[Axe]

I figured I'd leave an update in case it will be of benefit to someone else out there.

After continuing PT with no definitive benefit for several months, I contacted Dr. Lev Nazarian at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in January, 2011 to discuss Dry Needling. Nazarian is an interventional Radiologist and a Professor at Jefferson University.

I checked into Dry Needling as the other alternatives such as ECSW Therapy and Platelet-Rich Infusion were deemed experimental and not covered by my insurance.

I left a message for Dr. Nazarian, expecting a staff member to return my call. To my surprise, the Dr actually called me back and spoke with me personally. He spoke with me for about 30 minutes describing the Dry Needling procedure. He said there was a 90% efficacy rate, almost-immediate return to weight-bearing ability, and next to no risk of morbidity.

That made the decision between traditional surgery (significant morbidity risk and downtime) and Dry Needling a no-brainer to me.

I made an appointment and went to Philadelphia on Feb 17, 2011 to have the procedure done.

After a physical exam and view of the plantar fascia using ultrasound, Nazarian gave me a posterior tibial block and then inserted a 3 1/2" needle in the back of the heel. Nazarian then worked the needle in and out throughout the plantar fascia using a sawing motion to break up scar tissue and adhesions.

The procedure was done in an exam room, and took less than 20 minutes.

Nazarian said he can feel the scar tissue as well as visualize it on the ultrasound, as penetrating the scar tissue feels like trying to puncture a rubber ball with the needle.

Following the procedure, I was instructed to remain non-weight-bearing for 24 hours, then walk as tolerated, do PT for 4-6 weeks, and avoid anti-inflammatories for a few months.

To my surprise, I was able to tolerate walking immediately after the 24 hour rest period, though the foot was stiff and painful. The post-procedural pain was MUCH less than I was expecting however. I was in far less pain than I had been in following Cortisone injections.

I had a slowly-progressing recovery that resulted in a complete elimination of pain when at the 8 week point, about two weeks ago. I have been able to start walking again without pain.

If I had the traditional surgery, I'd be getting out of my cast and maybe starting to walk now. With Dry Needling, I was able to stay ambulatory, with far less risk of adverse effects, and am confident that I have made as complete of a recovery as is possible.

I walked 2 miles the other day and didn't have any pain during or after. It doesn't get much better than that after having been on invalid status for almost two years. I wish I had undergone this procedure a long time ago!

I'd strongly recommend Dry Needling to anyone suffering from recurrent/recalcitrant Plantar Fasciitis looking for alternatives to traditional Plantar Fascia release surgery.