My relief from Plantar Fasciitis

It all started with a vacation trip.  I decided to save packing space and only packed one pair of shoes.  The shoes were flat with zero support, but it was only for 5 days, so what harm could come from that, right?   We take active vacations.  We hike, we see museums, we are on the move all day long.  The third day in, my feet started to hurt.  I let hubby know they were bothering me, but he had no sympathy.  He ranted and raved that I was ruining his vacation and he continued to drag me around.  Two more days in and dragging me around wasn't an option.  My feet were so swollen that I could barely get the shoes on and any pressure on them at all sent excruciating pain up the backs of my legs and under my feet.  I was in tears from the pain.

We made it home and I phoned my family Dr who referred me to an orthopedist.   The first available appointment was six weeks out.  I was miserable for those six weeks and stayed off of my feet as much as possible.  I gained over 10 lbs in those six weeks because I am usually a very active person.  The appointment finally came and the doctor said he thought I might have plantar fasciitis and he recommended I go to a drug store and buy a device to wear at night that holds your foot at a 90 degree angle.  I bought two.  I am not saying that these were a bad product, because they did help some, but my foot was so damaged that in order for it to get near 90 degrees, the part of the orthotic that went around my shin bit into my calf very hard and caused problems.    No mention was made of my foot being nearly twice the size that it should have been.  

I was frustrated and looked up another physician in town.  When I phoned them, they said they could see me in two weeks.  They apologized for the delay and said that they were opening new offices as fast as they could and should be able to see people in a more timely manner very soon.  I was impressed that they thought 2 weeks was a long wait and scheduled an appointment.  

They gave me a cortisone shot and sent me to physical therapy, six weeks later, another cortisone shot and more physical therapy.  I was also given a boot to wear non-stop for two weeks on one foot, then I was to wear it for two weeks on the other foot.  After the two weeks, I was to wear the boots at night.  I got one more cortisone shot before I was told by the Dr that the therapy was not working that they needed to try something else.  He recommended an ultrasound therapy that was not covered by my insurance.  I went for three sessions on each foot.  My right foot reacted very well and the pain and swelling were gone.  I still limped on my left foot though and could not walk well.  I could not tel you why the ultrasound worked on my right foot but not my left.  

I went back to the physician and he recommended a procedure that I had never heard of before.  It was called a tenex.  He explained that he would stab a micro blade into my foot and use ultrasound to break up the damaged tissue.  My foot was numbed and I was put asleep for the procedure.  I woke up with a numb foot and had to wear the boot for two weeks.  

When the boot was removed, I felt some relief, but I felt sore.  It was a different type of sore than before.  Over the next few weeks, the soreness subsided and I was able to walk.  I wore my custom orthotics religiously and did not walk barefoot because I had been instructed to.  For a few months after, if I stood too long, my feet would hurt, but they have never hurt like they did prior to the procedure.  

I would highly recommend this procedure if your physician says you are a candidate.  It has been almost a year since my procedure, and I can walk barefoot for short distances.  I can run, I can walk and I can stand.  I would do it all over again.


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