Pretty Sassy

In Southern California we just moved from summery warmth to a sudden chilled air.

This did not please the right foot and it’s plantar fasciitis.  In fact this injury has given me a sudden ability to detect a change in weather(or at least air pressure).

I go to the orthopedist on May 23rd at which point I will beg and plead for a cortisone injection I probably will not recieve.  They really keep those cortisone injections under a lock and key.

My dance instructor(who is also has a degree in sports medicine) told me that an occasional cortisone injection can be really helpful, but if given too frequently it can be harmful and sort of break things down(she used big people medical words that seem to escape me now).

I got my Footsmart.com order and am pleased to have injury-friendly shoes and a neat Plantar Fasciitis brace that is bringing some relief(but not a miracle cure).

Here is the sassy little brace that both helps my foot and makes people feel a little sorry for me.

I ordered a size small, but the fit gapes a bit on my ankle.

This is Hush Puppies Stellar(I have them in black).   They have a leather footliner(which is great thing on hot days) and are very cushiony.  The straps are tad on the too-wide, orthapedic look.  I don’t exactly look seventy, but I do look in the market for comfy shoes.

I took up running last year in my ancient sneakers and was really loving the whole “I can run?” thing.  Until I started getting this pain in my right heel that would last a day or so after I ran.  In November, I finally went to a sports medicine doc who told me I had plantar fasciitis.  In english it just means I’ve torn the tendon that attaches to the heal bone.  She also told me I had high, stiff arches and recommended I get some arch supports ASAP.  Her thought was to try cheaper OTC inserts before getting the custom molded ones.  None of the drugstore variety were high enough but I found an FootSmart, an orthotic store on the internet that had some IsoArch inserts that were super high and helped.

Smart looking Night Splints, 3 months of physical therapy and a cortosone shot and I was good.  I was mixing running back in and feeling well..  I only used the IsoArch’s for excercize and was trapsing around in normal, non-injured foot shoes…  Until.

I was on the phone with internet security safety celeb, Marian Merritt.  I was trying to sound cool and hip and smart.  To deal with my nervous, tapping foot I pressed it against the wall, hard to help me look cool(you know in case she had the psychic ability to see me).  After the call I got up too fast without realizing that all that pressing had turned off a little thing called circulation and I made a face plant and reinjured the darn thing.  The physical therapist warned me several times this might happen, but didn’t warn me about phone calls.

It’s been about a month since the reinjury and it’s a little better, but I need to work harder to help in out.  So back with those sexy boots, more excercizes and I need some orthopedic sandals.  Right now the only suitable shoes I own is a pair of Saucony Grid Runners with the IsoArch inserts.  Functional, but not exactly my style.

Plantar Fasciitis is like the common cold of foot issues.  Here are a few products I like.  They may not work for you since I have achillis tendons shorter than my attention span and arches higher than McDonalds.  These worked for me, but you know, I’m no doctor so you might want to talk to someone who knows what they are talking about.

Night Splint: I kick/take these off in my sleep so they never seem to make it beyond 2 or three hours.  So I have a feeling these don’t do much for me. 

Iso Arch High-Arch: Awesome.  A poor mans molded insert.  The only thing that would be better is if they made a version that was self-adhesive for backless/slingback shoes.  IsoArch also makes a support for normal-arched folks.

Arch Sleeves: Best worn over a sock or else it gets a little tight.  The bonus for these are that you can wear any shoe you like.  They are not as good as the IsoArch.  I usually keep one in my purse as a sort of elastic bandaid if my foot starts hurting.  I like them but they don’t seem to be enough.

As I look for my summer sandals, I am planning on buying these press-on arch supports and trying these strapy arch supports.  All this makes me feel very old and uncool.