Got Electricity?

This is simply dumb and ridiculous! I’m shocking my foot right now. Why would anyone want to electrocute their foot? The doc says it could help alleviate the pain from my plantar fasciitis. Electro-stimulation therapy is supposed to bring blood flow into the injured area to help ease the inflammation and advance healing. Wouldn’t a cold bag of frozen peas do the same thing? That’s one thing peas are useful for- icing injuries.

I’ve been at this for four months now. Like I said in an earlier post, runners with PF will try anything to get rid of it. (Read my post: What I Learned From Having PF). So far I’ve tried the night splint, taping, PF strap, icing, stretching, rolling foot over racquet ball, cushioned shoes, orthopedic shoes, heel risers, arnica gel, arnica oral, and turmeric. (I’m allergic to motrin, naprosyn, aspirin, etc - so must resort to natural anti-inflammatory meds.) In addition, I haven’t run since my Big Bend 25K in January. (Very sad)

The TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) Unit is my latest attempt to heal my injury. Having read much about this dreaded condition, plantar fasciitis, I’m convinced that my body is going to heal it when it’s good and ready. However, I need to feel like I’m doing everything in my control to help it along even if it seems fruitless. Therefore, I will follow the doctor’s orders (for now).

If you haven’t tried KT tape (kinestheology tape), you might want to give it a try. It is like an ace bandage and sports injury tape combined. Stretchy tape that adheres well. I have been taping the bottom of my foot and wearing a PF strap. The strap stretches across my arch and holds the plantar fascia in place so it’s not pulling on the area where it attaches to bone (ouch).

I’m getting to the point where I’m about to take all these gadgets, orthotics, splints, straps, shoes; and throw them in the trash. After all, there are the barefoot runners who swear that running unshod is the answer to preventing injuries. Every single one of these shoeless joggers put the prefix “Barefoot” in front of their names as if they were some kind of royalty or something. Instead of Sir Charles or Prince William, it is Barefoot Ted, Barefoot Ken Bob, or Barefoot Rick (barefoot running for Jesus).


Barefoot Taz

If my condition doesn’t clear up soon, I may go against the doc’s orders and jump on this barefoot bandwagon that was made so popular by Chris McDougall’s book, Born to Run. Of course, I would then have to change my blog to Barefoot Greg’s Running Adventures.

See you on the trail.