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Plantar Fasciitis

Posted , 60 users are following.

Bloomers
Bloomers

Hey.

I am new to this forum. I was diagnosed as having Plantar Fasciitis in both feet (with one being worse than the other) nearly 2 months ago. I do think I had it long before it was diagnosed but just put the pain down to being on my feet too much. Firstly I tried insoles in my shoes to relieve the pressure. I've recently tried a course of Naproxen (Anti Inflammatory) which also didn't work.

I am now on a waiting list for a steroid injection into the worst foot, the wait apparently is approx 1 month.

Has anyone had the steroid injection? Does it work?

0 likes, 92 replies

92 Replies

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  • wlamee
    wlamee

    Posted

    Hello all, I've been diagnosed with fasciitis plantaris recently (after an 8 hour drive with only one stop - this really made it painful), and I am now doing several minutes of foot stretching exercises before getting in and out of bed.

    I am wearing my N*ke air runners whenever I can (which I didn't do normally), and they really seem to do the trick for me. Walking around a whole day and doing various (light) activities seems ok.

    I do know this is only one step in the right direction, but for me it really is a day and night difference in comfort when wearing the air-cushioned runners (maybe a set of Dr. M*rtens AirWair might have the same effect and be more acceptable in a professional environment than runners).

    I hope this might be of use to some of you,

    wlamee

  • ninger
    ninger

    Posted

    Hi I have had trouble with my feet since childhood as my feet roll inwards. It is very common in my family. But the last years have been a nightmare, because i not only feel like my feet are being crushed, and hobble out of bed in the morning and find walking very painful.But i have hot painful lumps in my achilles tendon above my heel, with a terrible stretching feeling there too. I am in agony! after a short walk i limp along and sometimes i feel i cant walk any further. I have stretching pain in calves. I wonder if the actual "Achilles Tendon pain is part of plantar fasc; or something completely seperate. does anyone else have this problem? i also have crunchy painful knees and painful hip. so i guess this is all down to the misalignment of my feet? All i know is i feel like a cripple everyday!
  • arcagroup
    arcagroup

    Posted

    I had a very bad plantar fasciitis for about a year and a half on both feet. Last month, I happened to be in Russia and had seven sessions of ESWT therapy done there for about $700. One month later, my right foot feels almost normal and the left foot feels much better then before and I started taking short walks. I also have a small electrical foot massaging machine and a portable electrical stimulation device that seems to be helping as well. I tried a few inserts, but Dr. Scholls Extra Support inserts worked best for me. I also rub my feet with penetrex cream and tiger balm to get the blood circulation going.
  • ninger
    ninger

    Posted

    thanks for your reply arcagroup. so these foot problems can be cured then? i thought it was a lifetime problem?
  • arcagroup
    arcagroup

    Posted

    Yeah, ESWT could cure this completely or provide a considerable improvement. The procedure doesn’t work for all people, but works for many, you should definitely give it a try. Google a good ESWT practitioner in your area. One other thing to consider is to perform the procedure abroad; in some counties it is much cheaper. I paid $50 per foot per 25 minute session in Russia and had 7 sessions done over one month. My doctor said that some of his patients had the spur completely gone and not visible on the x-ray after several months after the treatment. I can’t verify this, but I experienced a considerable improvement. This is the clinic’s website where I had the procedure done - http://peresvet.vrn.ru/, but it’s in Russian and they don’t speak English there, so not sure if this is of any help.
  • ninger
    ninger

    Posted

    very interesting jogh122...i have had the problem for a few years now. but the bit i found interesting was that i fell downstairs about 3 years ago and on landing i was bending my left foot under and my bodyweight pushed down onto the front just below my second toe. i screamed and when i got up my foot hurt so much and i put it in cold water because of the swelling and pain. I thought that you dont get treatment for fractured toes( which i thought it may be)? i spent over a year with pain and especially swelling and pain on walking or standing. when i saw the nurse (about 2 years later)..she said that a broken toe wouldnt be troublesome after two years, and wiggled my foot about....it hurt along the first joint of my toe and on the light bones leading up to my ankle. It is like a sharp bone is pricking me??? but i also have the fascilitis and achille tendonitis. so my point is?...do these conditions affect your toes in this way?...im wondering also if acupunture would help to heal the achilles and so take away any inflammation that has travelled through my foot? of course ian xray would be the answer to find any damage i suppose but it like asking for a trip to the moon to get an xray in norfolk.
    • sarah74800
      sarah74800 ninger

      Posted

      hi, reading all these is really interesting, i have had achilles tendonitis and plantar faciitis for 2 years now, think the plantar faciitis comes and goes now but still have pain in my arches, sore toes? and inflammation on the inside of my heals and back of my heals, sore all the time, i ice, do the stretches, had several x-rays and ultrasounds and an mri, had 3 steroid injections, one was is the heal and that still hurts a year later? have tried everything, the boot, resting, walking, acipuncture - that made it worse, several attempts at physio - that made it worse, meloxicam, naproxen and all the different pain releif, nothing really works, special made insoles, bought several types of insoles, standing for more that 10 minutes seems to be the worse but have everything you do if effects, it is painful with every step, every day, it is so frustrating, and debilitating, having to think all the time where you are going so as to make sure you can sit down or, no queues, or standing talking to anyone, etc, nothing seems to help, my last ultrasound said yes to tendonitis and consultant said probably have plantar faciitis but doesnt always show on an ultrasoud? My right foot is slightly worse than left but the left one has a thickened tendon, but my feet and ankles are inflammed and sore all the time, even when resting! Stopped telling people these days cause sure they are bored of hearing my say my feet hurt still after all this time! Makes you really down and stops you doing so many every day things you just take for granted.  Consultants say they can do no more but ice and stretch and hopefully it will go in time! Really helpful! When!? No idea when it will go have found reading everyone elses comments make me feel like im not going mad. 
    • Roxy2013
      Roxy2013 sarah74800

      Posted

      Hi Sarah74800,

      yes think i have "refractory achilles tendonopathy" too. initially it started as PF but since December 2013 i have a sore line around my right heel sort of where my heel goes onto my foot. and am wondering if driving makes it worse as of course that is where the accelerator is.  But found good physiotherapist in Henley on Thames where i work and he has just started ESWT with me and i do think its working.  so do try that, ESWT is also used to blast kidney stones, tennis elbow and other calsifications of bones/knees i think.  I was looking up going to my nearest BMI hospital but that will surely cost £450 minimum and the ESWT is non invasive and costs me £50 on top of usual physio session. i too have had acupuncture, - he put the needle right into my achilles tendon and it FELT SOOOOO GOOD to irritate it. 

      It is amazing that this condition is so common that, but there just isn't the randomised controlled studies which gives good evidence.

      it is a v. tedious condition.

       

    • sarah74800
      sarah74800 Roxy2013

      Posted

      Hi Roxy2013, thank you for reply, you are so right, it is the most frustrating condition ever! I struggle even standing talking to someone in the street for more than 5 mins and start to move from one foot to the other, im not sure if it is because both inside of my heals and at the back are inflammed that physio didnt work? He thought so, tried it 3 times and each time it aggravates it more for about 3 weeks til it just goes back to how it was before i went, it seems that anything physical makes it worse? acipuncture was the worse, physio, even reflexology made it worse! and the stretches on the wall lea ning etc, they even make irritate the condition! i just do the ones on the floor pulling foot towards you but it just never seems to go away, Really fed up with feet hurting with every step you take, walking and standing is a sore and even resting it stays sore?  i will look into ESWT but if physio aggravates it do you think this might? Im so weary these days as nothing seems to help.  

      Do you find the line around your heel is sore to touch and inflammed?  I struggle to find anything to wear as most footwear rubs on that lump, i have insoles in trainers at the moment, had boots for a while with built in insoles which did help my arch but struggle wearing those now.    Its just such a long process, but i am so worried that its never going to go, even just wearing a different pair of boots for one night can irritate it! 

      Even stranger, i have a twin sister who has just started suffering the last few months with swollen ankles after she stands for a while and similar inflammation on the inside of her ankles!  coincidence or what!? we are both 44 and neither of us have ever been an athlete or done lots of exercise etc, my doctor just said, its your age! blimey, cant wait til im 60+!!! lol.

  • bridget50202
    bridget50202

    Posted

    Greetings,

    I do sypathize for your pain, I have dealt with having plantis faciitis for over 2 years now, and over this time,

    the inserts were helping some but not much but they weren't the ones that are silicone that others are

    speaking of. I started the injections which are terribly!! painful, I have it in (1) FOOT although it hurts

    worse than having an injection in the front of your gums at the dentist...I even compared it to my childbirth....

    not trying to scare you but it relieves my pain for 4-5 months.... then I go get another one.

    I just tried acupuncture yesterday since the injection went up from $45 to $60...but the acupuncture was

    $40 and he wants me to come back again Sat. which will be $35. My pain is gone and I probably will do

    Sat. treatment but after that will try the gel inserts.....It's just a mess having this issue.

    Good Luck!

  • lisa65665
    lisa65665

    Posted

    I am à nurse recently dx with plantar faciitis. The pain in MY heel was so horrible It was to a point that I

    thought I was going to have to take off work. I just startend wearing Dansko professional clogs and amazingly I could walk without pain the very first time i wore them!! These shoes worked miracles for me they may help you

  • Cazuk30
    Cazuk30

    Posted

    I have been plagued with this pain for 2 months now and been on co-codamol 30/500, however it has not been dulling the pain. I went to see my GP and on Thursday last week decided even though he explained how painful it would be to have it.

    Well I saw the Long needle and after pointing out the exact spot he proceeded to inject.

    Well all I can say I have NEVER felt pain like it in all my years. I have given birth and no comparison been involved any many operations and no comparison. I was screaming like a baby.

    Why couldnt the GP numb the area first? I know the steroid injection had a pain killer but after being injected. It is 5 days after the injection and the pain is just as bad if not worse and now my calf muscles has come out in sympathy as it is tight and cramping.

    Today the GP phoned me back and said it would take a little while...he didnt say that before.

  • funkeedeeva
    funkeedeeva

    Posted

    It's so good to hear I'm not going crazy.

    I've have had this problem for a number of years and when I wasn't running or exercising it was fine. I have recently started running because I wanted to do the Race for Life 10K. I gradually increased my exercise by running/walking every other day. I did it for 5 weeks and reached a point when I couldn't lift my leg to take another step. Not only was the fasciitis back, I was running with the pain, tore my calf muscle and got shin splints. Honestly I'm not sure which was more painful the fasciitis, the shin splints or torn calf muscle. I had 7 weeks of intense physiotherapy and did all I could to look after myself, stretching, ice and massage. When I got the okay I restarted gradually.In 2 weeks the shin splints and fasciitis were back.

    Like everyone I have spent a lot of money on orthotics and treatment. In rest and activity my foot throbs

    and because I'm asthmatic I am unable to take anti-inflammatories. I'm in agony and not sure what to do anymore. Any advise would be appreciated.

    • sarah74800
      sarah74800 funkeedeeva

      Posted

      oh my gosh, that sounds awful!  I really feel for you.  its so frustrating when you do want to walk or run, I never have been an athlete, but i did like walking alot which is now not enjoyable at all as painful with every step so to have been a runner and then get it again with all the other problems is so horrible for you.

      I have achilles tendonitis, a lump came first and then within a few months of that plantar faciitis, this is now 2 years on and still have both, but the plantar faciitis seems to subside, then all you have to do is a long walk or a bit of standing and then it returns!  Its so frustrating.

      like you i have spent tons of money on insoles, treatments, etc etc, and nothing seems to help, resting doesnt help, and it is just as sore and throbs like you say when resting.  , and the doctors i feel really dont want to know, they say they can do no more and it will go in time! Helpful!!!  

      I wish there was something i could suggest to you to help but nothing seems to work.    I suppose the only thing which helps me is the fact that i am not alone with these conditions and it helps to tell someone who knows what you are going through?  sorry as not much help though. lol. 

      I see this was posted a few weeks ago so just wandered if any better for you now?

       

  • vnic
    vnic

    Posted

    Something that helps...

    As most of you will have experienced, putting your feet up to rest does not seem to help with this condition, and when all you want to do is take the weight off your feet this is so frustrating. My podiatrist explained that the fluid that gathers in my heels has no way of being pumped back up the leg when I put my feet up and relax; so, if you flex your feet this will encourage the fluid to return (in the same way when we walk the fluid is pumped back up the leg), and this in turn will help to reduce some of the swelling in that area. You can tell how bad the fluid is on your heel if you press gently with your thumb. This doesn't take away the pain but it does seem to make a difference to the overall feel of the foot, and it's not onerous to pump your feet whilst raised.

    Overall the ESWT (Shock wave therapy) I had - see earlier post - has helped enormously with my left foot, but my right foot is still horrid and I insoles are mandatory and heels are out - not the most attractive of looks with summer coming!

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