Runner Reports Post Endoscpoic Surgery For Plantar Fasciitis Results

by Kimberly
(Rochester, NY, USA)

I have had plantar fasciitis for over 2 years now.

I ignored it for a while and continued to run through it.

I ran a half marathon and a full marathon before I was forced to stop due to a stress fracture in my right hip.

After physical therapy I realized it came from the plantar fasciitis in my left foot (compensating) and decided it was time to take care of that.

During that time it worsened and I believe I tore it, making it feel much worse than ever before.

It felt like my heel was pulling away from itself as though it was in half. It disabled me and started affecting my other foot and back (SI joint).

I was now even more inactive and sitting all the time. Before this and following it I did the following to try to cure the problem: ice, massage, ibuprofen, an air cast, cortisone shots (5 in all), custom orthotics, physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractor, etc... Finally the podiatrist suggested surgery and I felt hopeful this would cure me.

I had surgery a little over a month ago. The surgery itself was a breeze. It was an endoscopic plantar fascia release and all went well. I was placed in a cast for 3.5 weeks following surgery and then moved into an air cast which I wear almost constantly (day and night) with the exception of stretching and showering.


I have been back to PT and his impression is that surgery doesn't usually help people.

I figured by now my foot would begin showing signs of improvement, but it hasn't. In fact, it feels worse than before surgery and I can only stand for about 3 minutes at a time before the pain really begins building.

My big toe is also even stiffer than before and feels like it could snap in 2 when I am stretching. I am frustrated and starting to lose hope. I went from being active to inactive and there is no sign that is about to end in the near future. I had no idea how much this could alter my life and make me feel about 40 years older than I am.

I am afraid the surgery was a failure, but am still hopeful (although barely), that perhaps some of this pain is related to surgery and not PF. I am told by others who have suffered severe cases as well that they did eventually recover, but it seems like a life long sentence to me right now.



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Joshua Answers:

Hello Kimberly.

I'm sorry to hear about all of that....no fun.

Thank you for sharing.

So. You've experienced the entire dynamic of Tendonitis. Starts small, things get tight and then get tighter, etc.

That's the Pain Causing Dynamic.

And it's safe to say, though there is some debate, that it starts at the feet and moves up.

So you developed Plantar Fasciitis and you ran competitively.

So with every foot strike, due to a restriction of functional mobility/strength, your body couldn't absorb the load on the feet.

So that load transfers up the chain...knee to hip etc.

So while I cringe at the thought of it, I'm not surprised that you got a stress fracture in the hip...it was taking too much stress/load with every step. (Assuming that happened while running, not from falling down the stairs).

I don't know if it's a life long sentence, but something wasn't working right and that caused pain and problem, and now you STILL have the original problem that continues to cause pain and problem, plus all the side effects of all that long term pain and problem.

So what do you do about that?

There's two levels. One, get out of pain/lower pain to acceptable levels. Two, 'fix' the problem and get back to running.

For the first level, the reality is, you have to work on yourself every day at home. Frequently throughout the day.

For the second level, the reality is, it's going to take some work.

I suggest that you (and highly urge you to) get 'The Plantar Fasciitis Treatment That Works'.

It will give you specifics about what's going on in there, and what to do about it. This includes your lower leg, not just your foot. (Chances are, the source problem is in the lower leg, not the foot.)

If you follow the plan and learn the concepts, and put some time and effort into it , I believe that you can go a LONG way towards lowering your pain levels and helping your body both heal and operate better.

That's the cheap and easy option to start doing some effective self care at home to reduce pain levels.

If you have the motivation and time and $ resources, come see me in Sacramento or Oakland (by San Francisco) for 5ish days. It'll be brutal, but I think you'll be very surprised with the outcome.

Contact me privately if you look at that as an option.


Questions:

1. How exactly and where exactly did you ice?

2. Did you have an MRI or anything to confirm a rip/tear?

3. Why exactly did the Podiatrist think surgery was a good idea?

4. What exactly did they do during the surgery?

5. When did that tearing feeling occur in relationship to the corticosteroid injections, timing wise?

6. What exactly did you do at Physical Therapy? Help a little, not at all?





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