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PLANTAR FACIITIS NIGHTMARE!!!

Posted , 9 users are following.

HAYLEY1973
HAYLEY1973

At the beginning of the year I bought a treadmill, I absolutely loved it and was addicted to it everyday for my fast powerwalks! I was toning up, losing inches and feeling fantastic! Then 10 days ago I noticed a funny sharp pain in my left under side of my heel...I decided to keep going and "stupidly" still did my 45 walk each morning! So...5 days ago I totally stopped the treadmill, went to the doctor and he told me to rest my foot, I did research online and my symptoms sounded just like PF! Yesterday I could take no more of this pain, I couls barely walk, couldnt put my foot flat to the floor, had sharp pains running up through the centre of my heel and a dull throbbing pain...it was driving me crazy and really getting me down! I have walked for 1-2hrs everyday for years and years as its my main form of exercise and keeps me fit and keeps my weight down ... now Im just freaked out that I wont be able to walk properly for ages and my weight will go up!!!

So...I went to a podiatrist/physio yesterday who confirmed PF and said I had caught it early, I have no leg pains and the pain is only under the heel and just where the arch begins...they did some ultra sound and some laser on it and told me to have complete rest, no long walks/short walks, no footwear and to keep the foot up and rested, use voltereaze gel on the affected area, take ibroprufen and do ice massage 4 times a day. I even have crutches to make sure I keep the weight off it, i am determined to get back to normal ASAP!!!! All the time my foot is up and resting it feels PERFECT...then a little tester of putting it to the floor...ITS NO BETTER!!!! I just wish I knew how bad I actually had it? Can anyone explain their level of pain? I am not in pain where I could scream or cry, just discomfort and not possible to fully put my weight on it and it causes me to walk pathetically!!! Does anyone know if this COMPLETE rest does really help? They said I caught it early and if I rest it could be gone in 1-2 weeks...I am impatient like many of us...I just want it gone and I want my life back!!!! Any advice, tips, story sharing on experience of pain levels etc...please please post back wink just want to get back on my treadmill ... just a walk to the shops would be nice!!!!

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • lobi
    lobi

    Posted

    Try complete rest and even then don't push it for a while or it may come back, regularly!. I had it on and off for 10 yeras but now its there all the time so I am also starting a new regime and rest is a big part of it. Try calf stretching excercises, pull your toes up, especially before you get out of bed, and try to keep weight off first thing in the morning until it warms up. swop stories over the next few weeks!
  • teresa55
    teresa55

    Posted

    I have now suffered PF for two years. I have spent over £2 thousand pounds trying to correct the problem. I have it in both feet. I have had steroid injections. I have bought special shoes.. I have had my calfs operatedon.I am a weighty person and getting heavier, as i can no longer walk anywhere. I have a severe intolance to painkillers. I have 4 pads in my shoes they dont work. The only way i will ever get rid of this is to have my feet removed

    I have now bought a mobility scooter. No one cares or helps.

    • Stampedelady
      Stampedelady teresa55

      Posted

      It never goes away.. because they diagnose it wrong. I have also spent a lot of money on shoes and insole etc.. Found out that it isn't always PF.. if the metatarusul bone is injured it also causes the same pain in foot.. I have it in both feet and have had for 17 years.. Nothing works. I just keep buying stuff ... and I desperately need a scooter.. I also have intolerance to pain killers and I have put on so much weight it has given me other health problems.. so you are not alone.. .. message me if you wish to chat more.. 

  • craig18
    craig18

    Posted

    Be gentle with yourself. There is no ASAP. Don't over-use your injured foot and most definately do not try to run or do any brisk walking.

    The condition Planterfaciitis will fix itself in 12 months (you can virtually set your watch by it) from the first occurence, if you are gentle with yourself and your injured foot.

    Any physio-whatever or specialist knows full well it will fix itself in twelve months if you are gentle with it and they know there is really no alternative treatment. But you can't operate a thriving practice on that sort of advice.

    Some days it will feel worse. Other days not so bad. Be patient. Let your body do it's work. It will fix itself.

    How do I know?

    I'm a 65yo male. After a life-time of general fitness, daily powerwalks and club bike-riding (nothing like "the Tour") just 600kms in 8 days group rides, one day two years ago I ran about twenty metres to assist my neighbour and felt the sharp pain as the Plantar let go. Following all the to-ing and fro-ing and treatments etcetera a doctor at the bike club advised me......stop getting treatment, be gentle with the injury, it will fix itself in 12 months. Guaranteed.

    The injury occurs in over-45's who think they're going OK and then try a bit of extra activity. Sound like you?

    I know, Haley 1973 and all the rest of the Plantarfaciitis sufferers this is not what you want to hear, you want there to be a fix, a cure, a treatment. Well. Too bad. Time Patience Gentle 12 months is the only fix. Let your body do its work. Relax.

    • Stampedelady
      Stampedelady craig18

      Posted

      Hog wash.. it never goes away no matter what you do.. I have had it for 17 years.. in so much pain it keeps me awake at nite and aches all day.. it might have gone for you.. but you are the minority.. 
  • teresa55
    teresa55

    Posted

    Thankyou Craig18 I appreiciate you bothering to answer. Thing is iv now had PF for two years. I am over weight. I have very high instep. I have had to have both my legs operated on to stretch my calfs. We can't drive drive. I have a collie dog to walk 5 times a day. Most of all i have a husband who has spinal stenosis and has had two heart by-passes. I am his carer. I also have PF in both feet. I really can not rest.

    Has anyone else heard of a cure???? My dad had PF 10 years ago was taken to hospital put under and his foot MANIPULATED. Anyone know what they did????

  • robyn12
    robyn12

    Posted

    Hi Hayley,

    I first got plantar fascitis about 20 years ago, as a result of too many high impact classes in the gym. I tried lots of things, stretches, ice, orthotics etc. I did not stop being active and it never got better, it didn't really get worse either and I was more comfortable when wearing the orthotics. The pain varied from a 1 to a 5 out of 10 always worse in the morning and often bad when I sat down in the evening after a day on my feet a lot. Recently due to another unrelated injury I have had to rest, to my surprise the pain has virtually gone away and I have not worn the orthotics for about 3 months. My lifestyle is more sedentary now, I no longer go to the gym, but I still walk about 5 km per day.

    I think you might have to rest for it to get better, or find an activity that you can do while resting your feet, like swimming.

    Good luck with it.

  • c742
    c742

    Posted

    Hi

    Have just posted on another forum but the long and short of it... I'm a long term suffer, go get a second opinion on ur orthotics and see a deep tissue massage therapist, it has to feel very uncomfortable but I have tried everything and nothing works except this so I'm willing to bear it. 3 weeks since my first treatment and I was able to run 2km yesterday with no pain. Hope you guys have the same benefits that I got.

  • missemi173
    missemi173

    Posted

    this is all really good advice. My three most important bits of advice to you are:

    1. Get new shoes. Go to a pediatrist or even a sports shoe store and get them to fit you for running shoes. it makes a huge difference!

    2. you can continue to work out once it's better, but the second you feel that pain coming back, stop and stretch it out, and then go on to another kind of exercise instead, like pilates, or swimming.

    3. RICE. Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate.

    good luck!

  • rachel66711
    rachel66711 HAYLEY1973

    Posted

    Hi I hope you are well.

    I don't think it's definitely what they diagnosed you as. If it's not responding to treatment you should get a second opinion.

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