Hi, I'm from the UK so my treatment is on the NHS and I'm at my wits end.
I worked in retail full time for over 10 years and was constantly rushing around on my feet for 8 hours a day or more. I started to get a pain like cramp around the front of my left foot just above the toes, my mum suggested using scholl orthotics, I wore flat ballerina type shoes both inside and out of work. As time went on about 3 years ago I started to get severe unbearable heel pain that spread from my left foot to the right, it felt like there was no flesh at all supporting my heel when I was walking or standing, it felt like there was a golf ball inside each heel with a tee still attached and the tee would grind down through my heel, I had to take a ridiculous amount of time off work and last year I was so stressed that nothing was changing I had to resign and have been out of work ever since and just going through ruts of depression and major stress, I'm 34 years old and feel I'm on the scrap heap, I walked a lot as a hobby but of course it had to stop, I've always been active and weigh about 10 stone so my weight couldn't be a factor.
I'll go into my treatment now, I saw a GP who said I had all the symptoms of PF and suggested I see a podiatrist, the podiatrist agreed it was PF and also that I had heel spurs, she said she could feel them when she cupped her hand around my heels. From there it was back to my GP for pain relief, I got Ibuprofen and told to use ice packs, I couldn't work because in my job there are no seated positions. Back again to the GP for pain relief because normal Ibuprofen didn't even touch it so I was prescribed Meloxicalm I think and you could take it with paracetamol for extra relief, turns out that I should never have been prescribed it in the first place and I suffered constant bouts of nausea for the next 3 months until I got some stomach meds sorted. 6 months or so after that another GP suggested cortisone in one heel to see if it helped and put me on a waiting list to see a consultant podiatrist at my local hospital, I waited about 6 months to see him, the cortisone only had a slight effect that lasted about 3 weeks, I had been using orthotics from a private podiatrist and wearing more supportive sport shoes, the consultant recommended ultra sound guided cortisone in another hospital and to try the strassburg sock in bed that pulls your toes back but I couldn't wear them comfortably in bed so they were a waste. 6 months later I went to the other hospital and the consultant there disagreed with the PF diagnosis but didn't explain further, my local consultant also referred me to physio every 2 weeks, I got no answers about whether I could've been misdiagnosed from anyone, my physio seemed to think it could be a gait problem because my calves felt very tight, the massage from the physio was painful but did make my legs feel looser. I continued with the physio exercises and still do to this day, I have tried every orthotic on the market, gel etc and compression socks. My consultant can't give me any straight answers as to the heel spurs he had an X-ray that I had done a year or so before I saw him from a sprained ankle and it showed no bone spurs on that foot so he's ruled that out, I've been fitted for 2 pairs of custom orthotics 1st pair were very solid the 2nd a bit more spongy but I'' still in the same position. Because I don't have a job the pain isn't so severe but if I got another job I would be the same. Really disappointed with the hospital treatment, I've questioned everything and have gone through all their treatments except surgery and I'm not willing to do that because of the success rate and infection risk.
I've seen 2 private physio's the first told me to try to train my brain to roll my foot from heel to toe when walking and did a bit of electro therapy that really hurt my feet along the arches, the second physio said that it was possible that the PF had healed but my arches were under a lot of strain, that's were most of the pain is centered now, I got heel raising inserts from them and they seem to help a bit or maybe I'm so desperate I think they are, my feet have very high arches because I've used orthotics for so long.
U.K. Treatment is different from US can anyone tell me what I could do, friends & family try to help by saying I should walk a bit more but then I'm in pain!! If anyone can suggest anything or give advice I would e so grateful, nobody understands the levels of pain everyday and on days out, even doing the weekly grocery run hurts. Please can someone suggest what to do, I'm due to see my consultant soon and I nearly feel like attacking him with all my questions that he never seems to answer! I've never been offered an x ray or MRI that some people seem to find helpful. I want some quality of life back and desperately need to get back to work!!!