Self Diagnosis

As I stated in previous posts, I have been battling Plantar Fasciitis on my right heel. This was self diagnosed via the internet of course. Who needs a specialist when you can just "Google" your pain?

I have spent the last two months stretching my calves, rolling my foot on a golf ball and a frozen water bottle, wearing a boot type contraption to stretch my calf, and I even took a week off from running on two different occasions.

So the other day I am standing in the kitchen with my sore gimpy heel and I decide that I will massage the spot that hurts. I applied pressure around my heel and discovered that it was just one small spot on the inside/bottom part of me heal that was causing all of this pain. When I put my foot back down I put my weight on the outside of my heel and viola', the pain literally disappeared. I practiced walking around the house putting my weight towards the other side of my heel, and it worked! I tried the same method while running, it was not perfect, but it was definitely better.

In a nutshell, I have learned, as a Google Medical Non-professional, is that I over pronating on that side. WebMD has a great picture and explanation of excessive pronation here. Upon further investigation, something that I had failed to notice previously, according to Foot.com, one cause of plantar fasciitis is "over-pronation (flat feet) which results in the arch collapsing upon weight bearing."

This is a great example of over pronating.
Photo credit: Orthoticshop.com

My advice...

1. Be careful when working on your running form, small adjustments can create problems.
2. It's a good idea to self diagnose yourself on the internet before seeking professional help. It has the potential to save you a lot money, or possibly kill you if your seemingly minor problem is actually something more serious.

• Do you "Google" for answers when you are sick or injured?
• Has it fixed your issue?
• Did it make it worse?
• Did it kill you?