Heel Pain

[JanW]

Just when things have been going so well with the left ankle, I've managed to throw the right foot out of whack through a combination of new (though very comfortable boots), and standing on a hard gym floor (even though wood has give, but still) for almost four hours non-stop yesterday evening (easily the longest I've stood since dx, because of the ongoing ankle problems). Went to PT today, foot was pretty okay, just some soreness, as I have been expecting since I've been walking around more. Put on another pair of boots (again, comfortable aerosoles -- went a little crazy in their store yesterday), and within a couple of hours was in really bad right heel pain. Classic plantar fascitis pain in fact.

I have it in a splint now (not a great one, but a soft one, and it's pretty funny considering that my left foot is in a splint for the ankle), and have iced it and stretched it (which I will continue to do). Any other great tricks? I really can't afford to have this foot hurt and then mess up my gait again when I have finally got a lot of freedom back since my ankle is so much better. It's really starting to bum me out, actually, even though it's only been a few hours, because it's taking me right back to when I could barely walk at all. I've almost been in tears once or twice, not so much from the pain, but that horrible feeling of immobility.

[Sangye]

Jan, plantar fascitis pain is along the arch of the foot, not on the heel. Regardless of that, I don't recommend stretching it. The tissue is already inflamed and stretching can easily damage soft tissue fibers. It's safest to stick to rest and ice.

Even though you have good reason to believe the pain is due to overuse, I'm still wondering if it's Wegs-related. When my Wegs wasn't controlled well I would get severe pain from ordinary trauma, due to the general inflammation caused by Wegs. Even my docs kept telling me it was ordinary to have pain after certain activities, but it doesn't happen now that the Wegs is under control. Just throwing that out there.

Rest up and rejoice in the fact that at least you could stand for that long! I had to go cell phone shopping today and almost collapsed after standing less than 10 minutes. (Just the usual weakness) There was one seat and I headed for it. I don't even care how it looks anymore. I figure it looks better than me, face-down on the floor.

[jola57]

How true Sangye, when I was at my worst with my legs, I did just the same. Steps, low half walls, counters, windows sills, anything resembling a seat would do. When in the bank, I would ask the person in front and behind to watch my place and go somwere to sit, same when shopping. I stopped caring how it looked the second time I "cought a rabbit" when my legs gave out.

[jola57]

JanW, heel pain does sound suspiciously wegs related. I wonder if your gait is putting more weight on the heel and so stresses it more. Maybe you could use an orthopedic insert and see if that helps.

[elephant]

JanW, I agree with the above statements...need to get this checked out soon ( WG vs trauma). Hope you start to feel better soon.

[JanW]

Pain is all gone today after a night in the spllint and ice, so we'll seen.

Sangye, the recommendation I have always been given by the podiatrist (and what I read on various reputable sites) suggests that stretching at immediate onset may help shorten the duration and at least be given a shot. So it's interesting that you say it could just inflame it more, which I could see being the case as well.

[pwc51]

Sounds very Wegs like to me - my pains always disappeared overnight only to return later the next day, usually somewhere else!

[Sangye]

Me, too. My Wegs pain began disguised as Achilles tendinitis after a fall. The fall easily could have caused it, so I wasn't the least bit suspicious. But it wouldn't heal, and I had to quit hiking. Six months later I woke up with excruciating pain in one finger joint and went downhill from there. I didn't associate the heel pain with Wegs until about a year post-dx, when the same exact pain occurred in the other heel. That Wegs dog is one sneaky fella.

Jan, we chiropractors don't always agree with podiatrists. At any rate, I hope the pain stays away and that it's not Wegs-related.

[Brooke]

Hi Jan -
At my last Mayo visit I told my doc that If I stood too long on our wood floors that my heels start to hurt. She told me it was probably plantar fascitis too. Mine isn't anything unbearable just a little painful under the heels if I stand for too long, I blame some of it on weight gain too.

[Doug]

How true Sangye, when I was at my worst with my legs, I did just the same. Steps, low half walls, counters, windows sills, anything resembling a seat would do. When in the bank, I would ask the person in front and behind to watch my place and go somwere to sit, same when shopping. I stopped caring how it looked the second time I "cought a rabbit" when my legs gave out.

(And Sangye's remarks with regards this, too)

I have that same issue of taking a dive if I stand very long. I can walk for a fair amount of time, if not really comfortably, but that standing brings in real effort. I'll start sweating
like a racehorse doing nothing more than standing! That's pretty much my first clue I should find a place to sit, or to start moving around a bit.