Plantar Fasciitis, aren't we lucky!?

I have also been to the doctors and been diagnosed with pf. Ive had it just over two months which is a drop in the ocean compared to you. you have my sympathys

im trying to be hopeful but part of me is a little worried. My doctor has given me loads of information to look up and ive been doing my homework and as far as i can read its a bit of a mystery that could last a few months or years and will dissapear as unexpectedly as it arrived. I had been wearing quite flat shoes for a while and wonder if that bought it on but i dont do a lot of walking and i work at a desk so im not sure. it sounds like you havent had the best advice from your doctor but i do get quite incensed when people slag off our free service and how awful it is......i thing you are blaming your doctor for not sorting out the pain you are having (and it does sound terrible to me) but if you were unhappy with your doctor, you need to change and see someone else. Your final comments say that youve done everything you can and now it should be the responsibility of the nhs...... I think you are being very hard on the fantastic service the nhs provide....yes its slow but there are people being treated for far worse conditions that take priority....people like my sister who has breast cancer and has been treated within 2 weeks of finding it......i personally think the nhs is fab and people with far worse conditions need to be treated before we do......

Its horrible pain...and you've endured it for a long time and i hope you get the treatment soon....

Hi. What a distressing experience. My heart goes out to you. I have just been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis a few weeks ago. I have done a lot of googling and the following web sites i found seemed the more intuitively right to me. Correct toes and 'soc doc. I would check the shape of your toes and whether your muscles in the front of your legs are soar. Also checking with the health food shop for supplements for plantar fascia problems and foods for this. this condition is meant to be called plantar fasciosis since it's about dead tissue not inflamation. Therefore it must be a circulation problem. Massaging legs with rolling pin. Alkaline cooking is another possibility. I'm just at the start of this so cannot tell you what has worked for me but this was the information that made the most sense to me. My wild card has been looking at foot chakra. Not my usual line of enquiry and my knowledge in this area is very limited but hey. . Worth a shot. You have gone through a terrible ordeal and i hope you find a solution sooner rather than later. All the best.

I was diagnosed with PF about 20 years ago. I had 3 cortisone injections which did not really help then the pain just went away on its own after about 3 years. Then in November 2011 the pain came back in the same foot and just keeps getting worse. I have had 3 more injections which offered no relief whatsoever, I have carried out the suggested excercises every day, have used ice and a night splint, all to no effect. I also have various insoles in my shoes ( I should say that I only wear trainers as they are the most comfortable things I can bear on my feet.) Nothing seems to help. Walking anywhere is agony and has had a great impact on my life as I have dogs which need excercise every day. I have also recently had to give up my job as it involved long periods on my feet. I'm not having a "go" at the NHS as I was a nurse for 19 years, but I feel that this condition is not taken seriously enough. Each appointment is months apart and in the meantime I'm left in agony. At my last appointment, I took a cutting from the Daily Mail newspaper which outlined a treatment where blood is taken from the arm and injected in the heel, the person I saw had never even heard about it! I have done everything in my power to avoid bothering anyone else with this but it has completely taken over my life. The good news is that I have another appointment with a specialist tomorrow, god willing he will be able to suggest some positive treatment. Will keep you posted.

Sorry to hear about your pain - I had a similar experience and tried just about anything to take it away.

The only thing that's helped me - like someone else who has replied is support in the heel arch.

There's a technical term called - heel strike, this is when you put 2.5 times your bodyweight through your foot - and the plantar muscle. This is when walking become very painful and sore as the weight is put through this part of your foot. The only thing that worked for me was when a podiatrist recommended an insole called orthoshock insole. It cost under £20 and the reason why it worked for me is that it absorbs the impact when walking which was my problem. I don't know if it will help your foot pain but that would be my advice - hope this helps

Sue,

Many thanks. Since writing in 2013, I have had the procedure where blood is taken from the arm then plasma is injected into the heel. That was in February 2013. Initially, there was no improvement but then I was given insoles with arch supports by the hospital. Something worked, though I don't know what. I also stopped doing the excercises and this seemed to help, contrary to what I had been told about the benefits of excercise! By November 2012 I was almost pain free and continue to be so. Long may it last. I actually think that the heel supports supplied by the hospital should have been the first line of attack for this condition. Prior to that I had bought every insole on the market with no effect. Luckily, I finally got referred to a Podiatrist who had an interest in my pain, what a relief that was, hope you remain pain free.

Glynis

Glynis, any idea what make of insoles the hospital gave you? I am truly fed up pouring money down the drain buying yet more insoles that promise to relieve the pain in my heel. Doing exercises but do not feel they are helping but that's what the doctor said to do as he also had PF and he said they worked for him. Any help would be much appreciated.

AnnB

Ann. I have had a look at my insoles and there is no writing at all on them. All I can tell you is that they were suIpplied by Northumbria Healthcare Trust. They have a built-up arch support and the heels are also built up. They actually look cheap and nasty but have worked for me. My feet were measured before the soles were made to order. Please don't mistake these insoles for the ones which are shown in hospital brochures, (the ones you have to pay for). I have to repeat that excercises made my pain worse and it is since I stopped that I have got rid of the pain. I hope you get some relief soon as I also was fed up buying insoles that did not work at all.

Glynis

I feel your pain. I really do. And it sounds like you have done all u can do. It could be worse....you could be like me and confined basically to my bedroom bc I can barely get around at all. The pain is unbearable and my life has been on hold now for about 8 or 9 months. I've almost lost count. All I can do is pray at this point since He is the only 1 that can truly take this from me. I wish you the best and keep us posted. 

I feel your pain, I'm 29 years old with a 3 year old and a 5year old I work part time, I suffer with this but on both feet only been a few weeks but I'm in so much pain I can brarly walk.😭 I've ordered crutches now so see if that helps I'm already limping around on top of that I suffer from migraines every day as well as lower back pain. I'm at that point that I just want to brake down in tears I can't take no more I'm 29? And I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my left hand! If I have any thing more with me! I said to my husband I will end up in a wheelchair by the end of the year, 😭😭😭😭😭

Hi your not the only one last )ct0ber 2015 told to take pain killer and on second appointment given sheet with the  condition five GP's later. I did manage after shouting in doctors surgery saw  my Gp given sterold injection which did not work but good he tried and refered at last to consultant  that took 10 weeks after that now in 2016 report gps to paitent association and CQC and not further along. Finally after seeing consultant again good phsio but still in agony and wish could cut my foot off and go to  Fitz Patrick the bionic vet round the corner. Due to pain and trying to work self employed life is bloody miserqable has your condition got any better.

 

Hi Emily,

I have a sever case of plantar fasciosis, it's been less than two months and despite rest and taking many precautions it's getting worse and worse and I can no longer walk or stand more than one hour a day. I can only walk very slowly with small steps, every step with discomfort. Although in my case the pain is only in the arch of my feet and not in the heel at all.

Anyway, your post is from 10 years ago but it would be nice to know if you recovered or ended up in a wheel chair like I probably will.