Walking. Up to two years ago it was just something I did when I wanted to get from one place to another. I walked and I was there. Not magic by any means. However two years ago I realised how much I took the simple act of walking for granted.
It all started with some pain in my left heel, right at the underside where I walked. It got worse and started radiating around my entire heel; The sides and back as well as the underneath part. Within two weeks I was limping reasonably noticeably due to the pain and after another couple I was in a lot of pain. Agony? Hmm...Not really, but it was pretty intense. It stopped me doing a lot of things.
At first I took some pain killers and placed some soft liners in my shoes but it didn't work. I was hoping it would simply go away but after 6 months I was still suffering with it; It was actually worse. I decided it was time to visit the doctor as the pain and subsequent limping, was preventing me from doing things, being active and all. It was also making me cranky. The doctor called my condition plantar fasciitis.
The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of tissue originating on the bottom surface of the heel bone and extending along the sole of the foot to the toes. It acts as a passive limitation to the over flattening of the arch. Apparently my plantar fascia has developed micro-tears and has become inflamed: Plantar Fasciitis.
So after some failed attempts at passive treatment I decided to go for a more extreme option which was a cortisone injection. I was told it was going to be very, very painful. It was. They don't pre-inject any anaesthetic, rather, they add it to the actual cortisone injection and administer both at the same time. So the pain, (intense pain) of the injection lasts for while they are doing it and then for about 10 minutes afterwards. I laid on a bed next an ultrasound machine and they use the ultrasound to guide the needle. It's a big one too. The find the spot of the inflammation which shows as a bright spot on the live ultrasound and then put about two inches of needle into the bottom of the heel then inject the thick honey-like cortisone into the heel. Sounds painful? It was. I was on my stomach so wasn't watching the screen but my wife was. She started crying. Sympathy pain I think. Seriously though, it was the most focused and intense physical pain I had ever felt.
Anyway, 10 minutes later I was pain free and walking normally. Amazing. The theory behind the injection is that I'm pain free whilst the heel repairs. That was 1 year ago and 1 year after I initially got the pain in the first place. However, 6 months ago the cortisone wore off and I am back at square one. Two years after first feeling the pain and I'm no better off.
Today I am having some shockwave therapy on it. The first of three treatments. Apparently the shockwave therapy breaks up the tissue and bone spur that has formed into little bits, they call it microtrauma, and then during the healing process it's supposed to heal normally. Sound legit? I'm not sure I guess, but what choice do I have?
So, that's happening in about an hour and each week for another two weeks for three treatments total. I'll report on the results I guess and am hopeful for a resolution sometime in the near future. The pain has become like an old friend to me now and whilst it is painful I try and not allow it to prevent me doing what I want to do. I limp a little sometimes and at others am able to cope with the pain quite well but about 50% of the time it is almost excruciating; Normally after walking a bit too much, running or knocking it on something. Is it a pain in my ass? Yep, and my foot too.
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Photo by Nino Liverani on Unsplash