Sunday cyclist, or high-level athlete, injuries spare no sportsman. They make us sad and grumpy and deserve an explanatory sheet in QQOQCP for each one. The idea through this succession of small files is to better understand them, to adopt the right behaviors to avoid them and the conduct to follow to better recover.
I therefore suggest that we cover each time, in the form of “QQOQCP” (What, Who, Where, When, How, How Much, Why) and in as many files as there are the most recurring injuries in cycling and triathlon, all the possibilities of frustration linked to forced rest.
After the knee, the collarbone, saddle pain, back pain, iliac artery endofibrosis, Achilles tendonitis, compartment syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, head trauma, digestive disorders et periostitis, today I am offering you an explanatory sheet – still with the QQOQCP approach – this time for plantar fasciitis otherwise known as plantar fasciitis.
By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: Jean-François Tatard, Pxhere.com
WHAT?
Have you ever had pain under your heel? Because plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of pain at this level. This is an inflammatory tendonitis under the foot. It is more commonly called plantar fasciitis.
To explain it mechanically, it is similar to the work of a pulley. The plantar fascia is a thick connective tissue that supports the arch of the plantar side of the foot. The fascia plays a very important role here. It is the one that supports the gait cycle. It goes around the calcaneus and is exported to the toes.
When you ask a seasoned runner what it feels like to have this type of injury, they will tell you that the pain feels like they are standing on a rock.
WHO ?
Contrary to what we might believe, plantar fasciitis is not the prerogative of runners. Up to 7% of the population is said to suffer from this pathology. We often find runners but not only... During confinement many people had fun skipping rope! Jumping or indeed any activity involving a lot of jumping exposes us to this pathology.
OR ?
The location of the pain is under the heel or sometimes lower, at the level of the arch of the foot.
WHEN?
A burning sensation is often felt under the heel or arch of the foot, which is usually worse after a period of inactivity. This is especially noticeable in the morning after you have spent the night in bed. At first, the pain subsides after a few steps. And then it is there more and more often. Staying on your feet all day is also an avenue to explore if you want to identify the causes.
HOW?
How was it caused? There are several possible risk factors. The cause may be biomechanical. Some people have flat feet while others have high arches. And depending on your foot profile, this can change the load absorbed by the plantar fascia during weight bearing in your running cycle. Also, check the weight on the scale! Being overweight inevitably increases the load through the fascia. Overuse can also be a clue. A sudden increase in volume and intensity associated with poor lifestyle (insufficient rest, poor hydration, overly acidifying diet) will also threaten this anatomical part. A word of advice: don't hang around! It takes hold like a weed and is difficult to get rid of. So consult a specialist! They will make you do a more in-depth diagnosis that will allow for the most appropriate treatment possible. Quite logically, plantar fasciitis will be treated in a comprehensive manner, because its appearance is often not attributable to anything else definitive.
The pain takes hold like a weed and is difficult to get rid of.
But then how do you get out of it? First of all, it is important to unload the fascia. A visit to the podiatrist can be considered. He will design a custom-made insole for you. But before that, simpler, you may have to reduce your activity level for a while. We don't like it! I know! But it's to get back on track afterwards... There is another simple thing to do, which is what I call the PSD (subjective perception of pain). On a scale of 0 to 10, assess the level of pain! Beyond 5, put the handbrake on! And if it increases during or after exercise, then definitely take matters into your own hands and go see a doctor without delay!
Some solutions: MTP (a deep transverse massage by rolling a tennis ball under the foot) in combination with an application of ice for 10 minutes 3 times a day. And a “homemade” technique that will cost you 10 euro cents and which allows you to do both at the same time: freeze a bottle of water and roll it under the arch of your foot 3×5 min per day! It is not necessarily the best miracle cure but if the fasciitis is not too established yet, it works quite well. At a more advanced stage, something else that gives good results: an exercise that consists of a simple increase of the heel. To begin, this can be done with both feet on the ground. Use a rolled towel to extend the toe upwards and stretch by an additional load at the fascia level. You can progress the exercise by doing it with one leg, and finally by doing it over the edge of a step. Another detail for this to work you must do it slowly: 3 sets of 10 or 15 once every two days (3 up, 3 down).
And finally, if none of the physiotherapy techniques work : MTP, Cryo, suction cups, dry needling, eccentric exercises, shock waves, etc. – this was the subject of an article a few weeks ago – the PRP track can be considered. The results are often quite spectacular.
WHY ?
Actually we were talking about tendonitis or inflammation but that is not necessarily true. Most often, it is a degeneration of the fascia. It is usually an overuse injury. It can be related to generalized weakness. Or to a deconditioning of the ankle muscles in relation to the lower limbs. Moreover Many cyclists are concerned. What happens is that the cyclist's musculature is often more imposing than that of the runner, and by default the cyclist is weak in terms of elasticity and length of his tendons. When he is given the opportunity to run, in the off-season, during winter preparation or after his career, he does not necessarily realize his weaknesses. His range of motion is notoriously reduced, especially at the ankle.
In short, you must always listen to your body and the warning signals that go with it!
CONCLUSION
This series of 12 sports pathologies associated with an explanation in the form of QQOQCP aimed to support you in managing your injury. To show you that there are always solutions and that it is important that you remain hopeful. We also enrich ourselves from our investigations. 10 of these 12 pathologies are problems that I have personally experienced and systematically got rid of them. And systematically, I never found them again.
As Einstein said: “ Knowledge is acquired through experience. Everything else is just information.". This is definitely the hidden gift!
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I think I triggered plantar fasciitis after stretching my hamstrings the day after a big weekend of cycling! Sometimes you have to wait for your body to regenerate before stretching.
Being in the disability framework, this plantar fasciitis has been ruining my life for several years.
I would like to be able to get in touch with you.
cordially
Please feel free to contact me by email at jefftatard@gmail.com
Hello sir. What do you call the PRP track?
It can be considered.
The results are often quite spectacular.
cordially
Hello Rivat,
What is PRP? Or in French platelet-rich plasma? It is a blood plasma concentrate that contains a high concentration of platelets, obtained from autologous blood… You will find the details here 👉🏻 https://www.3bikes.fr/tag/prp/