Joe A Shaw PA-C - 12/31/2007

Question
I had an ankle injury that kept me in a cast and then a boot with no weight bearing. The ankle injury has healed, but my heel is extremely painful. There is very little pain in the morning, but as I walk on it around the house, the pain increases until I cannot walk - even with crutches. It feels as if the calcaneus is crushing the heel pad and hitting the ground.

It has been this way for about 6 months.

I have had X-Rays that show no heel spur and none of the classic symptoms of plantar fasciitis apply. I have been going to physical therapy for 4 months and I do as much weight bearing as I can stand with the help of Vicodin.

It has been nearly a year since the injury and I am now experiencing a tingling in that foot. There is also some pain radiating up my leg, though it feels like muscle cramping.

I have scheduled a second MRI.

Answer
Dan,
That does sound odd, It looks like you are getting good treatment though and you are eliminating all the possibilities.
They may want to consider a bone scan...and you may want to google/mayo clinic the term (RSD) Reflex sympathetic syndrome or the newer name (complex) Regional pain syndrome which may apply to your case.