# Ankle pain and weight



## FiddleKat

Ive been having pain in my left heel/ankle. I can walk around on it fine with almost no pain in it at all. But in the morning when I first get out of bed, or if Ive been sitting for awhile it hurts really bad to the point I limp. But then when I start walking around it will go away.
I am overweight, and my goal is to lose 100 pounds. I already have arthitis in my knees which bother me minorly. I also am developing varicose viens. YUCK!
Anyone else who is very overweight experience these issues?


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## FiddleKat

Some time back I had severe pain in this same foot. But it seems like it was more on the top of the foot rather than the heel/ankle. More so the heel though. I went to the ER, and they said it was sprained. But I don't ever recall doing anything to sprain it. :shrug: 
And now I have this wierd thing. Once I get up and walk around I am usually fine except for a very minor limp and something that I can contend with.
I know my weight doesn't help.


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## FiddleKat

Hey get this......I just googled heel/ankle pain and came up with plantar fasciitis. (hmmm.)

Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes. In this condition, the fascia first becomes irritated and then inflamed-resulting in heel pain.
Symptons of Plantar Fasciitis:
-Pain on the botton of the heel 
-Pain that is usually worse upon arising
-Pain that increased over a period of time

People with plantar fasciitis often describe the pain as worse when they get up int the morning or after they've been sitting for a long period of time. After a few minutes of walking the pain decreases, because walking stretches the fascia.
For some people the pain subsides but returns after spending long periods of time on their feet.

THIS SOUNDS LIKE ME!
Treatments suggested were stretching, avoid going barefoot (toughie for me, I love going barefoot), shoe modifactions, losing weight (which I need to do!)

How cool is this to find it first shot around?


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## chicken

That would have been my first guess as I had the same symtoms and went to the foot doctor and got that diagnosis. Started doing some foot stretches before I walked downstairs each morning, got some orthodics made by the podiatrist, never go barefoot, wear good shoes always and always with my orthodics, and after awhile the pain did disappear. The doctor gave me cortisone shots 2 different times to help reduce the inflammation. I also lost 40 pounds.


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## mistletoad

I had very similar symptoms and was quite convinced it was plantar fasciitis. Another friend told me she had cured hers by giving up diet pepsi, sounded odd but I was a diet coke drinker at the time so I gave it a try and within a week all the foot pain was gone. I don't know what mine really was but I never drank another diet soda and the pain hasn't come back (almost 10 years now).


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## vtfarma

fiddlecat is right on with the pf. I had it and the only way it went away was to get better supporting shoes (like dansko clogs). Also, stretch point your toes to your nose. Do it as much as you can. Stand on a stair and lower your heels over the edge to get the calf stretch too. 

This is very painful. I feel for you. I have had my arthritis helped by my 35-40 pound weight loss. (at least until this past storm), and I know it will continue to help as my weight drops more. I would switch shoes for the pf. Good luck.


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## FiddleKat

I always bought the cheapest shoes I could get. I guess in the long run your really not saving anything.
Standing on the stair and stretching the calf muscle, I use to do this all the time when I was showing horses to help stretch and to train my muscles to go heel down for riding English.
My biggest is not going barefoot, because I love being barefoot.


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## vtfarma

barefoot won't be as much of an issue once you have a good pair of shoes and get stretched back out (even though they say that it will effect you if you do what you are supposed to do with the rest of it you will probably be able to go barefootin')


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## mare

i had planter faschitis (sp) it sure sounds like what i had. it gets to the point where it jurts all the time but it is a good indication when you get up in the morn that it hurts. what my doc had me do was wrap a small ace bandage in a figure 8 around my heel and and ankle. also it helps to take a golf ball and roll your foot over it.


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## chicken

Yes, those were my symptoms exactly. Got to where it hurt all the time. Went to the foot doctor and I got a shot of cortisone directly in my foot, they wrapped the feet, (oh, yeh they x-rayed by feet first) and cast my feet for orthodics. Had to wear shoes all the time except when sleeping. It took some time but my feet finally healed. I still wear shoes all the time with my orthodics. When getting new shoes always wear the orthodics because they usually need a bit more space. I went up 1/2 size. I suppose it might go away on it's own but I couldn't take the pain anymore.


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## okgoatgal2

i was simply going to suggest stretching your legs and ankles before you get out of bed in the am.


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