PF Release Surgery on both Feet at the same time advice

Oh, Keeley! That sounds awful. 

Before you go down the surgery path, please ask around to some other podiatrists and find one who offers EPAT (Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology) sometimes referred to as ESWT or shockwave therapy.  It's non-invasive and you'll be back to playing soccer in no-time.

I'm not a doctor but have seen lots of great success with this technology--it is definitely worth checking out.  Let me know if you need help finding someone.

Wishing you all the best!

First of all, go see a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon. I would suggest doing the worst foot first to see if it even works. I have had the prob for 10 years and chose to have a gastroc slide to relieve stress on the plantar fascia and not destabilize the foot. I am training again after 3 weeks but some pain is still there. Let me know what you do and if it works.

Dennis

I am a retired physician and plantar fasciitis patient.  I got plantar fasciitis around February 2016.  After about four months, it completely resolved. 

Here's what I think.  Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel bone, AND/OR some minimal tearing of the plantar fascia - just a few fibers - that results, naturally, in inflammation . . .   like a "pulled muscle."  (You may know that a pulled muscle is simply the tearing of a few muscle fibers.)  Inflammation hurts until it heals and resolves.  So what's so difficult about curing P.F.?  Well we walk on it!!!  Let's say we take 5000 steps a day.  Imagine inflammation of your elbow, (i.e. tennis elbow).  Imagine taking your sore "tennis elbow" and wacking it against the wall, 5000 times a day.  Think it would heal quickly?  I don't either.

So my cure for plantar fasciitis is cushion, cushion and cushion!!!  That's right - cushion the heel.  Here's what I did.  First, I wore the plantar fasciitis "relief bridge" gel-heel innersole in my shoes - that I got at Walgreen's for about $11.  (I plan to use them indefinitely in my shoes.)  Then I wear a pair (usually) of nice thickish sox.  On my heel I wear fasciitis therapy wrap padded supports that I got on the internet for about $13.  (I plan to use these until about October.)  So under my heels I have 3 cushion layers.  I wear this about 24 hours a day - except when in the shower or swimming.  And after about 4 months, the PF was totally gone. 

I would try strict cushioning for several months before even considering any type of surgery.  Read the various posts on this website from people who have had surgery for PF.  The results weren't always good.  That's what I think, and I hope that this helps you and the many other sufferers of plantar fasciitis. 

Please do not do surgery until all options have failed.

Here is my recommendation as a runner and a massage therapist.  First massage your calf muscles starting from behind the ankles and then move your way up (if it hurts even though you are gently pressing it, then you are in the right area), and then stretch your calf muscles.  Try to keep off your foot as much as possible.  The reason why your feet feels like its burning when you wake up is because your calf muscle shortens while you are sleeping.  So when you wake up, it feels like your connective tissue is tearing at the sole of your feet.  To keep your foot lengthened while you are sleeping there is a product out there, I can't remember what it is called, but maybe you can make it yourself.  It is a pair of socks that pulls your toes towards your shin so that when you sleep, your calf muscles are always lengthened.  You wear it for about 8 weeks and it should clear itself out, but if you can, try to keep off your feet.  Maybe take up swimming, but always stretch.

Doing surgery will create other problems, and walking on your feet will be painful because of the scar tissue.

Hope this helps.

don't do it - this is insane! I am a retired physician and I can assure you that having this kind of surgery at your age will guarantee a lifetime of related problems. You will be a cripple later in life. I know you want to play soccer in college. I can relate. I was a scholarship athlete in college and playing seems important to you now but later you will pay a dear price if you have this drastic surgery. My All-Americn certificate is just another plaque on the wall now. It is meaningless.

I have posted before and completely cured my PF in 4-6 months with inserts, TENS units, hot tub massage therapy, accupunture, 1 cortisone injection ( minimal help ), foot rockers ( really good- stretch your fascia ) which you can buy on ebay for $10 and lots of different heel pads and arch supports and night splints. The best shoes I found were Merrell Mohave with additional arch supports but we are all different.

Once you find a good shoe and arch support, stick with it and don't change.

You have to cushion but you also have to find a way to redistribute the weight your foot is bearing. Get good/great arch supports which put weight bearing onto your arch taking some stress and weight off your heels. Learn to massage your heel and learn to tape it before you try to play soccer. It is called Low-Dye taping and even when my PF was still severe and beginning to heal, I could tape my foot and walk, run and play golf pain free. It is a little awkward to do it yourself but you will learn quick once you try. You can find this on youtube. You can leave the tape on for 2-3 days.

I sprayed my foot with an adhesive then used a combination of cover roll and leukotape. I modified the method a little and you should do the same but you will find a method that works for you and off loads all the stess onto the tape and takes it off your plantar fascia. If you are a college athlete, talk to a trainer who knows how to do this and I am fairly certain you will be able to play essentially pain free while healing.

Please don't do the surgery. You may never recover.

Hope this helps.

I think your doctor is insane and needs mental health help. Surgery is a very last resort and to do both feet at the same time is just not stupid its insane.

As many others are telling you calf stretching exercices and a night brace together with gel heel pads in all your shoes and rest as much as you can for 3 months and take pain killers to cut down the inflamation while the calf stretchs. Soccar and football are dangerous sports for the feet so you need to call time on those and take up another sport thats easier on the feet like swimming, scuba diving, skiing your foot is well supported by the ski boot and the insoles you can get to mould to your foot but wear a helmet I have knoched myself out several times even with a helmet, great fun though and I'm 63.

My pf has now gone and I take no painkillers but I do still wear the gel heel pads in my walking boots and trainers and keep doing the calf stretching exercises.

Hi Keeley,

How did it go?

I am 50 and having surgery in BOTH feet next FRiday nov. 18th . Mine is huge and its really painfull to walk w TWO BIG BALLS of fiber under my feets' arch.

I am a little sacared of teh post-op. How to get to the bathroom, ect...

I am alos a single mother of two kids...

Any resomendations?

Thanks

Sinara

Hi, I've had PF for months. Tried a lot of things but nothing helped, ie taping, creams, resting, insoles, laser therapy. It just got worse, the pain even woke me up at night. Then I've read somewhere that a good shoe with good build up helped. I went to a store where they sold medical type of slippers and shoes. The seller suggested one brand, Berkemann. I wasn't sure if she was a good salesman or would it really help. I bought it and started to wear it most of the day. It was like a miracle. In few days it got better and a week later no pain. I really could not believe it. Somehow they the sole is built on a certain way that it takes the pressure off of the heal. I wish you could have done without suregery.

[Image result for berkemann slippers black]  I hope you can get pain free soon.

hi Keeley! I wanted to check in and see how you are doing years later. I too am young and just had my right foot operated on. Endoscopic partial plantar release . How are you feeling today? Was it worth it? Do you regret doing both feet?

I am considering doing my other foot now that its been 4 weeks.

Thanks a ton! Hope you're feeling better!