Heel pain after COVID-19 vaccine

Posted by kneadmuscles53 @kneadmuscles53, Apr 14, 2021

Five days before my first Covid 19 vaccine, after several hours of shopping and walking, I suddenly developed a bruised feeling under my right heel. Thinking it was from poorly fitting shoes, I next day switched to more padded and supportive shoes with a good arch support and gradually it began to subside. One hour after receiving my first vaccine shot, after sitting in my car all the hour, I stepped onto the parking lot to go shopping and felt the pain in my heel so strong that I couldn't walk! I sat down to stretch and massage my foot and then limped into the store to briefly shop. I lived very far away from any doctors, so wanted to stay close to the vaccine clinic for a while longer to make sure I had no serious side effects. For a few more days I researched causes of heel pain and called my doctor about it. I had guessed it was Plantar Fasciitis because the symptoms and relief from suggested therapies matched my own. My doctor suggested the vaccine caused inflammation and said to take tylenol if I needed it along with stretching, massage, icing and using arch supports. Two weeks after the second vaccine shot, along with intense self therapy, the pain is very gradually subsiding. It is very upsetting because I have never had any type of foot discomfort in my 72 years and some people in medical blogs said their intense discomfort wouldn't go away. Finally, yesterday I discovered wearing Nike Hyperdunk basketball sneakers with Heel the Pain inner soles completely eliminated the discomfort along with continuing the manual therapy. If it returns, I will visit my doctor. Is anyone else suffering from this condition and what is your story?

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@kneadmuscles53

I did a lot of research online about my painful heel symptoms. Went to sites for internal photos of feet, physical therapy for heel pain, description of possible disorders and best first aid items for relief of pain and to heal condition. You have more serious symptoms than I. For me (and because I also have flat feet) I wear Heal The Pain heavy Plantar Fasciitis inner soles with a sturdy arch inside of Nike high top basketball sneakers for ankle support. My shoes were made in 2015 so I bought 3 more used pairs on Ebay so they don't wear out so fast. At first I could only wear these for extended walking and used inner soles in padded slippers in the house. Stretching and massaging heal everyday multiple times gradually decreased pain to now an occasional ache if I sit on couch or in car too long without stretching foot with my hands. I am a massage therapist so didn't think my symptoms were severe enough to visit my doctor. He agreed when I told him on phone how I was treating myself. I never needed to take pain relief meds or use ice on heal.

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I had heel pain for years - limping even. I saw several podiatrists, MRI of foot, wore a boot, ankle braces, and had several treatments. My final cure was learning how to buy shoes. My feet need to be snug and not slide around. Sandals with three adjustable straps are perfect. I can walk for hours with them. Otherwise, New Balance tennis shoes - always the sign of someone with foot problems! These days there are stores specialized in in shoes for problem feet. And thankfully today, there are lots of study shoes.

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I thought I was going crazy. January 8, 2022 I had my first Pfizer booster (3rd jab) and within days I had joint and feet pain. I have never had hip pain and it was bad enough I needed a Cortisone injection into the bursa which relieved that pain. But the pain on the bottoms of my feet continued and gradually dissipated down to intense heel pain on one foot. So much pain that I walk like a Penguin. I am having therapy every two days which includes massage, heat, stretching, It feels good but has limited benefit. I have new Hoka shoes and inserts for plantar fasciitis which even with that much padding, only makes it tolerable to walk. Soon it will be 4 months of this and I was otherwise a healthy, active male. I will report back after the next level of diagnostics.

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Have faith, I had the same heel pain last year after my first Covid shot, it lasted a whole year but I am absolutely back to normal. I could not walk or stand on that heel for any amount of time. I tried every different shoe and bought orthotics and inserts, not much helped. Hang in there, I can attest that it does go away.

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I got a Moderna booster on 3/31/22. 6 days later, I got out of bed and could not stand on my right foot. The outer side of my foot was so painful. I put ice packs and heat on it for 5 days. Kept foot elevated. Only relief was taking ibuprophen every 6-8 hours. Went and saw podiatrist (Friday) who diagnosed peroneal tendonitis. Gave me an a foot brace and told to see him in a week. Next day (Saturday), my left foot was now in pain; same outer side of my foot. Saw my endo the day after (Monday). Wondering if this had something to do with Type2. They said no but observed that both feet were swollen. Said I was experiencing "foot drop" with my left foot. Nothing could be done except to take ibuprophen. Saw podiatrist four days later. Physical Therapy suggested. Started researching and found out this maybe a side effect from the booster shot. Barely walking for three weeks and all of a sudden, I had minimal pain on either of my feet.

Just as mysteriously as the problem appeared, it was now going away. Its now two months later. I'm walking, jumping and dancing again. The pain is still there if I press into the side of my foot. I showed my endo the articles I found about this possibly being a side effect. He agreed that it could be the cause but no one knows for sure. I reported this to V-Safe (CDC). They asked more questions so they could document it for their records.

Since I didnt have any foot issues before the booster, it sure points to that being the cause. However, nothing is conclusive.

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@kneadmuscles53

Yes, it has been slightly over 2 weeks after the second Covid 19 Moderna vaccine. My heel pain has lessened to a feeling of a slight bruise. My walking gait is normal again and has gained in speed. Oh yes, I have added a daily zinc and extra vitamin C supplement to my regimen to encourage healing. I'm also adding cinnamon and turmeric to my diet to eliminate inflammation. The only stubborn symptom is a slight swelling on bottom of heel and around ankle bone. I will ask my doctor if he wants to take an xray to look at the bone in the bruised area.

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I just thought I’d let you know that I’m having some ankle pain after my booster and wanted to see if anyone else experienced it too. I was pretty sure it was from the vax because I was really sick in the beginning of 2020, with what was probably Covid. There weren’t many tests available at that time and my symptoms were all the things they only said were part of Covid later. I knew it was happening again because during that March 2020 illness I had excruciating ankle, foot and calves painful with severe spasms. So, this is like that only much milder. It’s a good reminder of everything that happened to me when I had the real virus. It was waaaay worse than the vaccine.

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Function VS Feeling. Studies are showing the impact COVID has on the brain. The brain sends and receives messages. Those messages manifest as SYMPTOMS they are real symptoms but they are not the problem. It’s a challenging statement but when you’ve ruled out a system and a Dr tells you that body system is functioning properly accept it. All road lead to the brain.

The PRC program at Mayo helped me so much. Cut my meds in half and restored my vision and reduced my symptoms well enough my ability to function improved.

Focusing on my symptoms was hard wiring them in to my body and my reality. We need help and we need support. Treat acute problem acutely. Chronic issues need a different mind set. I’m not the professional. I’m the patient. A professional LongHaul patient from September
2020 the struggles are real. Your symptoms are real but you body is continuing to function. We want to fix something but there isn’t a pill or procedure that will help a chronic neurological problem other that reprogramming your brain. Like stroke patients like brain injury patient. Rule out the symptoms for acute issues and the focus on tools to improve functioning.

I’ll post more tips at another time. You are not alone and everyday we learn something new. Don’t lose hope. Find new friends new drs and support. HUGs

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There is a site that discussed this:
Fasciitis of the lower leg after COVID-19 vaccination

it is at :

https:www

.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8906020/

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@mayokk01

There is a site that discussed this:
Fasciitis of the lower leg after COVID-19 vaccination

it is at :

https:www

.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8906020/

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Also, I just want to say:

More than a decade ago I noticed that 'suddenly' I got plantar fasciitis PF, after I spent time with my father who had it, and around the same time I took a week+ vacation with another couple (the wife was experiencing PF at the time, and I shared a condo with that couple on the vacation). The PF symptoms came on SO suddenly after those contacts ( contacts of which took place around the same time).....I had done nothing out of the ordinary to bring it on by myself...
... that I had to believe mine had been caused by an aggressive virus that I had caught when being around the two other PF individuals. This occurred more than 15 years ago, and now I am reading that PF is associated with COVID/COVID vaccines......
(See my post just prior to this post)
Please consider it cb a virus to begin with..I KNOW I 'caught' mine from someone else..

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So sorry and glad you share this article. I developed severe weakness in my legs after COVID. 3 months after I came out of my car and feel sudden pain in my right heal. I went to ER but ultrasound shows no blood clot instead chronic inflammation sprain and heal spur. 3 months later blood work shows RA no ANA test was done. 10 months later I am still suffering with the pain. Could this be misdiagnosed and treated different from RA medication.

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Similar experience. After my bivalent Moderna booster, I experienced intermittent sharp pain on the outside of my left ankle. It was as if a bee stung me or a needle injected. Short, sharp pinpoint pain that lasted 5-10 seconds. This happened maybe a half dozen times over about 6 days and then went away. My husband had the same booster on the same day and when I mentioned my shooting pains, he said the night after the booster, he woke with the same type of quick sharp pain in his toe. He even checked under the blankets, thinking a bee had stung him. His pain did not reoccur. I’d never experienced any similar type pain in any part of my body before and had no such reactions to the three previous Covid vaccines. I do not suffer from any pre-existing ankle/foot issues and am generally in good health and average in physical activity for a 61 year old.
The following part of my story is likely not connected to the above mentioned sting-like pains, but it keeps playing on my mind. About 3+ weeks ago and about 2 months after my bivalent Moderna booster, I took a tumble, tripping over something and am experiencing very significant pain in the same ankle which I’d experienced the post-vaccine shooting sting-like pains. The fall did not seem great enough to create this kind of severe sprain. A Podiatrist ruled out Achilles heel issues and no break/fracture with x-ray. 25(?) days after my fall, I can’t walk stairs nor any distances with the pain. It’s worse after lying in bed immobile which makes me wonder if it’s circulatory. Also feels “heavy” and throbs at times. I have no idea if the vaccine booster created a “weakness” or predisposition for pain in that ankle or veins in that region that then created the situation whereby a minor fall/twisting is much worse because of a predisposed weakness caused by the vaccine? I have never had weak ankle issues before. Again, the post fall ankle issue may just be coincidental but makes me wonder. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and hope each of you steadily and speedily recover from any lingering pain or discomfort.

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