Yes, two weeks is still awfully early. After a follow-up email my podiatrist said that I should expect to see improvement at 4-6 weeks.
I do have some good news: during the break in class on Tuesday evening, when I am usually hurting badly, I realized "hey, my feet don't hurt right now!" I can't remember the last time that happened.
Indeed the entire week was an improvement. I usually top out at maybe a seven but this week I was at a five or at most a six at the worst moments. What's more, once I got off my feet I felt better much more quickly than normal. I am hopeful that this turns into a trend.
I wish you all the best today and afterward, jrbecker. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end for us both!
Curioso si alguna vez terminaste teniendo alguna mejora.
Gracias, Matthew.
No hay mucho que reportar en los primeros 5 días desde la inyección. Recibí una inyección de 25 mg que se dividió en dos zonas problemáticas a lo largo del arco de mi pie izquierdo. Mi médico quiere que use una bota de caminata durante la primera semana para ayudarme a no apoyarme en él. Solo hubo un ligero aumento del dolor por la inyección. Cada día ha mejorado en ese aspecto. Y hoy (día 5), casi he vuelto a mi nivel basal de incomodidad habitual. Así que, obviamente, no hay disminución del dolor general todavía, lo cual es de esperar en esta etapa tan temprana. Cruzando los dedos. Mi otro pie (el derecho) parece estar doliendo un poco más de lo habitual, probablemente porque estoy sobrecompensando.
Espero escuchar más avances por tu parte.
Week Four Follow-Up
In a previous response to jrbecker I wrote that I was experiencing some relief. This was at the beginning of the third week after receiving the amniotic injections. Sadly this relief did not last more than a few days; the past week has been very similar to the many weeks prior to the injections and I am experiencing very little to no change in my condition.
I had a follow-up with my podiatrist yesterday and we both think waiting another month is prudent. We also agreed to tentatively schedule a fasciectomy for the right foot on 11/17. If my condition improves significantly over the next month then I will of course cancel the procedure, but if not we'll be ready to go. We are planning on doing the left foot sometime in the middle of December.
Two Month Follow-Up
No significant change to report regarding the efficacy of stem cell therapy. Both feet still hurt. I do notice, however, a positive change in recovery time. Prior to the stem cells it took a little bit longer than it does now to be back to a relatively pain-free state after getting off my feet. So that's something.
Anyway I have a plantar fasciectomy for my right foot scheduled for 11/17. The left foot is scheduled for 12/15.
Please keep updating on your condition after the surgery. I am about to receive that amniotic fluid injection however after knowing your plight I'm having second thoughts. I'm in pain due to PF for 2 years decided to see the doc last month and was really healing well after the steroid shot only to worsen the pain after I resumed running. I think I should have given time to heal completely. Now the doc has advised amniotic shots but if it's gonna be painful then I would definitely not go for it. With a 11 months old baby running around the house I don't think I'll be able to cope. Waiting for your follow up.
Get well soon.
Yes and it alleviated the symptoms.....however a year on I'm still suffering!
Hi GP1911,
I am now six weeks out from a plantar fasciectomy on my right foot, and two weeks out from the same on my left.
Both surgeries were very invasive. Not endoscopic, but open. Each required 17 stiches covering a roughly three-inch incision. Stitches were taken out of the left yesterday and have been out for about three weeks on the right. Both incisions have healed well.
The podiatrist removed a 25mm x 15mm x 13mm chunk of plantar fascia from my right foot. Yes, my plantar fascia was 13mm thick at the calcaneus. The left was not quite as thick (10mm) but it is unlikely that I would have responded to any other treatment for either foot. I am happy that I went through with it. The success rate for this procedure is much higher than the standard fasciotomy which can often result in reattachment putting you right back where you started.
However, as you can imagine, if someone cuts your heel open and takes out almost five cubic centimeters of tissue you’re going to feel it. Each day is (usually) a little better than the last but I continue to have soreness in both feet. My podiatrist tells me that full recovery is anywhere from six months to a year out. I am optimistic and will continue to report back.
And for what it’s worth my podiatrist has soured on amniotic injections. I don’t think I was a very good test case (since I am way past the acute stage), but given that 1) they did not work for me; and 2) they’re not covered by insurance, he is understandably reluctant to recommend this line of treatment to other patients. However, given the literature on amniotic injections I would still give it a shot if I were you.
Also, I know how you feel; I have a four-year-old, two-year-old and four-month-old at home.
Good luck!
Hi GP1911--did you ever get an amnion injection? I got one 6 weeks ago for a degenerated/diseased posterior tibial tendon. The injection did not hurt at all and I was non-weightbearing in a fracture boot for 2 weeks. Then could walk a bit as long as there was no pain. I didn't have any pain after 2 weeks and my ankle looked less swollen and more normal than it had for a long time. My doctor told me to slowly progressively increase my activity-biking and swimming. I walked outside in my fracture boot when the ground was uneven. He also told me to stretch a lot, particularly the runner's stretch. I thought it was doing better for awhile, but the last week or so my ankle has been tight and seemingly more painful than before the injection' or at least as stiff and painful. I have noticed that the nerve pain is gone which is a good thing. My doctor said it takes 3 months for the benefits to be actualized, but I was expecting a steady improvement, not a worsening. I see my doctor next week, and I'll see what he thinks. I'm still hopeful. But wondering if you have benefitted from the amnion, and whether you have information on whether to try a second injection if the first time isn't super beneficial.
Sure is hard when mobility is compromised, eh?!
Thanks for update
I am at 17 days after Amino injections. Heel is tender, right now pulsing a bit after a light day..
I wish my podiatrist had set my expectations for the 30 or so days to see remission of symptoms.
Pain level today is a 4. Day 17
Has anyone found any scientific evidence on the internet that amnio injections work for PF???
I found something a couple weeks ago. I can't remember if it was after 1 or 2 sets of injections.
Hi there -
I just wanted to chime in with my experience. I had an amnio injection into my right foot about 6 ish years ago for severe PF. I was part of a study at my dr office when they were just starting to learn about its benefits. I was in severe pain and desperate. It was VERY VERY painful. The dr warned me that it would feel like I had surgery on it and after the nerve block wore off, I was in pretty bad pain. It took about 6 weeks for the excruciating pain to subside. I started feeling a difference around 3-6 months and 6 years later my right foot is still completely pain free. My left foot is now suffering from the same condition so I am looking into having the procedure done in about a month. Cost is around 500-600.00 and insurance doesnt usually cover it (mine doesnt). Looking back, even though it was horribly painful, it was totally worth it which is why I am looking into doing it again on my other foot.
Advice for people getting it done - stay ahead of the pain - take your medication, take a few days off work - even though it is a non invasive injection, trust me it hurts and lastly WEAR YOUR BOOT.
Good luck
I got over PF in 4 months just using cushioning of my heal. Not sure your injection helped. Any scientific evidence of it working? Have you searched Google?
Después de 2 años y acupuntura, quiropráctico, mi médico de cabecera me derivó a un cirujano ortopédico que me dio una inyección en el talón (Decadron/Kenalog). No estoy seguro si es lo mismo, pero el dolor desapareció por completo en 2-3 días. Mucha suerte.
Hi! I'm just curious how long you wore a boot. I just had the injection 17 days ago and was told to wear my boot for 1 week but chose to wear for 2 weeks after things I had been reading. I am in more pain today than I have been in a long time. Did you continue to ice and stretch? How much did you truly rest or did you go on with daily routines? My doctor told me not to take an anti inflammatory right after the injection. He prescribed another pain medicine but I was wondering if it's ok to take an anti inflammatory now.
I did not wear a boot. Only was on pain for 3 days. Took second shot 6 months later.
That was about 5 years ago. All ok.
Pete. #210-602-4829
Had injections in both heels in November 2014 and Plantar Fasciitis us completely gone.
This was riveting. Any further update?
Why didn’t you go with TOPAZ procedure which is less invasive?
I’ve since had a full Steindler performed on both feet (i.e. both of my plantar fascias were surgically disconnected from my heel bones). My central and lateral plantar fascia bands blew up after my initial surgeries.
I’m still in the recovery phase from these last two surgeries. Time will tell.
I did not have TOPAZ because: 1) the literature suggested that amniotic injections had better outcomes; 2) it was expensive; and 3) my plantar fascia was thick enough that it was unlikely that anything other than surgical intervention would work.
Two things of note: I consider my initial surgeries (from late 2017) a success. I’ve felt almost zero medial plantar fascia pain for the last year or so. The trouble is that almost every other part of the bottom of my foot hurts now.
Which brings me to the second point: I probably have tarsal tunnel syndrome. This causes forefoot pain. I have no idea what the etiology is in my case. I did experience minor pain in the forefoot prior to any surgical intervention but my podiatrist and I chalked that up to overcompensation in my gait. As it is I now have a positive Tinel test on both ankles at the tarsal tunnel. This, combined with the lateral pain as I recover from the full Steindler is a challenge.
I am not optimistic that I will ever be free of pain and increasingly significant limitations.
With so many variables at play it is difficult if not impossible to say what is what. My feet were getting dramatically worse prior to surgery and I knew I had to do something. On the whole, however, nothing has so far brought my feet back to a point where I do not have them on my mind basically all the time. The nature and the location of the pain has just changed. That said, one running theme of mine here has been that I am a very atypical case. I am convinced that if I had the modified Steindler four or five years ago I’d be fine today; in my stubbornness I just let things progress to a point where I probably do not have a good chance of recovery. My feet are most likely a mess of overcompensation injuries which have become chronic in themselves.
We all have our crosses to bear.