Plantar Fasciitis ouch

[wasabi]

Hi all,

I've just started doing kendo about two weeks ago, and I'm having this Plantar Fasciitis problem. The weard thing is, that I get the pain mostly in the retreating motion of ashi-subaki but rarely in the forward moving motion.

Now, I was wondering if I'm doing the backward moving motion wrong because of the frequent pain there:
When pushing off with the right foot my left foot moves backwards 'without' my heel touching the ground, as soon as I move the weight back to the center(the left heel not touching the floor at that moment) I get this pain in the middle of my left foot.
Is there a time in the retreat motion where the foot should be flat on the ground or should the heel be lifted of the ground at all times during the retreat motion like in the forward motion?






Sorry for the 'retreat' thing, I couldn't find another synonym for moving backwards. ;)

[Ralutin]

Hi all,

I've just started doing kendo about two weeks ago, and I'm having this Plantar Fasciitis problem. The weard thing is, that I get the pain mostly in the retreating motion of ashi-subaki but rarely in the forward moving motion.

Now, I was wondering if I'm doing the backward moving motion wrong because of the frequent pain there:
When pushing off with the right foot my left foot moves backwards 'without' my heel touching the ground, as soon as I move the weight back to the center(the left heel not touching the floor at that moment) I get this pain in the middle of my left foot.
Is there a time in the retreat motion where the foot should be flat on the ground or should the heel be lifted of the ground at all times during the retreat motion like in the forward motion?

Sorry for the 'retreat' thing, I couldn't find another synonym for moving backwards. ;)

Hi Wasabi,

It sounds like you're performing ashi-sabaki correctly. When doing so, your left heel should definitely be off the ground, but not like you're wearing a pair of high heels. That'll put a tremendous amount of stress on your plantar tendon(s). Miyahara sensei here in Southern California says that you should be able to slide a piece of paper underneath your heels - that's how far up your heels should be. Of course, since your left foot is further back in your stance than your right, then the left heel should be slightly higher up than the right heel, especially when moving backwards in ashi-sabaki.

Plantar fasciitis was very debilitating for me a few years ago as I had to take off kendo for a month and completely stop my weekly 5K jog. During my recent bout with it, though, a fellow iaido student of mine recommended wearing an ankle brace over the affected foot at night while sleeping. His podiatrist said that the ankle brace alleviates the stress on your arch caused by the natural pronation of your foot while you sleep. It actually did help me, so long as I wore the ankle brace consistently.

[Raiza]

Hm, keeping the heel up is the way to go, but how high is your heel when moving backwards? It shouldn't any more than an 1"/2.54 cm off the ground.

Also, you may want to get that "Plantar fasciitis" self-diagnosis confirmed, unless you've had it confirmed before and know what to look for. In the meantime, I'd suggest you stretch out the plantar fascia for prevention's sake and check with your sensei regarding your footwork. One way you can do this is by doing the typical Achilles tendon lunge stretch with your heel up. Go nice and easy.

Ralutin, you just beat me to it! :D

[wasabi]

Oh, my left heel is really too high.
When I correct my rear heel hight the pain isn't that much anymore. Come to think of it, when doing jogeburi in class I tend to lift the rear heel too high to try and keep balance when moving forwards and backwards.

I'll definetly see a doctor about the pain.




Thanks for the help,

Mischa

[Halcyon]

i also had problems with the plantar fascia tendon on my left foot for a while. it didn't really hurt that much during practice, but hurt like hell the following morning, when i took that first step in the morning.

for me, i found relief through (gasp!) yoga. keeping my calf muscles and hamstrings limber has done wonders for me. also, as i get older, i'm finding i need to pay more attention to warming up properly if i want to avoid nagging pains. and try to avoid cold-stretching your muscles.

however, your mileage may vary. check with a doc if it keeps on bothering you.

[stuartwilson]

I went through this myself, though mine started with a long downhill hike over very rocky terrain wearing inadequate boots.

Ice helps. I also got some inexpensive canvas tabi (Amber Sporting Goods, on the web) and put some arch supports in them. Also bought some more expensive arch supports which I use most of the day, though I was able to go back to barefoot kendo in about 6 weeks. Arch supports available at The Sports Medicine Store, on the web. Take care of this, you don't want it to get any worse.