Plantar Fasciitis Community Group
This group was created by Michele, a sufferer of Plantar Fasciitis. It is sometimes so painful that you wonder how you will make it through the day. The worst is in the morning for most of us and wearing the wrong shoes doesn't help. I am currently seeing a podiatrist who when he did X-rays said " it looks like your heels are collapsing" (not something you want to...
Hello all,
I realize this is a fairly inactive group with only a few members, but I would still like to share my experience with plantar fasciitis.
I am 38 years old and I am a Corrections Officer in a women's prison, celebrating my 1st year on September 30th. I am overweight for my height (5'6 and about 200lbs), but do not have any health concerns such as back or joint pain because of it.
Roughly 3 months into my career, I started noticing how achy my feet would be after my shift. I would go home and take hot baths and try to massage them as much as I could. I had to take into consideration that I was still adjusting to the new work environment (LOTS of walking, I'd log probably 3-5 miles each day, or standing for periods of time in the chow hall, mostly on concrete and sometimes other uneven surfaces outside, and crappy military style boots). As time went on, the pain continually got worse and worse. During times where I had to stand, I found myself "pacing in place", rocking back and forth from one foot the other, trying to alleviate the pressure.
I tried OTC pain medications, including pain rubs (wow, I DON'T recommend rubbing pain cream on and then going to work, FEET ON FIIIIRE!!), foot baths, massage therapy, and shoe insoles galore! I tried the cheap ones, I tried the ones that specifically said "For Plantar Fasciitis" (even though I hadn't technically been diagnosed yet, I did my research), I tried the expensive ones ($50 Dr. Scholl's at Walmart after standing on the machine that tells you which one you need). Nothing worked...... so, after enduring the pain for a month, I finally contacted a podiatrist.
My podiatrist took x-rays of both feet. He confirmed my "self-diagnosis" of Plantar Fasciitis, but what he told me afterwards was rather shocking. He said that a NORMAL plantar fascia measures 3mm. Mine measured 10mm in BOTH feet. Well, no wonder I was in so much pain! Amazingly enough, I didn't have any heel spurs. The recommended treatment was pretty conservative in the beginning, starting with prescription pain and anti-inflammatory medication and stretching exercises. That did nothing. I went back and he made me a "sleeve" type thing that I wore like a sock, which (like he said would happen) I hated in the beginning but after a few days, I didn't want to be without it. Unfortunately though, I still continued to have pain in my heels. I had Cortisone injections in both feet....that process suuuucked, but within a few days, I was pain free (or had MUCH less pain!). Unfortunately again, the injections only masked the problem and within TWO months, I was back to the pain and it was becoming much more difficult to perform my job duties. I got permission to wear tennis shoes instead of the boots, but due to the severity of the inflamed fascia, that had little effect.
By this time, it was June and despite the pain, I was playing softball. My podiatrist and I decided that due to how severe the condition was, surgery was probably the best solution for me. We decided to operate on the right foot first because it more, and then later discuss operating on the left. But, me being bullheaded, I didn't want to put my softball team at a disadvantage by me quitting mid-season, I chose to wait until August to have surgery scheduled. I managed to play all the way up to the end except for the last two games due to the pain.
At my pre-operative appointment, another measurement was taken and the inflammation had worsened and I was measuring around 11mm and was developing a heel spur in the right foot.
August 20th, I had surgery. My podiatrist performed a "partial release" of the plantar fascia band and removed the heel spur. It was a VERY quick surgery. I wasn't put completely out, but I don't remember ANY of it until I woke up in the recovery room. I recall having a TERRIBLE bitter taste in my mouth, and luckily ice chips were ready and waiting for me. The nurse said in order for me to be discharged, I would have to urinate (so they knew my internal organs were awake and fully functional). Well, they'd pumped me with plenty of fluids prior to the surgery, so by the time I was fully awake, I was READY to pee. Needless to say, I was discharged within a few hours of being admitted. I was fitted with my Cam Walker boot, loaded into the car by wheelchair and I was in bed in no time.
I wore a thick bandage that went from my toes to right above my ankle for a week. I couldn't get it wet, so showering was a challenge. At my first post-op appointment, they took the bandage off and I saw where he operated on and sewed me up with two stiches. It was very bruised and swollen still. I was instructed to wear a large adhesive Band-Aid over the incision/stiches for two weeks until my next appointment. Next appointment, I had the stiches removed. I was glad to get them out because I felt like they might've been too tight because they were ripping into my skin, very very painful.
I wore the Cam Walker boot for approximately 4 weeks after surgery. After that, I was told I could take it off when I felt like I could start walking heel to toe in tennis shoes. I was sternly instructed "NO BARE FEET WALKING", not even to the bathroom. I might have done it a few times, but I've paid the price in achy pain afterwards.
As of this writing, I am 1 month and almost 2 weeks post-op. The incision has healed up, the dead skin has finally peeled off. Walking is STILL a challenge (I am still on light duty at work, I literally sit the entire 8 hours). Mornings are the worst when my foot is stiff. I limp pretty badly and have to hold onto my bed post and dresser to walk. The stiffness wears off pretty quickly as I get ready for work. I am able to bear all of my weight on my right foot, but I am still pretty protective of it, so I try not to do it much except for toweling off from the shower.
I have to consciously remind myself to walk heel to toe as much as possible and not walk on the outside of my foot. Long walks are hard, even grocery shopping where I can lean on the cart. By the time I get through half of the aisles, I am achy. By the time I near the last aisle, I am almost to tears and want to kill someone. I feel bad for utilizing my handicapped placard when parking because I know there are FAR more handicapped people out there than me, but I am thankful for it when I get out to the car with my groceries that I didn't have to walk even further. It's carrying the groceries into the house and up the stairs that I dread.
I had my last post-op appointment yesterday and I had some new pains going on. The last couple days I've felt like I have twisted my ankle, so it's been difficult to walk. Also, I have the sensation that I have a hot poker sticking into the bottom of my heel (sort of where the heel spur might've been) and it's constantly burning. I also still feel like I have a giant marble in my shoe when I walk, referring to the large bundle of scar tissue where Ithe incision is. The doc told me #1 it's "not necessarily a bad thing" that I still have pain, #2 the hot poker feeling is the area where he cut the plantar fascia being overloaded, #3 the bundle of scar tissue is completely normal and I just need to continue to massage it and work out that tissue to thin it out. His assistant took my shoe and went to the back and made a support in the insole that is designed to take the pressure off my heel. He told me that he wants me to walk as much as possible. I cringed at the thought, but I know he's right.
I have to come back in 2 weeks to see how the pain is, and go from there. He said we're putting the left foot surgery on the back burner for now. He said he understood that if I am going to have surgery that I wanted to do it before the end of the year due to insurance purposes (I've met my deductible with this surgery so why not get the left foot done for free!) but he really wants me to be in less pain and inflammation before we go cutting on the other foot because the right foot is going to have to be completely weight bearing, and right now, I'm just not ready for that. He said that if the pain is still there when I come back in 2 weeks, we will do a cortisone shot which will quickly take care of the problem, and speed up the recovery. I am also still taking the medication, Naproxen 500 DR and Tramadol.
I'm frustrated, I'm sick of light duty at work, I am ready to get back to my job, I am MORE than ready to be done with this pain that I've been living with for almost a year. I am gaining all the weight back that I lost, so I am eager to getting back to being active.
Sorry this was long, I just wanted to share my experience.
I realize this is a fairly inactive group with only a few members, but I would still like to share my experience with plantar fasciitis.
I am 38 years old and I am a Corrections Officer in a women's prison, celebrating my 1st year on September 30th. I am overweight for my height (5'6 and about 200lbs), but do not have any health concerns such as back or joint pain because of it.
Roughly 3 months into my career, I started noticing how achy my feet would be after my shift. I would go home and take hot baths and try to massage them as much as I could. I had to take into consideration that I was still adjusting to the new work environment (LOTS of walking, I'd log probably 3-5 miles each day, or standing for periods of time in the chow hall, mostly on concrete and sometimes other uneven surfaces outside, and crappy military style boots). As time went on, the pain continually got worse and worse. During times where I had to stand, I found myself "pacing in place", rocking back and forth from one foot the other, trying to alleviate the pressure.
I tried OTC pain medications, including pain rubs (wow, I DON'T recommend rubbing pain cream on and then going to work, FEET ON FIIIIRE!!), foot baths, massage therapy, and shoe insoles galore! I tried the cheap ones, I tried the ones that specifically said "For Plantar Fasciitis" (even though I hadn't technically been diagnosed yet, I did my research), I tried the expensive ones ($50 Dr. Scholl's at Walmart after standing on the machine that tells you which one you need). Nothing worked...... so, after enduring the pain for a month, I finally contacted a podiatrist.
My podiatrist took x-rays of both feet. He confirmed my "self-diagnosis" of Plantar Fasciitis, but what he told me afterwards was rather shocking. He said that a NORMAL plantar fascia measures 3mm. Mine measured 10mm in BOTH feet. Well, no wonder I was in so much pain! Amazingly enough, I didn't have any heel spurs. The recommended treatment was pretty conservative in the beginning, starting with prescription pain and anti-inflammatory medication and stretching exercises. That did nothing. I went back and he made me a "sleeve" type thing that I wore like a sock, which (like he said would happen) I hated in the beginning but after a few days, I didn't want to be without it. Unfortunately though, I still continued to have pain in my heels. I had Cortisone injections in both feet....that process suuuucked, but within a few days, I was pain free (or had MUCH less pain!). Unfortunately again, the injections only masked the problem and within TWO months, I was back to the pain and it was becoming much more difficult to perform my job duties. I got permission to wear tennis shoes instead of the boots, but due to the severity of the inflamed fascia, that had little effect.
By this time, it was June and despite the pain, I was playing softball. My podiatrist and I decided that due to how severe the condition was, surgery was probably the best solution for me. We decided to operate on the right foot first because it more, and then later discuss operating on the left. But, me being bullheaded, I didn't want to put my softball team at a disadvantage by me quitting mid-season, I chose to wait until August to have surgery scheduled. I managed to play all the way up to the end except for the last two games due to the pain.
At my pre-operative appointment, another measurement was taken and the inflammation had worsened and I was measuring around 11mm and was developing a heel spur in the right foot.
August 20th, I had surgery. My podiatrist performed a "partial release" of the plantar fascia band and removed the heel spur. It was a VERY quick surgery. I wasn't put completely out, but I don't remember ANY of it until I woke up in the recovery room. I recall having a TERRIBLE bitter taste in my mouth, and luckily ice chips were ready and waiting for me. The nurse said in order for me to be discharged, I would have to urinate (so they knew my internal organs were awake and fully functional). Well, they'd pumped me with plenty of fluids prior to the surgery, so by the time I was fully awake, I was READY to pee. Needless to say, I was discharged within a few hours of being admitted. I was fitted with my Cam Walker boot, loaded into the car by wheelchair and I was in bed in no time.
I wore a thick bandage that went from my toes to right above my ankle for a week. I couldn't get it wet, so showering was a challenge. At my first post-op appointment, they took the bandage off and I saw where he operated on and sewed me up with two stiches. It was very bruised and swollen still. I was instructed to wear a large adhesive Band-Aid over the incision/stiches for two weeks until my next appointment. Next appointment, I had the stiches removed. I was glad to get them out because I felt like they might've been too tight because they were ripping into my skin, very very painful.
I wore the Cam Walker boot for approximately 4 weeks after surgery. After that, I was told I could take it off when I felt like I could start walking heel to toe in tennis shoes. I was sternly instructed "NO BARE FEET WALKING", not even to the bathroom. I might have done it a few times, but I've paid the price in achy pain afterwards.
As of this writing, I am 1 month and almost 2 weeks post-op. The incision has healed up, the dead skin has finally peeled off. Walking is STILL a challenge (I am still on light duty at work, I literally sit the entire 8 hours). Mornings are the worst when my foot is stiff. I limp pretty badly and have to hold onto my bed post and dresser to walk. The stiffness wears off pretty quickly as I get ready for work. I am able to bear all of my weight on my right foot, but I am still pretty protective of it, so I try not to do it much except for toweling off from the shower.
I have to consciously remind myself to walk heel to toe as much as possible and not walk on the outside of my foot. Long walks are hard, even grocery shopping where I can lean on the cart. By the time I get through half of the aisles, I am achy. By the time I near the last aisle, I am almost to tears and want to kill someone. I feel bad for utilizing my handicapped placard when parking because I know there are FAR more handicapped people out there than me, but I am thankful for it when I get out to the car with my groceries that I didn't have to walk even further. It's carrying the groceries into the house and up the stairs that I dread.
I had my last post-op appointment yesterday and I had some new pains going on. The last couple days I've felt like I have twisted my ankle, so it's been difficult to walk. Also, I have the sensation that I have a hot poker sticking into the bottom of my heel (sort of where the heel spur might've been) and it's constantly burning. I also still feel like I have a giant marble in my shoe when I walk, referring to the large bundle of scar tissue where Ithe incision is. The doc told me #1 it's "not necessarily a bad thing" that I still have pain, #2 the hot poker feeling is the area where he cut the plantar fascia being overloaded, #3 the bundle of scar tissue is completely normal and I just need to continue to massage it and work out that tissue to thin it out. His assistant took my shoe and went to the back and made a support in the insole that is designed to take the pressure off my heel. He told me that he wants me to walk as much as possible. I cringed at the thought, but I know he's right.
I have to come back in 2 weeks to see how the pain is, and go from there. He said we're putting the left foot surgery on the back burner for now. He said he understood that if I am going to have surgery that I wanted to do it before the end of the year due to insurance purposes (I've met my deductible with this surgery so why not get the left foot done for free!) but he really wants me to be in less pain and inflammation before we go cutting on the other foot because the right foot is going to have to be completely weight bearing, and right now, I'm just not ready for that. He said that if the pain is still there when I come back in 2 weeks, we will do a cortisone shot which will quickly take care of the problem, and speed up the recovery. I am also still taking the medication, Naproxen 500 DR and Tramadol.
I'm frustrated, I'm sick of light duty at work, I am ready to get back to my job, I am MORE than ready to be done with this pain that I've been living with for almost a year. I am gaining all the weight back that I lost, so I am eager to getting back to being active.
Sorry this was long, I just wanted to share my experience.
I still have a very difficult time standing for long periods of time, and walking for long distances tend to make my PF flare up. When I know I’ll be doing either of those two activities, I try and make sure I’m wearing proper footwear. I do wear flip flops but not the cheap ones, usually ones with plenty of cushioning or memory foam in them.
All in all, I wouldn’t call the surgery a complete loss but I wouldn’t say it fixed my problem either. I would suggest to anyone going through this and considering surgery to get a 2nd opinion and then if you have the surgery, DONT have a podiatrist do the surgery. Yes, they do these surgeries all the time but they aren’t surgeons. And make sure whoever does your surgery isn’t known for tying sutures so tight that it cuts into your skin. I think that was my biggest complication of the whole process.