Skating with Plantar Fasciitis

(first post here, hi! *waves*)

i haven't skated, for myself, in almost five years. i haven't been in an ice rink/on ice/in my skating boots since october 2011. in the three years since i last was on ice, i developed plantar fasciitis (due to having worked in retail, and being on my feet most hours of the day). since this past february (2014) i have had an office (sitting down) job and the pain that i had from PF has diminished quite a bit (but not 100%). i recently spoke with my doctor and he said that it's all right for me to start walking (for exercise) now, which i've been doing for a couple weeks now. and he said before i get back on the ice i want to make sure that i lose some weight first, and to get more off-ice exercise to make sure my foot is strong enough to handle on ice practice. now, i've also been told that the effects of PF might never go away, and i do want to get back on the ice to skate (it is my passion).

is there anyone here (athlete/coach/off-ice trainer/someone who has dealt with PF in some way with a figure skater) who can give me some advice on how i'll know when my foot is ready to get back on the ice (and i'm not talking about my first time back that i'd be attempting single jumps or even spins for that matter - i just want to get started with the basics: stroking, edging, crossovers). it's been over three years and i'm 'dying' to get back out on the ice, and i want do that in the safest way possible as to not irritate my PF and make it as bad as it was a year ago when i felt like i should have crawled from one place to the next because standing and walking hurt too much.

right now my foot can handle, fairly easily, walking 1 mile in about 15 minutes, and i'm able to do some short repetitions of reveles with my barre at home

also, is there a particular brand of skate boot that i should look into? i've got a wide foot and flat feet. i'm currently in custom-made sp-teri boots. caught myself gawking online at the ice fly boots earlier this evening... they look nice (and comfortable).

thank you!

Welcome to GS, naganosilver98! I hope you find the advice you need.

I had plantar fascitis, and it was very painful and unpleasant. Wearing shoes with correct support was key to avoiding a recurrence of pain. I am not sure how this translates to skating boots. I hope you find a solution!

I just started skating this summer as an adult and developed plantar fasciitis by doing too much to soon. Fortunately, I have great insurance, so I went to a podiatrist who sent me to a physical therapist. The therapy consisted of massage, a treatment called ASTYM, stretching exercises for my calves, arches, and hips, and exercises to strengthen my arches, ankles, core, gluteus medius, & balance. I cut back on skating from about 6 times per week to about 2, and am now working back to 3-4 times per week. It has been extremely helpful because the PT customized the programbased on the weaknesses in my body that caused the plantar fasciitis. I initially wore superfeet in my skates ( pronation & weak arch) but just got custom orthotics. Also not allowed to wear flats anymore.

If you haven't done foot doctor/PT and can afford to I would highly suggest it, even if the injury is old. My problem is 90 % gone and skating is much easier and more comfortable. Whenever my foot started to hurt, I would stop so my advice to you is to do the same - just start out with basic stroking and take it from there

Hope this helps a little. If you have questions let me know.

is there any way you could describe some of the PT exercises you're doing? i use a resistance band to stretch my foot and calf muscles, i also use it to help (i'm hoping) my ankle strength.

as for getting custom orthotics with your skating boots, who did you buy from or did your podiatrist make them/prescribe them for you? did you buy your boots before getting the orthotics or after?

i've been told that having been off the ice for over three years that i might have to get new skating boots, and if/when i do, i would like to make sure that i have an insert that will be beneficial for my PF.

thank you!

Hi - I do a lot of exercises so I may need to do a couple of posts over the next few days. I think the exercises I do are pretty standard.

There are basically 3 calf stretches and one foot stretch. The first calf stretch is done with a towel in bed before you get up. You perform it 3 times, holding 30 seconds each time, once per day. The other two calf stretches and the foot stretch are done against the wall and are done twice daily. You perform 3 stretches on each leg/foot, and hold each stretch 30 seconds, using a timer. Here are pictures:

http://www.therapeuticassociates.com/events/plantar-fasciitis/

http://www.fletcherhillschiropractic.com/plantar-fasciitis

The foot exercise is labeled calf stretch in this picture but she actually has me really try to feel the stretch in the plantar fascia.

For stretching my hip (psoas muscle) I do this:

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/how-to-stretch-and-strengthen-the-psoas

This one is twice per side, with each stretch done for one minute, not 30 seconds. This is not strictly for plantar fasciitis but it's an important muscle for skating and or doing splits.

For strengthening my feet, initially I did exercises like scrunching a towel with my toes and picking up marbles with my toes. You can google those if you don't know how to do them. I progressed to doing standing arch raises - 15 per set, 1 set daily. With this exercise you lift your arches up but your heels and toes remain on the floor. I will try to find a picture or video. There are a lot of different ways to do them.

I am currently doing heel raises - releves, if you do ballet. They do not need to be done turned out and you can lean on a counter or barre for balance but goal is to do them with as little support as possible. I am currently doing 30, both feet simultaneously. Eventual goal is to do them on one foot at a time. I would caution that you should not do the arch or heel raises if you still have a lot of symptoms.

You asked about orthotics: I ordered mine through the doctor and told him they were for my skates. It's crucial to make sure they will fit the skate!

Skates: my feet are wide & I have a flexible flat foot. I was fitted for stock Jackson's & they work well for me. Since I am a beginner (basic 8) I am in the Elle; if you are more advanced I would not suggest this model. I would suggest getting fitted by someone with expertise , not buying online and guessing at your size.

I will do another post soon with core and balance exercises. If anything I've written here isn't clear (I'm pretty tired) let me know.

thank you for the links! those will help! i do the towel stretch exercise (except with a resistance band). i haven't done the other calf stretch since probably 2006 when i was still skating a lot just for myself (before financial troubles hit and job loss - both of which are much, much better now). the hip stretch looks so nice, it's been years since i've done that one too.

i have a ballet barre (portable) in my home, so i do use that off and on (not consistently) to do releves. those no longer hurt my foot, i used to have such a high demi-pointe too (before PF), every time after i do some sets of releves, the next day my foot feels stronger (in a good way). still haven't worked to doing it one foot at a time though lol

my skating level is above basics, i have most of my single jumps, and have dabbled in junior level MITF in the past (i'm all over the place since i couldn't structure my lessons with the goal of testing since i couldn't afford to do testing). my current skates are custom made sp-teri, with the MK vision blade. i fully intend on finding someone who can measure me correctly, and i plan on having custom made boots from here on out (they made such a good difference for me since i switched from stock riedell boots).

looking forward to your core/balance exercises

Are you certain your skates are broken down / no longer fit you? That may save you some money - presumably you haven't grown?

yes, my skates aren't broken down. i got them in 2007, barely skated more than once a week in them. stopped skating for myself around 2009/10. only wore them while coaching/standing on the ice after that. there's no crease in the ankle yet either lol i am saving my money and intend on trying to find out/research what boot might be best for someone with plantar fasciitis.

Hi just wanted to apologize for not having followed up my last post - broke my wrist so posting among other things is a bit more difficult ATM. Shorthand post: for core I was doing front & side planks starting off with 10-20 seconds & a few reps & gradually increasing time. For core and balance, best thing was using a wobble/ balance board. Also, an exercise called running man where you stand on foam pad (less stable) and imitate gait of runner in place (eg opposing arms & legs)15 reps each side. That one is great even without pad, if you can't afford the pad. Pads are about $40 & wobble boards range from about $40-$120. When I am allowed to exercise again & can afford it, I will probably buy both - they are incredibly helpful. Good luck!

ETA given your level if experience I'm sure you will find right boots but my sense is really that it's the fit & orthotics if you need them, not brand, that will determine what's best for you.

This guy is not my doctor so can't vouch for his expertise, but he wrote an article you may find useful:

http://www.sportsdoctorradio.com/

http://www.sportsdoctorradio.com/images/Podiatry_Mgmt_Weil_June_2010b.pdf

Forgot to say that unbeknownst to me, my skates had been poorly sharpened & edges on left skate (my affected foot) were not level. This put extra stress on my arch in that foot. As soon as that was corrected with a good sharpening, skating became much easier & less painful, and I made faster progress with PT. FYI, my PF only affected arches / soles of foot, not heels.

From what I can tell, most rinks have one or two experienced people in their pro shop and the rest are high school kids that mean well. You want to figure how who those experienced people are and only allow them to sharpen your skates. On the "blade sharpening" forms, make sure you specify those experienced people. If you don't specify a particular person, it will be luck of the draw and there is a good chance you will another dud sharpening like the one you described above.

concorde said:

From what I can tell, most rinks have one or two experienced people in their pro shop and the rest are high school kids that mean well. You want to figure how who those experienced people are and only allow them to sharpen your skates. On the "blade sharpening" forms, make sure you specify those experienced people. If you don't specify a particular person, it will be luck of the draw and there is a good chance you will another dud sharpening like the one you described above.

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Thanks, Concorde. Your point is well taken. The lady who found the problem & corrected it coaches in addition to working in the rink shop, and is extremely experienced. The bad sharpening was done elsewhere, at a reputable place - was surprised, but what you say makes total sense.

In addition to the usual calf stretches, I find that rolling the arch of each foot on a tennis ball right after skating does an amazing job of relieving that tightness in the arches of my feet (especially after doing a lot of spins). I'll never be without a tennis ball in my skate bag again!

ooh! i had never thought about putting a tennis ball in my skate bag to use after a session. i have some old tennis balls somewhere, just have to find them. i've been using those stress balls to roll my feet on, they're softer and good to use to warm my feet up to receiving more pressure. thanks for the tip!