Hi all,

During at least the next two weeks I'll not available through these or any other forums. In that time I'll be having a couple of shock wave therapy sessions to fight the calcaneal spur that I've been developing the past year. Corticosteroid injections only helped temporarily, I've run through all 3 of them already.

So, the last thing to try is Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy.
Since I'm pretty much forced to do nothing anyway, I'll use this time to move the BOINC FAQs into a Wiki and delete, update or rewrite them where necessary.

See you on the flip side.

---

Good luck Jord. Hope it all goes well.

---

Yippee, I no longer have to endure the pain of the shockwave treatments, as the excruciating pain I still had 5 days after the first 2 minute treatment was enough to stop using this method immediately.

So instead they're now using direct current. Also painful, a burning sensation even, but less painful than having the shock waves hit my foot.

Want to know how painful shockwave is? Ever hit yourself on the thumb or other body part with a hammer? Try imagining that once a second on an already painful spot. Then increase magnitude by 100. Bloody painful.

Anyway, still taking my time off. I've been on some forums for one or two posts, that's the frequency I'll continue with, or less.

---

Sounds like surgery would hurt less ...

---

I don't think surgery would help here, as the Achilles tendon that attaches to my heal bone is 5 mm thick. Normally it's 2 mm thick. So unless they'll replace the tendon with a new one (;-)), I don't see what surgery could do here.

The really best thing would just be to put my foot up on a stool for the next 6 months and totally not walk on it. But that's not an option.

---

Yippee, I no longer have to endure the pain of the shockwave treatments, as the excruciating pain I still had 5 days after the first 2 minute treatment was enough to stop using this method immediately.

So instead they're now using direct current. Also painful, a burning sensation even, but less painful than having the shock waves hit my foot.

Want to know how painful shockwave is? Ever hit yourself on the thumb or other body part with a hammer? Try imagining that once a second on an already painful spot. Then increase magnitude by 100. Bloody painful.

Anyway, still taking my time off. I've been on some forums for one or two posts, that's the frequency I'll continue with, or less.

I've had both shockwave and electrotherapy to my foot, both done on the same days IIRC. I barely felt the shockwaves. They kept turning up the level of the electro until I said "too much" and they backed it off one notch. The corticosteroid injections hurt a lot more than both of the others combined.

My tendon on the bottom of my foot (plantar?) was calcifying due to a bone spur on my heel. I guess something worked (they also gave me custom orthotics, although I don't have them anymore) because I haven't had that intense, crippling pain in years. A little bit once in a while, but the stretching exercises they gave me help with that.

Anyway, I hope something works for you soon.

---

signature

Ouch.
Recently had teeth extracted. The shockwave (and electro shock) sounds much worse. I was given 'versed', so I don't remember any pain.

Best wishes!
Jay

Coming Friday I have an intake appointment at a specialist hospital, to see if the ABC method is something for me.

With that method, they use injections with my own blood, with some medicines added, which are injected directly into the inflamed tendon. Trouble is, I won't be able to walk after that, or drive a car, so I'll have to find someone with a drivers license and a car to get me there. But that's still a bit further off, first the intake. Fingers crossed indeed. The pain is now 24 hours a day.

---

How are you getting on after that, Jord?

I'm on another waiting list, but this time for treatment, Yay!
I did get the warning that when I've had the treatment, that I may not walk on my foot for a week, only the short hops to the toilet and such. Then after that week, I may lightly use it, slowly building up. After 4 months there should be definite progress, but if not this treatment can be done once more (with all the no walking on it for a week added etc.)

If there is progress, it can take anywhere between 6 months and a year before I'm over it. I can't wait. :-)

---