Teacher worried about plantar fasciitis surgery in two weeks

by Beth
(Maine)

I am a 47 year old woman who is overweight and has been struggling with PF a great deal for 9 months although I had a few smaller manageable bouts in the last 5 years.

The orthopedic doctor and I have tried icing, ibuprofen, stretching, wearing a boot for two weeks, physical therapy, cortisone shots, night splint and heel cups.

I have a huge bone spur but the doctor says that alone would not cause pain. When I had the cortisone shot, my doctor commented on the excessive inflammation.

You couldn't see the PF in the ultrasound. I experience pain on the outside of my foot, heel (of course) and the arch. The treatments have alleviated the pain some but not significantly.

I can't walk for long periods of time and can't find a way to comfortably work out which is extremely frustrating. I can't go barefoot or wear any shoes besides supportive sneakers.

The surgeon has recommended the traditional surgery as opposed to the newer methods because he believes that the pain is primarily because the tendon is resting directly on the nerve next to it but he also said, as we've read here, that surgery is successful for some and not for others. The doctor who did the referral agrees. No way to know if it's going to help.

For me, it's a question of quality of life. I work in an elementary school on my feet moving quickly and unpredictably up and down stairs. I can't do any of that.

I look forward to your thought and advice.



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Joshua Answers:

Hi Beth.

There's a reason that plantar fasciitis surgery 'works for some but not for others'.....and that's because doctors don't really know what the problem is.

Maybe it's a problem with your foot, maybe not.

What exactly would they do surgery on, anyway? They haven't identified any problem spot, so they're kind of just going to cut into your foot and hope for the best.

Here's my guess of what's going on. You're overweight (though people that aren't have the same problems) and all that weight transfers down to your lower legs and feet.

Muscles and connective tissue support the mobile bony arch of your foot. They're overworked, strained, tired, nutritionally deficient, suffering from the Pain Enhancing Chemical being pumped out by the Process of Inflammation, etc.

Your feet and your body NEED support. Surgery generally goes in and CUTS the support structures. Personally, I'm thinking that that's a bad idea for you.

In my experience the problem with Plantar Fasciitis is not in the foot, it's in the lower leg. The muscles in the back of the lower leg attach to the foot and provide support.

They're not working very well, and you're feeling it in your feet.

Muscles are shock absorbers and if they're maxed out, then there's no shock absorbsion, and all that force has to transfer somewhere....

Tendonitis does not respond well to immobilization. It responds well to reducing the inflammation process and softening and loosening TOO TIGHT muscle and connective tissue structures.

Plus you're likely short on Magnesium and Vitamin D.

'The Plantar Fasciitis Treatment That Works' covers all that.

Point being, the problem might not be with your foot/feet, and surgery may make things WORSE.

Which would be bad on a variety of levels.




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