In agony with plantar fascia please help!

Don't be afraid of the surgery... I know of many that it helped. Didnt help me, 5 years of pain in both heels. 3 surgeries. Nerver release, gastronemius release and plantar fascia release... now I am at square one, just happy that It is not worse. Just trying to stay positive. STAND on a large, soft ice pack for several minutes, 3-4 times a day. It helps a lot. Do the stretches and  pray a lot. good luck.

Hi jac69

I also have had pf in both feet for over a year

doctor said it was brought on by inadequate safety shoes

also had taping, orthotic insoles,stretching, night splints and ultrasound 

had cortisone injections in april this year but they didnt work

after some consideration and speaking to a specialist i had gasrtroc release operation in both calfs to release the pf, this was six weeks ago

my feet felt not too bad at first but have been pottering about the house and the stinging feeling has returned

doc says could be result of op but feel like i m back to square one as once you have pf you certainly know the

 feeling once it returns

as your gp will tell you it usually goes away through time but judging by you and me and countless others on this forum this isnt the  case

you just have to remain positive

good luck

Hi Jac69, sorry to hear about your problems. Like you, I have tried all sorts of 'cures', none of them working, especially shockwave therapy which has actually made the condition worse. The one thing that has given moderate relief is making sure that whenever possible I wear quality trainers specifically made for people who over pronate (I realise it's not possible for most people to wear trainers at work etc). Talking to others I have noticed that a lot of PF sufferers also over pronate, to a greater or lesser degree. Over pronation is where your foot has a tendency to roll inwards and flatten causing pain. Most over pronators don't even know they have that tendency. (google 'over pronation')

Ordinary High St bought shoes and trainers tend to have completely flat insoles that do not give any support at all, so we go and buy 'medical inserts' that are far too hard to put in the shoes and all they do is make the pain worse!! Any decent sport shoes web site will explain this better than I can.

Even though the above does give some relief, it is not a cure. I had surgery on my right foot 12 years ago, and that was a qualified success. After many visits and more 'cures' the Consultant has agreed to operate on my left foot in Oct/Nov. There does seem to be a reluctance by the NHS to perform surgery for PF these days. Is it because they do not appreciate the pain this condition causes, or is it a financial consideration?

I hope this has been some help and that you can find something that helps relieve the pain.

Hi jacs,

yes, the op on my right foot was a qualified success in the sense that I do not have all the previous problems, i.e, constant pain, unable to stand for long periods etc. It's not perfect, but a heck of a lot better than it was ,and the current situation with my left foot.

Hi to all sufferers,just found out that I've got PF.I'm in total agony so my sympathy goes to all! It just happened over night while on holiday and couldn't walk next day and me thinking self inflicted! My job involves standing so now I have a big problem.How do you all deal with the excrutiating pain and have the patients to sit still.Please advise.Thanks

Hi Jac,

No, my op is scheduled for 6th November.

Really sorry to hear that your pain is bad. I understand what you are going through, as somedays, maybe after sitting for 30 mins or so, I stand up and the pain is unbearable fo a couple of minutes. Also a walk of any distance is out of the question. Did the running shoes help at all? They are the only footware that I can wear now. If I put ordinary shoes on, I mma in agony within a few minutes.

I will let you know how the op goes.

Good luck.