Heel Spur for 2 years

Posted , 8 users are following.

Diagnosed with Plantar 2 years ago, misdiagnosed as heel spur 6 months ago, had injections, sonic treatment, did not touch it, x rays,scans, inserts tec.,NHS refused surgery, am in agony 24/7. I feel I want my foot amputation, no quality of life,practically house bound, have 2 daughters to look after, feel as though I cannot go on much longer, now waiting for yet another support from NHS, am at the end, cannot carry on.Ruth.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Posted

    Try wearing plantar/night boots in bed from likes of amazon less tha £20 each. I could hardly walk but using thes boots I improved gradually. You must persist and use them for two years or more-my plantar gradually disappeared due only to these boots keeping the tendon from tightening in the night and allowing it to heal.

    NHS treatment did nothing but these boots certainly did.

    • Posted

      Thank you for replying Antony, I am writing on behalf of my daughter, she has tried Night Splints, Plantar Night Boots, shoe inserts, strapping, exercising, different types of shoes, only Crocs give her any relief, but she still cannot put her heel down, she is in agony, she walks on her toes when she has to move about, which makes it worse, because her Achilles Tendon is now tight, she has given up exercising because despite exercising for almost 2 years, the pain is worse now than it has ever been,as far as she is concerned it has been a waste of time. She is so depressed. We do not know what to do. She is getting conflicting information from so-called hospital experts. One says the pain is caused by Heel Spur, another says it is not, it is Plantar, and another, because the pain is on the side of the heel says it is neither. All they tell her to do, whilst waiting for yet another Insole and Steroid injection, is to stretch her Achilles Tendon. She is in her forties, but she is still my daughter and it is so upsetting to see how she is suffering. Thank you for reading my post,

  • Posted

    Hi. I have agonising heel pain too, so appreciate her distress. Ive just recently started to use the night support, and though somewhat a sceptic, I must confess that I believe it is -very, very slowly - doing something positive. The improvement is only slight, but Ill have that! I could only wear it for a couple of hours at first, but now manage nearly all night. I also use gel insoles in my shoes, plus kiniesiology tape in the day, under which I add layers of padding. Only by doing this, can I reach the end of a working day. Get home, leg up. I also find a warm foot soak followed by foot massage (got a little shiatsu machine) helps. Im told crocs are not a good idea as no support for the arch, and looking back, I suspect they might be what started mine off when on a camping trip, when I walked a lot wearing them. Hope some of this might help!
  • Posted

    Barry, I am a retired physician and plantar fasciitis patient.  I got plantar fasciitis around February 2016.  After about four months, it completely resolved. 

    Here's what I think.  Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel bone, and/or some minimal tearing of the plantar fascia - just a few fibers - that results, naturally, in inflammation . . .   like a "pulled muscle."   Inflammation hurts until it heals and resolves.  So what's so difficult about curing P.F.?  Well we walk on it!!!  Let's say we take 5000 steps a day.  Imagine inflammation of your elbow, (i.e. tennis elbow).  Imagine taking your sore "tennis elbow" and wacking it against the wall, 5000 times a day.  Think it would heal quickly?  I don't either.

    So my cure for plantar fasciitis is cushion, cushion and cushion!!!  That's right - cushion the heel.  Here's what I did.  First, I wore the plantar fasciitis "relief bridge" gel-heel innersole in my shoes - that I got at Walgreen's for about $11.  Make sure your innersoles are soft and preferably made of gel.  (I plan to use mine indefinitely in my shoes.)  Then I wore a pair (usually) of nice thickish sox.  On my heel I wore fasciitis therapy wrap padded supports that I got on the internet for about $13.  (I don't wear them any more.)  So when I had my PF, under my heels I had 3 cushion layers.  I wore this about 24 hours a day - except when in the shower or swimming.  And after about 4 months, the PF was totally gone.  And I would suggest to you, have patience, not surgery.

    Barry, that's what I think.  I hope this helps you and the many other sufferers of plantar fasciitis.  Good Luck to you, doknabox/JerryR

    • Posted

      So my question to you is, I did all the above and still in a tone of pain. Had shots, physical therapy, a boot and a mri. Dr says it’s partially torn. It’s 7 ml when it’s only supposed to be a 2ml. You said no surgery. I guess what I’m asking is if you have surgery they cut it, what do I do since it’s already torn? Tia
  • Posted

    Hi Barry, 

      So sorry to hear that you’re suffering with PF! It can be incompacitaing for some as it was for me. 

     I had severe PF for about a year and tried every conservative treatment there is and had no relief whatsoever. I opted for surgery as last resort which I had a week ago. The recovery has not been so bad. I read horror stories all of which may be scared to death of the surgery. The hardest part for me is no weight bearing for 3 weeks. I have a knee scooter which is great and gets me where I need to go. 

     Not sure why surgery is not an option for you but if you’re at the end of your rope as I was, you might reconsider! 

     Regards, 

    Lucy

  • Posted

    Hi again, 

      It’s confusing when you’re diagnosed with a heel spur and PF. The fact is that the heel spur formation (which is a calcium deposit) often forms as a result of the PF.  My understanding is that it’s not the heel spur that actually causes the pain but the PF.  Many people have heel spurs and don’t even realize it. 

    Lucy 

  • Posted

    Oh my so happy to find this site, your post is exactly what I'm going through! I am at my ropes end and have NO help because of COVID. What is or has happened with you and everyone following this post? I see it has been 3 years since you posted this.

  • Posted

    I've had a heel spur for over a year and its extremely painful. I went to the doctor and she gave me exercises to do. I bought insoles for my shoe the night splint and nothing helped. a month ago I had surgery for a hernia. the nurse told me to take 600mg of ibuprofen and then in four hours take 1000mg of Tylenol. not only did this take care of my surgery pain but the next day my heel spur pain went away. now I take the medication every 6 to 8 hours.

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