Plantar Fasciitis

I've been dealing with plantar fasciitis for well over a year now. Over the summer, I broke down and went to the doctor. For anyone who knows me, I hate going to the doctor for little things. I'd rather suck it up and deal with it. Don't get me wrong...I like our doctor, but I just don't like going for every little thing. We ended up doing a steroid injection, and I walked out with advice to wear shoes around the house and continue to wear shoes with good supports throughout the day.

Here we are 8 months after the injection, and it's not any better. I had relief for a few days following the injection. I wear Crocs around the house all the time. The second I take them off, it hurts. When I wake up in the morning, the first few minutes are awful. I wear Clarks and BOC's most days at work. Once the weather warms up, I like to start wearing sandals. But oh man does it hurt!

I've tried a variety of orthotics including the following: Dr. Scholls Pain Relief Orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis, Dr. Scholl's Heel Pain Relief Orthotic Inserts, and Dr. Scholls Massaging Gel Advanced Heel Cushions. They all make my shoes a little bit more comfortable, but definitely are not helping much. 

Another thing I use daily is a spike massage ball. It's not this exact one, but it's close. It hurts so good, haha. I use this in the mornings when I'm getting ready, at night when I'm sitting and any other time I can. I feel like it helps in the moment, but doesn't provide any lasting relief. 

I'm at a loss of what else to do, aside from going back to the doctor. My fear is that the next step would be physical therapy or an injection that would provide short-term relief. I have tried a number of exercises that Dr. Google provided me, haha. I do these several times a day. I'm not opposed to physical therapy. It's just that the clinic is about 40 minutes away (one direction), and I do not have very much sick time left at work. Having a baby in 2019 used all my sick time, so now I'm trying to save up the rest for more kids in the future.

Have you ever dealt with plantar fasciitis? Or do you know someone who has? What methods gave you the most relief? How long did you have to deal with it? I'd love to hear in the comments!