Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Plantar fasciitis, difficult pack hunt in 3 weeks, advice sought

Got my deer packed out today! Went slow, used a walking stick, knee was popping a little from walking wrong with the load, but it's only about a 3/4 pack out so it was ok.

Good luck guys!

Good work! Things may not have turned out exactly as you had planned, but at least you made the best of it and ended up with a memorable and successful hunt!

It was the opposite of a backpack hunt <grin> but what the hell, tomorrow is like day #13 out here in this incredible place! I'll take it!

It sure was a bit of a wake up call as far as showing me how dependant I am on mobility to hunt effectively.

!

Did you really just say that on the backpack hunting forum?

Oops! So I did. Guess all y'all already had that inkling <g> .

Interesting little fasciitis factoid.... For 13 days I was pretty much either wearing my relatively stiff supportive Asolo's with the Superfeet in them or I was horizontal in my sleeping bag. Got home, walked barefoot in the house a bit, a damned if it didn't start getting that hot, burning type pain. I hadn't felt that in, well, over 13 days! It had been more just sore.

Clearly my collection of shoes and boots will be getting reworked and replaced with an eye towards maximum support and/or will get Superfeet.

For those who've come out the other side of this.... is walking barefoot just DONE? For life?

No. You'll get over PF. The key to me is good shoes and insoles. I proved that to my self a couple years ago at the ocean. I jogged 3 miles one morning in my bare feet. Looks cool but offers zero support. It took me the rest of the week before I could walk normal. My feet just plain hurt in the entire arch from running in the soft sand. It was a good workout but wouldn't recommend it ever. Since then, I've routinely run 3-5 miles with proper running shoes without issue.

Same goes for walking barefoot. I do it alot but am cautious for how long/far. I also tend to wear good leather slippers if I'm going to be on my feet alot on the hardwood in the house of cement in the garage. Support is the name of the game but I do think it helps to go barefoot a bit. At least for me a combination of some barefoot and foot support seems to work. I did several 20+ mile day hikes this summer with an 18 lb pack in the Smokys. No foot issues at all.

My wife had a bout with PF last year. She kept it wrapped for a couple months and it healed completely. She spends most of her house time wearing soft soled slippers with no support.

I had this bad in both feet a couple of years ago. My dad also had it and bought some orthopedics and he said they worked fantastic. He told me to find a "Goodfeet" store and get some. I did and my PF went away within a couple of weeks. They are not cheap but worth every penny.

Jeff,

It took me a good two years to get rid of it. Exercise, proper shoes etc. all help, but it just takes time. That area of the foot has very little blood circulation and heals slowly.
I kept very active and I don't know if that helped or hindered me.

Lefty C

Thanks Lefty.

Got back from elk camp yesterday. Since I had my buddies there to help pack one out in the unlikely event that I killed one, I pushed the foot harder, probably averaged 4 miles a day with my day pack and rifle (which is way less than I'd normally be doing, but still). It got pretty damned sore a few times.

Now it's time to get this be-atch healed up! I'm going to re-read this whole thread for info. Can't thank you guys enough- great informative thread. The Campfire at its best. Thanks guys.

Did you see anything?

I had this problem fifteen years ago, did all the stretches, steroid shots, ice, wraps, orthotics etc. just kept getting worse. eventually developed spurs on my heels. shut me down for several years. The podiatrist did the surgury on both feet. they make about a 1 in incision on the inside on each heel, rasp the spurs, and release the ligaments. she didn't want too but I talked her into doing both feet at the same time. I had too use surgical boots, crutches, and painkillers for about a week. as far as i am concerned it was a miracle surgery. 100% cure. Now i make sure I wear quality shoes or boots, take out the insole and put my orthotics in. my orthotics are a rigid carbon fiber, that last fourever. No problems since. the lesson i learned is that somtimes its much better to address the problem sooner than later, rater than thinking you can push your way thru. life is too short

Yesterday for the first time I had stretches of time where I totally forgot about it and just WALKED with joy in my heart and spring in my step <g>. And it wasn't just because Hillary lost. So that's ~ 8 weeks from when it started. Stretched the living [bleep] out of it last night and aggressively rolled with a tennis ball (mmmm.... tennis ball... can't stop....) and it's a little sore today. But I think I've come out the other side of this thing.

Question: as I start walking/hiking again, wtf does one do if one finds oneself a mile or two from the truck, and it's starting to flare up? Cut a cane from a nearby tree? Because that's what got me: I felt it happening, but I was miles from home and pushed through it.

Anyway--- any preventative strategies in that scenario greatly appreciated!

Jeff----My plantar fasciitis is also much better. It seems that wearing my elk hunting boots with the orthotic did the trick. I've not had any pain since elk season. I'm still doing the stretches everyday hoping to keep it at bay. FYI---My buddy killed a cow elk just below me on the ridge---the herd ran up past me. I knew he had shot & let them go. I had several bulls in my scope with the safety off. But 1 elk was enough work & I didn't press the trigger. Bob

Mine got pretty sore again <grin>. Looks like she'll be a fickle mistress for a while....

I had to take the boot off and find a rock to work out the kinks, might try it!

I'm addicted to the tennis ball <g>. I have to restrain myself... if I do it every night it seems to cause some bruising in the general area. Once I start I can't help it, I really go for it and grind on it pretty good. Hurts, but feels so good too... you know the feeling! In the early going I could HEAR stuff happening in there, and there was an area that was hard as a rock. Much better now.

Yup. Got a dog like that.

I bought a roller a Wal-Mart specifically for stretching out the foot. I keep it in the freezer and roll my feet over it 20 or so times every morning. It was cheap, works slightly better than a water bottle IMHO and saved a lot of agony.

Had Pf for about 1 1/2 years, did the cortisone shots, stretching, insoles everything the foot doc recommended, it always came back.then had a training class in work from a sports trainer, he said to use ice but keep the ice on until it was numb. Did that for three days, once a day and my foot has been great ever since. I used ice before but I wasn't leaving it on long enough.