrying. I completed my Camino in 44 days with no rest days and some short 8kms days when needed as I do a lot of backpacking and tend to seize up if I have a proper rest day. I used all the techniques described in this forum:

1. Wore Sole Ed Viesturs Signature insoles but they do take up a bit of room so try http://www.yoursole.com/us/ for other options
2. Always carry a spiky massage ball with me. My Camino one weighed 28 grams
3. Strapped with RockTape when I needed extra support. Here's some info on strapping: http://rocktape.com.au/video/plantar-fasciitis/. RockTape saved my Camino and helped out with various problems for others as well. You can buy it online precut.
4. Icing is wonderful but most Albergues/Hostals have tiled floors which puts a whole new meaning to 'a night on the tiles'. When we stopped at Bars during the day, pilgrims were icing their various ailments all along the Way.
5. Packets of 40 x 600mg tablets of Ibuprofen are available at all Farmacias along the Way for less than €2.00
6. We also bought some great silicone insoles for my husband at a Farmacia but saw them in lots of others
7. Being used to walking in very hot conditions here in Australia, I always take a cooling towel with me: http://www.amartsports.com.au/Product/RealXGear-Xtreme-Cooling-Towel-Large/44620001 and I could use this to wrap my foot when I stopped by a stream or fountain and there are plenty of both!

Sounds like you have boots or shoes with good support. I walked in Meindl boots through necessity as I am managing inflammatory osteoarthritis in my midfoot so need something akin to a moon boot to be able to walk any distance. I carried a pack the entire way.

Be gentle with yourself and try not to worry too much. Most injuries can be managed and the pharmacists are well versed in pilgrim ailments. Plus there are a few physiotherapists along the Way. We found one in Ponferrada who was excellent and spoke several languages.

Buen Camino!

 

[kopyman]

I am about a month away from my first Camino, and I will be walking from SJPP to Santiago. I have developed Plantar Fasciitis. I will be seeing a podiatrist to get customized inserts before I leave. I have been doing the typical exercises and ice, and I have cut back on my walking to see if it will heal.

I am wondering if anyone has walked with this foot condition, and if so, i'm looking for any suggestions and information about how you fared on the Camino.

Thank you in advance,
Jeanne

I started having severe pain in my feet while hiking a few years ago. The pain would manifest itself in different places; at the back of my heel, at the bottom of my heel, and on the bottom of my foot. The pain was so severe that I thought I was going to have to give up hiking.



I went to the podiatrist with visions of major surgery. I serendipitously went to a podiatrist that believes in minimum, basic treatment. This is how he explained the problem, as I remember. A tendon is like a rod, it does not flex. The muscle flexes while pulling the tendon. My calf muscle was so tight that there was no flex, thereby causing excessive pull of the Achilles tendon where it connects to the foot. This caused irritation at that point and the pain I was experiencing.



My treatment plan was:



Take Advil (I forget how many and how often.)

Put ice directly on my heel for so many minutes and then off for the same amount.

Stretch my calf muscle until there was pain and hold for 20 seconds, three times a day.

Wear a heel insert, which elevated my heel while walking.



I am happy to report that within a couple of weeks, I was cured.

 

[Tessera]

Does anybody know: is Rock Tape the same as KT Tape?

 

[Susan Peacock]

I have suffered from plantar fasciitis a number of times and tried everything. This is my experience.

1) I have tried podiatrist, orthopedics, and a chiropractor and the least results were from the podiatrist. The inserts were a waste of money as they were hard and very uncomfortable. They also require the significant break in period.
2) the best results were from what I consider an advanced chiropractor. He analyzed my gait and discovered the way I was walking was causing my quad muscle to be tight and as the tight muscle pulled my hip down in the front, the back of the hip was pulled up, pulling all the way down the back of my leg. After changing my gait and doing stretching exercises a few times a day, along with drinking more water and rolling out my calves I was 90% better in a month. The results were miraculous as it normally took 9-12 months when I was focusing on the foot instead of the leg muscles pulling on the foot.
3) After getting to 90% I went with a cortisone shot as my trip is quickly approaching. This completely knocked it out.
4) keep in mind that many doctors will tell you to rest. Working with the Chriopractor I continued to train for my trip without interruption.
5) last but certainly not least I ditched the Keen boots for Hoka boots and added Spenco inserts ($15) as suggested by the Orthopedic. Walking in Hoka athletic shoes and boots is like walking a cloud. My feet are not sore anymore after walks. I would highly suggest them.

 

[Tessera]

Recently, trying out various new shoes brought back lurking pain in the plantar portion of my left foot.

Going barefoot on tile or hardwood floors is, for me, a recipe for trouble!

So I have been stretching my feet and legs before I get out of bed, and then I step right into the Spenco flip-flops I keep right at hand (or at foot!).

This is giving me a relief -- a good thing, since it's only a few weeks until my first Camino! I am counting on my Spencos flip-flops and my Orthaheel inserts to help keep my feet happy! (Also, taking more weight out of my pack!)

 

[JoanneK]

This thread is so timely and helpful! Thanks for the questionand replies. I leave Lisbon for Santiago on the 9th Sept and have been wondering how I'm going to manage. Training with my pack has brought on extreme heel pain. I already have orthotics for a different issue so don't want to change them. Will start the exercises today. Thanks again and Buen Camino.

 

[Old Koot]

I have developed Plantar Fasciitis.

.
Find a good chiropractor and get a good work over before your Camino. In addition to the humungous blisters I incurred on both my feet, I developed a painful Plantar Fasciitis experience in my left foot on my first Camino Frances which was finally corrected when I returned home by one visit with the chiropractor.

On my second Camino Frances (walked again so that I could do it properly), with the Finisterre Muxia extension, I didn't have any trouble with blisters nor Plantar Fasciitis. The difference was a good pair of properly snug fitting boots, and the use of Vicks VaporRub ointment applied to my feet after my shower at the end of every day's walk. I started my second Camino with some pain (not Plantar Fasciitis) in my left foot, but that went away after about a week of walking, I think because of my application of the Vicks VaporRub.

Search out a good pair boots of snug fitting boots ASAP and start applying Vicks VaporRub now.

 

[kelleymac]

I am about a month away from my first Camino, and I will be walking from SJPP to Santiago. I have developed Plantar Fasciitis. I will be seeing a podiatrist to get customized inserts before I leave. I have been doing the typical exercises and ice, and I have cut back on my walking to see if it will heal.

I am wondering if anyone has walked with this foot condition, and if so, i'm looking for any suggestions and information about how you fared on the Camino.

Thank you in advance,
Jeanne

I am about a month away from my first Camino, and I will be walking from SJPP to Santiago. I have developed Plantar Fasciitis. I will be seeing a podiatrist to get customized inserts before I leave. I have been doing the typical exercises and ice, and I have cut back on my walking to see if it will heal.

I am wondering if anyone has walked with this foot condition, and if so, i'm looking for any suggestions and information about how you fared on the Camino.

Thank you in advance,
Jeanne

Hi Jeanne,

You may want to read my post "Home from my Camino and my feet are changed...(along with the rest of me." I posted it in alternative transportation, though I'm not quite sure how that happened. -- Here is a bit more information that I did not put in that postL I was diagnoses with plantar fascitis too, although my problem began with a severe impact injury. Hard orthotics really made my feet hurt more... though I know they are helpful to others. Just before I left for my camino I went to my doctors to get strong pain relief medicine, he referred me to a sports doctor. The sports doctor had me in physical therapy, and I was shown how to tape my heel. The taping helped a lot. There is a fat pad under the heel that gets spread out and thus thinner with age, the taping pushed the fat back under the heel and cushions it. I kept my heels taped the whole time on my camino. I can give you more detail if you want to know how to do it, and your physical therapist doesn't know how. -- Buen Camino!

 

[Rach]

Tape your foot! This really helped me, as I had plantar fasciitis many years prior and it came back to life on the Camino. As many others suggested, I stretched and iced but it wasn't until my friend met up with me and brought me KT (Rock) tape that I really had good walking days where I did not contemplate cutting off my foot.

Buen Camino!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Time to head back to university and get a new degree in podiatry and retire to the Camino to serve people like us with bad feet. In French therés an expression that talks about joining the useful to the enjoyable.

 

[peregrina2000]

Training with my pack has brought on extreme heel pain. I already have orthotics for a different issue so don't want to change them. Will start the exercises today. Thanks again and Buen Camino.

Hi, Joanne, I may have already mentioned this to you, seems like there's a lot of heel pain out there, but just in case, if your orthotics are made of hard plastic they could be the cause of the heel pain. I had camino-ending heel pain about 6 years ago after doing both the Portugues from Lisbon and then starting the Vdlp, and the continual pounding on pavement with my hard plastic orthotic was just too much for the foot. I changed to a silicone orthotic and haven't had a problem since. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[DameBabs]

I also have foot issues, but not PF, I don't think. I broke a tibia/ankle on my left foot requiring surgery, a pin applied then removed. While healed for years, it has frozen up on me occasionally after intense walking and causes pain bringing me to a stop. This has been happening during my training and I want to prevent it on my walk, (in three weeks/Primitivo). Lemongrass oil helps and I have an ankle brace that I wear to relieve it. I will try the stretching exercises, but if anyone has any information I sure would appreciate it, even if the treatment is the same as for PF. Thank you!

 

[Peregrino Falcon]

I am about a month away from my first Camino, and I will be walking from SJPP to Santiago. I have developed Plantar Fasciitis. I will be seeing a podiatrist to get customized inserts before I leave. I have been doing the typical exercises and ice, and I have cut back on my walking to see if it will heal.

I am wondering if anyone has walked with this foot condition, and if so, i'm looking for any suggestions and information about how you fared on the Camino.

Thank you in advance,
Jeanne

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor!

However, I feel your pain. I had this for several years and it was depressing as it took all the joy out of walking, something I'd always relied on for sorting out my thoughts and just enjoying the day. (This was before the Camino.) Eventually your condition leads to a bone spur on your heel if it hasn't already.

I did all the recommended exercises to cure it and nothing worked, (comically rolling my foot on frozen ice bottles daily to no avail), and eventually got a coritzone shot in my heel. That brought on about 75% relief, however, I've heard that you don't want to do that too many times. Then, I was advised to never walk barefoot, not even around the house, so I replaced all of my sandals and flip flops with orthotic flip flops, (the abeo line from The Walking Company), and outfitted all of my shoes with Superfeet insoles.

Eventually, several years later, it mostly went away--but it took never walking or standing unless on orthotic insoles, shoes, sandals, etc. (Not the expensive custom made orthotics from a podiatrist but just the footwear and insoles mentioned above.)

You may want to consider a cortisone shot before the walk as it's supposed to bring relief for a month or so, (ask a podiatrist about it). It's a long scary needle but the relief was incredible for me, personally, after years of hobbling around with pain in every step.

Lastly, if an x-ray does show you've developed a born spur, (and I cannot vouch for this at all), but I was interested to read people stating they'd gotten relief and believed they eroded bone spurs by taking something called Acid-Cal. If my pain crops again I will try that and see if it works or not to get rid of my heel spur. Stretching your calf muscles often also seems to help.

I also lugged along KT tape but only ended up using it once so I wouldn't do so again, personally, but I read another comment on this thread where that was a great relief to another person.

Good luck!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

@Jeanne McGovern-Acuna, if you consider the cortisone shot only do it while doing an ultra sound so that the needle does not touch your fascia and make things worse, it just have to deposit cortisone around the affected area, and that can only be seen while doing an ultrasound.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

@Jeanne McGovern-Acuna, if you consider the cortisone shot only do it while doing an ultra sound so that the needle does not touch your fascia and make things worse, it just have to deposit cortisone around the affected area, and that can only be seen while doing an ultrasound.

With the same disclaimer that I am not a health professional, I second having the cortisone injection under ultrasound. I have had this procedure done several times for various ailments and it has suited me well. Once was for a aspirated ganglion, impinging on nerves in my foot, a week out from leaving for our trek up Kilimanjaro. I was told that the effects would last for about 6 months but that was back in 2007 (fingers crossed!). My doctors tell me that they limit the number of injections in any one area as there is a fear that repeated cortisone doses could cause deterioration of the cartilage within a joint.

Suggest that if you are considering this procedure, see your doctor and discuss if it's suitable for your specific condition.

Good luck!

 

[JoanneK]

Hi, Joanne, I may have already mentioned this to you, seems like there's a lot of heel pain out there, but just in case, if your orthotics are made of hard plastic they could be the cause of the heel pain. I had camino-ending heel pain about 6 years ago after doing both the Portugues from Lisbon and then starting the Vdlp, and the continual pounding on pavement with my hard plastic orthotic was just too much for the foot. I changed to a silicone orthotic and haven't had a problem since. Buen camino, Laurie

Thanks - my orthotics are great. Not silicone, but some sort of dense foam. The exercises seem to be helping. Hubby seems to have developed a knee issue and is seeing someone today. Hope that is not bad news!