Plantar Fasciitis
 

Anybody have or had this? I'm baffled. I have tried every sock, compression sock, arch support with little to no relief.

Do I really have to stay off of my foot in order for it to heal?

I'm convinced it's my gait that has brought this on. I overcompensate for my left leg/foot and my right one is now paying the price.

I'm so tired of trying things only to find that they don't work nearly as well as the reviews make you believe they do. The only thing that has given me even five minutes of relief are Salonpas. Those things are great.

I had this before the summer and even had an xray taken of my foot to rule out any fractures. There were none and the ER doctor said it was probably spasticity that has caused the tendon to become enflamed. It sort of went away on it's own but has come back with a vengeance.

Has anyone else dealt with this and what did you do to get any relief?

Have you tried rubbing in some Aspercreme Lidocaine on the area, including the Achille's tendon?

I have a worry for you... Cipro disrupts tendons and can lead to ruptures over time. The tendon issues can show up months into years after use of this drug and is cousins (fluoroquinolones).I hope this is NOT a cause for your pain.
I recall at one time you did use Cipro.

I had this many years ago when I was working midnights.
It was in both feet...so I understand how painful this is.

This website I think is the most complete and best one for information about foot issues:

Heel Pain & Plantar Fasciitis :: Diagnosis and Treatment Information

If you have any Morton's epsom lotion left (since it was discontinued) I'd apply that to the area
twice a day. The magnesium will enter the skin and block pain signals from the NMDA receptors which are pain signalers.

Thank you, MrsD, for that link......it was very informative.

I have a doctors appt next Tuesday and plan on asking about the Cipro connection and also about the Thyroid connection as well.

My take on this is my gait has caused the inflammation of the tendons since I overcompensate with my right foot. But I'll let the doctor do the diagnosing......they tend too get their feathers ruffled when I suggest something.

Hi Kitty,

I have tendonitis in my left ankle that causes a lot of pain. Until you posted this I didn't realize that thyroid conditions can be related to tendonitis. Mine isn't quite as painful as yours but I do have to wear an ankle brace most of the time. I wonder if my doctors even know about the thyroid connection?

I'm going to the doctor on Tuesday of next week and I'm going to ask about the thyroid connection. I'll post here what I find out.

I hope your ankle feels better. :hug:

Hope you're feeling better now, I suffer from it at least once a month, my arches just fall and I feel completely crippled for a few days as every step I take is painful. But I have found tennis balls to be my bestest friends. One of the very few things I've been able to take away from PT that doesn't cripple me further. But its really easy and feels sooooo good, you just place the tennis ball on the floor, put your foot over it and roll it around with the bottom of your foot making sure you're massaging the arches of the foot as you do so. A nice epsom salt foot soak helps a lot too.

But yes, the less walking around you do while it's bothering you the quicker it will heal up. Basically you're stepping on and bruising with each step the soft tissues in bottom of your foot. So rather like any other bruise the more pressure you apply to it and the more you hit it, the longer it's going to take to heal up. Massage, soak and elevate the feet as much as possible for at least the first couple of days and just hope it doesn't become a persistent issue, as it can lead to bone spurs in the heels which creates its own special set of painful problems.

Hi Kitty. I have had this and even though I saw a podiatrist etc and as well as u was convinced I'd broken my foot I actually had a b12 deficiency that was really low affecting my muscles and nerves. Might be worth looking into. I now have fibro thanks to them never testing me for over 3 years even though they knew I was deficient when I had my son but wasn't checked after until 3 years wen my foot went numb. It hurt to walk and I ended up with a limp. It did go however but I didn't stop walking etc just try rest it. Drove me mad wondering what it was hope it settles soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! I do take a B12 supplement every day but I haven't had my levels checked for quite a while so I will have them check it next time they take blood.

Hi Kitty.

I know this thread is from last year but I am curious if you found any relief or answers.

I have had problems with my feet for quite a while, I have spent a small fortune on shoes but inevitably my feet hurt. I assumed the problem was due to MS (Man! I need to quite doing that). MS affected my feet early on.

Well, MS is partially to blame but not in the way I thought. The diagnosis is contracture of the Achilles tendon (shortening of the Achilles tendon). This is more than likely due to spasticity. I now have flat feet and bunions on both big toes, everything is bilateral with the left foot being worse.

On my left foot the big toe and the one next to it have "drifted" together, Dr. is uncertain if one is drifting towards the other or they are both drifting together. This has hindered my walking quite a bit which is quite frustrating and painful.

I was referred to a clinic for custom Orthotics and I should have them in two weeks. My Dr. wants me to give the Orthotics time to see if they will correct some or all of the problems. In this way he can decide if surgery is needed or not.

Oh! Let me not forget, if insurance doesn't pay for the Orthotics I will owe 325.00 for the Orthotics :eek:

Man! Getting older and having MS sucks.

Okay. I think I'm done :p

Thanks, Snoopy. I'm thinking I cannot afford to have MS any longer. :rolleyes:

I'm still suffering with my right foot nearly every day. Some days it's quite unbearable. At this point my right foot is swollen on top and all around my ankle. I have a small fortune invested in Plantar remedies......none of which work. :mad:

Ouch kitty :( and snoopy :(. I suffer from it on an on and off basis, my arches can never seem to decide if they want to stay in place or fall. But when they fall, I rub them on a tennis ball and ice alternately and have found that using some plain old medical tape around my big toe and attaching it to the inside of my foot with just some light pressure on the taped toe seems to help put my arches back in place. (Normally I use the white cloth tape but used clear in the photo below just to give an idea on pressure, but you need the little extra stretch that cloth tape provides to be able to walk still with it taped up.) Also split sole shoes help a lot too. I need to replace my last pair, but look for ones that you can adjust the lacing on in the arch area of the foot, it will allow you to customize your arch support to wherever you need it (and at only about $40-50 a pair is far cheaper than custom made orthotic shoes).

Gently stretch everyday, avoid walking around barefoot too often, massage the arch and foot throughout the day, ice any inflammation and soothe pain with a nice "lukewarm" saltwater foot bath and if you can tolerate it apply some ligament (absorbine, aspercreme...) but I have found that the so called arch support booties and foot wrap things that only apply pressure to the arch itself are totally useless. They don't address the other parts of the foot being affected and do to address the real issue that is causing it to fall in the first place. (Tighten Achilles' tendon being a main culprit, bunions another though more often if you aren't a card carrying member of the pointed toe shoe brigade it's a side-effect of the fallen arch syndrome.)

But given the length of time you've been suffering as well as the swelling across the top of your foot and your ankle... have they taken an MRI yet? That's not typical of plantar fasciitis...discoloration and mild swelling on the bottom of your foot is normal and expected but it shouldn't be affecting the top of your foot and ankle. Sounds like you have a lot more going on than a simple flat foot, so if the doctor hasn't already ordered an MRI it might be time to find a new doctor, probably a sports medicine doctor.

:o aww the poor little curled piggies. Thought I had managed to straighten them out for their photo op but seems they had other ideas when I pushed the button. When not spasming my toes are usually much straighter than that lol. But that's a whole different issue from plantar fasciitis and did highlight a bit more pressure on the big toe than I intended since it wanted to join in the fun but was prevented from doing so by the taping.

Kitty have you been to a Podiatrist? That's who evaluated my feet and ordered my custom Orthotics (inserts). The good news is insurance is covering it and all I will owe is $24.00. The Podiatrist said part of the problem would be due to tight calves (spasticity). That was a light bulb moment for me as my calves have been tight and painful for awhile. I use a rolling pin to loosen the calf muscles and have increased doing so.

When your foot is swollen wear shoes, they work as compression and will reduce the swelling. Have you brought this to the attention of your PCP?

Starznight, I have flat feet (no arch), the Orthotics will give me an arch and quite a bit of padding. The top of my left foot hurts, tendons are over stretched and too tight. wrapping any of the toes causes extreme pain as does using padding between toes, I know this because I tried it before seeing the Podiatrist :)

I saw the PA at my PCP's office first and she recommended trying sports tape to try and reduce the pain while I wait to see the Podiatrist, results were mixed.

The clinic for my Orthotics called this morning and needed to reschedule my appointment so I won't get them until the 30th <sigh>

I got plantar fasciitis from wearing a 1/2 size too small shoes in the summer when my feet swelled..
My chiro treated mine.. low level laser & arch supports and I got rid of those shoes so I never wore them again.. he also did some foot/ankle stretching & massage. but that laser took the worst of that pain away & the arch supports kept it away..
I got extra arch supports off the shelf at the local department stores, some brands are more comfortable than others , so a store that has easy returns is nice..

Even after the pain faded away I liked the support from the arch supports so still use them in certain shoes, but don't need them now..

Snoopy & Jo, thanks for your suggestions.

Snoopy, yes I do have a podiatrist. I might be changing, though, due to distance.

I think most of my problem is that I walk around the house in socks 99.9% of the time. My drop foot makes it nearly impossible to wear shoes in the house unless I want to risk falling. I've bought nearly every kind of contraption on the market to help Plantars Fasciitis but none seem to help much.

Some days are better than others. With my MS if I sit too long my legs start to cramp so I have to at least stand up to stretch every 15 minutes to half hour.

I take Advil which is the only OTC med that seems to help.

Thanks, Starz. I do have one item that keeps cold on the bottom and top of my foot simultaneously so I probably need to use that more often. But I don't have flat feet. I have a definite arch and use flexible arch supports some of the time. It helps a little.

I do think I need to see a doctor about the swelling on top of my foot. I wonder if I have broken a bone...maybe a hairline fracture or something. All I know is it hurts like a *beepity beep* first thing in the morning. :o

Have any of your doctors talked about an AFO? I have foot drop on the left foot and got a super lightweight carbon fiber AFO, you can barely even feel it.. there was another apparatus which just attached around your shoe laces and wrapped around the ankle, but my ankle wasn't strong enough to control the foot with that one. But even the larger brace is comfortable enough to wear around the house, might be worth looking into at least after they figure out what's happening with the foot itself

Ouch! I have never had plantar fasciitis. I do get tendonitis a lot in other places including the Achilles's tendon. I have tried all sorts of things but haven't found anything to give me complete relief. I had a occupational therapist tell me about horse liniment for joint pain, which I haven't tried yet. I'm wondering if it would work for tendonitis and your plantar fasciitis.

I hope you get relief soon.:hug:

I was fitted for an AFO......they made a mold of my lower leg and foot and the end result was a product that was so hard and uncomfortable that it was unusable. Plus it was impossible to find a shoe that would fit with the AFO. Wasted time and money. The lightweight carbon fiber AFO sounds like something I would be interested in if insurance covers it. I'll check into it.

Horse liniment? Do you have to get it from a vet? I'm willing to try (almost) anything to get some relief.

I googled it and here is what I found:

How to Use Horse Liniment for People - Chapman's Premium All Natural :: horse liniment, people, humans, herbal, linament, horses, natural, herbal remedy

Many horse liniments have magnesium in them. That link does not. It does say on their site that humans should not use their product. Lots of herbs in that product, so I would be careful using it, if you decide to.

When I worked with horses, I always used some of their absorbine equine gel on my shoulder which has chronic tendonitis. I worked so much better than the absorbine jr you can get at Walmart and the like... and we didn't need to pick it up from the vet it was over the counter at any of the local feed stores, ace hardware, tractor supply type places and also we could order it from Stateline Tack, online or through the catalog. Petsmart might not carry it though since they don't have much if anything for equines. But if you don't have a feed store or a tractor supply in your area you can always go to Stateline tack online and order it. And if you like horses or livestock they have a variety of cute things for around the house too 😊

She said that you can purchase it at a feed store. I haven't gotten any yet so I don't know how much it cost and such. She did not give me a name brand either.

Very good point, mrsD! Some herbs do not mix with the medicines that many of us are on and can have unwanted side effects, even if you aren't on medicine.

3 oz of absorbine gel costs about $5-6, it's really the same ingredients as absorbine jr, and absorbine plus, just a stronger concentration of the active ingredients then the ones they make for most people... no magnesium or things of that nature in it. You can probably find plenty of other ones out there, my family's just has always used absorbine and most of the folks around me growing up prefered it to aspercreme and such. And honestly it's one of the few liniments I can use... ice hot, aspercreme, salon pas and the like tend to cause welts and blistering and the skin to peel off like a major chemical burn :eek:.

No matter the strength of the absorbine though I just get relief and a nice tingly feeling. But I do have to put up with the smell that will clear the sinuses of everyone in the room :p

My husband has plantar fasciitis. He tends to buy cheap shoes with little support but puts inserts into them to help his walking. I got him some fisherman's sandals with gel soles for summer for a Father's day gift, and he can barely walk in them. I don't know what the answer is.

We are quite the pair. I wear an ankle brace for tendonitis in my left ankle. I also have hip pain from arthritis and it feels like my left knee is going. I try to exercise a little each day to keep my mobility but I have to balance it with the pain and the fatigue.

MS combined with all of the other effects of aging is never boring. :rolleyes:

Have you tried wearing compression socks? If not I would suggest getting some. I hope you are getting into the Dr. soon to evaluate the edema of your feet, ankles and now knee.

Take care Kitty :hug:

There are many causes of foot pain. Not all is MS or plantar fascitis.

One overlooked cause is reactive arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease. Another cause is gout or pseudogout.

I'd go right to the chase... see a rheumatologist.

Spreading to other joints is a serious thing so please do get it checked out.

As Mrs. D pointed out, that is not at all common behavior for plantars, you seriously need to get to a doctor to find out what exactly it is. I have tons of joint problems from my spasms, it's caused a multitude of tears of tendons and ligaments as well as bone spurs and minor fractures (stress fractures) to various bones. Its highly painful, causes a lot of swelling, and happens fairly regularly. But even if I'm pretty sure it's just yet another torn ligament or stress fracture, I head off to the doctor to get an MRI of the area to find out "what now...." It can be pricey depending on insurance, but it's always better to know what's going on and to hopefully be able to correct it.

Oh dear!!! I agree with mrsD and Starz. Please contact your doctor. It sounds as if you have more going on and it needs to be checked. Please keep us posted on how you are doing.:hug::hug:

I hope you have seen the doctor Kitty! :hug: