Has anyone else had an area of pain or inflamation which has suddenly inproved on LC WOE?

I have had had problems with heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis for a number of years. I had shoe inserts made by a podiatrist which helped a lot but did not cure the problem.

The weight loss I have had so far doesn't explain the sudden improvement I have experienced from the heel pain, as I am still much heavier than I was when the heel pain first started.

Does this have to do with reducing the inflamatory process in the body? I think there must be some link and I am sure I read somewhere that there is a connection.

Anyone with a similar experience?

Gemma

Are you exercising? stretching?

I have had a heel spur for years. I remember the pain was especially bad for about three years after my daughter was born (1989) ... then it went away mysteriously. I guess that's the way it is with heel spurs, the pain comes and goes. The bone spurs don't actually go away, but the inflamed tissue around it just doesn't hurt any more.

I had tried everything that first time around ... cortisone shots worked for a short time, but were extremely painful to receive ... finally a woman in my church (who also had heel spurs) gave me a peice of paper with exercises on it ... basically they were to stretch the calf muscle. The theory was that if the calf muscles are well-stretched and limber, they wouldn't pull on the tissue around the heel as much (which causes the pain from the spurs). Wearing high heels, etc. is the number one cause of heel spur pain ... because the heels cause the calf muscles to contract thus putting additional stress on the heel tissue. This made some sense to me ... moreover, if it didn't work, I had nothing to loose.

I tired it ... it took some time, but eventually worked ... (the paper said it could take 3-5 months for the exercises to work ... in the meantime, wear no-heeled shoes (or very low heels), athletic shoes with cushioned soles every chance you get.

My heel spur pain is back now though not as bad as the first time around. I don't remember to exercise as much as I should and when I do, I don't stretch like I should.

The paper with the excersises, by the way, came from a sports doctor ... not a podiatrist.

Hi Wendy

Yes, I had exercises from a sports physiotherapist. They did work a bit, but it never really went away. I had one heel that was bad and the other was okay although at one time both heels were painful and no amount of exercise or massage worked. That's when I visited the podiatrist and got the inserts for my shoes. I don't wear heels much, but funnily enough they don't aggravate the heel pain for me.

I was also told that the "spur" isn't the problem. The physio told me that the inflamation arises from stretched and strained tendons and ligaments when your foot pronates (rolls in). I have very high arches, and the rolling in even slightly stretches the ligaments from the heel to the arch of the foot, causing the pain.

What I was really wondering was if the inflamatory process is now reduced because of the LC diet, as it is really the only thing that has changed over the past few years since the heel pain started - even the inserts, exercise and massage didn't reduce the problem to the point it is now! I hardly even think about it anymore and it has just been the past four months that I have been LCing that I have noticed the improvement.

What do you think?

Gemma

Hi Gemma,

Your heel spur pain reduction could very well be from your LC'ing. I'm not an expert, but studies have shown that LC'ing reduces a lot of inflammation around the joints (arthritis), among other things.

I have been in constant pain since 1998 from two spinal surgeries (ironically, I had a spur growing up my spine!). Since starting this WOL, my back pain has dropped considerably! I have now started a light water workout and can sleep through most nights.

I am hoping there will come a day when I can stop taking my medications for my back (Celebrex 1/day, Soma 3/day, Darvocet 3/day). I have already cut out my Darvocet and only take one when absolutely necessary.

Hope your pain does not come back!!

I agree with Darla ... it COULD be a reason.

I know that I don't have the pain in my shoulder (tendonitis) that I used to have ... but I attribute that more to the daily workouts at the gym than the LCing.

I have not had any reduction in heel pain since LCing ... and I've been at it since July 2001. So much of this depends on the person's own biochemistry.

Gemma,
I have had heal spurr pain about a year now, Two years ago I was thin so I'm blaming it all on my weight. The only thing I do for the pain when it gets really bad, is to wear my shoe inserts.
Other than that I'm still waiting to see if it goes away as I loose weight. I hope so !
If you hear any new info about this subject, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Hi Wendy, Darla, and Trifle

Thanks for all the feedback. Over the years of heel pain, I did quite a lot of walking and there were times it became impossible! I favoured one foot so much I upset my hip! and limped on both sides for a while.

This is why I am so surprised by the sudden improvement - I have never in all the years I have had heel pain had it stop like this! It always just niggled along painfully or was totally excruciating - but never gone altogether. I walk about 4 kms three or four times a week at the moment and I can wear sandals without inserts all day without pain!

Time will tell I suppose - I would love to think it is the LC WOE/WOL!!!!!

Bye now

Gemma

Hi, about the heel spurs.......It would be hard for me to pinpoint what has caused a reduction in my heel pain.
So many things have changed since going Low Carb.
1. Have lost weight ( less pressure on feet now)
2. Take supplements faithfully ( calcium.etc)
3. More excersise
4. Better sleep,(more resting of all body parts)
5. Less bad stuff accumulating in my body.
6. Wearing birkenstock sandals,,,,I have really high arches and if I look at my ankle without them it caves in. ( a fallen arch)

I know it is still there on my left foot because if I speedwalk in winter boots or something other than crosstrainers..I feel it immediatley.but its not so bad in the mornings anymore.

Funny thing is , I used to have it in my right foot for 2 years,,that is gone and now its in my left only?????????

Smiley

Hi Smiley

I also had the pain in both feet for a while, but never as bad in the right as the left, and like yours it went away - interestingly enough while I was as my highest weight!

I was also told that it isn't actually the "spur" that causes the problem but the stretching of the fascia and ligaments from the heel to the front of the foot - as you said, the arch collapses down and stretches everything on the underside of the foot, causing extreme inflamation and pain. Like you I had extreme pain in the mornings, as when standing up after resting the foot in its proper position, the pulling on the ligaments etc when first standing in the morning or rising after sitting for some time was terrible.

Hope yours continues to improve also!

Gemma

hi you all...
i have suffered with this facitis thing for about a year now on and off
the pain is really reduced since i went on the low carb but there are day sif i wear the wrong shoes the next morning i am in trouble again
here is a site that is very helpful in explaining the whole mess
i too hope that more weight los, all pain will go away
i am told that one should not wear FLAT shoes, but a bit of a raised heal. i started having the problem when i swore x-hikers, i think that the lasts were too stiff for my thin feet and created the arch, tendon problem
anyway
have a look at this site it is worht it
<')))><
http://www.tagnet.org/wsacc/plantarf.htm

Thanks Lyttlefish

That is a really interesting site. They offer some good advice

Hope your fasciitis clears up as mine has with LC

Bye

Gemma

For anyone out there suffering from heel pain / plantar faciatis try acupuncture. I suffered for almost a year, I had cortizone shots (never ever would recommend this to even my worst enemy), orthotics, exercise (some relief but not nearly enough). I signed up for physiotherapy as another resort - they suggested I try acupuncture, which I did - 5 sessions and no more pain - I keep doing the stretches each morning and I wear a shoe with a slight heel (1") and I'm pain free.

Hi Vbrowne

Thanks for the advice - if it comes back we have a Chinese Medicine Clinic in the town where I work and they have an acupuncturist. I know it is good for lots of things. My husband had a pinched nerve in his hip and the acupuncture fixed that. I also had it for a shoulder injury years ago, but hadn't thought of it for the heel pain.

Bye now

Gemma

I too suffer from plantar fasciitis in my left foot. It really sucks!! I do have high arches and weigh more than I ever have. My foot started to hurt about a year ago and within 4 months from when it started, I was prescribed some custom made orthotics from my D.O. (osteopath). My feet felt better for a while but then took a turn for the worst.

At first I thought it was because of the diet, however, I found out it was from my custom made $200 orthotic sole inserts. They had over corrected my foot, so I was walking on the outside of my foot. My legs and knees were also starting to suffer. I made an appointment with a podiatrist and this is what he said:

1. Never walk barefoot or wear flip-flops!! So when I get out of bed I immediately put on my 2" high mules.
2. Get rid of such said $200 sole inserts and get an orthotic from a good athletic shoe store - ~$30 - and put them in some cross-trainers that have a firm arch (make sure they don't bend at the arch)
3. Do runner's stretches every day and practice picking up a bath towel in the seated position every night (I do this while watching tv)
4. Soak feet in hot water each day for about 30 minutes. If you have one of those vibrating acupressure foot baths, this feels really good.
5. Take this shot... Ouch!!!!! Cortizone shot hurt real bad!~$(*~

It has been 5 days since then and my foot feels much better. It still hurts like you know what in the mornings though.

I would like to try acupuncture but my stupid insurance company won't pay for it and I can't afford $50 each treatment. Especially when the acupuncturist recommended I do it at least 2X a week for an undisclosed amount of time.

My cousin is a physical therapist. She also recommended that I roll a tennis ball under my foot for a little while before getting out of bed. This helps to warm up that facia before placing so much weight on it. I do this in the morning, but when I go potty at night I forgo this ritual due to tiredness.

LOL

Hi Salena

You must have been really mad about the $200.00 orthotics! I must have been lucky. I bought the cheap ones from a shoe store first up and then later went to a podiatrist and they used a basic pre-formd sort of firm foamy plastic pair of "inner soles" that needed heating with a heat gun to soften them, then they were molded to my feet in the "corrected" position. They have been fantastic! - still quite expensive though - but cheaper then the plaster cast type that my daughter had made a few years ago. They took a plaster cast of her foot in the "corrected" position then made fibreglass 2/3 inserts that had the top surface covered in leather. They have lasted really well though, so can't complain.

I had heard about the tennis ball and also had recommended rolling a small bottle under the arch when sitting along with a range of exercises such as walking on the outsides of your feet for a couple of minutes, walking on tip toes, and a few others.

Although my pain is incredibly reduced, I still find mornings I am stiff in the feet, and after driving for more than 1/2 an hour, I get out of the car a bit stiff too. Have to remember to do the stretches before standing up in both situations, but often forget as it is just stiffness and not excruciating pain.

Will try the towel in the toes trick - I can imagine that would be a good one. The massage foot bath sounds like bliss - maybe a thought for my kids to give me for Mothers' Day!!

Bye now

Gemma