My Feet And Ankles Always Hurt (questions About Surgery) Posted: 08-06-07 20:38pm
Hello. I'm 19 years old and I have a
problem with my feet. I've always known
that I had flat feet, and I didn't think
it was really a problem. When I was real
young I had an orthopedic insert that I
used to use (this was probably 14-15 years
ago). I didn't wear it for long, and I
haven't been to a foot doctor until very
recently.
I started playing Ultimate a lot last
September when I got to college. I joined
the team and started running a lot and
playing for 7-10 hours a week. Since then
my feet and ankles have hurt a lot. I
figured it was normal because I was so
used to it. After things started getting
real bad I knew it had to do with my flat
feet. I never had time to get to the foot
doctor since I was real busy at school,
but I decided to buy ankle braces instead.
They helped me out a bit, but I was still
in a lot of pain.
So I finally got to the foot doctor about
a week ago. He laughed at my feet and said
they were in terrible condition. I got an
x-ray taken and they also put me on some
type of scanner to see where I put
pressure on my feet. When my heels are
straight, my feet curve outward because
the bones are shaped wrong. My doctor said
that orthopedic inserts would barely help
me, if anything at all. In my very brief
visit, he mentioned surgery once saying
only this: "surgery is an option".
I got a letter in the mail saying that he
recommended the inserts and my insurance
company would cover 80% of the cost. I
called him up to talk this over, because I
was very confused. He said that before I
should even consider surgery, I should get
the custom inserts and also get specially
made ankle braces for when I'm playing. I
was only able to talk to him on the phone
for a minute or two because he's always
real busy.
So, now on to my question. It seems like
it's a waste for me to get the inserts and
the ankle braces. I've read some things
online, and I don't think it's going to
help me. I plan on getting a second
opinion, but I'd really like to know more
about the surgery. Is it possible to fix
bone structure and flat feet through
surgery? What kind of recovery time am I
looking at? If I want insurance to cover
it, it must be necessary. What makes a
foot surgery like this required? Thanks a
lot for taking the time to read this.
Matt
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fiona05
Supporter
Joined: 21 Dec 2005 Posts: 662 Location: , Norn Iron
Posted: 01-18-08 06:02am
i have flat feet. the thing with flat feet
is, it doesnt only effect your feet. if
your feet are rolling inwards when you
walk, it is effecting your ankles, knees,
back, everything! i used get especially
get pain in my feet and back when i was at
school. i got specially made inserts for
my shoes and they made it so much better.
because i was young (maybe 10) when i got
them made, it meant the problem could to a
certain extent be corrected before it got
worse. my feet are great these days. i
hardly ever get the pain anymore. i dont
need to wear such rigid inserts anymore
either, i wear scholl or orthoheel ones.
why did you never wear the ones given to
you?? i dont know about the ankle braces
or the surgery, but my advice would be to
listen to what your doctor has to say! if
he recommends the braces and inserts, then
get them. and WEAR them!
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rollar64
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Posts: 128 Location: melbourne
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 01-20-08 03:49am
Surgery is usually only considered when
conservative treatment like inserts have
failed, i don't know how bad your feet
are, but inserts can halt progression of
these deformities, and in time sometimes
reverse them. These types of conditions
are often caused by laxity in the
ligaments and connective tissue around the
joints of the feet, this means you might
have to limit the amount of sport you play
for a while.
One condition that surgery is used for is
PTTD posterior tibial tendon deficiency
try googling it. It is like really bad
flat feet where the feet are grossly
deformed probably much worse than yours, i
think your doc possibly misspoke about you
needing surgery, it used in serious cases,
and the outcomes are not always good, i
think you would be wise to try the inserts
first.
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