I might suggest it could be any of your guesses either in combination or alone. Tight buttock muscles can cause pain on the soles of the feet. They also cause sciatica sensations.

What would I do? I would start by working on the gluteal (buttock) muscles. If they are the cause, that is an easy fix and you would know pretty quickly. Here are directions on using a tennis ball as a massage tool:

http://www.simplebackpainrelief.com/sciatica/how-to-massage-gluteal-muscles-for-back-pain-relief/

And here’s an article about muscles near your waist that can also cause sciatica.

http://www.simplebackpainrelief.com/sciatica/which-muscles-in-your-lower-back-can-cause-sciatic-pain/

But I’m kind of leaning toward the tight gluteals because of your feet symptoms. That’s where I would suggest starting. And it is possible that if you have flat feet they are causing you to have tight gluteal muscles. You may need arch supports but maybe the ones you had (or the shoes you wore them in) weren’t quite right for you.

Let me know your progress after you ‘massage’ and relax your buttock muscles. You may find quite a bit of tenderness there initially. Let’s see if that’s the key to getting rid of the pain in your feet.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

All good questions and I’m sorry to hear of your injury. As you know, I’m not a doctor. Here are my best thoughts:

1. Cortisone does weaken or soften the tissues but it also reduces the swelling which might take the pressure off the nerve. It could possibly take only one injection. And resting the foot to prevent movement may keep you from irritating the nerve and over time, the swelling will probably reduce on its own. (But casting the foot or giving you a built-up sole will throw your posture off and cause other problems so make sure to get both soles lifted to the same height.)

2. If the nerve is being impinged by bone realigning the bones of your heel could be the answer (Some chiropractors do adjustments of bones in the feet. Some osteopathic doctors also do ‘adjustments.’)

3. If muscles are entrapping the nerve, yes, manual therapy would help. If you get the nerve conduction test done you may get an answer to whether the nerve is being pinched by bone or by muscle/soft tissue.

But know what? Muscles move bones. And massage reduces swelling. So even if the entrapment is in/near/by bone I would have calf/heel/foot massage to reduce any muscles that are ‘too tight.”

4. Sounds like you already know that you need orthotics to support your arches. That will help you in any case. Running shoe stores usually carry a good, sturdy arch support. They are standard sized arches so the one that best fits YOUR foot may be a different size than the shoe you wear. You want an arch that makes you have arches. The problem with custom fitted orthotics is that sometimes they are made to support your dysfunction rather than to create correct support.

I have not had tarsal tunnel but I do have a crazy nerve in the heel of my flat foot (I have only one) and when I wear the arch supports from a running shoe store (They are Carbon Flex inserts) I have no nervy issues.

5. Softening and warming your calf muscles can be done with cold therapy. Cold/ice is generally the drug of choice for nerve pain. Heat for muscles 72 hours after injury. But if you try heat and it feels a bit worse you will know that’s the wrong therapy. I’m going with the ice.

If you relax your muscles with gentle stretching of your calf, icing your calf muscles, massaging them and supporting your arches to help align your heel bones I believe you will have benefit.

I think I got to all of your questions, Heather.

One more thing: I help people get rid of the pain naturally by explaining the HOW and WHY when I can. Conventional medicine pretty much treats symptoms and forgets the roles of muscles in pain syndromes. Rather than focusing on the horror stories be assured that your body will heal. You may need a little help as we discussed above and that’s okay. It can heal and I’m sure it will heal.

You’re welcome,
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Yes, surgeries do traumatize tissues. Follow your instincts to keep moving. Sometimes the cast isn’t exactly perfectly comfortably placed.

Surgery isn’t normal so it is difficult to tell whether you are experiencing what you should or not.

Even micro-movements of your toes, foot and leg will help keep your blood and lymph flowing through the area. That will help reduce swelling.

And if it starts bothering you even more, get in contact with the surgeon even if it’s not time yet.

I hope you will soon feel better and that your tarsal tunnel surgery will be hugely successful.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Here’s my best long-distance guess: Your massage therapist works on your areas of complaint. The problem with that, if I am correct, is that those areas are just symptoms. The areas that are causing your pain are elsewhere.

Migraines can be (almost always are) postural related.

Ideally, we want soft calves. We want our whole back sides from knees to skull to be strong but not the calves. Do you stand with your knees locked back?

Here’s something to try: Ask your massage therapist to work on your calves and also the FRONT of your thighs, the insides of your thighs, your abdomen, your upper chest and the fronts of your arms, and the front and sides of your neck. If she doesn’t really know how to do that or is not comfortable doing that, you may have to find someone else.

The pressure of a massage should elicit discomfort. On a scale of 1-10, when your therapist is pressing into tight muscles, you should feel that it is about a 7. Less than that is just a nice rub. More than that, your body will not respond as well because it will be resisting the pressure.

All parts of your body are attached to all the other parts. Migraines are usually part of a whole body issue. Walking ‘on your toes’ can cause neck and migraine issues.

Also, Chasity, you must do calf stretches between sessions with your massage therapist. Don’t overdo, but do several times a day.

Thank you for writing and take good care of you and let me know how you are doing.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

My Podiatrist thought earlier this year that I had Plantar Fasciitis. He now thinks it is Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. I have been reading a lot of articles and am unsure. I have read about how tight calves and back pain can accompany this…And I have both. I get massage therapy twice a month, and my LMT says that my back and my calves are just as tight two weeks later, as though she never even massaged them. My foot pain is in both feet. My whole body is just as tight no matter how frequently I see my LMT. My foot pain gets worse the longer I am on my feet. Massage used to help the pain, but now it doesn’t seem to. Do you have any speculations as to what could be happening? This could be totally unrelated, but I also experience frequent migraines. I just thought I would throw that in there in case it related directly to anything else. Thank you.

Thank you for your question. Here’s what I suspect.

When your ankle was wrapped it started to swell and that could well have been causing pressure on the nerves that run to the foot (just as you suspect.) It also was causing pressure on the other soft tissues and blood vessels. That would have been a delayed swelling and I’m not sure why that would have occurred.

Or perhaps the wrapping was simply too tight and caused the pressure. Anyway, I am glad you recovered and are back to normal and wish I could give you a better response.

Best,
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach