Diving with Plantar Faciitis

[buddhasummer]

To the Mods if I'm in the wrong place please feel free to re locate. Cheers.

I spent 10 days diving in Thailand a month ago. The last few days there I started to develop pain in my heel I thought perhaps I had trodden on something.

Upon my return home, Japan, I went to the doctor she looked at my foot pushed rather hard on my heel and said its plantar faciitis. Over the next week things stayed much the same with me being unable to put any weight on my heel.

Over the next week things got worse with a constant throbbing and burning sensation. One night the pain was so intense I couldn't sleep and when I say intense I mean it, I've had a kidney stone and this hurt more. It was red, swollen and hot to touch.

Went to the doctors the next day they did a CT scan, took blood and advised I had a nasty foot infection. They cut it open drained and cleaned gave me some anti biotics and sent me on my way.

i went back a week later, last Thursday, they cut it open again drained and cleaned and gave me more anti biotics.

I asked again about plantar faciitis but although it apparently looked inflamed through the 5cm diameter hole in my foot she was unsure if in fact I had PF or just a foot infection or both.

Language is somewhat of a barrier.

My question is after my foot infection has cleard up and assuming I do have PF am I still able to dive or should this activity be avoided.

The hospital have offered no advice on what to do about PF other than to prescribe anti inflammatory medication. I have done some research and apprently stretching is recommended.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

 

[hellhole]

yes. stretching is recommanded... its very much a runners injury....
u can try a shin guard when u sleep. put the foot in a L shape.. to release pressure ...

 

[buddhasummer]

yes. stretching is recommanded... its very much a runners injury....
u can try a shin guard when u sleep. put the foot in a L shape.. to release pressure ...

Cheers. Ill stretch as much as is possible. I don't run seems to have appeared with no obvious mechanism. Do you know if I should still stretch if it hurts or back off at the point of pain?

 

[spectrum]

I had PF and it didn't bother me whatsoever when diving. PF at least for me meant painfully stiff feet when I got out of bed in the AM and when my foot was in a fixed position such as a burning right heel (gas pedal) while driving.

Have you seen a podiatrist? Step 1 is usually to get into some really good, correctly sized shoes and to relaize that shoes in daily use breakdown in 3-6 months. Depending on your foot structure orthotitic inserts may also be in order. It will take weeks, maybe months to get back to normal but it really works.

That sore on the heel in my eyes is a whole other story. However it may have contributed to tendon irritation or in favoring it you may have created the tendon injury.

Not a DR. , just somone that used to have sore feet.

Pete

 

[uncfnp]

Buddhasummer, I don't like to second guess someone when I wasn't there and haven't had a chance to actually exam the foot but I might question whether the original diagnosis was accurate. I am suspicious that the pain may have been the beginning of a deep abscess and not PF. it just seems too coincidental and it doesn't sound like you have any of the risk factors associated with the development of PF. I don't think the mechanism of finning should create PF although dive medicine is obviously not my field. A lot of walking or standing in thin-soled dive boots and no arch support could be a precipitating factor though.

I know you have researched PF since the diagnosis. Did the initial symptoms match, especially the morning stiffness and pain, improvement with activity, and return with rest pattern that Pete described? I find that pattern of pain as well as the location and the history of an activity associated very helpful in distinguishing PF from other causes of heel pain. An X-ray that shows a heel spur may also help with diagnosis but I have found it less helpful than a good history.

With an abscess, the pain would be more constant and increase with activity. Typically an infection would cause redness, significant swelling and warmth at the site but if the infection is deep, these may not show up on the initial exam.

Hope this helps. And Pete gave some good advise on PF along with stretching, cool compress (like rolling a chilled can with the sole of the foot). Here is another good resource
Plantar fasciitis - MayoClinic.com

Hope you have a speedy recovery,

Lisa

 

[buddhasummer]

I had PF and it didn't bother me whatsoever when diving. PF at least for me meant painfully stiff feet when I got out of bed in the AM and when my foot was in a fixed position such as a burning right heel (gas pedal) while driving.

Have you seen a podiatrist? Step 1 is usually to get into some really good, correctly sized shoes and to relaize that shoes in daily use breakdown in 3-6 months. Depending on your foot structure orthotitic inserts may also be in order. It will take weeks, maybe months to get back to normal but it really works.

That sore on the heel in my eyes is a whole other story. However it may have contributed to tendon irritation or in favoring it you may have created the tendon injury.

Not a DR. , just somone that used to have sore feet.

Pete

Unfortunately Podiatry is not a recognised specialty in Japan so was seen by an orthopaedic doctor. I'm happy to hear that diving should still be possible as the season us about to begin over here. I'll look into some shoe inserts. Thank you for taking the time to reply, much appreciated.

 

[theduckguru]

If you have fallen arches, getting orthodics for your shoes will stop PF.

 

[buddhasummer]

Buddhasummer, I don't like to second guess someone when I wasn't there and haven't had a chance to actually exam the foot but I might question whether the original diagnosis was accurate. I am suspicious that the pain may have been the beginning of a deep abscess and not PF. it just seems too coincidental and it doesn't sound like you have any of the risk factors associated with the development of PF. I don't think the mechanism of finning should create PF although dive medicine is obviously not my field. A lot of walking or standing in thin-soled dive boots and no arch support could be a precipitating factor though.

I know you have researched PF since the diagnosis. Did the initial symptoms match, especially the morning stiffness and pain, improvement with activity, and return with rest pattern that Pete described? I find that pattern of pain as well as the location and the history of an activity associated very helpful in distinguishing PF from other causes of heel pain. An X-ray that shows a heel spur may also help with diagnosis but I have found it less helpful than a good history.

With an abscess, the pain would be more constant and increase with activity. Typically an infection would cause redness, significant swelling and warmth at the site but if the infection is deep, these may not show up on the initial exam.

Hope this helps. And Pete gave some good advise on PF along with stretching, cool compress (like rolling a chilled can with the sole of the foot). Here is another good resource
Plantar fasciitis - MayoClinic.com

Hope you have a speedy recovery,

Lisa

hi Lisa,

no, I had none of the classic symptoms if PF i.e no morning pain etc just pain if I put weight on my heel which I thought was due to possibly standing on something. I had no problems flexing my toes or walking up stairs etc just pain if I put weight on my heel. Language is a barrier for me and in Japan they don't seem to offer any information, you have to know what questions to ask, it's like getting blood out of a stone. They took an xray and no foreign object or heel spur was visible. I'll continue to treat the infection and guess once that's cleared up it might be clearer as to whether the diagnosis of possible PF is correct. Im inclined to agree with you though it seems a little coincidental to have both and I suspect, read hope, that the infection is in fact the cause of the pain. It is quite possible that the initial possible misdiagnosis simply gave the infection time to take hold as by the time it became obvious it was rather advanced.

Thank you for your take on it and kind wishes.

---------- Post added May 5th, 2013 at 08:49 AM ----------

If you have fallen arches, getting orthodics for your shoes will stop PF.

i will look into the also, thank you.

 

[PfcAJ]

I don't think PF usually results in an infection like that.

Be careful, this looks like it could turn into something really nasty, especially since you don't seem to be getting the straight dope from the doctors.

 

[buddhasummer]

I don't think PF usually results in an infection like that.

Be careful, this looks like it could turn into something really nasty, especially since you don't seem to be getting the straight dope from the doctors.

Yeah that's my concern also, I'm keeping a pretty close eye on it. I have to go back this next Thursday by which stage Ive had it cut open and drained twice, washed and re dressed every night, been on anti biotics for 20 days so if nothing has changed I think I will go to another hospital for a second opinion. Thank you.

Must say I'm very grateful for all the replies, I don't know many people here and with the language barrier being sick is especially difficult and a little stressful. It's somewhat comforting to reach out to fellow SBers and get advice, well wishes etc. cheers.