Have you been ignoring your heel pain? Perhaps you have been to the doctor and even got orthotics but didn’t follow the instructions and just felt that the orthotics were uncomfortable.
But it really hurts to walk.
If you are stubborn, like a friend of mine, and have behaved this way, you might be feeling a bit frustrated. I know he is. He even went to a second doctor and scoffed at the exercises he was told to do to help his plantar fasciitis.
Now, I am sure you would never do that.
But just in case you have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and have not followed the directions and are feeling worse, let me give you an idea of what can happen.
You are creating scar tissue around your fascia, the band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes. The more you ignore the problem, the worse the scar tissue will become. If you are not careful, you can move beyond the use of exercises and orthotics and move into the land of invasive measures. Yes, invasive measures mean surgery in one form or the other.
There are two types of minimally invasive side surgery. The first is PRP or Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy. With this therapy, the doctor removes blood from you and separates the plasma from the other components in blood. The plasma is then concentrated and injected into the injured area. The platelets contain proteins called growth factors which are very important in healing injuries. One of the positive aspects of the procedure is that the injection activates the body’s mechanisms to heal itself. Also by using the patient’s own blood, it is completely compatible. The cost is lower than surgery and the recovery time is quicker.
The second minimally invasive treatment is called the Topaz Procedure. This procedure involves using low dose radio frequency to break up the damaged tissues and leave the healthy tissues. The breaking up encourages blood flow to the area to speed up healing. For this procedure you are in an operating room and under general anesthesia. While still being minimally invasive, there is recovery time of approximately two months.
So what are my words of wisdom to you? I suggest that you go to your friendly local podiatrist and listen to what the doctor tells you to do. If you are given orthotics, follow the directions for how to break them in so that they are comfortable. If you are given exercises to help, do the exercises. Talk to the doctor what kinds of shoes you should wear. (Supportive rather than sandals or flip flops) Ask how much you should rest your foot. Also see if you should be doing something special at night to stretch the fascia band.
Get all the instructions and follow them. While is it a slow process to put plantar fasciitis in your rear view mirror, you will help yourself greatly by following the instructions. After all, you don’t want to make it better and end up in surgery.
Your Pal,
Foot Blogger Chick
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