cj1986

I'm young, 23, but have suffered from PF for a while due to inherited flat feet. As a competitive athlete this sucked. I eventually tore my arch. I saw a number of different doctors, all who had completely different suggestions, ranging from "theres nothing wrong with you" to "we need to open you up immediately." I had been treating it for years (i.e. rest, ice, cast, physical therapy, stretching, massages, etc) to no avail. We were watching the news one night and saw this new procedure called Topaz. We called that doctor the next day, got me an appointment a few days later, and had this minimally invasive procedure a couple weeks later. It helped the pain in the arch a GREAT deal. I'm about 1.5 years out from surgery and rarely get soreness in the arch. I still get some pain in the bottom of my heel, but thats because my feet are still flat and obviously how the weight is distributed.

The surgery uses a small "wand" inserted through a small 1" or less incision (my doctor did it without any incisions, just through little holes, so no stitches required!). This wand pokes in to the soft tissue, removing some of the scar tissue built up, and tricking the body into thinking the area is injured, thus promoting healing. It was done under twilight sedation. I had about 42 little holes, but I had it done in 3 areas... most people at this place have like 10-15. I was in a boot on crutches, non weight bearing for 4 weeks, and then a couple weeks walking with the boot. Again, most people are off the crutches in a week, if they use them at all. Like I said, it has worked extremely well at relieving the pain in the arch. I'd check to see if theres anyone in your area that does this procedure. You can search the internet for it (its commonly used for tennis elbow, etc). And, our insurance did cover it. I was also set up with some customized orthotics.