Plantar Fasci Tendon Rupture

[Rhett]

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience recoverying from a partial rupture of their plantar fascia tendon.  I seem to have torn mine a few days before Boston, and although it was very painful, I don't think did any further damage by running the marathon.  I am now wearing a boot and doing a lot of deep water running.  Anyways, I was wondering if anyone who knows more about this or has experienced it could tell me how their recovery process went, and what I might expect out of my foot in the future.

[Jeffrey McClellan]

I was told in an athletic training class in college that occasionally people will actually have surgery to have their plantar fascia cut when it starts causing problems.  My professor also told the class that on occasion pro athletes will rupture the plantar fascia, and from his experience it could actually be a good thing if it was causing lots of pain beforehand.  Bear in mind that this teacher is not a runner, and has worked primarily with football and baseball players, so he would not know how rupture of the plantar fascia would affect a runner long term.
Also, you might want to find out for sure if you actually ruptured the plantar fascia, or if it simply became inflamed, because from what my professor told me, the pain usually diminishes after a rupture, but is much more severe when the plantar fascia gets really tight as a result of developing plantar fascitis.  My dad has plantar fascitis, and I have had a minor version of the same thing, and wearing a straussborg sock (don't know if I spelled that right), or a hard brace to bed has helped (although they are super uncomfortable).
There is my two cents worth, although it probably doesn't help you out much if it really did rupture.

[Rhett]

Jeff, thanks for the info.  That seems to be what my doc said, about cutting the PF in people with severe Plantar fascitis.  About the pain, it is very different than plantar fasciitis in that first thing in the morining it doesn't feel bad, but the more I walk on it the worse it gets. With PF I experience the opposite.  It always seemed to get better as it warmed up.  It has been 2 weeks since the rupture now and it is starting to feel much better.  I hope to be out of the boot here in the next couple days.

[Bob]

Hi Rhett - I've not experienced a full rupture, but with the problems I have had down there were solved with the old wall lean stretch and picking up marbles or towels off the ground with my toes.  Seriously, it works for strengthening, but very frustrating at first.