plantar fasciitis

[shaunstones]

Hi,

Ive suffered from what was originally planar fasciitis for roughly 3 months now. I ignored it for maybe a month and a half before i knew it i couldn't walk on my heel and proceeded to work and walk around on my front half of the foot. About 2 weeks after that my foot started cramping up.

The next morning when i woke up i couldn't walk or put any pressure on my foot, so i proceeded to get crutches, and work on crutches (i work in a office). About a week later after going on the crutches i woke up on the saturday and when i got up onto the crutches i looked at my foot and it was purple and very uncomfortable.

I proceeded to the doctors then onto the emergency department who diagnosed me with cellulitis in my foot even after i ran them through my history with plantar fasciitis. He precribed anti biotics and sent me off. The pain was very uncomfortable enough for me to not be able to work for the week.

After the week of anti-biotics, the pain has improved slightly, foot was still going reddish/purple. So i had a checkup with my doctor again as well as a podiatris who thought it was a DVT. Back to the emergency department again, explained the whole history of the injury and then had an ultra sound which was negative for the DVT.

The doctor put it down to the planar fasciitis and sent me off with anti-inflams.

2 weeks down the track, i had a slip on my crutches at work and landed on my foot and must have tweaked my ankle beucase its quite sore.

Now my foots circulation is struggling again and swelling is present. As has been the whole journey. I just need to get rid of it, because i need to work.

thanks for any help.

[specialmom]

Hi.  I would try to stretch my calves.  I would go to a step and put my toes on the front of the step and let my heal hang off.  I'd stretch by going up and all the way down.  You can stand at a wall with feet shoulder width apart and back a ways and lean into the wall stretch the back of the calves.  You can stand upright and cross one foot over the other, keep legs and bend over and try to touch the floor.  I also went ahead and stretched my hamstrings and quads (if you need help with that, let me know).

I also was told to try to 'break up' the heal where it was sore so would take my heel an dpress it into a step.  It hurt but felt good in a way too.  And as it improved, I could feel it getting better this way.

To strengthen ankles and heels, you can stand and simply lift yourself up onto your ball of your foot back down.  It is a calf exercise and it helps too.  

Hope that helps.  I really found the stretching to be critical for me.  Loads of luck to youl.

[shaunstones]

Thank you for the replys i really appriciate everyone taking the time to reply to this post. Sorry ive been flat out lately to reply. Are there any stretches or strengthening that someone could recommend that was in a similar position to me?

[margypops]

PS Sorry be long winded but I remembered getting a heel support and the pain did ease some , maybe worth trying I got it from the drug store

[margypops]

sorry I meant swelling.. I have a wayward keyboard

[specialmom]

Maybe some physical therapy would be helpful.  The tightness in your ankle is something to work on as this will cause the problem to continue longer.  I do a lot of stretching now to prevent it from returning.  Hard as I'm getting to be old!  But I try.  

good luck, it is horrible when you have that foot pain.  

[margypops]

It does look as if there is no expert there now and you are right there is no way to post a question ., rereading your post its the selling you should have checked out I suggest another doctor ..

[margypops]

oh I am sorry I also had Planter it lasted about 9months then one day it was gone ..I just used pain killers I found stretching too painful .. advil. helped me through it ..I thought there was a doctor on the expert forum ,

[shaunstones]

thanks, i went into the foot care section and theres no option to post a question. Ive just realised after seeing a few of the other topics ive actually mistaken the meaning of the section

[shaunstones]

thank you for the replys. Its definetly a stressful time aswell as exhausting as i need to pay the bills!

The only problem with stretching is my ankle is limitating movement, aswell as hardly being able to put ANY pressure on the area. I will post in the foot section and hopfully i can get an expert try and give me something i can do to strengthen!

[specialmom]

I want to say I am very sorry!!!  I've had planter's fasciaitis and it was horrible.  I never had it to the extent of you but it limited my activity for sure.  And cellutis is so very painful.  Now cellulitis is a staph or strep infection of the skin and hopefully your antibiotics took care of that.  That can be hard to treat and I'd get rechecked if you have any further develping of symptoms.  My husband had it on his face and ended up in the hospital-------  so very painful and I feel for you.

I'm going to tell you how I helped my own plantar's fasciatis----  stretching extensively and then pressing my heels into the edge of a step to 'break it up'.  Of all people, a chiropractor told me to do this and it got a lot better and then was completely gone.  

Definately post this in the foot community but wanted to share my own experience.  Ugh, I hope you are recovered from this soon!!

[margypops]

If you go back to the forums list look to your right you will see a 'Foot care ( Podiatry) expert forum some Doctors there may be able to help you better .good Luck