not agree more... most doctors refuse to give the shots as they have equal chance of harming the tendon....
You have lots of options but sound a bit defeatist... the shots are to lower the inflammation but there are other things you could try first.... whilst the carpet fitting cant have helped, it is unlikely to have caused PF... otherwise you would have got it before now and all carpet fitters would have it... something triggered it - more likely the way you walk over time due to prior injury etc. (Mine commenced after broken ankle).
There are things you can do though and it woudl be a shame if you did not try them to heal yourself, as otherwise likely to come back...
1. Serious ice seems to help a lot of people - i mean serious icing to lower the inflammation.
2. Swimming - this is really helpful. KNow it dreadfully dull but if you determine to learn to do itproperly e.g. look at Ryan Lochte on Facebook and determine to improve your technique e.g. i decided to get to taking 2 strokes off per length within a month... i.e. have a target, then this is really brilliant at all these tendon and ligament things. (If you get PF, you are likely to get inflammation of tendon /ligaments elsewhere too e.g. in Achiles Tendon or shoulder etc). I try and swim every other day now as really helps.
3. Diet. Cut out things which might not help e.g. Wheat or Nightshade veggies. Increase fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, Fish. See whether you feel better. WHatever, every pound you lose is less on your feet (by factor of 10 due to pressure exerted). You can have a food test to see if there is something which is causing inflammation. KNow this sounds daft but Novak Djokovic only started winning when he had the test and sorted out his diet and that sorted out his feet...
4. Dirnk at least 2l of water a day - the body will try and heal your PF but it needs rest, ice, water, vits to rebuild cells. SOme swear by CLO tablets and other things too and there seems to be some clinical evidence for CLO (but not much for other things, but some swear by Chondriotin etc, but my Doc said there was no clinical evidence for latter yet but there was for CLO).
5. See a Physio.. they give you exercises where you sit up with your legs out in front of you straight. Do not move your knee or heel - the latter should be on ground. Twist your toes in 3 sets x10 and then out same. This strengthens the ligs along the arch and betwen tibia and fib. I do this with a pilates band attached to something (or the other foot) to provide resistance to strengthen further. No harm in this and not much else strengthens these ligament / tendons. The physio will also have you strngthening your core tummy muscles and glutes (your bum), so that when you alk, about 1/3rd of the weight is really from the hips; then heel, then through to big toe. Walking properly with the correct gait takes a bit of learning but i have re-learned and now its second nature. Orthotics are meant to do this without you thinking but they dont really work in many cases; do not correct what is wrong and you'll probably end up with somethign else hurting.
The shoes really help (in my view). The orthotics didnt help me particularly compared to the softy cushty shoes combined with getting much fitter. I just decided i didnt want all these aches and pains and determined to sort my body out with swimming, diet, cushty shoes, physio rather than starting on a downward spiral of relying on doctors and jabs without sorting out the underlying issues causing the pain. I did try the doctors stuff and paid >£400 for orthotics from the guy who looks after a premiership footbal club; went to top rheumatologist in UK; got physio from girl who looked after Team GB at Olympics... but in my humble opinion, the docs can only do so much - just determine to sort your health out as PF is a warning shot of worse to come... water, diet, swim, cushty shoes, exercise, strengthen your core to walk properly... etc etc all these will make you better and feel tons healthier and none can harm you...