hi I'm new to forum , long story , don't want to bore you with too much, had plantar fasciitis for about 3 years now tried everything insoles,stretching strapping had cortisone injections in heal and ultrasound guided ones had shockwave therapy acupuncture and had coblation surgery doctor has given me all treatment you can think of . Pain excruciatingly painful when I stand and even when I'm in bed it throbs all night .at the end of me tether, now need to consider having them cut but so confused ,don't no what to do .anyone out there with any ideas cause I haven't got any
Hi Angela - I really do sympathise with your problem and am afraid all I can off is sympathy.
Over the last few years I have had recurring bouts of PF each one getting worse and longer. Last July I was laid up for over two weeks as like you I had the throbbing pain most nights and could only drag myself around clinging onto furniture.
I have found that only complete rest with no walking has worked for me - I know with work and other commitments this can be difficult or impossible. After my last bout I was left with a very stiff painful heel that made walking difficult for over two months. Started calf stretching and this seems to have worked as have not had a bad flare up since although my foot is still often very painful.
Surgery is the last option and I hope others who have had the procedure can tell you of their experiences.
As I have said on this forum before none of the so-called experts seem to really know what they are doing, it's just a case of try this, try that, and if it doesn't work try something else. I wish a proper long term study was carried out at some medical institution with in-depth PF research, but with budget cuts, and as it is not life threatening, I doubt this will happen.
Anyway I hope something works for you soon.
Hi David , thanks for the reply, I've had it for so long now it's driving me nuts!! But I guess you no how painful it can be. There are no answers I suppose but I've tried so many things that this is now my last option , I just hope this works just scared it will make it worse ,,but anything is worth a try. 😔
Hello Angela - sorry I couldn't be of more help.
Yes I certainly do know the excruciating, debilitating miserable pain of PF only too well. At night somtimes my foot was throbbing so bad I had to rest it on two pillows and keep the covers off - not that this made much difference! At other times there was no pain and I could move my toes, yes it's gone I thought, only to stand up and feel a 1000 volt shock shoot up from my heel to my head, and know there was yet another day of it.
It really is a miserable condition and I hope something soon works for you.
Hi David I've done that so many times and it's excruciating only people who suffer from this understand other people just think your moaning about achy feet, I try not to talk to people about it because they just think I'm mad !!! Hope you get some relief soon like you say you just have to keep trying ,, I just think it gets hard sometimes just have trouble coping when they give us no sleep , makes us more miserable by the day.. have had pain killers but they don't work long term
Angela,
Did they put you to sleep when they did your shock wave therapy?
Hi Dennis .No they don't put you to sleep for shockwave therapy. It's uncomfortable but not excruciating they can turn it up or down depending on how much you can stand. I had mine at a private hospital , by there physio department I had it for 6 consecutive weeks. But still didn't help made it worse if anything.
So sorry. I have been through everything you have. They put me to sleep using an "Ossatron" machine. Too painful to be awake. I'm 40 and have had for 10 yrs. I work in Orthopedics so know a lot. No one wants to cut me for fear of destabilizing the arch and foot drop.
I no there are risks with the operation but I have an amazing podiatrist surgeon who always is honest with me and tells me all good and bad things that can happen ,but I have been through all other options, with little or no effect I cannot carry on the way that I am. Something has to work at some point 😳😕
I'm so sorry to hear of your ongoing battle with PF. I was able to diagnose my PF very early and have managed to get it under control quickly (about 3 weeks from first symptoms). However, it was a horrible journey, albeit short. So, I empathize with you greatly!! My suggestion is to get your gait analyzed. I'd come across this advice on a site and it makes a lot of sense. The woman felt the source of her recurring PF was actually a weak lower back forcing her to walk awkwardly. I think this could also be a contributing factor to my PF as I am about to undergo a total hip replacement. When my hip is bothering me the most and my gait is off to compensate, I begin to feel the twinges of PF coming on. I quickly rest, stretch and stick to my cushioned shoes (Crocs and Brooks Adrenaline) to get back to pain-free. I know it is hard to rest and live your life simultaneously. I suggest using a walker (an inexpensive one is fine or, even just a cane) to alleviate stress on the fascia. I also recommend acupuncture. It helps - a lot!! Good luck.
Hi Linda, yes I've tried accupuncture it didn't help everything still the same don't find walking with a stick helpful though Not sure what to do next to be honest just so Fed up of it all. It's one of those situations isn't it you don't gave a choice you have to stand on them it's just getting harder to carry on with trying to have a normal life ,I've always been active so I'm struggling with not been able to do the things I want , it's so frustrating I no if I do that bit too much I'll pay for it later in the day .
Angela, Please do a Google search for an article called "The Running Doc on Plantar Fasciitis" by Dr Lewis Maharam. This is what he says:
"Fortunately, treatment is easier than most. Good arch supports or orthotics are key: full length, flexible, no hard pastic! Stretches of the calf relieve arch tightness as the heel bone acts like a fulcrum pulling back the arch tissue if too tight. Perform the gastroc and soleus stretches regularly - you can’t do them too much.
Finally, the magic cure is to roll a golf ball under the arch for a half-hour once a day. This may hurt the first week. Keep going because by week two the pain will be gone!
Really!
Enjoy the ride!"
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I read this two weeks ago and decided to try it. I have been rolling my foot on a hard massage ball. It has really helped me. You must do it for half an hour every day. I urge you to try it.
Thanks for that Lucy I'll have a look tried rollin things under feet but was a tennis ball and frozen ice bottles .ill have a go thankyou. Anything is worth trying.
Worst decision I ever made was having surgery on both feet. From having pain in the heel (which was improving slowly) I went to having inflammation as well as pain along the full length of the feet.
Of course everyone has different problems, the doctors diagnose almost all symptoms of the under foot as of?
Yours sounds very bad so it may be beneficial for your problem. Good luck.
Angela, I tried the frozen water bottle and I also was doing the massage ball for 5 minutes a day. The key is to do it for 30 minutes a day. It is boring as hell and tiring. I do it in the bathroom and hold on to the vanity or sit on the toilet. I watch TV or youtube on my ipad when I am doing it.
My background story: I've had plantar fasciitis for over six months. I had a cortisone shot (did not work) and seven laser therapy sessions and two shockwave treatments which helped about 50%. I only wish that I had read what this doctor said about using the golf ball six months earlier. He is an MD and specializes in sports medicine.
I do not have a golf ball so I am using this hard plastic massage ball with spikes which is also used for plantar fasciitis. I have been doing it for two weeks and it has really helped me. Like you, I was willing to try anything. This has done more for me than the other things that I have been doing, Good luck!
Hi Angela I have had PF for 10 years and ive had everything the doctors can offer me apart from surgery. After an awful lot of tears, indecision and despair I am having plantar fascia release surgery tommorow on both feet. I hope it's the right decision. I shall send a post to say how I got on and maybe it will help you make a decision. Chin up. Amy.
Hi Amy,sorry to hear that you have to go through this too.its a long hard road to getting anywhere as the doctors don't like to do this operation unless everything else has failed.i have a couple of weeks to make the last decision but I'm so scared of making it ,once there cut there cut ,no going back.But when all else fails what do you do,,,, I Carnot stand being in so much pain any longer .
i really do wish you all the best and hope your operation goes well please let me know how your doing wishing you lots of love Xxx
hi lucy ,yes I've tried the rolling on all sorts of things, mainly while I'm eating dinner, or when I've eventually sat down at night .still didn't really help that much always feels a little better then it hits like a train with the pain shooting right up the back of my legs .but I'll keep with it I've tried everything else .
oh no I'm sorry to hear that. My surgeon said he'll do one at a time so I can get over it and not make me any more useless .how long ago did you have surgery ,what kind did you have I've already had coblation surgery and that didn't work. I hope you can get some help for the problems you now have .have you tried another podiatrists surgeon I've been to 2 hospitals as the first one didn't have the knowledge the surgeon had at the private one x
Hi Angela,
I had Plantar release on both feet, this means slicing the plantar to release tension but it took another 12 years to recover from the operation to a point where I was 90%better. L
Unfortunately it returned 12 months ago and only now I am able to go running but standing for period of time on hard floors is a no no.
I have found the 3/4 insoles which support the arches to be useful and maybe I should be more persistent with the golf ball routine as it seems popular.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news in my case but I have known people have it for just a few weeks also. I believe time and cushioning are the best treatment.
Good luck again