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Tendon that runs on the heel? Painful


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I don't think it is planar fasciitis, it doesn't run on the bottom of my foot. Is it specifically the heel. Immediately under the heal bone, right on the edge of the heal bone even.

 

It is painful. It does act similar to PF in the way it acts. If I am sitting for any length of time. Even just a few minutes it is extremely painful to walk on and I limp (just call me gimpy :P) until is loosens or warms up I guess. However the pain never goes away completely.

 

I have tried stretching that part of my foot, in PF faschion (like that play on fasciitis?), but it hurts.. a lot and doesn't help.

 

It started.. ummm... Februaryish or so and has gotten a lot worse in the last few weeks.

 

My weight hasn't changed (unfortunately), nor has my diet.

 

Anyone have any idea what it could be?

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It sounds like what half of my daughter's lacrosse team has been dealing with this season, from running on hard ground in cleats (and heel striking). Most of them have had a fat-pad bruise, right at the back of the heel. The other half have had Achilles or lateral tendon pain.

 

Ice helps. Anti-inflammatories (Bailey was using turmeric and devil's claw on a nightly basis, along with a cold clay pack I picked up at Rite Aid - its cold and ready after an hour in the freezer). When I had an Achilles strain from running, I found that ice, anti-inflammatories and kinesio tape worked really well.

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The plantar fascia attaches to the calcaneus "just under the heel" so it could indeed be plantar faciitis. It could also be causing a bone spur to develop on the calcaneus at the attachment point. I second the recommendation to see an orthopedic, custom orthotics can help immensely! Meanwhile, ice, ibuprofen, and PF stretches may help with pain.

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Were you on any medications back then? Like Cipro? Some medications can cause a problem with the achilles tendon that can get so bad in some cases that the tendon can rupture.

 

No meds then. It just went away. I haven't had any problems with it for well over a year.

 

The plantar fascia attaches to the calcaneus "just under the heel" so it could indeed be plantar faciitis. It could also be causing a bone spur to develop on the calcaneus at the attachment point. I second the recommendation to see an orthopedic, custom orthotics can help immensely! Meanwhile, ice, ibuprofen, and PF stretches may help with pain.

 

Hmm.. I will have to try. I have tried stretches and it hasn't helped... yet. Will have to get on that again!

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It is plantar fasciitis.

Before going to an ortho, try other things--

ice, stretches, *better cushioned shoes*, +/- ibuprofen or naprosyn if that is safe for you, heel cups can help.

 

Do you wear shoes that have no cushion for a lot of the day or all day? That could be part or all of the problem.

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It is plantar fasciitis.

Before going to an ortho, try other things--

ice, stretches, *better cushioned shoes*, +/- ibuprofen or naprosyn if that is safe for you, heel cups can help.

 

Do you wear shoes that have no cushion for a lot of the day or all day? That could be part or all of the problem.

 

 

I don't wear shoes at all. The only time I wear shoes is flip flops to hand laundry outside (then I take them off as soon as I come in) and my sneakers everywhere else. I only own one pair of shoes.

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I don't wear shoes at all. The only time I wear shoes is flip flops to hand laundry outside (then I take them off as soon as I come in) and my sneakers everywhere else. I only own one pair of shoes.

 

So do you walk on hard floors all day with no cushion for your feet? That could be your problem--maybe you need some cushioned shoes.

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Wearing shoes with a SLIGHT elevation of the heel. I'm not talking HEELS, even just gymmers that are a bit thicker at the heel.

 

I would recommend an orthopedic that specializes in foot and lower leg disorders. I'm not trying to scare you, but my experience was such that several 'regular' orthopedes totally missed it. I had, what is commonly called a pump bump, but is also called Haglund's Deformity. I did not have any exterior symptoms or lumps. The foot specialist. I went to spotted it immediately, on the x-ray. My tendon was close to rupturing. The surgery sucks. Well the surgery doesn't, but the recovery time does. 8 weeks NO WEIGHT. The first cast has your toe pointed like a ballerina, then there were 3 or 4 other casts that gradually stretched it out. I had the surgery 9 years ago and it is MUCH better. My foot still doesn't flex as much as the other one, but I'm not in constant pain anymore.

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I don't wear shoes at all. The only time I wear shoes is flip flops to hand laundry outside (then I take them off as soon as I come in) and my sneakers everywhere else. I only own one pair of shoes.

 

Get Birkies. I have a slip on pair for around the house. Your barefoot days may be at an end, and tennys give no support.

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when I was having foot pain, my chiro had me doing stretches/exercies for the muslces in my calf. they would tense up, and then pull on the tendons lower down, including in the foot.

 

I have a high quality hand massager, and I started using it on my legs. It was amazing becasue at the beginning, I could feel the tight muscle in my upper calf that was causing so much pain.

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I've had plantar fasciitis for the past several months. You need to wear some decent shoes. I've been wearing my running shoes every day all winter and the pain is definitely less on the days I'm wearing them. I just got some birkenstocks for summer wear--they have an arch and a soft foot bed.

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Going barefoot is one of the worst things for Plantar fasciitis. Wearing shoes with a good arch support all the time you are on your feet, plus the ice/stretches/ibuprofen, may be enough to avoid the doctor if you can stand to try it for a bit. I would also ditch the flip flops, at least until the pain goes away (and know there is a good chance of it coming back if you wear them).

 

I have death wih PF for years. I had a set of custom orthotics that helped a ton, but I lost one. I also love going barefoot, but if I do so too much, I really pay for it. Shoe selection is essential to avoiding pain, and when I have a flair up (usually caused by standing/walking a lot in non-supportive shoes), my running shoes are the only thing I can wear and still walk at he end of the day.

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My 17 yo dancing dd has been suffering for the last year and a half with plantar fascitis. Her pain is in the arches of both feet. An ortho recommended she wear Strassburg Socks at night. She had tried night splints, but they hurt her feet. The socks are not as immobilizing and she is more comfortable at night. They seem to be working. You can find them here http://www.thesock.com/ They are also available on Amazon.

 

HTH,

Mary

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Going barefoot is one of the worst things for Plantar fasciitis. Wearing shoes with a good arch support all the time you are on your feet, plus the ice/stretches/ibuprofen, may be enough to avoid the doctor if you can stand to try it for a bit. I would also ditch the flip flops, at least until the pain goes away (and know there is a good chance of it coming back if you wear them).

 

.

 

:iagree:

There is also a special boot you can wear at night. I found that to be extremely helpful.

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THis is what I have and I am nearing the point of considering surgery.

 

Practically, getting a GOOD pair of well fitting running shoes and custom orthodics has helped. Then when I am not wearing them I am wearing Crocs in the house. Barefoot is a HUGE no no. Physical therapy also helped.

 

CIN---was the surgery worth it? How long was the recovery time? My doctor said 8 weeks NO weigh bearing AT ALL and then another 8 weeks on crutches-----which I have no idea how to manage since we have a hobby farm. Don't know how I would be able to do chores like that yet not sure the kids and dh could manage the horses for 4 months.

 

Anytime I sit I limp/gimp and I am sure people watching me walk into the store wonder if I will make it in there........yet once I am loosened up, I can walk 4 miles in just over an hour with a friend mostly pain free.

 

I am also worried about my weight if I have the surgery. I had lost 70+ pounds and then had this happened and while I was off during the acute phase I put 30 of it back on. I have lost about 10 of it now but still have 20+ to go and almost 70 if I wanted to be where the charts say I should be. I am used to being active---horse back riding several days a week, doing chores 2-3 times a day, moving hay, walking with friends 2-4 miles at a time 4-5 or more days a week, etc.

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OTTAKEE

 

The surgery was definitely worth it. I was almost unable to walk because of the pain. We just did Disney World, and I did fine.

 

We rented a wheel chair, but nowadays, I would rent one of these. This would enable me to do much more. I could even cook with this thing. (Not that I'd want too!). The one other thing that my Doctor did was wrap this in the post-op wrapping, so the cold pack was closer to the incision. I just turned the cooler on every so often to ice it and keep swelling down. She impressed upon me that that was essential.

 

I don't know how old your kids are, but I had it done when my oldest was a whopping 18 mos old. I had someone come every morning from about 8:00-1:00. She would put Piper down for a nap, and then I was on my own with her for about 90 minutes. She watched SO much TV during those few months. And she survived!

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Were you on any medications back then? Like Cipro? Some medications can cause a problem with the achilles tendon that can get so bad in some cases that the tendon can rupture.

 

This happened to me a couple of years ago when I took Cipro. No rupture, thankfully, but I did go to a podiatrist, had and MRI, took anti-inflammatories, and wore little orthotics in my shoes for awhile. I was limpy for a few months.

 

Wendi

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