If you’re anything like me you have not been nice to your body over the years. Years of skating, football, basketball, snowboarding, etc. have taken their toll on my feet. A couple of years back I developed plantar fasciitis in both feet. What really set it off was landing on a knuckle at Copper Mountain, I felt the shockwave from my feet to my neck! Dealing with this was a huge set back for me, I got to the point where I felt like I could not do anything. I stopped skating, I rarely hit jumps or rails on my snowboard, couldn’t hike…yes I got fat! I saw numerous doctors, received cortisone injections, had MRI’s done, etc. I finally was able to get some physical therapy on my feel and made some changes in my footwear. It took me 2 years to finally get my feet feeling good again. I can skate again, I can hit jumps on my snowboard, etc.
Some things I did that have helped my feet improve and to prevent this from happening again;
- Test out snowboard boots – Boots are not cheap, I used my boots for way too long. If you ride a lot you’ll need to replace your boots often. I learned this the hard way. Do not let your boots get really packed out, trust me on this one. For me boots with added cushion made a big difference.
- Test bindings – I talked to a bunch of shop guys and industry people and bought bindings with a heavily padded base to help cushion impacts. Spend the extra time and money to get some good bindings.
- Insoles – I have numerous insoles I switch into the shoes I am wearing. Dr. Scholl’s active series and Footprint Insole Technology is what I use.
Snowboarding is hell on the feet. Like you, I’ve had so many problems and almost gave up the activity due to painful feet, ankles. I can’t recommend enough getting some custom footbeds made. My fallen arches made it a necessity. Other problems that have cropped up that aren’t mainstream are PTTD (Posterier Tibalis Tendon Disorder).
It felt like I needed to crack my ankle but it wouldn’t crack. It got so painful that when I took my boot off, I couldn’t place my full weight on it or even drive for a few hours. Several failed diagnosis from sports medicine doctor and chiropractor finally forced me to a reputable orthopedic surgeon. They diagnosed it quickly and got me on a PT regimen. It still acts up but now I know what it is.
That sounds awful, feet issues are miserable. I almost hung it up as well, I’d be hobbled for days after riding. Some things that have helped me a ton and rejuvenated me…yoga, new quality boots often, footprint insoles. Yoga has core moves that stretch you feet and ankles, I wish I would have found yoga many years ago. Not all boots are created equal, I used to buy whatever boot was cheap. No more…I spent the extra money to get a good boot…makes a huge difference. Check out our review of Footprint Insoles, these things are really amazing. Hope some of this helps, I know how frustrating this can be.
Hang in there,
Dave