At my wit's end

Hi Kylie,

You say you are taking pain killers so ask your doctor for Indometacin as that is for legiment tendon pain and I found it gave great relief. Keep doing the stretches as that is the long term cure but also thick gel heel pads are esential to keep you mobile and they are so cheap on line a couple of quid a pair. I thought I had broken my heel when it started but could not think how but the pain was that bad.

Rolling the foot on frozen beer cans and hard balls can help ease the pain of a soak in hot water.

I also use insoles that support the arch of the foot in my ski boots and that helpsa as you cannot have gel heel pads in ski boots. You can get insoles for ski boots that mould to the shape of your foot so your wieght is on the whole foot not just the heel and ball of the foot so you mak find that worth a try, most ski shops can fit you with them i think they heat them up and then you put them in a boot or shoe and put you foot in and it takes the shape of your foot and sets in that shape.

Hope this helps I now only have a twinge in the morning which is nothing compared to what it was.

Hi Kylie, I am very sorry to hear about your suffering and the effect it has had on your life.

I am in no way a medical person but have suffered a number of pf episodes over the years. I have also said in previous posts that there is no magic bullet relief, and that I think the medical profession do not really know how to deal effectively with pf.

I believe there are differences in treatment which can 1. help relieve pf, and 2. help prevent it. Some of the stretching, rolling, etc, can make things worse, as the small tears in the tendon which give rise to the pain, can be made worse.

Personally I have found that keeping the foot in a bowl of very cold water for about 30 minutes, then warming it can help. It is essential to keep weight off the foot as much as possible (I have spent many dreary hours in front of rubbish TV doing this). For me a double recommended dose of Naproxen helps, but other people found it has an unsettling effect.

Working with massage can also make things worse as again it can stretch the tendon more and increase the tears, also be careful when raising the foot on a support, I was in a comfy chair with my leg over a stool and this had the effect of stretching the calf muscle and aggrevating things.

Sorry if a lot of this sounds negative but rest is the main thing with anti-inflammatories, arnica gel I found useless, but Ibuprofen gel with the Naproxen helped.

In your situation I know how difficult it must be to keep off your feet but it is the only way

I sincerely hope you get some relief soon as so many of us know the agony and debilitation effect pf has.

Hi Kylie,

They come from China so will take a few weeks to arrive but they are worth the wait.

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Kylie, you sound desperate -

I have posted on this site before in an attempt to help others. I was able to get about 98% relief after 4 weeks of severe debilitating pain. Check my previous posts.

Since you have done most of the conventional treatments, maybe try less conventional like accupuncture. You might be surprised.

If you have access to a hot tub, put your heel/sole in front of the jet for 10-15 minutes.

Get a good arch support that works for YOU. They are all different and you need to find the one that puts the support of your weight on your arch instead of your heel and metatarsals. Put your weight on the middle of your arch.

Try the HTP arch and heel supports with the fascia bar. This constantly massages your heel and plantar fascia attachment and breaks up adhesions and scar tissue. i have two par of these and wear them in every pair of shoes. They are easy to transfer.

LEARN how to tape your foot with LOW DYE taping. You can find a few variations on youtube. It is awkward to do on yourself initially but once you do it, you will be amazed. This off loads the stress onto the tape and allows you to function normally. First spray your foot with an adhesive and then put a layer of Cover-roll and apply the Leuko tape over it. You can leave the leuko tape on for a few days though you might need to put your foot in a palstic bag while in the shower and clean with a cloth separately.

There is no single NSAID which is great for everyone. We all have different chemistry and you need to find the one that works for you. Indomethacin might be good but Ibuprofen might be as good or better. Try Celebrex as well. If you are into herbs, try stinging nettle which is a natural NSAID Cox 2 inhibitor. Find it on the internet.

Get a pair of the night time stretch devices.

Try a TENS unit for an hour twice a day. Put opposing pads on each side of the heel and the other two on the sole at the base of the heel and behind the heel. I am certain this accelerated my healing and certainly decreased the pain.

Cushion, cushion, cushion your heel. wear thic socks and use foam if you need to.

BTW, I am a retired physician, so I know a little more about he anatomy and physiology than most. I also know what worked for me.

Do not give up - you can do this. 

 

Kylie,  I am so sorry to hear of your extreme difficulties.  I have had PF and have posted my thoughts several times on Patient.  Check out my posts and good luck to you.  doknabox

My first time on this site, am sitting on train home in tears, wondering how I am going to get from the train station to my car. Have been dealing with PF on left foot for a few years on and off without knowing what it was. Last six months have been seeing podiatrist, got new arch supports, tried laser light therapy, now seeing physio, and somehow it's getting worse. I dreamed last night of cutting my foot off. I'm terrified about being disabled forever.