Did a lower body workout with abs today (sumo squats, leg extensions, stiff leg deadlifts, leg curls, 1 legged calf raises on a 3-4 in. board, 2 legged raises on floor w/ toes angled out and then in, bicycle crunches, knee ups, side bridges, center crunches) and noticed no pain during the workout. However, when I tried to stand up after I finished my abs I had a stabbing pain in my right foot, just below the ball near the inside of my arch. It really hurt for a couple of hours afterwards, but I was able to raise up on my toes and the lessen the pain. Now it is merely a dull ache, but I have to ask: did I do something wrong? My first thought was the calf raises on the board. I've had minor twinges of pain before, but usually while I'm doing the exercise and when I readjust my foot position the pain is gone. Not so today. Any insights?

You have experienced the fun and joy of tight muscle fascia in your foot (feet)!

Eventually, the fascia will stretch and the pain will go away. But for now, follow these tips (plantar fascitis is common in runners):

The plantar fascia is a ligamentlike tissue that run/walk/walks from the ball of your foot along the arch and inserts into the heel bone.

REMEDIES:

Best new alternative remedy: In one study, acupuncture reduced pain for 18 people who had been unable to recover from plantar fasciitis for a year.

At first, practitioners needled traditional meridian points. When some runners didn't respond, the acupuncturists focused on trigger points in the runners' calves and arches. This reduced pain completely within six weeks.

Experts aren't sure why acupuncture heals, but some believe it signals your brain to release pain-soothing chemicals. For a list of practitioners in your state, call the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture in Los Angeles at (800) 521-2262, or check the Academy's website at www.medicalacupuncture.org.

Best new mainstream treatment: Stretching your calves and Achilles tendon in multiple directions will release pressure on your plantar fascia, says physical therapist and chiropractic doctor Gary Mascilak, who treats runners in Sparta, N.J.

Here's how to do it:

Get in the push-against-the-wall position, with one foot about 24 inches in front of the other and your palms against the wall.

Slowly lean forward while pressing the heel of your rear foot into the ground. Keep your toes pointed forward and your back knee straight. Curl your toes to accentuate your arch as you shift your weight to the outside of your rear foot. Alternate between this curled-toe position and the starting position for 30 seconds.

While still pushing against the wall, bend your rear knee until you feel your heel wanting to rise off the floor. Again curl your toes to accentuate your arch, putting your weight on the outside of your foot. Alternate back and forth between the curled-toe and starting position for 30 seconds. Repeat the entire sequence as often as possible.

TIPS:

- Massage the inflamed area of your foot with ice after your are finished exercising (when you get home).

- Before you get out of bed, wrap a towel around your toes and gently pull them toward you. Do this with your knees straight as well as bent.

- Massage your arch often by sitting on a chair and rolling a marble, a frozen soda bottle or another massage device under your foot. Progress to a standing position.

Especially for the tips on how to relieve the pain (I was rolling my foot over my dumbbell last night because I couldn't find my foot roller!). I'm going to see my voodoo doctor/chiropractor for my back this week and I'm pretty sure he does acupunture. I might have him throw in a couple of needles for good measure. I'll let you know how it goes, but I will definitely start the stretching.

Keep us posted ...

Way back in my "stickboy" running days, I had to battle that problem every spring when we started training for track.

Our school's track was an oval of blacktop with 6 running lanes painted on it ... no cushioning whatsoever ... LOL ... so every spring I dealt with plantar fascitis AND shin splints. The price of being a hurdler.

I shudder when I look back and think about the equipment/conditions our coaches has us running under, and the techniques they used in training. Ugh.

OK, that track sounds hideous, but I also (basically) did the shin splint thing to myself while trying to train over the summer in high school and running on the road. Man that sucked! But that's not why I replied...

Stickboy! ...LOL... I've been meaning to tell you that your nickname for your young self cracks me up! I saw that "Are you a body builder" thread and all your photos - the change in your body composition is amazing. Also amazing is how many guys looked like that in high school and early college. (I dated a stickboy in high school for a while; your photo had a little deja vu in it.) My fiancee Rob was the same way: he's pretty big and manly looking now, but he was a scrawny dude in high school. Picture 6'5" and about 175-180...well, on second thought, maybe you shouldn't picture it. And that was AFTER he started lifting for basketball.

...not sure if I feel better yet, but my foot didn't go into spasms during my visit so I guess that's good. He did some reflexology stuff first, which was kind of wild because the complimentary pressure point he pushed on was the exact spot on my right side near the top of my ribs that went into spasm last night in bed! It didn't hurt as bad as the one on my foot ("this may be a little tender" my a$$), but it didn't feel good. The needles were much better: no pain and he doubled up with two laser treatments to decrease the acupuncture treatment time. He also gave me some calc/mag/Vit D horse pills (to take 5 a day) because he said I needed more calcium. This was, of course, based on some sort of muscle-testing voodoo he did, but he's usually right so I just take his word for it. I'll let you know how the foot feels tonight.