plantar fasciitis

Question
Hello,
How are you? Good I hope. I really hope you can help me. I wore those Reebok sneakers with the balls on the heels so you can get skinny, Do you know those sneakers. Anyway I wore them for 2 years and they did hurt but with my stupidity I thought "no pain no gain" So many problems I finally could not take the pain anymore I wore them one last time about 4 months ago, and I wasn't paying attention and fell and twisted my ankle, I didn't go to the doctor because of money and it is still swollen, believe it, and somewhat painful. I have stopped wearing these sneakers altogether. So walking was difficult but I got by with the pain. Okay 3 days ago I decided to move furniture. After my leg and ankle are so weak I feel like my ankle won't move or my leg. Almost like I'm dragging them. I have been home for months so my activity is non existant  except for everyday activities. My leg is hard to lift example putting pants on getting in and out of tub. So I diagnosed myself with plantar fasciitis because all the symptoms are there. Is this normal can plantar fasciitis cause so many long range problems and is there something I could do to help myself? Thank you for helping

Answer
Carol, I'm really sorry to hear about your all of this.  I know financially you don't want to see a health are provider, but you should. I recommend seeing a physical therapy doctor first. Attempt to find one with the credentials "OCS" after his/her name. In New York you do not have to see physician before seeing a physical therapist.

This is not regular plantar fasciitis (PF). PF is normally felt very locally and shouldn't cause pain throughout your entire leg. The sooner you can have this looked at the better. The way to keep costs down is to tell them you want an in-depth home exercise program (HEP). This way you can be doing skilled, purposeful interventions at home that will facilitate your progress. The key here is that you get skilled treatment. Regular stretching, moving, and exercise won't do the trick. The sooner you can get this taken care of the quicker it can be resolved. It shouldn't take any more than 2-3 months with a total of 8-12 treatment sessions. If they think you need more than that number of treatment sessions then look elsewhere. Never settle with a healthcare provider that you aren't satisfied and pleased with what they are telling you.  

I'm sorry I can't be of more specific help via this website. I could be if it was standard PF, but I am not confident that I an understand all that's going on via writing.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions.

P.S. If cost is prohibitive then ask if they provide any "pro-bono" (free) work. Don't just not attend or seek treatment. Many clinics will provide at least some "pro-bono" work.