I could make researching how to help my foot a cottage industry as it takes up so much of my time. I can tell, even after 4 weeks of no hiking or exercise walking and taking up water aerobics in the last 2 weeks, that my foot will go back to hurting exactly like it did before. If I walk normally, like putting out the trash and recycling last night, the foot hurts. All I can do is keep researching how to help myself. I feel fairly sure that I have posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) which is something that will hang on forever and ever and just get progressively worse unless I can figure out how to help myself.
I called Dr. Sauer's office and will see him next week to discuss how he would treat someone with PTTD. He said that whether it's that or plantar fasciitis, the treatment would be the same - orthotics but I think a critical component is missing - at least according to a few papers I have read on PTTD - some kind of rehabilitative exercise to strengthen the feet .
I am devising some foot exercises with the water aerobics "noodle" at the pool that involve plantarflexion, inversion and eversion but I have to figure out how to do dorsiflexion. Perhaps, though, when I hang my heels off the edge of the pool ledge, it's dorsiflexion.
After today's swim, I went to the therapy pool and stretched my feet and massaged them with the water jets in the side of the pool. Tomorrow I will go to the 11am Therapy Fun and Fitness class to see if they have any ideas on how to help my foot and afterwards I'll go to the noon hydro power class. Spouse is deserting me for the WRSC hike which is in Santa Fe.
I called Foot Solutions to ask about their orthotics. They cost $395 but it may be worth it to go in so they can evaluate my feet.