Roughly 74 million people in this country complain of a variety of foot ailments every year.  One of the most frequent of these is heel pain which originates deep within the foot.  The pain can be sharp or aching and affect one or both heels.  Until recently, any surgical correction of this problem would require weeks of recovery time.
 

Heel pain is usually at its worst first thing in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time.  it can be caused by a heel spur, or bony protrusion that grows where the muscles of the foot attach to bone.  Heel pain most commonly results when the connective tissue -- extending from the heel bone, supporting the arch, to the toes -- pulls on the bone at the heel and becomes irritated.  As weight is applied to the foot during walking or standing, the irritation can develop into an inflammation, causing mild to severe pain.
 

Left untreated, the pain becomes chronic, and the person compensates for it by hobbling or limping for a few minutes every time they get up on their feet.  The more the tissue (called the Plantar fascia) is abused or overused, the more the pain may persist.
 

In many cases, heel pain can be corrected by medication, physical therapy or custom orthotics.  When conservative therapies failed, however, the old treatment of choice used to be to remove the bone spur, if that was the cause, or to release the fascia from the heel bone at the point it was pulling away.  a new procedure called Endoscopic Plantar Fasciotomy now gives patients an excellent alternative to the more invasive surgery when fascia inflammation is causing the problem.

Using this new technique, we make a tiny incision through which the endoscope is inserted into the heel area.  The fiber-optic instrument transmits the image to a television monitor mounted in the surgical area.  This allows a much better view of the anatomy than the traditional surgical procedure while the plantar fascia is being released.  There are many advantages for the patient, as well.
 

This endoscopic procedure is done under a local anesthetic, it takes less time to perform than the more invasive techniques, and most patients are able to immediately put weight on the foot.  Another attractive feature of this procedure is that patients usually return to wearing a regular shoe by the third day after the surgery, and miss very little -- if any -- time from work, depending upon how active they are on the job.  In most cases, patients require minimal pain medication.
 

The important thing for people to remember about heel pain and other foot ailments is to seek diagnosis and treatment before the problem becomes severe.  Each of us, on average, takes about 10,000 steps a day -- often in ill-fitting shoes that lack support -- and during a lifetime our feet will carry us the equivalent of four times around the earth.  At the first sign of trouble, give your feet a rest and seek professional attention right away.  Thanks to this new procedure -- and other new treatments available today -- you can be back on your feet in no time.
 

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