Can chronic plantar fasciitis be TMS

Walt, thanks for researching Dr. Scholl! Looks like the medical/industrialization of sore feet started in 1906, co-incident with the assembly line, standing on one's feet all day slapping parts together. Prior to my TMS enlightenment I spent $1000 on custom orthotics from the top running doctor in Marin. They hurt like hell and been collecting dust for years. On the advice of my tennis coach I now use some Spenco insoles with arches that cost a fraction and do as much as the custom orthotics (if anything) but it keeps my coach happy.

Cheers,
tt
 
Hi, Tennis Tom.

One of my college vacation jobs was serving the parts to the women on the assembly line at
a factory that made electric frying pans. The women were on their feet for 8 hours and one of them
said that she spent her vacation in bed in a hospital just so she would be able to take another year on the line.

Not a very good way to live, and back then, in the 1970s, I don't think she knew much about shoes and orthotics.

One of my best friends was classified 4F because he had flat feet. It kept him out of the Korean and Vietnam Wars
although he otherwise was one of the healthiest guys I ever knew. I served my two years in the army and did my
share of marching, but have never understood why flat feet kept a guy home, safe, and working.
 
Hi All,

Since there isn't too much stuff on this forum on plantar fasciitis, I thought I'd add my story.

I had a long bout of TMS before, lasting about 1-1/2 years in 2009, which manifested itself as achilles tendinitis. That disappeared pretty much immediately after reading Sarno's books. I had been a real skeptic, as I'm not into non-traditional medicine. In fact when my doctor recommended the book I was mildly offended and didn't look at it for several months. Only out of desperation did I give it a shot.

So I was already sold on the mind-body connection idea when I came down with a really bad case of plantar fasciitis after running the NYC Marathon in 2014, but I didn't think it was actually psychosomatic this time. Maybe at the onset it wasn't - who knows? The same doctor did not make the TMS diagnosis this time (and I didn't ask) so I just went to PT, rested, stopped running, iced, stretched, took Advil... etc.

All along, I thought it could be TMS, but I figured if it really was, it should start going away once I made that connection. And it didn't.

It's now almost two years later. This PF has really f---ed up my running, obviously, and really hurt my life. I can't play with my kids as I would like to. I can't stand and just talk to someone comfortably. It sucks!

Well a couple of weeks ago I thought I'd start reading The Mind-Body Prescription again. After 2 days the pain completely disappeared.

I am flabbergasted.

I am actually kind of really disappointed with myself. But I'm also SO HAPPY to get rid of that pain.

Actually, a funny thing: I now have pain in my butt. I can't sit comfortably. This is exactly the kind of thing Sarno describes happening in his patients. I think he calls it the "symptom imperative" or something.

Anyhow that's my story.

Background: I'm a 45 year old dude. I have a stressful job and two small kids and a wife who is herself a constant bundle of stress. I basically have no time to myself and am working to support others emotionally and financially from the moment I wake up at 6:00 until 10:00 at night when I try to go to bed. So yeah, perfect candidate for this s---.

I hope that in writing this I can help anyone else stuck with an "injury" that won't go away. Remember: injuries should heal. If they don't - look for reasons why. Good luck and thanks to all the people who post their stories here.
 
Thanks for resurrecting this thread RE. I reread my earlier post in it and it reminded me of my left foot that would be sore for the first few minutes of getting on the court, I'd forgotten all about it. It's gone now, I didn't get too worked up about it at the time, thought it was maybe another TMS symptom and in a few minutes it would disappear. If I'd gotten worried about it, I'd be off to the podiatrists and they'ed be prescribing $500 orthotics. I played through it and now it's another possible TMS symptom checked off the list.
 
My sis has recently gotten PF and even better, is a Doctor who has just begun her GP training...which is like a family physician in the UK. I know for sure its likelya TMS variant but trying to get this message across coming from me might be difficult. useful thread
 
Absolutely TMS. What's really interesting is that if you look on non-TMS-related PF forums, like this one - http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/plantar-fasciitis-any-success-tipsstories (Plantar Fasciitis - Any success tips/stories? « Singletrack Forum) - they all point to PF being TMS! All the subject lines are in the realm of "Chronic PF" or "Help - I've tried everything" or "PF for 4 years", etc... and then you will see people who post about their PF magically going away or only going away after they returned to running or physical activity. These people don't know the TMS terminology of course, but they describe the TMS process to a tee :) TMS is the real deal and PF is absolutely TMS.
 
Forest said:
I was trolling the old wetpaint wiki today and found the following great post. The first two posts really stood out to me, so I thought I would repost them here. It can always be hard to understand the role that being active can have on our symptoms. My general understand is that most structural issues should heal (because that is what the body does) in no more then 3 months. After that TMS is most likely the cause. Anyways here are a couple of the posts from the thread.





I really liked what peg said here because it is a great reminder that structural issues should not last for 3 years. I also love what she said about how fearing our symptoms perpetuates them. For the rest of the thread check out http://tmswiki.wetpaint.com/thread/3909826/Can+chronic+plantar+fasciitis+be+TMS??offset=0&maxResults=20
Click to expand...
This post makes logical sense in that structural issues should NOT last three years but, what about structural issues that occur gradually over time, an inevitable consequence of aging and wear and tear? Dr. Sarno says these changes are "natural" and rarely cause symptoms. I'm still having so much trouble figuring out the true origin of my pain syndrome... Is it one or more than one source? Is it my overwrought nervous system issue due to chronic anxiety, brought on by chronic pain? Is it aging? Neural pathways from my stressful past and present? I've probably spent more time contemplating this crisis I'm in over the past 3 years more than I've ever given thought to anything else that's ever happened to me in 50 years of life.. You'd think I'd have found my way out by now.. Even with the assistance of professional counsel, I have not been successful. Maybe I'm just not sane anymore. Pain is a THIEF! It eats away at joy, humor, motion and healthy, quality of life. The one thing I hate most in the world is people who have said to me.. "oh well, so you have pain, you'll get USED to it."... HOW can any human being EVER be expected to "get used" to chronic pain.. For 30, 40 years?? Dr. Hanscom mentions the basic human needs of people and states "NOT being in pain" as a basic human NEED. It simply isn't NATURAL to hurt 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. Dr. Sarno said TMS is benign, but what about the anxiety of being on pain every minute? Month after month, then years? If the continual stress response causes cortisol and adrenaline nonstop release, it means chronic inflammation... Leading to arthritis, diabetes, organ damage... This fear (if one suffers from hypochondria) is enough to keep someone stuck in the "ring of fire", as Dr. Hanscom calls it.
My apologies for the long ramble, I do want to mention, I had long standing Plantar Fasciitis also(one of my multiple afflictions over the past 3 years.) MRI showed edema along calcaneal attachment consistent with my Podiatrist's diagnosis... What should have, according to western medicine taken 6 months to resolve with treatment, took me 18 months!! (and I still have episodes with it if I walk "excessive" distance...)
 
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Hi Lunarlass.

First, I'm sorry to hear that your pain is so sucky and draining so much joy from your life. Pain is real and it really does suck.

I'd like to say a few things in response to your post. This is actually my first ever post on this forum, even though I've lurked on and off for years. I'm a long-term TMSer who has successfully resolved a number of really debilitating issues (wrist RSI, regular migraines, lower back pain, SPD/pubic symphesis disorder/achilles tendonitis, anxiety disorder, calf strains and at least one bout of PF!). I was lurking on this thread again because I have another PF bout and I need to remind myself of the realities of TMS every now and then :)

I can see that your pain is accomplishing what it needs to in you – keeping you bound up, wound up in the hunt for a cure. You feel as though you must discover the 'root cause' of your pain in order for it to resolve. I can tell you: you don't. It can help, but it's not necessary, and the hunt for it (and the pressure, desperation and anxiety that surround 'getting to the core of it') just adds to the whole issue.

The main things to I have found vital to remember are these points:
1. Your pain is real, but it is harmless. That is, it is not doing further damage to your body, despite feelings to the contrary. It really isn't. This thought may take a while to move from conscious acceptance to subconscious. I've found a combination of working on thoughts AND challenging the body via gradated return to normal activities the best way to convince my brain of this each time a TMS issue rolls around!
2. Fear of the pain is one of the biggest contributors to its perpetuation. Most of the fear revolves around worry that it's NOT benign, and/or that it's going to stop you doing something you love (ie catastrophising about the future). But really, if you do trust that the pain is benign, and you don't let it stop you from doing the things you love, then it stops having power. This has sometimes taken a while for me, but it always resolved bouts of pain eventually.
3. Anxiety is actually another form of TMS. It took me a long time to accept this. But basically, my brain REALLY wants to distract me from some deep-seated fears and threats (which I've never clearly identified – doesn't matter). Keeping the mind buzzing obsessively is a great way to do it – almost as good as keeping it focused on pain! It can be hard to unseat constant hypervigilance but it's possible. I needed to see a psychologist for a few years. Not a TMS one, but it was brilliant. I can now detach from my worries a bit a realise they are not always indicative of reality – just like pain is not usually an indicator of tissue damage.

BTW, I also had edema on my PF scans (and visible swelling). It still resolved with no rhyme or reason. Time off from running didn't see the pain resolve, so I just went back to running despite the pain and it went away at some point (can't even put my finger on when!). It appears that swelling, edema, redness and those kinds of things can all be part of the TMS package. I'll be taking the same approach with my new bout – I treat it as an acute injury for about 6 weeks, but if it's not resolved by then I accept that my brain has co-opted it for its own 'protective' purposes and I move into TMS extermination mode :)

I wish you well on your journey to freedom from pain.
 
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Hi all. This thread is a bit old, but I'm just wanting some input on this topic if anyone can help.

The last post mentions redness and swelling, so that may be enough to answer my question, but I'm just wondering if TMS can even cause bruising on the feet? The circumstance is someone who has had a lot of issues with PF symptoms, and they got the bruise after walking more than they normally would (but still not an excessive amount for a regular, otherwise healthy individual).
 
Yes. I got this symptom last fall. It was absolutely TMS. It hurt to put pressure on the ball of either foot, and both feet were swollen and reddish… That’s why it tricked me for a minute. I had begun to run while I walked my dog at the park, and really bad tennis shoes.

However, after discussing it with a forum member here, I realized it was TMS and treated it as such. It went away almost immediately. Keep in mind the longer a symptom has gone on. It might take more dedication and work to banish it… Conditioning is a real thing. Mine went away quickly because I already knew about TMS and I caught it before it had gone on for more than a week
I also had what was certainly have been diagnosed as PF a few years ago. That time it felt like I had a nail in my foot on every step. When I realize the symptom began after a discussion with a family member, I had that “aha” and it also went away.
That time I never looked at my feet to see what they looked like.

But yes, TMS can cause swelling, discoloration, etc.
 
run_girl_run said:
Hi Lunarlass.

First, I'm sorry to hear that your pain is so sucky and draining so much joy from your life. Pain is real and it really does suck.

I'd like to say a few things in response to your post. This is actually my first ever post on this forum, even though I've lurked on and off for years. I'm a long-term TMSer who has successfully resolved a number of really debilitating issues (wrist RSI, regular migraines, lower back pain, SPD/pubic symphesis disorder/achilles tendonitis, anxiety disorder, calf strains and at least one bout of PF!). I was lurking on this thread again because I have another PF bout and I need to remind myself of the realities of TMS every now and then :)

I can see that your pain is accomplishing what it needs to in you – keeping you bound up, wound up in the hunt for a cure. You feel as though you must discover the 'root cause' of your pain in order for it to resolve. I can tell you: you don't. It can help, but it's not necessary, and the hunt for it (and the pressure, desperation and anxiety that surround 'getting to the core of it') just adds to the whole issue.

The main things to I have found vital to remember are these points:
1. Your pain is real, but it is harmless. That is, it is not doing further damage to your body, despite feelings to the contrary. It really isn't. This thought may take a while to move from conscious acceptance to subconscious. I've found a combination of working on thoughts AND challenging the body via gradated return to normal activities the best way to convince my brain of this each time a TMS issue rolls around!
2. Fear of the pain is one of the biggest contributors to its perpetuation. Most of the fear revolves around worry that it's NOT benign, and/or that it's going to stop you doing something you love (ie catastrophising about the future). But really, if you do trust that the pain is benign, and you don't let it stop you from doing the things you love, then it stops having power. This has sometimes taken a while for me, but it always resolved bouts of pain eventually.
3. Anxiety is actually another form of TMS. It took me a long time to accept this. But basically, my brain REALLY wants to distract me from some deep-seated fears and threats (which I've never clearly identified – doesn't matter). Keeping the mind buzzing obsessively is a great way to do it – almost as good as keeping it focused on pain! It can be hard to unseat constant hypervigilance but it's possible. I needed to see a psychologist for a few years. Not a TMS one, but it was brilliant. I can now detach from my worries a bit a realise they are not always indicative of reality – just like pain is not usually an indicator of tissue damage.

BTW, I also had edema on my PF scans (and visible swelling). It still resolved with no rhyme or reason. Time off from running didn't see the pain resolve, so I just went back to running despite the pain and it went away at some point (can't even put my finger on when!). It appears that swelling, edema, redness and those kinds of things can all be part of the TMS package. I'll be taking the same approach with my new bout – I treat it as an acute injury for about 6 weeks, but if it's not resolved by then I accept that my brain has co-opted it for its own 'protective' purposes and I move into TMS extermination mode :)

I wish you well on your journey to freedom from pain.
Click to expand...
 
Hi run_girl_run
Like your self , i am a long term TMSer -- met Dr Sarno 40 yrs ago and changed my life learning how to defeat TMS -- i am a marathon runner , ran Boston Marathon in April and soon after developed bad case of Plantar Fascitis -- iced, stretched, etc , read this forum on PF and TMS -- realized after some doubt that i have TMS -- started running again and the pain in my heel is intense -- i keep running applying the principles of beating TMS but I seem to be stuck -- i have acknowledged things that could trigger TMS now -- transitioning out of my business and retiring at end of 2025, started training for NYC Marathon, etc, but I can't beat this bout. Do I keep pushing forward and keep running and limping around?
-- This forum on PF has been a huge help in removing the doubt that this is indeed TMS, but any help and suggestions would be very welcome in getting rid of this pain.
thank you
 
resplendent elk said:
Hi All,


It's now almost two years later. This PF has really f---ed up my running, obviously, and really hurt my life. I can't play with my kids as I would like to. I can't stand and just talk to someone comfortably. It sucks!

Well a couple of weeks ago I thought I'd start reading The Mind-Body Prescription again. After 2 days the pain completely disappeared.

I am flabbergasted.

I am actually kind of really disappointed with myself. But I'm also SO HAPPY to get rid of that pain.
Click to expand...

About when my Plantar Fasciitis started 46 years old a year after my father passed unexpectedly suddenly. I tried everything PT Shock Wave, PRP injections, PLantar Release left foot, bilateral gastroc releases in the calves. Was starting to make progress with MBS start in july with it, near suicidal from constant pain. Was making real gains and then my left foot a year after plantar release developed pain under the 4th and 5th toes, had a MRI found a stress fracture in the 3rd Metatarsal. Back in a boot. Now all the arch pain is pain in both feet. Came on here looking for hope. I think I found it here.
 
Joseph_535

Yes you have found hope, and I'm very happy for you. I had blood platelet injections, diagnoses of plantar fasciitis, tarsal tunnel, idiopathic neurapathy. 8 different recommendations for surgery including nerve release, fascia release, Achilles release. Shock wave recommended. Did endless and very expensive other treatments including all the alternative modes, sports medicine, etc. You know this probably better than I do. Travelled the US to find the right surgeon, diagnosis and right before the surgery took The Divided Mind, by Dr. Sarno into the desert and went deep for a couple of weeks. Had my first pain-free steps in 3 years. I got back into the mountains and skiing, hardwood dance floors ---everything I had lost.

The physician world knows almost nothing about what I learned and people here practice. I've educated a few, and they are appreciative. Just know that you've been in a world of ignorance, and now you're entering the light.

Whatever worked for you before with the MBS, I urge you to get back on that horse!

I'll say this strongly: don't worry about the procedures you've had causing you pain now. That can come up when you embrace the TMS method. The body is miraculous in its propensity to find balance, heal, give you the life you want.

We have many resources here including the Structured Education Program. Look at stress or life events. Be kind to yourself. Find ways to enjoy life every day and turn your mind from finding a cure to finding balance. Then the cure will come.

Andy
 
I'm watching this thread with interest, as I've just recently 'talked myself out of,' a bout of plantar fasciitis, after an eight month struggle with weird foot and ankle pain that started after a simple dog walk - and here I must disclose that I am a dog walker, so I wasn't exactly jumping out of planes. Anyway, after some ankle stuff which went away with physio - only to start back up, which sent me back to the physio with concern and engagement and focus, all stuff that TMS loves, I've had a few weeks of really cronky feet, latterly presenting as plantar fasciitis. So I started to talk to the foot, and to the big toe which was trying to convince me I had a functional hallux limitus creeping in. I would move the big toe wildly, stretching it as far as I could, and comparing it to the left (pain free) one. I would say, 'I dare you to hurt,' as I pointed and stretched it. It didn't. I checked the right toe against the left again, and saw they had the same ROM. Same to my sole. 'I dare you to hurt.' It didn't. I then put my heels together and saw that both arches of the feet were exactly the same. Why then, was there pain in one? I spent a few days talking to my brain saying, 'you can create the pain, poppet, but we know you're safe, that the foot is safe.' I'd move slowly through the motions of walking, checking for pain and pushing any back, before repeating the movement. I don't know if this runs counter to TMS teachings, but it seemed to work. I've been faffing around with different shoes and insoles and spacers, with varying results. Today, I threw them into a pile and picked out my most 'testing,' - a pair of single strap Birkenstocks. I didn't use spacers. And I've walked around all day without a flicker. The pain only comes when I expect it to, at which point I talk myself out of the pain. Feet are FASCINATING.
 
Just read back through some of this thread today and this thought struck a chord with some of my recent struggles. I think I've moved from pain distractions to axiety distractions.
run_girl_run said:
Anxiety is actually another form of TMS. It took me a long time to accept this. But basically, my brain REALLY wants to distract me from some deep-seated fears and threats (which I've never clearly identified – doesn't matter). Keeping the mind buzzing obsessively is a great way to do it – almost as good as keeping it focused on pain!
Click to expand...

Also, Sarah refering to her brain as 'poppet' made me smile. It's just the right word for brain reassurance!
 
Things said:
Sarah refering to her brain as 'poppet' made me smile. It's just the right word for brain reassurance!
Click to expand...
I know, right? And thanks for bumping this thread - I missed Sarah's post last month!
Sarah79 said:
I don't know if this runs counter to TMS teachings, but it seemed to work.
Click to expand...
@Sarah79, there's a big difference between checking for pain with negative anticipation as a prelude to fear, vs doing so with a clear intention to constructively and proactively push back and overcome fear. This is terrific work!
 
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