"My left foot is killing me! -- Can you diagnose me? Can you cure me? Can you heal my aching heel?"
I have tried acupuncture, over the counter orthotics to support my arch, and heel wedges from CVS to create lift in my sneaker. I have tried to increase blood flow to my heel to ease the constant ache -- massaging my foot shamelessly on airplanes and in restaurants. I carry a golf ball in my purse which I place under my foot under the dinner table and at the movies. I roll the ball under the arch and press onto the heel just like I was told to do by every single friend who has suffered from this relentless foot pain. I even sleep in special knee socks with velcro straps that look medieval. Nothing is working. I have been told to be patient -- I'm trying.
At the end of March (almost eight weeks ago) I even stopped my ritualistic running. I'd been running 25-30 miles per week for years -- not any more. Pounding down the West Side Highway back in March on cold concrete finished off my foot and as I crossed the finish line at the NY Half Marathon I knew something had to change. So, I rested my foot--but, come on -- it's... been... eight... weeks--ENUF!
Turns out I have the symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis and I'm not alone. Turns out the numbers who suffer from this misery are not insignificant:
2,000,000 Americans are affected by plantar fasciitis each year.
85% of the cases of plantar fasciitis cases have unknown causes.
40-60 year olds are most affected.
If you can relate to the following scenario and no longer suffer from the pain -- I want to know how you fixed your problem. Here's my daily drill: I start my morning wincing and muttering, "OUCH." As I drop my feet to the floor and start to stand, it feels like my heel is crushing shards of glass. The arch of my foot tightens and I limp to the bathroom praying the pain will subside. It does. The pain lessens as I start to walk around a bit. Within 30 minutes or so after taking my first step of the day -- my pain eases but is by no means gone.
It's become virtually impossible to ignore the screaming that is going on in my left foot. It's Groundhog Day every morning as my heel fires when it hits the floor and the "shards of glass" underfoot make me buckle and fall back to the bed.
I finally gave in to trying to fix this problem on my own and went to a Podiatrist. I know, I know -- don't lecture me -- but at least I went. He fixed me up with a temporary orthotic and told me that nothing would improve until I stopped walking on it. Really? He urged me to do my best. This seemed impossible. What was not impossible was his suggestion to wear heels. Wow, now this sounded like fun! At almost 5 foot 8, I rarely wear heels. Shoe shopping was to be my prescription drug. I was down with that. I am now embracing my 5 fo0t 10.
Just the other day, I was walking in my neighborhood in my orthotic supported running shoes (a short dog walk with friends) and I ran into another "PF" sufferer. She told me I would never get better unless I bought 5-fingered Vibram shoes -- totally flat with no arch support. She suffered for over a year and had only cured herself when she went the "unsupported" route.
I want to believe that science has come far enough to have a remedy for my pain -- but alas -- it's trial and error. And as I seek out the best therapy for my foot -- I'm sticking with the golf balls, heels and modified walks... and even my kinky knee socks at night -- unless you've got a better idea. If so, please post your winning therapy and remedy below -- there are about two million of us who could use a communal cure.
Read more from Better After 50:
The Scientific 7-Minute Workout: Enough Pain?
Replacing Sexual Pain With Pleasure
Get Your Shingles Vaccine
How I Came To Believe In Acupuncture
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
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Gathering your health information and getting organized before your appointment are the key steps to ensuring a productive meeting with your doctor. This is especially important if you're seeing multiple doctors or are meeting with a new physician for the first time.
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Make sure the doctor you're seeing has copies of your latest X-ray, MRI or any other test or lab results, including reports from other doctors that you've seen. In most cases, you'll need to do the legwork yourself, which may only require a phone call to your previous doctor's administrative staff, asking for it to be sent, or you may need to go pick it up and bring it to the new office yourself.
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Make a list of all the medications you're taking (prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements) along with the dosages, and take it with you to your appointment. Or, just gather up all your pill bottles in a bag and bring them with you.
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Your doctor also needs to know about any previous hospitalizations, as well as any current or past medical problems, even if they are not the reason you are going to the doctor this time. Genetics matter too, so having your family's health history can be helpful. The U.S. Surgeon General offers a free web-based tool called "My Family Health Portrait" that can help you put one together.
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Make a written list of the top three or four issues you want to discuss with your doctor. Since most appointments last between 10 and 15 minutes, this can help you stay on track and ensure you address your most pressing concerns first. If you're in for a diagnostic visit, you should prepare a detailed description of your symptoms.
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The best advice when you meet with your doctor is to speak up. Don't wait to be asked. Be direct, honest and as specific as possible when recounting your symptoms or expressing your concerns. Many patients are reluctant or embarrassed to talk about their symptoms, which makes the doctor's job a lot harder to do. It's also a good idea to bring along a family member or friend to your appointment. They can help you ask questions, listen to what the doctor is telling you and give you support.
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