My ex - family doctor used to give me cortizone shots in my heels. I have heel spurs/plantar faciitis (spelling?) and dry, cracked heels, stress fracture in right big toe.
I left that doctor and my new doctor says shots in my feet will end up deteriorating the tissue or something along that line. Those shots provided 6 months to 12 months of heel pain relief.
But another doctor says they don't reccommend surgery.
Anyone else ever get that shot in the heels?
Your new doctor is correct, cortizone shots can damage the tendons and tissue in the surrounding area. Surgery is not highly recommended for plantar faciitis, but I found that orthotics helped mine 100%. I am surprised if your doctor has not recommended them. If you have not seen a podiatrist I suggest getting a referral from your family doctor. There are other treatments also available for PF, I'd check them out. Good Luck-eko
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"Every good has a better and every bad a worse."
Orthotics have helped me 100% also. I have a heel spur and I don't know what I would do without them. I highly recommend a podiatrist. They are the specialist in this field.
I recieved two injections in my heel. I also have the orthotics. The orthotics worked great except after I had surgery for a neuroma in my other foot. I couldnt wear them and after putting all my weight on the other foot the plantar fascitius flared up again. I had to have another shot in my heel just so I could walk again. about three mos after the last shot I slipped going up the stairs and ruptured my plantar fascia. I really do believe that the shots thinned the plantar tendon.
If I had it to do all over again I would do the orthotics first. The pain that I have now is ten fold worse that what I had before the injections. Before the pain was only weight bearing. Now its constant. I still dont know how its going to turn out and I cant find much info on the recovery time for this injury. I've found lots of info on plantar fascitius but not a rupture.
Give the orthotics a try but remember that they are only as good as the shoes you put them in.
I have been wearing $400.00 custom orthotics for about 5 years. My feet are better with them rather than without them, but there is still severe pain in my heels. Before the orthotics I had constant pain in the arches of my feet and heels. Now the arches only hurt once in awhile. The heel pain prevents me from doing my regular housework. I'm on disabality for fibromyalgia also.
I had cortizone shots about 6 weeks ago. Saturday night I was playing indoor soccer and I ruptured my plantar fascia. Today I was put in a removable walking cast for 3 weeks. I was told to treat it like a regular cast. The only time I am supposed to take it off is to drive.(It's my right foot) He told me not to even take it off to shower. He said I just need to cover it. I am even supposed to sleep with it on. He sounded like this was very important to heal. I was told by another doctor not to do cortizone again. She said that the shots could be related to my rupture. I didn't try anything else but the shots, so I wish I would have tried the orthadics and stretches first. My foot doctor just recommended the shots first thing. If I was to do it over I would probaly look at all my options first and try the shots last.
go girl- Did your Dr. say what he wanted you to do after the 3wks in the cast? I've had mine on for almost three weeks and go back to the dr. monday. I was in such shock when he told me that I had ruptured the Plantar Fascia, and had to wear a cast that I didnt even think to ask him how long I had to wear it.
I went shopping for about an hour and a half yesterday and now have alot more pain than before. I didnt do alot of walking, just was on my feet. I'm hoping to get this cast off next monday as we have a vacation to mexico planned right after thanksgiving. (that would be a funny tan line)
I work on a auto assembly line and after yesterday I'm not sure I'm going to be ready to go back to work after monday.
lady neon - Actually he did not say how long I would have to wear it. He just told me to come back in 3 weeks. I was assuming that would be it. I guess I should have asked that question also. Let me know what happens with you. I have heard of some people in a cast for 6 weeks to months. Hopefully that wont be us. Keep me posted.
go girl- Went to the OS yesterday and he said that I was healing nicely. He also said two more weeks in the cast. I also start PT in two weeks. I couldnt get him to commit on how long I'd have to wear it.
lady neon - Thanks for the update. Hopefullly that will be the end of it for you. It sounds like everyone is different, so they cant give an exact time for the cast. I just had something else wierd happen. On the foot that is injured, my 2 middle toes went numb/tingly, 3 days now. When I touch my foot below my toes it sends like an eletric shock up to the 2 toes. Something has to be going on with the nerve. I've called the doctor and they told me to ice it. It has gotten worse, so I called back today and they never called me back. Tommorrow is Thanksgiving, so it wont be until Friday that I can talk to someone. Hopefully it's not damanaged and stays like that forever. I'll keep you posted.
I have alot of tingley feelings too but most of it is in my arch and heel, on the bottom of my foot. Sometimes it radiates down to my toes.
I had a neuroma removed from my other foot earlier this year so I know what nerve pain feels like. I do know that the nerve in my other foot was cut during surgery and I have no feeling in my two middle toes. Thats permanent, but a small price to pay to be rid of the neuroma pain. There must be nerves attached to the tendon thats been injured. I'm going to ask my OS if there are nerves attached there as I do have alot of numbness and tingeling.
Nerve injuries take a long time to heal. After having a hysterectomy I awoke with the top of my left leg numb. I was told that the femoral nerve was injured from being in the stirrups. That was 5mos ago. Its much better now but still a little numb.
I hope your Dr. gets back to you soon. Good luck and happy holidays.
Lady neon - This is all just crazy to me. I've never been injured before. I'm very active, well obvously not at this time, which is hard for me. I also have 3 children and a house to take care of. I guess I'm lucky thou, because I do not also work outside the house like you do, which would add to the trouble. This is all freekin me out. The nerve thing really is wierd. Hopefully it's just temmporary. Thanks for the info thou. It helps me to know others are going through simular things. I also try to remember that it could be worse. I'm very thankful that I can still walk. I'll let you know if I hear anything. Keep me updated with your recovery.
Happy Thanksgiving - Robin
Robin- I went back to the OS today and had my first PT session. The PT really made my foot hurt. I'm hoping the saying "no pain no gain" is going to hold true here. Ive got alot of exercises he gave me to do.
The OS said I could start working my way back into a good running/walking shoe. (running shoe, thats pretty funny right now ) Im going out tomorrow to try some new balance. Maybe 925 or 842. I have to keep up with the PT and come back and see him in three to four weeks. So Im off work untill after Christmas. I hope you've been doing well. I seemed to feel a little better untill I tried to walk in my tennis shoes this afternoon. Good luck.
I had a bunionectomy on November 2 and have been having some excessive inflammation that is making it very hard to get the mobility back in the joint (note that i also have arthritis thats complicating this). Am doing PT now, and its helping immensely. But today, to help reduce the inflammation, the therapist gave me cortisone via a method I've never head of before. . .
Essentialy she had an negatively charged cortisone serum that she applied to an electrode pad. She adheared the pad to my foot and strapped it on well, and hooked it up to a small device that provides another negative electrical charge, which pushes on the negative serum forcing it into the skin. I had never head of such a thing before and its very wild. I can feel it starting to work as well. She said it wasnt something that could be uesd for deep joints, but maybe its a consideration for the heel since it works on the toe as well?
lady neon, Just went back to the doctor today. He wants me to slowly work myself back into shoes. He said to do it slowly, a couple of hours at a time. He said in about a week that I should be back in my shoes all day. He said the numbing in the toes and bottom of foot will probaly be there forever unless it gets real bad they can go in and cut the nerve. He wanted to give me a cortisone shot for the numbing, he said it would make it feel better. I told him I didn't want one at this time. It seems the shots are the doctors easy answer to everything. He also said I can slowly work myself back into excercise. He really stressed on slowly, because he said alot of time people rush into all this and go backwards. So I guess I'll take it slow and wish for the best. Keep me posted on your recovery. Sounds like were both at about the same spot in revovery.
go girl- I got some new shoes this week with work in mind. New balance 587. They have a lot of support to keep my ankles from turning in. I wear them for a few hours a day on and off. Are you going to physical therapy? I've had two sessions so far. I think its helping. I dont go back to the OS untill the 30th. Maybe by then I'll be ready to go back to work. Good luck to you.
I have Plantar Fascitius too. I swear by the shots that I had. I had no more than 3 shots in my right foot a few years ago. The doctor said that was the limit. He did also prescribe medication too. Actualy Vioxx... The Vioxx did not seem to help the pain at all, the shots did. He did also tell me that I need the orthodics, but I hear alot of mixed rewies on that.
I am seeing him this week, because I now have the same problem in my other foot.
lady neon, my doctor did not send me to physical therapy. I dont know if it's because my foot is feeling so good. He did want me to continue with the excersises he gave me eairlier. I don't think I have as much pain as you. After i'm on it for awhile it starts to bother me a little, but that's about it. I also have new balance, but mine are 815's. Sounds like the new balance are very recommended. I've been wearing them a couple of hours a day for 3 days now. I still feel like I need to limp. I think the longer I wear them. I'll get over that. Two hours so far feels like my max. After that I can tell I need to get off it. So good luck with recovery. Keep me posted!
I had a bunionectomy on November 2 and have been having some excessive inflammation that is making it very hard to get the mobility back in the joint (note that i also have arthritis thats complicating this). Am doing PT now, and its helping immensely. But today, to help reduce the inflammation, the therapist gave me cortisone via a method I've never head of before. . .
Essentialy she had an negatively charged cortisone serum that she applied to an electrode pad. She adheared the pad to my foot and strapped it on well, and hooked it up to a small device that provides another negative electrical charge, which pushes on the negative serum forcing it into the skin. I had never head of such a thing before and its very wild. I can feel it starting to work as well. She said it wasnt something that could be uesd for deep joints, but maybe its a consideration for the heel since it works on the toe as well?
Did you ask for any proof of the negative serum? An electrical charge
may offer some placebo effect amd may well encourage bone growth at a fracture site, but you can't even be sure that the "serum" does what it said.
Where are the Nobel Prizes for this, if it is such a panacea?
Have you ever looked up "night splints" in your search engine?
That device worn every night will apply pressure to the fascia and allow it to
reattach to the bone. It will take months along with wearing sturdy supporting shoes with an orthodic to maintain the gentle pressure on the fascia.
Taking bone strengthening meds such as pamindronate to assist in bone growth will also aid in recovery...
Avoiding any crouching on the balls of your feet will also help to take the pressure off the fascia that is tearing it away from the bone.
Cortisone shots can only give temporary relief, but will delay healing and build up in the injection site. Sometimes surgery is required to remove the dried crystal residue. If you were a race horse, you might run that day and win,
but they might have to shoot you later that year.
I could post a link or two, but they are not government sites..
You will have to do some of your own searching.
Cortizone Shots in my feet/heels... 
) Im going out tomorrow to try some new balance. Maybe 925 or 842. I have to keep up with the PT and come back and see him in three to four weeks. So Im off work untill after Christmas. I hope you've been doing well. I seemed to feel a little better untill I tried to walk in my tennis shoes this afternoon. Good luck.
