5 years of plantar pain after a severe ankle sprain — I really want my life back. Any advice?
I’ve been dealing with plantar fasciitis pain for about 5 years now, and I’m honestly at the point where I really want to figure this out and get my normal life back.
It originally started when I was a teenager after a very bad ankle sprain/injury. At the time I had terrible ankle pain as well as plantar pain in my foot. During the first year I tried using a boot, but it didn’t really solve the problem. Doctors also prescribed physical therapy, but I didn’t feel like it made much of a difference.
About a year after the original injury, I ended up using crutches for a period of time. The crutches actually helped resolve the original ankle pain, but they left my entire right leg significantly weaker than my left. That weakness is still there today, although it has improved quite a bit compared with 4 years ago.
The plantar pain, however, never completely went away.
I still have pain in the original area where this started, as well as pain in other areas along the bottom of my right foot. It’s nowhere near as severe as it was initially, but it’s still prominent, especially after working or being on my feet for long hours.
One of the most frustrating parts is that during the first year or so of trying to figure this out, doctors couldn’t really find anything on my MRI/X-rays that explained what I was experiencing. At one point my parents and even doctors questioned whether it could be “in my head” because nothing obvious was showing up on imaging. Eventually I just became so frustrated that I stopped trying to get answers and learned to live with it.
But honestly, I don’t want to live like this anymore.
I’m about to finish college and I’m planning on going into a healthcare career that will involve a lot of standing and walking. The thought of dealing with this for another 5, 10, or 20 years honestly scares me. I want to be able to work, exercise, walk around, and live normally without constantly worrying about how long my foot is going to tolerate being on it.
For some background, I’m pretty active. I go to the gym 4–6 times a week. I regularly train my legs, and I’ve specifically been doing single-leg exercises because I’m trying to correct the strength difference between my right and left sides.
I’m considering trying things like a night splint, plantar fascia/calf stretching, rolling the bottom of my foot with a ball, and continuing progressive strengthening, but after dealing with this for 5 years I’m wondering if there’s something I’m missing.
For anyone who has dealt with plantar fasciitis or chronic foot pain for several years:
What actually helped you get better?
● Did a night splint make a significant difference?
● Did progressive calf/foot strengthening eventually help?
● Did you have to address an old ankle injury, weakness, or mobility issue?
● Did anyone have chronic symptoms for 4–5+ years and eventually get back to normal?
● Did seeing a sports medicine doctor, podiatrist, or a different type of PT finally lead to an answer?
● Is there anything you wish you had done sooner?
I’m not looking for someone to diagnose me over Reddit. I just want to hear from people who have been in a similar situation and eventually found something that actually helped.
I’ve dealt with this since I was a teenager, and I’m honestly tired of accepting it as my normal. I want my life back. Genuinely any type of guidance would be appreciated!