plantar facitis

I really do sympathise completely ! I was diagnosed a few months back and saw my GP who, nice as he is, was not much help and gave me a leaflet.

I susbequently saw a podiatrist in London, bought a new pair of Mephisto shoes (nearly £200) and paid over £500 for orthotics and am persevering with them. Been a couple of weeks now but unless you have this you don't know what the pain is ! I have even signed up for reflexology to see of that helps - very relaxing and gives some relief but it is only short term.

The pain in the mornings is so bad, and at the end of the day I shuffle around like an old man ! I find myslef waking at night with the pain and my feet are throbing. Surely this can't be it ? there must be a 'cure' for this musn't there

Paul

Hiya. I am also a planta fascitis sufferer. I have had this condition for almost a year now. I have had lots of physio, exercise, ice and two lots of steriod injection under ultrasound. Unfortunatley now .after an MRI they have found tears in the planta on both feet. Maybe ask your doctors to do MRI as planta fascitis can only be determined this way. I crawl on my hands and knees everyday because of this crippling and excruitating pain. I now have been told to wear on each foot a aircast boot (these r £98 each) but OMG they r so doing the trick to a degree. I have to wear them for 9 weeks until the tear repairs itself then have intense physio for up to 2 years.

Hope you guys make a full recovery

Thanks

Natalie

I started with PF 15 months ago and thought it would just go away. I play golf 2-3 times a week and I was beginning to have immense pain during and after playing. After 9 months of suffering and spending nights awake trying to relieve the pain with tablets and ice. I was beginning to detest playing golf, walking or standing for more than 20 mins.

I went to GP with gave we anti inflamm that made my stomach ache and also do exercises. After 3 months I decided to see a Consultant - I had cortisone injection the night I saw him - in both feet!! the pain was unbelieveable but I put up with it thinking my pf would go away. After 3 days the pain went away but within 2 weeks it was back again. I was injected again in both feet 2 months later - again temporary relief.

I have just had reflexology and acupuncture for the last 3 weeks - at last I am beginning to get some relief. The chinese doctor who did this said my circulation is sluggish and the inflammation isnt moving. I have to drink lots of water, put ice packs on feet and massage my feet every night between the weekly treatments. Its all more money to pay out but I feel it is working - time will tell!!! :roll:

Hi all,

I have been suffering from PF for about 11 years. Like you I suffer from chronic pain in my heels. I had given up nearly of all hope of anything that would work for me. I had tried everything. My friend recommended a Circulation Booster to me. I had seen the adverts on TV and never thought anything of it. I borrowed hers and have since bought one of my own. It really helps with the pain. I can now walk up the stairs relatively pain free which would have been unthinkable 6 months ago. The company that I bough mine through (High Tech health) gave me my VAT back because I suffer from PF. You can also send it back within 30 days if you dont like it, I beleive. Definitely, worth a go. I use mine every day now.

Hope this helps

Hi Natalie

How is your PF? I noticed that the last message you posted was in 2010 so I was wondering whether you had managed to cure it or feel a bit better? I totally recognise myself in your story as I currently suffer from PF (well I think...). I am a 32-year old active female, doing a lot of hiking and trekking and started to feel a sharp pain in my left heel when bending over to pick up something on the ground. I ignored it and carried on walking and hiking. Over the last few months I had been doing a lot of hiking wearing very hard trekking boots and I suspect thats what caused it as the paths I walk on here in England are not the rocky paths I would normally wear my trekking boots for. So I guess I used the wrong boots all that time.

Anyway, 4 weeks later I am now suffering from extremely severe pains in both feet, not just the heel but under the arch and near the toes. I cant walk around my house any more and the only "comfortable" position is when lying down on my bed with my feet on top of the quilt. The feelings I have under my feet are very strange : burning feeling, sharp tranchant pains as if someone is cutting my feet with rasors. Awful. I have done a lot of research and am wondering whether I have a nerve problems. I just cannot believe that PF would cause me so much pain. I cannot even go out the house and work.

Let us know how you are doing and any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I am just so desesperate to get back to normal but it looks like it is going to be a long recovery...

Al the best to everyone on this forum.

AJ

Have you heard of shock wave therapy for your plantar fasciitis. It is NICE approved which means that its safe, and ithe shock wave therapy basically sends shock waves to the tissue where your feet hurt back can have a profound effect. It doesn't suit everyone, but can substantially help around 80%. Its done as an outpatient. The shock wave therapy or ESWT basically helps the body heal itself. I'm not sure where you are based but there is a clinic in the East Midlands called the Joint Pain Clinic which provides this treatment.

I know what it is like to be in so much pain, just thought this might help.

hi all ive been told i have plantar fasciitis and after going back and fourth to the doctors for over 12 weeks now ive finally have enough. Ive also been seeing a sports therepist who has recommended plaster cast or a removable walking brace should be used and suggested this to my gp this morning who just laughed at me yet it is stated as a treatment opion on this site which the gp keeps refering to, he has told me to carry on with my treatment for another 4 weeks then go back but ive booked in for another doctor tomorrow morning as waiting over 12 weeks already is ridiculas

I have PF....and all my GP said was to go and rest it and if it was still bad in a few weeks come back and he would inject it! (Helpful eh?)

I've had injections like that before - they hurt like hell, and there's no guarantee that they work. I wasn't about to take the risk to be honest.

Instead, I searched the net, desperate to find something to ease the pain. I found some videos called how to strap for plantar fascitis.

It's fiddly and awkward, but basically, you buy some zinc oxide sticky plaster on a roll...about an inch wide will do. Place one strip diagonally across the bad foot, from the base of the big toe, across to the opposite side of the heel, taking care not to stretch the tape, and creasing the skin, else you'll end up with blisters. Now do the same, but in the opposite direction, base of little toe across to the other side of the heel. You should have an X pattern underneath your foot, crossing over just about under instep. After that, place strips across the foot, each one slightly overlapping the last starting with the base of the big toe to the base of the little toe, all the way along until you get to the heel. Stop just short of the heel.

Actually, go look at the video - it explains it a lot better!! lol

I did this for a few weeks - sometimes putting a bandage over the top, as the plaster tends to either stick like mad, or fall off virtually straight away!!

I had the first symptoms in Jan and now in Aug only have slight symptoms every so often. It seemed to work for me, so I'm passing it on. A good painkiller is Diclofenac Sodium too - cuts down in the inflammation

I'm also sorry to hear you have Plantar Fasciitis. I have had it for a few years now but haven't had the steroid injections. Like 'Susi' above I would reccommend the gel inserts for your shoes. I shopped around a lot until I found ones that were perfect for me. I bought some that did absolutely nothing for my feet which was such a shame so decided to splash out on some that I saw on a Plantar Fascittis forum.

Hi everyone, I have no idea how but my Plantar Fasciitis disappeared for about 18 months, but in the last six months it has come back with a vengeance. I have the most pain on the soles, my toes and the

area right underneath are agony. Some days even if I have not walked very far, I find the pain so bad that I get to the corner of my road and honestly do not know if I can get any further. I have to take gentle, dainty steps,very slowly until I get in. First thing to do, get off whatever shoes, boots etc., sit down and try to massage my toes and feet for a bit. At first that hurts too, I keep vitamin E cream by my armchair (just a cheap one from Super Drug but it is light and gooey, and a pleasure to use) and slop that onmassaging each foot. Then sit with my feet up on a high stool I inherited from my late father. I have arthritis in my toes, and both knees are going to need replacing when I am old enough.I have to wait until I am more or less crawling in pain, as that is when the op works best. My hips are heading in thesame direction, also lower back has phases when bending over to wash my hair is a nightmare, keep having to stand straight again. I have had the injections in my feet, and knees, they seem to last only

a couple of weeks, no long term relief. I also have the special inserts for shoes, again you only get the

one pair which really are suitable only for the shoes you take with you to be fitted. I have bought several

different types, yes they are such an expensive thing to keep buying to see if they are any good, it

gets ridiculous doesn't it. I have an appointment next month at bio mechanics to have a new pair made, I don't know about anyone else but they hardly last five minutes if you are trying to keep putting them in

the different shoe types you need to wear according to the weather. I have bought one of those little

massager hand held, battery operated things in Poundland and although you cannot do it for long or

your arm wants to fall off, it is quite a nice feeling. I would love to buy one of those machines that are

advertised on tv (£99 I think) but can't afford it, but I have been told they really are good. I have been

having physio and the excercise where you stand and go up on to balance just on the toe part is again

one that I had to do, also the standing on steps and dropping the back half of your foot slightly for a

count of 5. Be carefull when you do that one, I tried it and did it wrong the first time I was shown it a

couple of years ago and pulled something strange or other in my left foot. I don't find those excercises

do much for me but rolling a can say of baked beans, dog food or similar size back and forward under

your feet is quite soothing. I think we all have tried diets we read are a help, nothing so far works for

me. Soaking feet in a bowl of Radox is quite nice, but a pest to do, I am very good at slopping water all

over the place carrying the bowl to where I am to sit. If I win the lottery I will let you all know via the Forum and will get you all one of those magic sounding £99 machines, until then good luck chaps and

chapettes, one day one of us might just come up with something, anything to ease our pain. Happy

New Year 2014 to you all.