Plantar Fasciitis Release Surgery was best thing I ever did after years of suffering

by Susan
(Jacksonville, Fl.)

I started having pain in my left foot 15 years ago. My family physician diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis and sent me to a podiatrist. He gave me several cortisone injections over several months. My foot and ankle was swollen and bruised so he sent me for a bone scan with contrast dye.


He said I had arthritis. The bruising got worse so my husband suggested I get a second opinion so I did. When the new DR. x-rayed my foot he said it was fractured on the outer bone due to changing the way I walked to avoid putting pressure on my heel due to pain from plantar fasciitis.

I was in a walking cast for 6 weeks. That was just the beginning. The right foot started hurting from favoring it due to the pain in the left foot. X-rays revealed I had plantar fasciitis and a heel spur in my right foot now too.

The new Dr. started off with conservative treatments such a anti inflamatory medication, rest, ice, and home stretches. That didn't work so we progressed to custom made inserts-orthotics. From there he tried taping and wrapping my foot and sleeping with a night splint. From there we moved on to numerous cortisone injections for several years. I finally had plantar fasciotomy surgery on my right foot 5 1/2 years ago in December 2005.

It was the best thing I ever did my right foot has been pain free ever since. The left foot still bother me and I am scheduled for surgery on July 13, 2011. I saw another Dr. briefly for my left foot due to an insurance change and he confirmed what the other had said plantar fasciitis and a large heel spur.

He did nerve conduction studies on my left foot as well which are very painful. I am now back with the Dr. who did surgery on my right foot he is doing my left. After having bone spurs in both heels and plantar fasciitis in both feet for many years I sympathize with all of you that have this very painful condition.

My pain has become so chronic that it is not just the heel it is also the arch, ankle (which is extremely swollen all the time), back of the heel and calf muscle. This condition can be very debilitating. I am 45 years old with 3 children I would like to keep up with but this condition makes it difficult.

My surgery is 1 month away and I hope I have as good an outcome
as I did 5 years ago on my right foot. I am actually looking forward to this surgery I am tired of living in pain. I will write again after my surgery.


Sue.



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Joshua Answers:

Hi Sue.

I'm so glad to hear about the beneficial results of the plantar fasciitis surgery you had on your right foot.

I hope the left goes as well.

I'm curious, when you say you're pain free in the right foot, does that mean 'good as new', or 'pain free but still some other issue, or really 'pain free'?

Plantar Fasciitis can come from a variety of directions, some of them Plantar Fasciitis Surgery can help with to some degree or other, some it can't at all.

As with all forms of Tendonitis, I'm always curious about the CAUSE of the pain and other symptoms.

See What Is Tendonitis

What -caused- your feet to become the way they did?

I'm very curious what The ARPwave System could do for your situation.

From an ARPwave perspective, you have some electrical disconnect that causes muscles not to fire how they're supposed to, limiting their ability to do work and absorb force. If you're standing there and your muscles aren't supporting you correctly, then you collapse onto yourself, onto your joint, etc.

That explains the bruising, the swelling, the bone spurs, the compensation pattern.

It's just a matter of turning the proper signal back on, kind of like an electrician going into a houses electrical system.

ARPwave offers a free and risk free trial session, where they'll send a unit to your house and do an evaluation and treatment over the internet via webcam. I'm -very- curious what your experience would be.

Here's more about that at this page: The ARPwave System

Regardless, if you do get surgery on your left foot, please do keep us updated.




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
















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Comments for Plantar Fasciitis Release Surgery was best thing I ever did after years of suffering

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Jun 03, 2016
Rating
starstarstar 		Nutrition is the answer?
by: Anonymous

So your saying if I eat completely nutritionally my PT will go away? ...


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Joshua Comments:

No, I'm saying that without necessary nutrititon your body can't A. work very well or B. heal very well or C. move back towards good normal.

Thus an essential part of recovery.

Without which, lots of self care is doomed to not be as effective as one wants, because the body can't respond adequately due to said lack of nutrition.
Jun 02, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Considering Plantar Fasciitis surgery but very skeptical about it.
by: Jacie

I've had PF for 2 years now. I started out at the podiatrist getting steroid shots and getting taped.

He finally told me we've exhausted all resources and I needed surgery.

I told him I would prefer trying physical therapy first. I've been at pt for my foot for about 1 year now. We work on my foot and upper calf extensively.

My foot pain does get better but recently with my orthotics it has gotten severely worse.

Yesterday, I stepped down off something and heard a pop and searing pain, I went into the podatrist and he said I partially tore it and said it might not have happened if I did the surgery sooner.

He's been really patient with me.

My husbands deployed so I don't really have someone to take care of my kids. I have 2 year old twins and a 1 year old. My arch fell during pregnancy with bad shoe support and excessive weight gain. I've since lost it but the pain remains. I've heard a lot of bad things about the surgery and am just not sure what to do.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi Jacie.

1. Corticosteroid Injections and taping were never ever going to fix anything. At best it was a hope to help get you through the day.


2. You hadn't exhausted all options, just all the options the Podiatrist was aware of.


3. What exactly did he want to have surgery done on? What exactly did he want to cut that was going to fix the problem?

Important questions to ask before surgery: Quiz Your Doctor


4. The podiatrist said you had a tear after the step and the pop.

How does he know that, exactly? You very may well, but before saying yes to surgery it would be important to know exactly what tore and how badly it tore.

Without knowing that, you and the podiatrist and the surgeon have no idea whether surgery is a viable option or not.

Is surgery going to fix it? Can it fix it?


5. But then, if it fixes the tear (which might be important/required), all the same factors are in play that caused the tear in the first place....


6. Extensive foot/calf work can be ineffective if the body is short of necessary nutrition that would allow the body to respond appropriately to that work.

Without that nutrition in your body....the body just can't 'get better'.


Which makes skepticism in surgery a valid concern.

Will it work?
Can it work?
What exactly is it going to to that will make things better?

And why don't surgeons talk about nutrition at all, which is vital for A. things working correctly in the first place and B. better outcomes and faster recovery post surgery.
Dec 27, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Praying for relief as well
by: Dana

It's amazing how I can read these stories and it seems as if I wrote them. I am seeing my orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday for plantar-fasciitis release surgery. I am tired of being in pain.

It's been a year of PT, Shots, pain pills, orthotics, wasting money on shoes, ankle pain, barely walk, wearing night splints. I pray I get relief as well.
Sep 03, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Plantar fasciitis surgery a success so far
by: Theresa

I have had plantar fascitis for over a year now.

My Dr. didn't want to do surgery unless last resort. We did shoe inserts, exercises, stretches, cortisone shots, and the dreaded boot for 3 months.

My Dr. said it was time for surgery since nothing worked on me and my foot and ankle were now swelling and anti-inflammatory medicine wasn't working.

I just had surgery 2 weeks ago on July 8th,2015. So far so good or at least I thinks so...lol

He did open surgery on the bottom of my right foot right at the end of the arch before the heel pad. He put me back in my boot 2 days after surgery to keep my foot at 90° to stretch while it heals.

I am still in the non weight bearing stage (3 weeks no weight on my foot). My husband bought me a knee scooter to keep weight off my foot.

Being my right foot I have not been able to drive and baths have been a great struggle and have I to wash my hair in the kitchen sink.

At 3 weeks (next Wednesday) I go back to Dr. to get my stitches removed. He said he will then tell me depending on how I feel and look if I can start to gradually put weight on my foot.

He said he'll probably let me start to walk a little while still in the boot but still stay off my foot about 10 hrs a day.

My foot stayed numb from surgery for 2 days and then I used the strong stuff he gave me for 2 days after that then one day on ibuprofen and I haven't needed anything else after that day.

My heel hasn't hurt once since the surgery. Before surgery my heel hurt so bad all the time.

I feel so far this surgery was a success and great thing for me.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi Theresa.

I''m glad things are going well.

How's the knee scooter? Seems like a must-have accessory. (Too many people on crutches take a fall/end up accidentally putting sudden weight on their foot.)

Keep us updated!


See Related: Still In Pain After Plantar Fasciitis Surgery
May 23, 2015
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Successful plantar fasciitis release surgery but now the top of my foot hurts
by: Kim

Upon concurrence from two separate podiatrists In February 2015, I had endoscopic plantar fasciitis release performed on my left foot after working a long time with my primary podiatrist to try all the possible remedial procedures (shots, physical therapy, boot, myofascial release, orthotics) to heal my plantar fasciitis prior to surgery.

The surgery was a success and I feel absolutely no plantar fasciitis pain anymore and I have been able to return back to my regular activities including exercise, but there is a possible new issue that I'm experiencing.

I've noticed that the top left side of my foot feels extremely fatigued and uncomfortable when I speed walk or jog. I understand that my foot needs to adjust for the loss of support from the release but is this a common side effect after this type of surgery and what am I possibly feeling?

I had an X-ray to confirm that nothing was broken/cracked but because that area doesn't hurt to the touch I can't pinpoint the location of pain. It's somewhere internal on the top left side of my foot, like maybe a muscle or tendon and the feeling of fatigue and discomfort increases as my speed increases and the longer I workout.

From your experience, will this discomfort go away with time? Any recommendations or feedback would be appreciated.


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Joshua Comments:

Hi Kim.

1. "there is a possible new issue that I'm experiencing"

New symptoms maybe, but not a new 'issue'. Surgery doesn't fix the causes of tendonitis/plantar fasciitis problems.


2. "I understand that my foot needs to adjust for the loss of support from the release but is this a common side effect after this type of surgery and what am I possibly feeling? "

You did have a major/primary support structure removed/severed. So yes, that will result in some need for adjustment.

Side effects of that adjustment can look like a lot of different things, including what you describe.

You're feeling that fatigue because your structures A. aren't used to having to work so hard in their new roles/requirements, and B. have less strength potential because they're already so tight/contracted/overworked that they're already tired and exercise has you notice that earlier than you would expect.


3. "From your experience, will this discomfort go away with time? "

This is a terrible but true answer: It will, or it won't. Or it will go away but then come back (and variations on that).

Various factors were in place that caused symptoms that resulted in you getting surgery in an attempt to resolve those symptoms.

But those factors are still in place. Surgery removed/severed a major foot support, so now you have other potential issues developing (same issues, ultimately, but more of them spread around).

You had and still have a Process of Inflammation going on in there.

See: Magnesium For Tendonitis

And understand the Pain Causing Dynamic

I'm not sure why surgeons think that cutting the support structures of a bridge will result in a pain free active life...but sometimes it does.

But when it doesn't, then you need to get to work making the foot a happier place.


4. What have you been doing for post surgery self care?



See Related: Had Endoscopic Plantar Fascia Release And Finally Got Some Relief

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