Part of your success will depend on the ability and skill of your surgeon. Part of your successful recovery will depend if the surgeon actually is correct in his diagnosis. Ask lots of questions so you get answers that make you comfortable with your decision.

The surgeon should be able to tell you whether he expects you to have 100% recovery and how long it will take to get there. Seems like most surgeries take up to six weeks to recover. You are paying the surgeon (even if it’s insurance paying) so it’s perfectly fine for you to ask questions.

There may be more helpful information for you in the rest of the comments under this article. In the end, remember it’s your body and you get to make the decisions.

I wish you the best.
Kathryn

Tarsal tunnel symptoms can be felt as pain, burning or tingling on the sole (bottom) of the foot. You may also feel it on the side of the ankle (the side where your arch is.) Symptoms are usually worse as the day goes on and can usually be relieved by elevating your foot, rest or massage. We are not talking sweet gentle massage here–You want deep pressure into the muscles in the arch of your foot to really get into the muscle.

Injury can cause TTS, possibly because of scar tissue that develops. Flat feet can also develop TTS because walking flat-footed puts a strain on the muscles of the arch. The muscle in the arch of your foot can press on the nerve that causes the TTS symptoms.

I am not a doctor but my first recommendation is always the one that causes the least trauma or change to a body. That would be deep tissue massage and trigger point massage, in your case. (And in most cases.)

Probably 90% of our pain is caused by muscles so that is generally my first plan of attack. On the other hand, sometimes surgery is required, for example, to remove a bone chip. On the other hand, sometimes it LOOKS like a bone chip or other situation when tests are examined but treating the muscles with massage or a cortisone shot relieve the pain of the “bone chip.”

If you have normal strength and movement in your body, hands & arms, you may be able to get deeply into your arch muscles. If you cannot apply enough pressure yourself (if you can’t “hurt” yourself enough) then interview professional massage therapists to find one who is familiar with TTS and can treat it. Go into the “Massage” Category here to learn how to find a massage therapist who can actually help you. You may want to postpone your surgery for a month to give yourself the chance to have your symptoms treated by a massage therapist. You should know within a couple of sessions. Once more I will tell you: Manual pressure into tight muscles will not be comfortable but may make a world of difference!

If you have flat feet, custom orthotics or firm arch supports may give relief and can be used with massage. I hope this gives you some help.

Best,
Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach

It’s also possible that tight calf muscles are causing this pain in your arch. It may or may not be tarsal tunnel syndrome but here are some suggestions: Deeply massage the arch of each foot, looking for tender areas and applying pressure to them. Search the whole arch area and press into the areas where the bones and muscles meet (ball of foot and heel.)

You can “massage” your calf by rolling it on a tennis ball as you apply pressure, or on your opposite knee. If you find tender areas that generally means tight muscles that need pressure or massage to “release” or relax them.

You can also take the time when your muscles are warmed up but before you begin your exercise to stretch your calves. Please look for a new article on this question in a few days. Thank you for writing!

By now you have hopefully received my response by email. I’m glad you finally got a diagnosis. I suggested in the email several things you can do to start the process of healing. It’s really too bad that most of the medical profession doesn’t pay much attention to the roles of muscles in pain syndromes. That’s not something that gets taught much in medical school. That’s why there are muscle specialists. One of the things I suggested beside massage and ice is to buy a copy of the blue trigger point book that is for sale on the right hand side of this site. The muscles that are responsible for causing TTS symptoms are shown and release treatment is demonstrated. The book is for do-it-yourself pain relief. You have a smart body that wants to be well. Right now, it just needs a little help from you. By educating yourself, you have the best chance of getting better, no matter which route you take. Since numbness is involved, and nerves heal very, very slowly, it may take quite a while until you get all of your sensation back. In the meantime, you might start a whole body movement program just to help the rest of your muscles get back into balance, too. I wish you the best and please feel free to contact me again.

Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach