Recovery time from plantar fascia tear?

RobFL

Rookie
I know most tennis players have had plantar fasciitis at one time or another, but I have a tear, I wish it was just the pain, that I can get rid of. So I'm interested in hearing from players who have had the tear. How long did you have to shut it down to heal completely? I keep re-tearing mine and go back to square one. I've done two 10 day layoffs, then tried to test it at about 60% speed, and it pops again. Can't plant or push off without re-injuring it. My local podiatrist is decent but he didn't have a good recommendation on how long it would require to fully heal. I have an Andrews Institute (Jim Andrews) about an hour and a half away, that's where I go for the serious injuries, will try to get in there next week. How long did it take you to recover from this tear?
 

Mr.Lob

G.O.A.T.
I know most tennis players have had plantar fasciitis at one time or another, but I have a tear, I wish it was just the pain, that I can get rid of. So I'm interested in hearing from players who have had the tear. How long did you have to shut it down to heal completely? I keep re-tearing mine and go back to square one. I've done two 10 day layoffs, then tried to test it at about 60% speed, and it pops again. Can't plant or push off without re-injuring it. My local podiatrist is decent but he didn't have a good recommendation on how long it would require to fully heal. I have an Andrews Institute (Jim Andrews) about an hour and a half away, that's where I go for the serious injuries, will try to get in there next week. How long did it take you to recover from this tear?

Ten days doesn't seem long enough. I'm thinking more like 3 months of rest. What did your Dr. recommend? I've had p.f for quite some time. Not real bad. Just stiff and a bit sore in mornings, or after heavy exercise. Only recently, last4 months, thru a daily set of stretches, have I almost got it beaten. No pills, no inserts, no weird contraptions, just stretching and massaging the calf, heel and inner sole. Just sitting on the couch watching t.v and I'll pull my toes back as far as possible, and hold. Flex, rotate each Part of the foot. Did this while still playing tennis. You can find a good list of stretches and exercises on the internet.
 

sm01

Rookie
Similar problem. Just went through it twice. My advice is not to try to come back too fast and don't overstretch it. USTA's Asset section on their website is a good resource for stretches and therapy. TW also has an article from a doc that pretty much lays it out.

I took a couple of months off and followed the USTA therapies. Then when I returned to play I started wearing Superfeet green and taped my foot up--strips along the bottom and sides of foot with wraps around the forefoot and heel for the next 5 months and pretty much took it easy, gradually adding movements--I did not run to cover lobs behind my dub partner in the alley during this time--that was way too much running and pivoting.

I hate to tell you, but it was a full year before I was 100 percent again. I still use the Superfeet, but I also got some of that sticky foam sheet art material and stuck several layers under the heels of the Superfeet to give some heel height and cushioning.

I also recommend avoiding any shoe that mentions "light" in the name.

And Good Luck!
 

Chas Tennis

G.O.A.T.
Diagnosis? There are many foot injuries? How do you know that you have plantar fasciitis?

There are several threads on PF in the last 2 years of this forum with lots of discussion and links. Heelspur is a good website to start and has lots of information. See pain location on Heelspur. They do promote some products.

Tissue Injured?
It has never been clear to me which type of tissue is most injured, tendon, muscle, ligament, fascia, other. ? Tendons newly injured take at least months to heal and longer to remodel. Just when you can use tendons after an injury is not clear from what I can find. My personal decision is it's a good idea to take at least 3 months off. From what I've found a few weeks is not enough time, where does that come from?

I had plantar fasciitis in both feet. I played on it and it got slowly worse over almost a year. I finally took off for 3 months. When I started playing again there was still a very light pain so maybe 3 months time off was not enough for that particular injury of mine. It improved and has not bothered me again. I have a friend who had it also for a long time and took off for a year. He was OK on returning.

Tight Calf Muscles.? The injury might be associated with short/tight calf muscles. Tight calves can be related to life style issues such as sitting with the feet pointed - calves shortened - for too many hours of the week. I would not exercise or stretch an injury without being reasonably certain that it was not doing added harm, getting a Dr's approval, etc..

Night Splints, to hold the ankle at a right angle, can reduce the sharp morning pains. Just saw a night splint at ...mart that look well-designed and was low cost. However, a similar splint that fitted on the top of my foot with a strap under my toe joints causes me some new pain at the toe joints not related to my PF.

NCBI PMC - free full research publications on medical and biomechanical subjects
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?term=plantar+fasciitis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?term=plantar+fasciitis&report=imagesdocsum
 
Last edited:

corbind

Professional
Sad to say but at least 3 months. I got it a few years ago and had no idea it was anything serious so I just played with PF and the pain for months. It got to the point my eyes would tear walking up/down a flight of stairs. Standing in my garage was brutal.

It was 9 months before I learned to tape my feet which was necessary just to leave the house.

So what helped me?

Stretching 3-5 times a day
Custom arch insert
Using stretchy laces in my shoes
 
Last edited:

RogueFLIP

Professional
I know most tennis players have had plantar fasciitis at one time or another, but I have a tear, I wish it was just the pain, that I can get rid of. So I'm interested in hearing from players who have had the tear. How long did you have to shut it down to heal completely? I keep re-tearing mine and go back to square one. I've done two 10 day layoffs, then tried to test it at about 60% speed, and it pops again. Can't plant or push off without re-injuring it. My local podiatrist is decent but he didn't have a good recommendation on how long it would require to fully heal. I have an Andrews Institute (Jim Andrews) about an hour and a half away, that's where I go for the serious injuries, will try to get in there next week. How long did it take you to recover from this tear?

How do you know you have a tear? Did you have some sort of imaging (MRI, US) to confirm the tear?

When you reinjured it, was it just pain or did you have inflammation in the foot also?
 

corners

Legend
I know most tennis players have had plantar fasciitis at one time or another, but I have a tear, I wish it was just the pain, that I can get rid of. So I'm interested in hearing from players who have had the tear. How long did you have to shut it down to heal completely? I keep re-tearing mine and go back to square one. I've done two 10 day layoffs, then tried to test it at about 60% speed, and it pops again. Can't plant or push off without re-injuring it. My local podiatrist is decent but he didn't have a good recommendation on how long it would require to fully heal. I have an Andrews Institute (Jim Andrews) about an hour and a half away, that's where I go for the serious injuries, will try to get in there next week. How long did it take you to recover from this tear?

You have a very serious injury and are acting like fool. You need to shut it down for six weeks, get into the Institute and listen to your doctor. If your podiatrist doesn't know a simple thing like how long it takes for a ruptured plantar fascia to heal he's not decent, he blows. The plantar fascia is an extremely important part of the network of tissues that holds up the arch of your foot. Running around with the fascia torn is putting a great deal of undue stress on all the other structures in the arch of your foot. This can rather quickly lead to catastrophic collapse of your arch. If that happens you are done as an athlete.
 

sammi

New User
Most PF cases can last upwards of 4-6 months with just normal treatments, i.e stretching and taping. I will always stand by the PF treatment by King Brand. I used them for my PF and have seen results 5 weeks in, I honestly am dumbfounded at how well they work. I was having a lot of difficulty running up court and back, really found a lot of intense pain while stopping and starting. I use bfst now prior to games and its unreal, I highly recommend it. It has single handily increased my recovery time. I am already back playing and only find pain after long singles matches. Check it out http://www.kingbrand.com/Plantar_Fasciitis_Treatment.php?REF=39PV1
 

corbind

Professional
What do you mean - a particular brand of shoe strings or just feeling a little stretchy?

I used to buy nomal laces. You know ones you had as a kid. Ones that don't stretch. I actually put TWO sets of laces on my shoes. One short 24" lace covers 3 eyelets and another 30" lace covers the upper 4 eyelets. That way I can tighten them easier. Well for months and months I tied both laces really tight. Was great for response but constant serve and volley movement meant all that stress from the shoe translated directly to my feet via tight laces.

A year or more back I got some running shoes that had laces that stretched slightly when you pull them. Not like a rubber band but a little give. Well that little give became like a stran buffer between court surface stopping my shoe and my foot moving slightly with flexy laces. So I've played with them since. I will never use laces that don't stretch a little. I'll look them up when I get home.
 

RobFL

Rookie
Thanks sm01 and corbind, you confirmed what I thinking but didn't want to hear, 2-3 months at least. Corners, a little strong, but appreciate the response. Yeah my podiatrist is average at best, i'll get with a doc at Andrews as soon as I can get an appointment over the holidays. Have been shut down for about 2.5 weeks now.

sammi, that KingBrand site is very interesting. It is counter-intuitive in saying that over stretching is actually the cause of most PF injuries, I think that might be true in my case. I've been on custom orthotics for about 3 years and they have solved most previous foot injuries. But that constant rigid, high arch may actually over stretch the PF. I invested in a good ultrasound machine a few years ago, I understand the science and blood flow is key.

Thanks again gents.
 

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
I had mine in the 1990s when the main tools were surgery and shots. I went to a podiatrist and he gave me a cookie which helped and we made an appointment to get fitted for orthotics. The appointment was for several weeks away and then it would be a wait for them to get maid. The price was $200 per side and my insurance didn't cover them.

So I decided to make my own while waiting. They worked fairly well so I made a few more pairs. The materials cost me about $12/pair. This allowed me to function (run, tennis) but the PF was still there - just not as intense.

Then I read about someone getting a night splint on the rec.running newsgroup. His doctor made a cast for him and then cut out the front and he wore it to bed. I assume that he used something to secure his foot to the open cast.

I bought some parts from Home Depot and a local Plexiglas supply company and made one of my own and it got rid of 95% of the problem overnight. It quickly became a non-problem. Some years later it returned and I went to my doctor who prescribed a night-splint which insurance mostly covered and I used that for ten years when it came back, typically maybe once a year. The usual reasons were worn shoes and/or lack of calf-stretching.

Night splints work very well for some people and not well for others but it worked very well for me.
 

RobFL

Rookie
Yeah I have a night splint too. I think it's going to help over time but I need to recover from this tear first.
 

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
The recovery from the tear can be quite quick. The problem is that you re-tear it every morning when you get up.
 

RobFL

Rookie
I've been using the night splint for about 10 days now. And go right into good running shoes with heel cups, etc, as soon as I get out of bed, no bare feet ever. Unfortunately I think I just have to give it 2 months off while I continue all these therapies. It's only a quick explosion that re-pops the PF, unfortunately that's the whole game. Pretty sure I'm doing no damage just walking.
 

TomT

Hall of Fame
I know most tennis players have had plantar fasciitis at one time or another, but I have a tear, I wish it was just the pain, that I can get rid of. So I'm interested in hearing from players who have had the tear. How long did you have to shut it down to heal completely? I keep re-tearing mine and go back to square one. I've done two 10 day layoffs, then tried to test it at about 60% speed, and it pops again. Can't plant or push off without re-injuring it. My local podiatrist is decent but he didn't have a good recommendation on how long it would require to fully heal. I have an Andrews Institute (Jim Andrews) about an hour and a half away, that's where I go for the serious injuries, will try to get in there next week. How long did it take you to recover from this tear?
My best friend had this. Took him a year to fully heal.
 

RobFL

Rookie
Calling sammi: sammi, does the Kingbrand BFST product have heat plus electrical stimulation or just heat? I can't tell for sure from their website. Thanks for the lead, interesting website.
 

sammi

New User
Calling sammi: sammi, does the Kingbrand BFST product have heat plus electrical stimulation or just heat? I can't tell for sure from their website. Thanks for the lead, interesting website.

Hey RobFL, sorry I was on xmas vacation. BFSt has stimulation and heat, but apparently, according to their cs team, the heat should be minimal because heat only promotes blood flow to the surface of the skin, not deep within to the tissues like the stimulation does.
 

RobFL

Rookie
sammi, i bought the King Brand product, it is a quality product. I've been using it for about a week along with other therapies, i believe it is contributing to the overall healing by promoting blood flow as advertised. Thanks for the recommendation. I did have an appointment with a Doc at Andrews. It is a rupture of the PF. He says that is usually a 6-8 week healing process. I'm shut down for 3.5 weeks now and i think that is going to be about right. I don't plan on pushing it until about 3 months.
 

sm01

Rookie
RobFL--please keep us posted on the King product.

Re "pushing it"--my recommendation is that you don't do that for several months. And start back to activity and play gradually with your foot properly taped only--that will be imperative to avoiding reinjury. Get instructions from your doc or pt on how to tape. It is much more complicated than for ankle injuries.
 
Top