Many thanks for the website - I visited already and it did answer some of my questions - most importantly it had pictures which really are worth a thousand words, at least for me, when trying to picture a condition or disease.

Reminds me of some time many years ago I spent in the Army at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Across the street was the AFIP, Armed Forces Institue of Pathology where they had preserved examples of virtually any diseased or abnormal organ/tissue known. I still smoked heavily at the time although the chance to see a disected healthy lung -bright pink, alongside the lung tissue from a long time smoker, literally brown-black and shriveled like a prune, gave me a long pause to reflect on the habit - sadly not enough pause to quit mind you - that took a heart attack at age 29 to get my mind right.

Regarding the therapy - I've been in PT multiple times w/ multiple sessions for the problems and have been doing numerous exercises (safe ones) to stretch the plantar fascia, Achilles and tibial tendons too. Worn orthotics for 15+yrs and yet the degeneration continues seemingly unabated - frustrating as Hell to put it in the vernacular.

My therapist suggested ESWT (extracorporeal shock wave therapy - a sort of lithotripsy for the soft tissue of the foot) to break up the adhesions on the plantar fascia and stimulate new tissue growth. I checked into it - it's really quite expensive and of course, an experimental treatment as defined by my insurance - naturally!!
Thank you again for the website - it did help a lot. I hope you have more and more pain free times ahead.
Alkymst

Last year, during a long round of PT for both feet, I received some TENS 'Accupoint' therapy. It was sort of, well, peculiar at first...but it did seem to 'jumpstart' some of my extremity nerves awake. There have been intermittent, random zings, zeeps and zaps since. The best way to describe it is electro-stim accupuncture. The guidebook uses accupuncture points for treating various conditions and it's fascinating.

Worked for me, ask and see? - keep at it! - j

Dahlek,
TENS yes, accupoint TENS as you describe no - I wasn't aware of the treatment until your post. I'll check back with my physical therapist and see if she does it or can recommend someone to me - she's been very good and helpful to me over several years for my on-going back and PN issues.
Thanks again for the suggestion.
Alkymst