Plantar fasciitis, Gout, or Psoriatic Arthritis--extreme foot pain

Pain in the foot

2025-11-01T19:58:00.000-04:00

My plantar fasciitis began almost 2 years ago as mild pain in both of my arches. Then it settled into my left heel. The pain was unbearable, throbbing, like a knife sticking in my heel when I stood on it. As a stay at home mom of 3, it limited my ability to care for myself and my children. I think it may have even contributed to the breakdown of my marriage.

The most frustrating thing was that nobody understood how bad the pain was and how difficult it was for me to move around. Everyone, even those very close to me would say, "Oh, yeah, I had that...." but they didn't have it quite this bad. "It'll go away before you know it..." but it didn't.

After a few months of pain, I went to my primary care doctor who sent me to the podiatrist. The first treatment he gave me was a night splint, and gave me a certain type of inserts to put into my shoes, told me to stretch, and said he was sure that I would be much better in two weeks and scheduled a follow-up.

I think it was at this 2-week follow-up that this doctor gave me my first of three cortisone injections. This is a painful injection, but he did it so fast without discussion that I didn't really have a chance to be worried. He did put nonvaccine into the foot first. It is a very big needle that goes in from the side of your foot.

Again, he said he was sure I'd be much better in 2 weeks, and scheduled a follow-up. And in two weeks, I went back to see him and I was much better. The pain was gone and I was able to function again. Then the cortisone shot wore off. And the pain was worse than before.

I went back to the doctor and got another shot, and was referred for my first round of physical therapy. Twice a week, I had ultrasound therapy and massage and stretching and exercises. Of course, I kept telling the PT how good I was doing, but again, once the cortisone shot wore off, I was back to square one.

Back to the doctor again for a third shot. When the PT went on vacation, I never went back to him. He was useless, as useless as the podiatrist who kept shooting me up with cortisone.

At this point, it's been about 8-9 months of pain and I decided to try to do my own natural treatment and try to stay off it as much as possible. This did not go over very well with my now-almost-ex-husband.

As I crossed over into a year of debilitating pain from Plantar Fasciitis, I made another attempt and called another podiatrist. She said she didn't think it was that bad and she was sure I'd be much better. She told me to ice and stretch and sent me for another round of Physical Therapy.

I can't say enough about how different my 2 PT experiences were. This place was a large group with a lot of equipment and totally different way of treating the Plantar Fasciitis. They measured the mobility of the foot and really pushed me stretching. They measured the pain at intervals, so they knew I was getting better even when it didn't feel like it.

Fifteen years later: Maybe psoriatic arthritis

2025-11-01T19:57:00.000-04:00

I am not a medical professional. I am sharing my experience with my joint pain, which may be Psoriatic Arthritis.

Fifteen year ago, I started writing a blog about my Plantar Fasciitis. I had unbearable pain in my heels. Eventually, it went away, but it lasted, at varying degrees for a few years. Since then, I've had other painful issues in my feet. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with gout in one of my big toes. It began with a slight discomfort but the pain got so intense that I could not walk. I was given prednisone, which cleared it up. Google gout and you will find that it comes on suddenly after a night of drinking and eating red meat and seafood. I do none of these things, so I always doubted the diagnosis.

The gout came at a very stressful time and during the hot summer. I often wondered if it was caused by dehydration.

A few years later, I had Achilles tendinitis. This was also painful to the point that I was unable to put any weight on the affected foot. The back of my foot, also had what seemed what seemed like dry, flaky skin. This is what made me first think of Psoriatic Arthritis.

I recently had two bouts of the Achilles tendinitis, together with extreme fatigue. I don't have any active skin involvement, just a few minor flaky patches. It was months ago now, but I still feel it every day. It's not really painful, just there, like a reminder. I make sure to drink plenty of water (90 ounces/day). I also drink green tea every day. I had read somewhere that this is good for inflammation, which is what both gout and PsA are.

I first saw a rheumatologist a few years ago. She did a lot of blood tests. There is no one single test for PsA (psoriatic arthritis), but a bunch of tests which can rule out other things. I do not have a definite diagnosis. My rheumatologist said she thinks I have either gout or PsA, and she is leaning toward PsA.

After the last flare, she was checking my uric acid levels. This will give her another clue as to what the issue is, but again, it is another test that is not definitive. Just another clue.

If you want more information about any of these conditions, go to a reputable source for medical information, such as the Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins.

When I first started researching PsA, there wasn't much information
available. There is much more in 2023, inclding a Facebook group that I belong to where I read the stories of others who have had similar experiences with joint pain.

PsA is also sometimes called Psoriatic Disease, which, to me, is more appropriate since the disease attacks both the joint and the skin.

Stress

Much of what I've read says that stress can a major contributor to the initial onset of PsA as well as to the flares. This is consistent with my experience. My first time with "gout" in my big toe had been a very stressful time at work. The recent two flares (I've never had them that close before), were shortly after my mother's death and me losing my job. (wa wa wa). Enjoy this beautiful picture of the Italian Countryside to help reduce your stress.

Plantar Fasciitis and Physical Therapy

2009-12-12T19:43:00.004-05:00

As I've stated before, I tried the stretching, I tried the night splint, I even had three cortisone shots in my foot--three times!

But I can't say enough about the physical therapy, which was a combination of so many things: stretching, icing, ultrasound, some kind of pain patch, as well as the best and most caring advice I could have gotten on how to help my heel pain myself. This was to stretch my calves (gently), since this is attached to the bottom of the foot and will stretch there too. It's hard to explain in writing, but she said it's all connected.

I also, during the regular evaluations, was able to see improvement, which gave me hope. Against all my fears, my PT encouraged me to walk for exercise: she advised me about what types of surfaces would be better than others.

I didn't walk into the PT office with hope. This was my second round. The first one was not so successful. In fact, I had just about given up. I can't stress enough how important it is to have a therapist that is measuring and reporting results so you can see your improvement. The first round, I went with whoever could take me soonest because I was in so much pain. No surprise that it was a waste of time. I also was getting the cortisone shots at the time, so it was hard to know if I was improving or not, since I wasn't having any pain.

I didn't know the first PT wasn't a good fit for me until I went to the second one. There, they would first put heat on my foot to loosen all the muscles. The she would massage and gently stretch. Once I was loosened up, I would be able to do the exercises. Then they would ice my foot for a good while. I don't even remember much of what the first PT did, except I think he had an ultrasound machine. I have memories of my kids when they were toddlers going to PT with me. Now they are teens and don't talk to me. C'est la vie!

Enjoy this picture of the Grand Canyon I took in 2019 (I think).

My heel pain, plantar fasciitis (heel spur)

2009-12-05T20:04:00.005-05:00

My plantar fasciitis began almost 2 years ago as mild pain in both of my arches. Then it settled into my left heel. The pain was unbearable, throbbing, like a knife sticking in my heel when I stood on it. As a stay at home mom of 3, it limited my ability to care for myself and my children. I think it may have even contributed to the breakdown of my marriage.

The most frustrating thing was that nobody understood how bad the pain was and how difficult it was for me to move around. Everyone, even those very close to me would say, "Oh, yeah, I had that...." but they didn't have it quite this bad. "It'll go away before you know it..." but it didn't.

After a few months of pain, I went to my primary care doctor who sent me to the podiatrist. The first treatment he gave me was a night splint, and gave me a certain type of inserts to put into my shoes, told me to stretch, and said he was sure that I would be much better in two weeks and scheduled a follow-up.

I think it was at this 2-week followup that this doctor gave me my first of three cortisone injections. This is a painful injection, but he did it so fast without discussion that I didn't really have a chance to be worried. He did put Novocain into the foot first. It is a very big needle that goes in from the side of your foot.

Again, he said he was sure I'd be much better in 2 weeks, and scheduled a follow-up. And in two weeks, I went back to see him and I was much better. The pain was gone and I was able to function again. Then the cortisone shot wore off. And the pain was worse than before.

I went back to the doctor and got another shot, and was referred for my first round of physical therapy. Twice a week, I had ultrasound therapy and massage and stretching and exercises. Of course, I kept telling the PT how good I was doing, but again, once the cortisone shot wore off, I was back to square one.

Back to the doctor again for a third shot. When the PT went on vacation, I never went back to him. He was useless, as useless as the podiatrist who kept shooting me up with cortisone.

At this point, it's been about 8-9 months of pain and I decided to try to do my own natural treatment and try to stay off it as much as possible. This did not go over very well with my now-almost-ex-husband.
As I crossed over into a year of debilitating pain from Plantar Fasciitis, I made another attempt and called another podiatrist. She said she didn't think it was that bad and she was sure I'd be much better. She told me to ice and stretch and sent me for another round of Physical Therapy.

I can't say enough about how different my 2 PT experiences were. This place was a large group with a lot of equipment and totally different way of treating the Plantar Fasciitis. They measured the mobility of the foot and really pushed me stretching. They measured the pain at intervals, so they knew I was getting better even when it didn't feel like it.

Oops, now the other foot is starting to hurt...

2009-12-02T14:55:00.000-05:00

Or is it?

Maybe the bad foot just got so much better that I can now feel pain in the good foot. I'm not sure if I would say I actually have plantar fasciitis in the "good" foot, but I have been stretching it as much as I can so it doesn't ever get as bad as the "bad" foot. The "bad" foot was really bad for about a year and a half and just within the last few months has steadily improved. I give credit to a number of things, including, ice, stretching and physical therapy.

We went to Vermont and visited the Ben and Jerry's factory and my 6-year-old bought me a cow-patterned golf ball. It was for massaging my foot. cute.

Driving and heel pain (Plantar Fasciitis)

2009-11-16T11:40:00.000-05:00

I once told my physical therapist how much driving bothered my foot. My heel pain from Plantar fasciitis is on my right, my gas foot. She explained to me how when I had my foot on the gas, all my weight was on my right heel, where the pain was.

Not only was I getting stiff from just sitting in the car, all my weight was on my painful heel, making it worse.

Once I realized that, I raised up my seat in my car so that my heel was just resting on the floor of the car, but all my weight was not on it.

I think this might have been one of the things that contributed to my improvement.

good luck!!

What about your socks? Plantar Fasciitis ("Heel Spur") and socks

2009-11-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

Last summer, at the peak of my foot pain from Plantar Fasciitis, aka a heel spur, I accidentally purchased a pair of socks with arch support in them. I didn't even know such a thing existed...it wasn't that I did n't want them...I just hadn't intended on buying them.

Putting them on my feet felt so wonderful. I think the action may be similar to the "taping" that some athletes do to help with the pain of Plantar Fasciitis. It felt like just a little extra "hug" and support on my arch, and I swear it helped with the pain.

Next time you buy socks, look for ones with arch support. It's just like a tighter, elastic area around the arch that adds some extra support.

I wish you the best of luck with your foot pain. Please remember that I am not a medical professional, and am merely sharing my own personal experience with the extreme pain of Plantar Fasciitis and how I finally found relief.

Choosing the right shoes for your plantar fasciitis (heel spur)

2009-11-09T17:12:00.003-05:00

Update: 2023: I still go to the New Balance outlet for my sneakers. I think I have actually only worn New Balance for about 15 years. Find ones with good support. Your feet should feel like they are walking on clouds. Also, be sure to replace them often. I get new ones at least twice a year because the support doesn't last forever.

___

Foot pain is so common that there are stores that are exclusively dedicated to helping people find the right shoes. If you are in pain from Plantar Fasciitis, also known as a heel spur, wearing supportive shoes is very important and may be the key to relief for you.

Many people had recommended New Balance sneakers. I wore them faithfully and changed them every few months. However, it wasn't until I went to a store dedicated to helping people with bad feet and had a professional fit my sneakers that I finally was able to find relief from the pain. This shoe change was also done in conjunction with physical therapy and ice, so I'm not sure how much impact that one change had, but together all of these things helped me to get pain free after almost 2 years.

I also had to pay for it. While the previous pairs of sneakers I would buy on sale for $40 to $50, this last pair I paid $150 for. I've never in my life paid that much for a pair of shoes, but I think it was well worth it.

I'm not a medical professional, I am simply sharing my own personal experience, but what I was told that if the sole of the shoe can bend or flex, there's not enough support if you have plantar fasciitis. I was wearing my crocs all the time, and everyone kept telling me how bad they were for your feet.

good luck!!

My favorite stretch for plantar fasciitis ("heel spur")

2009-11-08T17:22:00.000-05:00

I outlined some stretching techniques in an Ehow article:

I highly recommend, if you are able, see a physical therapist to learn how to do the stretches and how to do them right.

My favorite stretch is to grasp my toes and the upper (ball) partof the foot and to bend them toward my ankle as much as I can. I can feel this stretch in the arch as well as in the calf.

It's also important ot keep your calves stretched otu all the time...from what I was told, the calf muscle is attached to teh plantar fascia, so one of the things that cuses Plantara Fasciitis or a Heel spur is having tight calves. I find the easiest way to do this is to simply flex the foot often, whenever I think of it. The stretched feeling reminds me of the tightness.

Ice: magic cure for heel pain of plantar fasciitis

2009-11-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

I can't say for sure what finally helped relieve my heel pain of almost 2 years. I did many things, and my hope is simply to share them with people experiencing the extreme foot pain of plantar fasciitis ("heel spur"), to give hope that relief from the heel pain will come.

These last 6 months, I iced my foot all the time. I used a store-bought ice pack, a frozen bottle of water, a bag of ice...whatever was available. Sometimes I would even go to sleep at night with the ice on my foot. It got to the point that my kids would see me sit down and they would bring me ice.

I really think this might have helped a lot. The physical therapist also iced for about 1/2 hour before the physical therapy. They told me that the ice reduced the inflammation caused by the plantar fasciitis.

The water bottle did double duty as ice and massage. A small plastic water bottle, frozen, then put on the floor. I would roll the bottle under my bare foot for as long as I could.

I iced whenever I was sitting down for a minute. Eating dinner, watching TV. I even iced while driving when it was really bad.

So if you are suffering from the extreme heel pain of plantar fasciitis, try to ice as often as you can and for as long as you can. I think this really helped my improvement. I would love to say I'm cured, but it's still there. It's just bearable now and is no longer intefering with me living a normal (if that's what you could call it) life.

good luck!!

How to relieve the pain of Plantar Fasciitis ("Heel Spur") with stretching | eHow.com

2009-10-31T19:40:00.000-04:00

How to relieve the pain of Plantar Fasciitis ("Heel Spur") with stretching eHow.com