Shall a just be done with it and cut off my foot?

[TokyoSushi]

I have severe plantar fasciitis in one foot. I've had it for about 10 weeks. It is beyond painful and quite frankly every step makes me feel sick.

I have:

• been to the GP, 'it's plantar fasciitis, nothing you can do, hang your heels off a step a couple of times a day and eventually it'll go, could take up to 6 months though. Ooh it is painful isn't it, look you can hardly walk on that foot, hey ho, crack on with it... 🙄'
• taken ibuprofen, didn't do much, stopped
• done the exercise where you hang your heels off the back of a step
• done calf stretches, heel stretches, foot stretches, all the stretches
• rolled my foot on a frozen water bottle
• rolled my foot on a golf ball
• rolled my foot on a special spiky massage ball
• bought expensive recovery sliders and worn those without fail around the house
• worn Birkenstocks around the house
• worn trainers around the house
• gone to yoga
• completely rested, elevated and iced it for days
• carried on as normal
• done stretches before getting out of bed in the morning
• placed my foot very carefully on the floor when getting out of bed

NOTHING WORKS, it is hurting all the time and I can't bear it anymore. DS(13) says the way I walk looks like I have my foot in a bear trap!

Please help me!!!

Following with interest and sympathy, I am ten months in so far and it's driving me mad. Podiatrist offered laser treatment but it's £40 a session, not guaranteed to cure it and I'd need four to six sessions over about two weeks, which is a real problem to fit in.

I have just spent £££ on insoles for a separate foot problem; podiatrist was a bit dismissive of the PF because it will go eventually (when, god, when?) and it doesn't indicate any mechanical problem. I had it in both feet at first and the stretching exercise seemed to work on the other foot but not this one. I've been in tears, the pain is sometimes so bad.

Hoping I will wake up cured one day as other people have said.

i had it for 2 years, although the physio thinks it more likely I had a broken bone in my heel. Anyway, physio and Hoka One trainers.

Last July I was hobbling around Yellowstone with it. Then it just went a few months later… to be replaced by knee pain in the other leg :/ - which is slowly going but my job doesn’t help.

I had PF so bad that I remember telling the physio that I was more painful than giving birth. What resolved it for me;

1- Physio
2 - Enetor insoles - sadly not metal and leather!!
3- lace up ankle boots almost all the time
4- never being barefoot
5- actually going the physio exercises every night for months.

Mine improved when I got insoles and arch support shoes and wore them absolutely all the time. I wasn’t able to go down stairs properly I was skidding along the handrail to avoid putting my foot down, it was ridiculous. About 2 months of those shoes and it’s basically gone

It's agony so I sympathise. Get special inner soles made and don't walk around barefoot or in slippers. You need support on your feet. I suddenly woke up one morning and realised my foot wasn't hurting anymore! But I now religiously wear inner soles as I don't ever want it returning

All
That worked for me was never ever going barefoot or wearing anything without insoles. So I wear Archie's from the literal minute I get up then all my shoes have insoles.

I've now got a weird think with one of my Achilles tendons when I first get up from sitting down or in the morning, which may or may not be related, but I'd take that over the awful PF any day of the week!

Ask for a referral to podiatry and physio (you can sleep refer to both in my trust and don'tneed to see the GP)

Sadly my PF actually turned out to be an autoimmune arthritis (a locum picked up on the possibility on my 4th GP visit 😢 and referred me to rheumatology and I was diagnosed relatively quickly. I am medicated and "well" now - well as in I can walk and no longer have chronic foot pain)

Best of luck.

Massage gun fixed mine, buy them from Amazon, highest level you can stand, massage right into the sore bit and up the back of your leg, hurts like hell but fixed my PF in a couple of days xx

I saw a physio for mine through my medical cover at work. It has completely gone, problem with nhs is you will wait 6-12 months to see a physio so gps are maybe now not referring at all....who knows. My physio did some hands on massage at each appt and a lot of my stretches were focused on the calves.

Shock wave therapy

I had really badly and nearly bought crutches it was so bad.
In my experience it's all about the footwear. Wearing the right footwear will stop it over time.
Fitflops trainers were the best for me. I got them for about 35.00 off M and M direct. In my work shoes I put an insole in that I bought off Amazon.

I cured my terrible foot pain by wearing only Vionics shoes or occasionally a form arch support insole in a different shoe. I wear no shoes that have a flat foot bed.

Vionics are expensive but often on sale. These are my go to work shoes and I can easily walk 20k steps in them, they are so comfortable:

www.vionicshoes.co.uk/jacey-wedge.html?color=997&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&crtp=paidsearch&aid=28506&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8fu1BhBsEiwAwDrsjNwYoXQCFmhFwF8QJMkHkYZL7xF8oPeqP2qqBgz3Zl-deR55KvE_DxoCn2wQAvD_BwE

I had it, I was nursing. Wearing flat shoes slippers at home. Very unlikely you will get free podiatry referral on the NHS usually reserved for diabetic only. I saw a senior podiatrist,deep tissue massage, excercises for tight calves
Osteopath with podiatry specialist, heel supports in shoes. Shoes worn with small heels

I’m suffering at the minute, the only thing that brings relief is wearing my crocs. Hope you’re feeling better soon. x

Mine took about six months to go. Tried insoles, stretching, night splint. Naproxen helped the pain.
Then suddenly when walking one day I felt something tear just where the pain was as I put my foot down and from then on it disappeared. I presume some sort of adhesion.

I worked on my feet 45 hrs a week so it didn’t help but once I changed jobs it got better. My dr referred me to a nhs podiatrist, 5 month wait but they gave free insoles which are amazing

Voltarol ointment on your feet at night.

But basically you have to do all of the things. It took me several years to sort my feet out, definitely a calf problem too.

Try lifting your toes up when you walk, so to land on your mid foot. I figured I wasn't walking properly.

Oh I sympathise op. I remember crying with the pain - PF is awful. I saw a podiatrist privately and was religious about the exercises etc they gave me. I also never walk barefoot or in unsupported footwear these days. It does go eventually. I hope yours goes soon.

Massaging the outside of my calf with a massage gun helped me. Also lost a lot of weight.

The pain is the fascia re-ripping each time you put your foot down. So you've not gone down pretty much the only route that stops it happening for long enough for the fascia to start to heal again.

Stop wearing the Birkenstocks for a start. My ds had lots of problems with this and it was for him a problem with his arches and rolling his foot inwards. We got specialist trainers from a running shop and some decent arch supports for his school shoes. We were also advised to avoid heavy footwear and make sure shoes were light and not pulling on his foot. You do need to see a specialist to work out what the cause is of yours but you can tell if you under or over pronate by looming for uneven wear on the inside or outside of your heals on shoes. My ds had lots of wear on the inside.

Ask your GP to arrange a cortisone injection.

Having suffered from plantar fasciitis for 5 years.. i think you are some way away from cutting your own foot off! 10 weeks is nothing.. and you are probably classed as in the 'normal range' for recovery from it.

There's loads of advice and videos online which can help with the physio required to sort this problem out.

Personally, i had physio (didn't work), i have several injections into it (didn't work) and then finally i was offered electroshock therapy.. i had 6 sessions on the NHS and i've never suffered with the pesky ailment again.

its the only think that sorted mine and i suffered for 5 years! i wish i had known about it sooner, i would have paid to have it done. I had 6 sessions and have never suffered with it again