This is something else aparently I have, Its a very painful heel and feet. I've been told I have to wear a splint for two hours a day. Supplied by the NHS. Anyone else have one of these splints? they look very uncomfortable.
I have so many symptoms - I must be costing the NHS a fortune. At least my doctor is trying to sort out the problems which is something I suppose.
A bit about me: Hemithyroidectomy 2007, low in range thyroid tests, no treatment, lots of symptoms.
It is quite common to suffer with heel pain and get diagnosed with plantar fasciitis before getting diagnosed and/or treated for a thyroid disorder. The fact that you are not yet on any thyroid treatment despite only having part of your thyroid left does suggest that this could indeed be a symptom of thyroid hormone deficiency.
I suffered terrible foot pain before thyroid treatment. It all resolved after a few months of being on levothyroxine. I do notice it creeping back when my levels are too low.
You are right, the NHS pays out ridiculous amounts of money for various visits to specialists, medicines and aids to deal with all our symptoms. It would be so much more cost effective to treat the underlying cause (i.e. thyroid hormone imbalance).
Mary Shomons article 'Fifteen Ways to Fight Heel Pain' might be of interest
thyroid.about.com/b/2004/10...
My NHS practice do not even consider treating one holistically. I am hypothyroid. I have sore feet. I have bad knees. 3 different treatments. It is not surprising that the sore feet (just like yours, Artemis) don't respond to treatment. Although I was given orthotics which do help. Those splints sound absolutely horrible! Do you have shoe inserts too? If not do enquire about them - they help me a lot with the pain (and a fallen arch, which I guess isn't thyroid-related). Commiserating ...
Yes, I think they view us as a series of body parts that live independently!
Thanks Red Apple, very informative. I've been given exercies as well. One of my most distressing symptoms (& embarrasing) is severe constipation. I now have to take Movicol every day as it has caused me to have bowel pain, fissures & a prolapse.
My last NHS thyroid test my Free T4 was 12.8 (range 11 - 24)
Have you had your feet scanned? I had the splints, insoles made, physio etc etc forgot acupuncture. After 3 years of no improvement and in such pain I could hardly walk or wear shoes, I insisted on a scan. Guess what? It wasn't plantar faciitis, all I got told was "something systemic" by the foot doctor at an orthopaedic hospital. I'm now 7 years in. I can now wriggle my toes whereas before there was no movement, but, still pain and swelling. I think in my case it's nerve damage by pernicious anaemia, but no foot doctor ever mentioned low vit B12. I'm hoping now i'm getting the correct treatment for pa (10 years too late) my feet may improve.
I too have fissures, 3 bleeding now for 15 months, I can't push poo out. I drink 2 litres of plain water, eat loads of veggies, pulses and whole grains. A couple of people have mentioned on the pa Facebook site that this can be nerve damage in the bowel. I have movicol too, it stings my sore bum. Try Holland and Barrett Regucol in water. It swells up in water and makes a lubricating gel that helps push poo out, and it doesn't sting!
Hugs. X
Hi Artemis
Hubby suffered with flat feet as a child then Plantar Fascitiis (aka policeman's heel) for years, he was growing a 'heel spur'- very painful. After having physio, he still does stretching exercises & wears ortho-heels, & has to have a shoe with a slight heel. Perhaps a healthier diet helped (he avoids gluten) maybe - who knows? he's not HypoT but I have my suspicions!
Have you also had mineral/vitamin tests for irons, ferritin, folate, B12, VitD & calcium?? I see your other post about Vertigo. Jane 
PS Low magnesium can also contribute to constipation, just a thought which may help.
Please get a copy of your latest thyroid gland blood test results, with the ranges and post them for members to comment. Always get copies of your blood test results for your own records. You must have the ranges as labs differ throughout the country.
So I'm not the only one hobbling around!
I started with tendonitis then got exercises from the physio and now have plantar fasciitis too! Physio claims no connection but either my lower extremities are simply giving up or I really think the exercises are as bad for me as they are good.
Not been offered splints though. Do they help?
I had tendon problems quite a few years ago which went away eventually but whether this was to do with thyroid medication or whether the fact that I was so ill I had to give up work helped I don't know.
Good luck 
I have funny shaped feet so i can't really blame it on thyroid, but I swear by my custom made orthotics. They completely solved all my foot, knee and hip problems, including plantar fascitis, and I walk a great deal normally.
Funny shaped feet? Mine are terrible for my age, Harry! And my toes are short and fat...orthotics seem like a good idea.
Jo xxx
Very high arches and equinuus, which is a posh way of saying they don't flatten out properly!
Snap.
Extremely high arches, effectively extremely wide, always need/want some heel to my footwear as my heels don't want to be on the floor! And I suffered what was diagnosed as PF as, possibly, the first symptom that prompted me to ask a doctor for a TSH test.
Both the exercises prescribed (by two different professionals) and some custom orthotics caused my feet to be extremely painful. Soft, diabetic insoles help enormously.
Rod
My orthotics are rigid, but they really work for me. If I walk around barefoot I sound like a baby elephant!!
Hi, yes, I have plantar fasciitis on my heals too but have thought it was just dry skin! I do moisturise the bottoms of my feet sometimes and use a pumice stone.
Have you tried using a pumice stone at all? The only thing is it offers temporary respite before it comes back! So frustrating!
Never thought it could be thyroid hormone deficiency however.
Jo xxx
CCS foot cream for dry skin.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedheal...
Rod
Thanks for the link and the reply Rod.
I'll look into getting the foot cream tomorrow when in town.
Jo xxx
Hi Spareribs thanks for your reply.
We don't have stairs where we are - we live in a ground floor flat, so it's hard to say really. And I don't even walk barefoot to really notice.
I do walk on tip-toes sometimes however but that to me could mean anything...
Jo xxx
I was told to wear arch supports with my PF. Even in my slippers around the house. It has helped a lot. LB
Ha! Count yourself lucky, my GP diagnosed tennis elbow due to my Hypo symptoms, then wrote on the back of prescription sheet the URL to an amazon seller so I could buy my own! 
Oh, what a lot of replies.Sorry, I made an error. Have have just checked my last last result, it should have read: Free T4:12.7 (Range 9 - 24) & TSH 2.85 (0.2 - 4.5). Haven't had any vitamins done.
I'm fairly lucky in that I don't have to go to work (housewife) & no young children any more. We are very health conscious and take some good quality supplements. A Multivit, Co Q-10, Pro Biotics, Glucosomine, Extra Calcuim & Magnesium (as the multivits never have 100%). Just started having wheatgrass and we have a mediteranian style diet. with lots of fruit, veggies & fibre.
With regard to the feet. Have had heel pain for years, which was helped by wearing othotics. However last year they stopped working and I was in more pain than ever. That's when I went to the doctor. Had to wait 4 months to see Orthapedics.
I do seem to have a lot of the problems people get here so grateful of practical help. I have looked into the Nutri products (nutri thyroid etc. but not keen on taking them partly because I googled the ingredients & I didn't like the sound of them & I don't want to take anything that might jeopordise ever getting NHS treatment - eg if it improves my levels slightly.
Iv`e been getting heel pain for a few months now, it`s mainly in the mornings. Iv`e read that putting supports into shoes can help, but i can`t find any in the shops.
Boots usually have them
I recommend:
or their "professional" site:
They sell so many different orthotics you will be amazed - and all the materials to make your own (i.e. the same things that professionals buy).
And they sell CCS Foot Cream and Heel Balm - both excellent products, in my opinion.
I have also had some luck with random ebay suppliers - but they come and go so fast it is difficult to establish any sort of continuity, and some are not very good.
Rod
Although, as mentioned, this could be a symptom of hypothyroidism; have you tried any alternative therapies: acupuncture, ortho-bionomy, positional release, myofascial release, reflexology, body realignment?
I do body realignment and have had some amazing pain relief on clients. Some have been recommended orthotics as they are told that their legs are of uneven length when it turns out that their pelvis is out of line - I've found this an easy one to fix.
I used to have a lot of blanching of my toes as with Raynaud's disease causing a lot of pain. When I started Thyroxine this seemed to get better. I still have to be careful to keep my feet warm. Ginger tea helps the warmth. Vit C helps strengthen the blood vessels and encourages blood flow. I then had Planter Fasciitis and 3 neuromas by my toes. I was given exercises to improve the Planter Fasciitis. Steroid injections for the Neuromas. The NHS moulded my feet for orthotics. They are a bit bulky and meant buying bigger and wider shoes. I would not be without them now. What a huge difference. I do have neater ones on the odd occasion when I have to wear posh shoes. I had to pay for them. I think around £80
Message to the ladies unable to push when having a bowel movement. I used a device to improve my pelvic floor muscles. I used it faithfully for 2 years. I realised that it also improved my rectal tone too. Sorry fellas you won't manage this one !!
His summersweetly, I did have reflexology recently, which was nice. But as it was my first time it was throwing up a lot of painful areas in the parts corresponding to my head (migraines) and back (I get back pain), so it wasn't all that relaxing. Will wait & see how I get on with foot splint.
Thanks for all the replies.
Plantar Fasciitis 
Galloping tendonitis - what's going on???
Is giddiness a symptom?
Private endocrinologist has suggested I try Armour Thyroid
Blood test results plus ramblings
