2024 has been a rougher year than most, especially with my own health. Yes, even as a coach, my body sometimes has other plans.
In March I started having foot pain that resulted in me having trouble walking or bearing any weight on my right leg.
It came out of the blue and progressively got worse to the point that when I woke in the morning, I’d hobble to the bathroom. At some points, the pain was so bad, I considered crutches.
It was incredibly painful and I hated feeling so unwell, and limited.
(Picture taken in Duluth, MN at Grandma’s Marathon – age 40)
Some of you may not know, but I used to run. I started around age 38.
The funny thing about this is that I could hardly run a mile in high school, but at age 40, I decided I was going to run a half marathon.
I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it… and I did.
What came of it was the love of running.
Yet, over the years since that marathon, I reduced the amount of running and tried other activities like rebounding (small trampoline), hiking and yoga.
Yet, 2024 seemed to be a year of bodily changes for me, with planter Fasciitis (PF) being one of them.
I started to get frustrated with how limited I felt.
I was NOT going to chalk it up to age. I know better than that! I needed to pull out my mindset tools for this challenge.
So, here are all the things I did to help my body heal:
- The Tools.
I started researching tools to use to help the tendon in the foot relax and stretch. Yet, I also noticed that my right calf muscle was continuously tight. I knew it must be trying to compensate for the foot or protect the other strained muscles and tendons. So the first tool I bought a CalfStretcher. This was my favorite tool to use (and I use it still today), especially after working out. I did try these two items (Night Splint and Foot and Calf Stretcher), but either I didn’t find them convenient or they were just uncomfortable to sleep in. Plus, it was hard to wear when I had to be on the go so much. Neither of them were bad at all though. The Foot and Calf Stretcher will get used in my Yin Yoga sessions though… to help with longer holds and deeper stretching.
My other favorite tool that I purchased was the Foot Massager Roller. This one still gets used today. It really feels good to massage my feet and help relax the overused foot muscles.
An easy DIY tool is a frozen plastic basic bottle of water. You roll your sore foot over it and it massages while helping to reduce the inflammation and pain. This was a magical way to relieve pain quickly!
The ultimate device that I purchased was a fascia scraper from a brand called Sidekick. If you have never experienced fascia scraping before, you should try it! You can have it done by some chiropractors, massage therapist or physical therapists. I had it done years ago for back issues and it was a game changer! Plus, over the years I have learned more and more about fascia, especially reading this book, Free Your Fascia. Fascia is not considered enough when it comes to pain, tightness, etc. It is the thin tissue that holds our skin and organs in place so they don’t just float around out body. Yet, when the fascia is tight or strained from trauma, it tightens other areas around it. Basically, when it gets tight, there is a domino affect of “pulling” on other parts of the body.
Let me make this clear, fascia scraping really doesn’t hurt. If it does, it’s minimal. You must use a good oil on the skin to allow the scraper to move across the skin with ease. You only need to do it for a couple minutes in one spot on the body. It’s best when the body is warm after a bath, shower or working out, but use it when you can do it.
The one thing to call out, when you’re breaking up the tight fascia tissue, it’s common to see bruising, especially if you use this tool on the neck, shoulders, etc. If you are NOT familiar with this technique, I highly recommend you watch these videos to learn HOW to use the tool properly. It’s a lot easier than you think!
Just a side note, I love this tool and have used it on tight shoulders (traps) and back of neck, and especially the calf muscles. It’s great for any young athletes in your life too.
- Food and Supplements:
I know that when the body is inflamed, you can change the conditions that the body is in, so that there isn’t such a high immune response causing heat. My foot, especially the heel, was always warm. To help the body reduce the inflammation and here is what I used:
- CBD (Pain Cream and tincture) from Green Compass (great for headaches too!)
- Turmeric Curcumin Supplement
- Wild caught fish oil
- Magnesium Bi-glycinate
I also knew that I needed to reduce any sugars or processed foods as they cause an increase in inflammation. I don’t eat these much anyway, but I also know I don’t feel well if I do.
I also drank lots of water and used heat (even Epson salt baths), added Valor essential oil to feet and used the frozen bottle when pain was at it’s worse, especially at night.
- Practitioners and Support Therapies
I always tell people to have your army of support with your health. With this injury, I did just that. I found 4 local practitioners that helped me on this journey. I needed to capitalize on their skills and expertise!
- Chiropractor (adjustments and stretching)
- Acupuncturist
- Corrective Therapy with BenKuns BodyWorks (I saw Grace)
- Charged Fitness and Rehab (I saw Brandon)
The one key point I want to make, is that mental and emotional stress is a HUGE factor when it comes to strain on the body, inflammation and pain. As Dr. Josh Axe calls out in this article, “Mood: “Chronic stress changes gene activity of immune cells before they enter the bloodstream,” says Victoria Maizes, MD, the executive director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, in Tucson. There’s also a suspected link between depression and increased blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which increases in response to inflammation.”
- Protecting my feet
Anyone who has a job where they stand or walk for long hours knows how important it is to have good footwear, especially on hard floors like tile or concrete.
I was told to stop going barefoot in my home (I have hardwood floors), so I started looking into good shoes and slippers to support my feet.
As a mom, it’s hard not be moving around… all… the… time. Yet, I knew I had to give the inflamed tissue in my foot some relief. Here are two products you may not have heard of, but have been vital to helping my feet.
- Kuru Shoes. These shoes are specifically made for those with foot pain, especially planter fasciitis. They are built differently too. I highly recommend that you look at their website to learn more. They are about the price of a really good running shoe, but has way more support. You may be able to use your HAS account if you have a diagnosis that supports the purchasing of these shoes.
- Vionic: While Kuru also has slippers, Vionic had a pair of orthotic slippers that have become my go-to while at home. They have a hard sole, with some squish, that has been able to support my feet from the unforgiving floor conditions. These are one of the most durable pair of slippers I have ever had.
This journey wasn’t easy, but it has taught me so much. It has also reminded me of key health lessons I have learned on this life journey. I also knew that I needed to:
- Keep my stress levels in check
- Trust my body to heal
- Give the body the conditions it needed to heal
It was a long process of trust, faith and self-care. Yet, I have learned so much from this recovery too. I have now added new self-care techniques to my daily or weekly regimen. Many of them help my body far beyond just my foot too!
That is the blessing in disguise.
If you want to learn more or just have a call with me to see if I can help get you the care you need, just email support@librahealthcoach.com. Don’t struggle or waste time digging for solutions when someone else may have some that could help you right now.
Keep yourself healthy and live your best life!