11/11/08 Topaz Procedure On My Plantar Fasciitis. Is it normal to still have sharp, burning pain 6 weeks later?

by Maureen
(Spring Hill, FL)

In March of 2008 I got out of bed and had a "charlie horse" on the bottom of my foot. I let it go for about a month.


A friend who works for a Dr told me I had Plantar Fasciitis. I had never heard of this before. I let it go for another 2 weeks went to my Dr and he said it was PF. He referred me to Poditrist.

The Poditrist told me it was PF too. He gave me a cortizone shot. I felt no relief at all. Went back 2 weeks later and did and ultra sound and referred me to Physical Therapy and put me in boot from my foot to ankle. I also wore a night splint. PT did help quite a bit but insurance ran out.

On November 11th I had the Topaz Procedure. I woke up with my boot on my foot and instructions not to take it off, no weight on my foot, and NO SHOWER for almost 4 weeks.

I couldn't work or drive. Got released to go back to work on Light duty (I teach Pre-K) on 12/9/08.

While sitting at home with my foot up it felt fine. Now that I'm back to work my foot feels the same, charlie horse, hot, stabbing pain and it feels like a 2x2inch sponge was inserted in my foot.

I do go back to Poditrist 1/12/10. Am I just being a sissy or is ths normal? I have even been wearing MBT shoes and ortho inserts.



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Joshua Answers:


No shower for four weeks?? That's crazy. Even major surgery doesn't requre 4 weeks away from water/shower/bath.

Open heart surgery patients in the hospital post surgery are in the shower on day three.

4 weeks? WTF?

That's funny too, as Topaz is advertised as a 'no surgery' technique. I'm not sure how Topaz, along with some other procedures, are billed as non-surgical, but further down the content they say 'minimally
invasive' and 'small incision'.

This 'news' article (advertisment), for instance. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/health/10434709/detail.html

That's surgery, folks.


So. Are you being a sissy? No.

Is it normal? Kind of. In my experience, surgery either works, or they don't work at all.

Granted, I only talk with the people in the 'didn't work' category.

Did you have foot pain? Certainly. Did you have Plantar Fasciitis? By strict definition of inflammation of the fascia, yes.

Did you need surgery? Maybe. That's a whole different conversation. From what you say, it looks like it didn't help and possibly made it worse. Which has me say 'no, you clearly didn't need it.'

Or at least, needed a more effective surgery....(assuming that a 'better, more effective' surgey would actually fix the problem.)


You said 'charlie horse'. To me, that implies cramp. Was it cramp/spasm pain, or is that just what you're using to describe the sudden onset foot pain?


So...more information please:

1. Describe the pain in great detail. who what how when where why

2. Describe how it's different now from where it was pre-surgery.

3. Overall health? How's your weight?

4. Overall diet description.

5. Age.

6. Just one foot? Or both?

7. Wear high heels much historically?

8. What did you do for post surgery self care?




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Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com
















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Comments for 11/11/08 Topaz Procedure On My Plantar Fasciitis. Is it normal to still have sharp, burning pain 6 weeks later?

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Aug 02, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Still in pain
by: Anonymous

Hi i have had pf for about a year i work on concrete am on my feet 8 out of 10 hours.

I couldn't take the pain after many shots steroids a boot and no relieve i opt for the topez i was able 2 take bandage off next day soak it and even put weight on it while in the boot.

i go see my doctor 1 week later and he releases 2 go back to work that next Monday how ever 2 days later i was in pain again different from the first but still a lot of pain he puts me back in the boot gives me inflammatory meds and i am out 3 weeks more.

now he says it is my acellis i hurt so back and had to go back to work what are my options.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi Anonymous.

I'm not sure what your options are. It sounds like your doctor is either clueless, or did the surgery in the wrong spot, or both.

Does he want to do surgery again?

Did you ask him any of the questions from the Quiz Your Doctor page? (See link in this thread).
May 23, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Topaz procedure, 12 weeks later I don't feel any better than I did before
by: Orlando

1. How long had you been having foot problems? I began having foot problems in March of 2012. After months of cortisone shots, physical therapy, ice, stretching, night splint, orthotics etc. I decided to have the Topaz Procedure done.

2. How severe was the pain and problem? I has very severe pain and often limped when I walked. Anytime I sat for an extended period of time (such as a car ride, or at my desk) and got up, it was excruciating.

3. What was the experience of the actual surgery? I had the Topaz Procedure done in November 2012. The actual surgery only took about 30 minutes. It is now January 2013 and I am beginning to think the procedure didn't work well. I am still extremely sore and anytime I try to do anything "normal" like shopping etc, I end up limping for several days because it still hurts.

4. What was the recovery like? I was very sore for about the first week. I couldn't put any weight on it and was on crutches for a few weeks. After that, I limped around with the air cast for about three weeks and I am still having issues with pain.

5. How long has it been since the surgery, and how are you now? It has been about 12 weeks since the surgery and I am still having a lot of issues with pain. I am going back to the Dr. next week to discuss what to do about it. I had Topaz because it was far less invasive but I think I may be one of those people who needs to have the more traditional procedure. I still ice, stretch, wear the orthotics and night splint and I don't feel any better than I did before.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi Orlando.

Thanks for sharing!

You didn't leave your email address nor check the notifications box, so I hope you find this.

Why, I wonder, do you think that you're 'one of those' people that needs the traditional, more invasive surgery?

Did the doctors tell you that this one would help? Did they tell you that rest, anti-inflammatories, etc would help? Have they been right about anything so far?

Why exactly would a more invasive surgery help you?

Here are some pointed questions to ask your doctor and/or your prospective surgeon. Quiz Your Doctor


See Related: Last Ditch Effort Topaz For Plantar Fasciitis

See Related: Still In Pain After Topaz Surgery In My Left Food
Apr 21, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		topaz fasciotomy done on 2/27/2014
by: Tara

Ive had plantar fasciitis for at least 2 years before I decided on surgery. I decided to have the surgery on 2/27/2014. The first 3 days were pretty rough but as long as I had my pain medicines in my system for every 4 hours I was fine.

By the third day I didnt need pain medicine, but I could not put any weight on my foot either. I can actually say that by the fourth week, I felt pretty much back to normal with my camboot on and was able to walk around without crutches which was a highlight for me. My dr let me take the boot off in which I wore 24 hours a day on the fifth week. Without the camboot and with new sneakers that the dr recommended to me for $149, Im still not able to stand for long periods or walk a long way.

However if I wear the boot in which I do in the evening I'm fine. I dont know yet if its quite ok, because this is my sixth week and I have to sit down alot throughout the day time because I start feeling a little soreness in my heel and working at a daycare, this is also hard.

I would like to get completely out of the camwalking boot but as of now it looks like I will still be wearing it at least some hours of the day for a while.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi Tara.

You didn't leave an email or check the notification box, so I hope you find this.

What you describe post Topaz 'procedure' (read as -surgery-) 6 weeks out is pretty common. You hear of people walkikng the next day, but depending on what you had going on in there, and depending on what the doctor did in there, how extensive the surgery trauma to your foot was, etc, 6 weeks is not surprising.

Surgery damages your tissue. Creates more inflammation and muscle guarding, etc.

And chances are that you haven't done much of anything effective for post-surgery care and recovery. So your body is doing the best it can on it's own.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Let us know how things progress(ed).


RELATED: Still In Pain After Topaz Surgery In My Left Food
Jan 29, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		PART 2 - 11/11/08 Topaz Procedure On My Plantar Fasciitis. Is it normal to still have sharp, burning pain 6 weeks later?
by: Maureen

1. Describe the pain in great detail. who what how when where why

My pain at first felt like a regular charlie horse. (cramp) it lasted for a couple of days. I was walking with a limp it then went to a gripping pain and the only thing I did that morning was get out of bed and step on the floor. My pain has been non stop since April 2009. My foot will get hot, go in to gripping (like some one is squeezing my heel and letting go with a vice)


2. Describe how it's different now from where it was pre-surgery.

After surgery as I said I was off of my foot for almost a month...of course that felt good. Going back to work in my cute little MBT sneakers with ortho's my foot started to feel the same as before surgery.


3. Overall health? How's your weight?

I am pretty healthy but yes I'm overweight by around 100 pounds.


4. Overall diet description.

I eat a lot of chicken, and red meat. I don't like fish.


5. Age.

I will be 51 in March


6. Just one foot? Or both?

It is only my right foot


7. Wear high heels much historically?

No I usually wear my MBT's or Birkenstock sandals.


8. What did you do for post surgery self care?

I did stretching exercises, towel grabs. On 1-19-10 I had Autologous Platelet Conditioning done. Of course that was yesterday, and my foot is swollen today.



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Joshua Comments:


Hi Maureen.

(In the future, please use the 'comment' link below to respond, I can get to it MUCH faster that way.)

Thanks for the answers.

It's tough to say what's going on in that foot, but it's TOTALLY SAFE to say that you have a huge, acute Process of Inflammation going on in there.


I suggest that we knock that down first. Once overall and acute pain is much lower, we can then start to see what is what in there

So.

I would:

1. Ice Dip like crazy for at least 7 days. 5 gallon bucket, 10 second dips, AS MANY AS YOU CAN IN A DAY.

2. Get your Vitamin D levels checked, then get your levels up ASAP.

3. Can't hurt to cover your bases with Magnesium for Tendonitis, and Vitamins B6 and B12.


All of the above is cheap, and no reason not to do it, any one of the above nutrients could provide big results. The ice dipping certainly will.

Also, just in the interest of reducing irritation to the inflammation process/nervous system this next week, you might want to get a cane or some such to reduce X amount of weight on the foot with each of the hundreds of steps you take each day.


That may not have been the most specific set of answers...so feel free to ask more questions.


Jan 01, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		PART 2 - answer to your questions - 11/11/08 Topaz Procedure On My Plantar Fasciitis. Is it normal to still have sharp, burning pain 6 weeks later?
by: Anonymous

Joshua,

1. The pain in my foot feels different, sometimes like a hot poker is being shoved in my heel, sometimes like I'm having a contraction in my heel, there is always pain. My foot is very sensitive, if I step on a tile floor it feels like a knife in my heel.

2. I didn't have the sensitivity before surgery, that's about the only difference. Before my pain went from 6 to 10 now it's at a 7 and goes past 10.

3. I am about 100 pounds overweight.

4. I do eat lots of salad and vegetables. And beef and chicken.

5. I'm 50

6. It is only my right foot

7. I teach Pre-K so I wear MBT's on the weekend it's MBT's or Brikenstocks.


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Joshua Comments


It sounds like your experiencing the side effects of surgery. Meaning, surgery injures you, your body doesn't like injury, and now your tissue/structure is IRRITATED.


More water. Lots.

More protein. Lots.

Get your Vitamin D level checked.

Cover your bases with Magnesium, and Vitamins B6 and B12

Ice Dip that foot like your ability to walk depends on it. (It might).


Today is Saturday. Invest in this experiment: Saturday and Sunday each, get fifty ten second dips in on that right foot.

You have an acute Process of Inflammation raging in that foot.

Ice Dip. Ice Dip. Ice Dip.

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