# Plantar Fasciitis,does riding help or hurt?



## Chris Lord (Mar 7, 2011)

I've been going through a bout of PF for the last three months or so. I was an avid walker and hiker up until then. Now,my exercise routine has come to a complete stop,and it totally sucks. I pulled my 2010 Specialized Hardrock off the hooks in the garage today and took it to my favorite LBS. I'm having them do a routine tune up on it,will be done on Monday. My question is,has anyone delt with Plantar Fasciitis and does riding help or hurt? I really,really want to get back to exercising. And yes,I've tried almost every remedy under the sun to make this pain in my foot go away. I'm 58 btw,and this is my first post here.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Trying to remember, I had PF years ago from running in bad shoes and I think I was able to keep riding. I'd suggest you give it a try and see how your feet feel. Good luck.


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## Romaxy (Jul 5, 2016)

Riding has actually helped ease my PF. I did figure out that it's better for me to ride without being clipped in and my foot position more on the arch of my foot. I was biking clipped in and it actually made my foot worse. Tried every position possible with the clips and nothing worked. Good arch support inserts are a must in my case. I even added extra support on the foot with PF. Hope that all makes sense. LOL


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## Chris Lord (Mar 7, 2011)

Thanks. I ride with flat pedals on my bike. I'll pick my bike up Monday, next weekend will be the soonest I'll be able to ride though.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Biking should be ok with PF. My pf developed when I started running (same as Chaz... I did not have the right shoes) Initially I tried calf stretches and rolling a golf ball along my arch but it didn't make much difference. I continued to run and it helped having better shoes. I continued to mtb...the PF didn't affect my riding. My PF took a long time to heal, probably around 3 months. but it was the custom orthotics which made the biggest impact. Once I started wearing them the pain ended


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## bankofdad (Dec 19, 2006)

My wife had a bad bout with PF, she did the ball rolling and frozen water bottle for sometime but did not help, she did not want the cortisone shots. She heard about KT tape and tried it, after 2 months of taping her foot it went away. Here is the link on how to tape your foot hope it helps.

https://www.kttape.com/how-to-apply-kt-tape/kt-tape-plantar-fasciitis/


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## stoplight (Mar 8, 2009)

ditto on the tape, tried ball rolling, frozen water bottle, stretching, new shoes, heel lifts. Doc finally taped me up and incrementally over a couple months it got better and went away. Bike riding never really bothered it...everything else sure did!!!!!


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

I work on my feet all day and used to wear running sneakers for work. I started to get pf that got progressively worse. Simply switching to a flat skate style shoe got rid of it for me. My arches used to ache as well but it was simply shoes with an elevated heel causing my problems.


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## ddoh (Jan 11, 2017)

"it was the custom orthotics which made the biggest impact. Once I started wearing them the pain ended"

That! Had very painful PF 25 years ago. Custom orthotics and no re-occurance in all that time.


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## Crankyone (Dec 8, 2014)

I have a bout every now and again from wearing my slothful slip on beach cruiser shoes or sandals. Orthotics in everything else, so it goes away. I have one foot that is flatter than the other so it is usually the victim of PF. Sticks and stones will break my bones, but PF hurts much worse.


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## Crockpot2001 (Nov 2, 2004)

I suffered from it for about 6 months after being on my feet a lot more while refurbing my house and doing some catering. After all that I jumped in a car for a 2 month road trip of MTB riding in the PNW. PF was gone in a couple weeks. All I did was drive, long rides, drink beer, and camp. Never returned.


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

I developed PF about 15 years ago. I was a constant hiker and backpacker and felt lost without the use of my feet. So, I dusted off an occasionally used mountain bike and began riding as often as I had hiked. My biking went from once or twice a month to several times a week.

During this time, the PF quieted down and I'm hiking again but I have a new bike and I'm biking the wild stuff a couple of times a week. Neither mountain biking nor telemark skiing bothered my feet even when the plantar was very bad. As other posters have pointed out, a pair of custom orthodics eventually helped a lot.

Keep riding and stretch those Achilles tendons!


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## coyotegulch (Jun 25, 2008)

My kids would get PF at the start of every outdoor soccer season. A few nights sleeping with a night splint always took it away. They are pretty cheap (under $30). I keep one around the house and have loaned it out to many friends over the years.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I find it interesting that on this forum there are several posters who've said that orthotics were very beneficial, whereas on running forums they talk as if orthotics will destroy your feet. Such a different take on the matter.


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## Guest (Dec 26, 2017)

Custom orthotics in my work shoes, also wear stiff soled shoes all the time. High arch sport orthotics in my biking shoes (I like Sole Brand). I also do exercises (toe scrunch, etc.). It all helps. Biking isn't better or worse for your feet if you wear good insoles but most shoes are too flat.


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## slowrider (May 15, 2004)

I went from soft soled clipless shoes to very stiff soled and it really helped me. I think clipless helped because you're not trying to flex your foot to retain contact but I'm a pipefitter not a podiatrist.


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## scottyferrari (Nov 25, 2004)

RE: the KT tape thing above. This is a variant of "anti-tension" taping that can be done with standard athletic tape. Lots of videos on youtube. I have had multiple bouts of PF and have even run through them with this taping solution--it makes an "artificial arch" that takes the tension off of your plantar fascia. I do think that riding can slightly aggravate this--unless you do orthotics, anti-tension taping, etc.


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## Albee (Jul 21, 2004)

Nat said:


> I find it interesting that on this forum there are several posters who've said that orthotics were very beneficial, whereas on running forums they talk as if orthotics will destroy your feet. Such a different take on the matter.


Dude, you are the foot pro....what is your take on it? (Interested both as a runner and a rider)


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

i get PF from standing on a marble floor eight hours a day and walking to and from work--in very good shoes.

riding does not seem to hurt or help.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I had never has PF until I started my current job 15 years ago. Combination of walking and then sitting at a computer closing work out was wreaking havoc on my muscles, I suppose.
Combination of rolling a tennis ball under my feet, stretching and orthotics cured it for me.
In fact, last year, I took up kickboxing and one of the warmup exercises, the running man, made my feet feel even better.
It's hard to describe, but barefoot, on a thick mat, you alternate your feet front to back, a combination of running in place and hopping. For the past year, I've had no foot pain.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Albee said:


> Dude, you are the foot pro....what is your take on it? (Interested both as a runner and a rider)


Yeah, it's definitely a complex problem.


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## OldManBiker (Nov 5, 2016)

I'm not educated on or informed what PF really is or the symptoms. But here is what I am experiencing so maybe someone has gone through this and can point me in a right direction. I was diagnosed with Gout back a few years ago and take a 300mg tablet of Allopurino daily. I have no issues because of this medication but at times I might feel a small flare up but only for a few hours and it subsides. 

With that being said, knowing what Gout is and how extremely painful it is I have been having some sharp pains and/or burning sensations that are spotty and seems to come and go. This only happens after I get home from work and sit. I don't have diabetes or any blood sugar issues as well. I have been to my GP recently and am going to a Podiatrist sometime in the near future but I cannot for the life of me figure out WHAT is going on with my feet. Does this sound familiar to any of you? I only ride a mountain bike so running/jogging is not part of the equation.


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## Dr Evil (Sep 20, 2015)

Find someone by you who does Advanced Biostructural Correction. I have had PF patients who were able to get it corrected and get back to their life. PM me with any questions. ABC Miracles


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## MisterClean (Jul 1, 2004)

not to spread false hope, but my wife was diagnosed and dealing with moderate to severe PF symptoms for about 2 years until she went to an acupuncturist for something else and mentioned her PF symptoms. The acupuncturist used a combination of acupuncture w/ e-stim in the right places and her PF symptoms were gone by the end of the AP session. Always get a second opinion and don't rule out Eastern medicine... It's been 18 months since that AP treatment and she is still symptom free.


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## Steve Balogh (Feb 20, 2008)

I got PF a few years ago from running in shoes that I was unaware were breaking down. FYI, don’t judge running shoes by the wear on the bottom. 

Riding never bothered it for me, however by dumb luck I ordered a custom ti bar that I had to purchase through a local dealer I had never been to before. The I had to mentioned my PF and the owner said try Sole moldable footbeds that she had. So I bought a pair took them home, heated them in the oven and put them in a pair of walking shoes, and put them on. They mold to the shape of your feet. Never needed to use them for their intended purpose of cycling. With that footbed and the strap for holding your foot back while sleeping, I got rid of PF in a few months and it’s never come back. The spikey ball was nice occasionally to get rid of any spikes in pain, but never helped get rid of it. It’s sleep that is your worse enemy, that’s when that muscle relaxes and you wake up in pain. I used a good one by Futuro, some of the other devices looked cheesy to me. Good luck!


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## 2sharp7 (Aug 29, 2013)

Been suffering with right foot PF for months now. I don't notice riding helping OR hurting the PF. I wish it would help


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## pOrk (Jan 16, 2015)

Been dealing with a small case of this after stretched my heel back trying to jam my foot in a cold ski boot. Wine seems to help quite a bit.


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

I developed PF about 15 years ago and got to the point where I couldn't walk much for almost five months. Having been a lifelong hiker and backpacker, I was going stir crazy fast. I got out the old Mountain Trek and began riding and riding. It became clear quite quickly that a new bike was in order, one with real suspension and powerful brakes.

Before the PF I was a 10 - 20 times a year mtb rider. Now, I hike with my wife but ride for myself and I ride a lot. God its fun!

I went to a podiatrist and got custom orthodics. These orthodics or maybe just not hiking for a few months made the PF fade and I've had little trouble since. 

I also began a routine of stretching my achilles tendons and that helps. Now, when I pee, I stand back from the pot and lean forwards grabbing the towel bar to stretch my tendons.


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## Rngspnr (Feb 15, 2016)

Dealt with PF for about two years. Work on my feet and spend a lot of time squatting or kneeling with toes bent back. The toes being bent back was part of the root cause, over stretching the PF tendon. Went to podiatrist, got orthotic inserts switched shoes. What helped the most was taping and a night splint along with calf stretches. I believe the orthotics help to relieve the pain initially but for me after a while they also became uncomfortable. Finally gave up the orthotic inserts and PF is gone. I had read a lot and watched videos about PF there seems to be two camps on treating PF one recommends orthotics and therapy, the other is more about strengthening the PF by not using orthotics as a crutch and getting back to walking in a more natural way like barefoot and no orthotics also as another poster mentioned getting away from shoes with a heel rise. A doctor will give you recommendations such as orthotics but that might not really be helping, also if a doctor fixes the problem he loses a client JMO.
As far as riding with PF my podiatrist recommended not to until the pain subsided. Being off the bike drove me nuts and so I started riding even against my doctors advice. For me the riding helped and I believe it was due to the fact that when we ride we are constantly stretching our calves not riding allows those muscles to contract over time just due to inactivity causing tight calves which cause tight PF. The only recommendation I would make is if riding flats get shoes that have a moderate amount of stiffness shoes that you can't bend the toes back to the heel easily.


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## slowandlow (Jun 6, 2004)

Had PF for 3 months straight, no matter what I tried it never went away completely.
Had a friend who told me to do Yoga that targets the back and legs.
Thought to myself he was nuts.

Started doing the Yoga exercises while watching TV at night.
Been 3 years now with no PF.
Bonus, my back has never felt better.

I always buy his lunch for him now when we ride together......


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## Outrider66 (Jan 30, 2018)

slowandlow said:


> Had PF for 3 months straight, no matter what I tried it never went away completely.
> Had a friend who told me to do Yoga that targets the back and legs.
> Thought to myself he was nuts.
> 
> ...


Bingo.

Everything I have read or been told by my doctor about treating PF is bogus. Essentially worthless - as most of that copy/paste crap on medical websites is a joke - just clickbait. Treating the symptoms, and doing nothing for the cause. I had PF horribly. I tried what I had read and was told by my doctor - proper shoes, shoe inserts, ankle braces, etc. Nothing worked or even helped much at all. He told me I could never walk barefoot again. I would almost rather be castrated that be told I always have to wear shoes. I despise having anything on my feet. I am barefoot in the house 100% of the time, even in the dead of winter.

Then I started thinking about what was going on down there. I started doing an exercise that I came up with, that virtually cured it. While sitting, I point my toes toward my head and hold it there until I get that sore burn. I am stretching the affected tendons, ligaments and muscles. Dealing with the cause, instead of the symptoms. Then I point my toes down, then back up again and hold it there until it hurts. I did that a few times over a few evenings, and my symptoms all but disappeared. Now it is just a very, very minor inconvenience, instead of being excruciatingly painful.

Another thing I do, since I always go to sleep at night face down, is to slide down until my feet just hang over the foot of the bed. Then, my feet are in their natural position, instead of my toes being pointed downward relative to and aligned with my legs, which is not their natural position. Sleeping on your back or side, this isn't a factor.

If you have PF, give that exercise a try. Chances are, you will get the same very positive results that I did. Please report back here your results.


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## JimmyAsheville (Oct 21, 2018)

aerobat66 said:


> Bingo.
> 
> Everything I have read or been told by my doctor about treating PF is bogus. Essentially worthless - as most of that copy/paste crap on medical websites is a joke - just clickbait. .


Yes, forums are a far better source than doctors or medical websites. That one the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons puts on , called Ortho Info, is especially "clickbait". ?

I had a bad case of PF, and tried to play through it. It resolved itself when my plantar fascia popped off the heel bone one night. A few days and a surgery later, PF problem solved. My foots flatter than a board now, but pain free. I was about the same age of the OP.

As someone said, it's all connected. Gotta keep everything loose and stretched out, from the lower back all the way down. Look up the dead bug pose, for starters. But not the PF until it is pain free. Whether this healing is achieved by icing, rest, or hanging your feet off the bed doesn't matter. If you do anything that hurts, including stretching, it's just tearing more. Shoes that keep the foot from flexing, ie stretching the PF, for walking and riding are best at preventing more micro tears until you heal up. Like stiff soled cycling shoes or hiking boots to walk.

Hope your feetsies feel better!

My 2 cents.


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## Outrider66 (Jan 30, 2018)

JimmyAsheville said:


> Yes, forums are a far better source than doctors or medical websites. That one the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons puts on , called Ortho Info, is especially "clickbait". ?


Just relating what I discovered myself, figuring out what was going on down there and what might fix it, which it did. I didn't get that info from web forums. And my orthopedic doctor was wrong about me. What he recommended did essentially nothing. Isn't that why they call it "practicing medicine"?

The clickbait I mentioned was sites like WebMd, which pretty much all have the exact same thing, word-for-word, like they all copy/paste from somewhere else, to sell advertising space, hence the clickbait phrase. And that is exactly what they are.

Stretching it, for the most part, fixed my problem. That was positive results. The very minor soreness I have now doesn't even slow me down at all. If it ever starts feeling a little sore again, I stretch it for 2-3 minutes, and the pain goes away for a days or weeks. The doctor and WebMD recommended methods (stiff shoes, inserts, ankle brace, etc.), did virtually nothing for me.


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## JimmyAsheville (Oct 21, 2018)

Just having a little fun!🤗. Glad it worked out for you. My wife an avid runner, suffered for months with pf


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Rngspnr said:


> if a doctor fixes the problem he loses a client JMO.


Trust me, your foot doctor wants to fix you, get you out of there, then move on. The last thing he or she wants is a patient with the same damned heel pain problem for his or her entire career.


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## jond63 (May 26, 2010)

I don't know if this will help anyone else, but along with stretching I found an old rolling pin for baking works excellent for massaging the muscles in my feet. I use a 3" wooden one and just roll my foot over it while standing. A large dowel or pipe might be cheaper, but I had the pin. At first it hurt like crazy, then just hurt real good. I do it regularly now after riding or walking and it has helped me immensely. Move your foot in different positions as you roll and get different muscles.


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

:thumbsup:

Wifes a pt and she would agree.


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

Crockpot2001 said:


> I suffered from it for about 6 months after being on my feet a lot more while refurbing my house and doing some catering. After all that I jumped in a car for a 2 month road trip of MTB riding in the PNW. PF was gone in a couple weeks. All I did was drive, long rides, drink beer, and camp. Never returned.


Yes, beer, the magic elixir.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

jond63 said:


> I don't know if this will help anyone else, but along with stretching I found an old rolling pin for baking works excellent for massaging the muscles in my feet. I use a 3" wooden one and just roll my foot over it while standing. A large dowel or pipe might be cheaper, but I had the pin. At first it hurt like crazy, then just hurt real good. I do it regularly now after riding or walking and it has helped me immensely. Move your foot in different positions as you roll and get different muscles.


Outstanding. Plus, it gives the wife a handy implement to reach for in case you need a good smack! I got some kind of foot massage stick with knobs and magnets and such that I roll my feet on. Good for incipient neuropathy down there.


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