Welcome to the Website of

Dr. Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS

 Thank you for visiting my website. I have been placing information and articles on this site for many years and have received millions of  hits during that time (and not that many of them were mine). I have designed it for people who like to read about their foot and ankle problems. Since I started the web site, I have added two associates to my practice, Dr. Darren Payne and Dr. Stephen Benson.  Since my site is filled with just my thoughts and opinions they are not, necessarily, shared by my colleagues. To see our less controversial (and less windy) practice web site, I offer you: www.ConejoFeet.com, the practice site for The Agoura Los Robles Podiatry Centers (ALRPC). The ALRPC practice site has a lot of material about our office, many of our policies and the registration forms to be filled out before your visit. I suggest all prospective patients visit www.ConejoFeet.com.

 I made the web site to give my patients the extra depth information that I don’t always have time to cover in the office visit. Visitors who are not my patients are welcome to browse the information found here. My younger colleagues are both under 50 and they, like many their age, do not favor in depth reading. They prefer their information presented to them in a few short, crisp bullet points. I, being of the, ahem, older generation, like to read about my ailments in greater depth. Here, I present the greater depth. If you ask a question about heel pain or bunions that I have not answered in my two monographs, I will quickly add it so that it is as complete as I can make it. If you agree with this philosophy, welcome to my page. If you correspond with me please let me know if you like the in depth reporting.

 Remember, this site is in no way intended to tell you how your own ailment or problem should be treated, only the approach I use when confronted with certain situations. Your problem may well be different from what you think it is and should always be evaluated by the appropriate professional, whether podiatrist, orthopedist or other authority. Please understand that I, nor anyone else, can offer you a proper diagnosis or treatment plan without seeing and feeling the problem at hand (foot?).  Happy reading.

 Sincerely, Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM

 P.S. All the information in this web site is © by me and it is mine alone. No picture or any of the articles cannot be used by anyone without permission from me, personally.

01/08/2012

To Order Foot Supplies --> <-- click

Radiofrequency Ablation
A New Tool in Our Practice for Heel Pain and Neuromas
Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS
Darren Payne, DPM, AACFAS

Great news for people with HEEL PAIN and NEUROMAS - May 1, 2007
 

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a non-surgical procedure used to treat neuroma and heel pain. After local anesthesia, a physician guides a catheter with an electrode at its tip to the area of a nerve lesion like a neuroma or to a painful tissue like the plantar fascial where it inserts on the heel bone. Then a mild, painless radiofrequency energy (similar to microwave heat) is transmitted to the tissues causing an injury to the nerves in the area that will result in less or no pain from the neuroma or plantar fasciitis. RFA is used by cardiologists for correcting heart beat irregularities and oncologists for treating some tumors. We are the first doctors in the northern Los Angeles—Ventura area to use RFA in the foot.

RFA is done either in the office with local anesthesia or at the surgery center or surgery hospital with sedation. For the neuroma three or four areas of the nerve are treated and for heel pain treatment involves three to six areas of the nerves. Post-operative care involves a strapping of the foot and tennis shoes for a few days.

Here is where RFA is used in the foot  (fOR hEEL pAIN sEE bELOW)

1. NEUROMAS

- A swollen and painful trapped nerve usually located between the 3rd and 4th toes but could also be between the 2nd and 3rd toes. Neuromas and trapped nerves can occur elsewhere in the foot and in areas of a scar.

    Self—home treatment
     ê

     ê

Diagnostic work-up in the office
                ê

                    ê

        Office treatment

                    ê

                    ê

RFA IS DONE HERE "BEFORE SURGERY" IN THE TREATMENT PATHWAY

                    ê

Theory of RFA for NEUROMAS: The RFA will “kill” enough of the nerve that pain relief will be great enough that surgery can be eliminated or postponed. The  regenerated nerve is not as painful as it was before the RFA.

                    ê

              Surgery

RFA should be tried before surgery in which the neuroma is removed under local anesthesia with sedation at any of our local surgery locations. Rarely is this done in the office.

 2. HEEL PAIN - PLANTAR FASCIITIS Inflammation of the plantar fascia where it attaches at the heel bone often accompanied with bursitis and first-step pain.

 Self- home treatment:

                    ê

                     ê

Diagnostic work-up in the office

                    ê

                    ê

          Office treatment

                    ê

                    ê

RFA IS DONE HERE "BEFORE SURGERY" IN THE PATHWAY OF HEEL PAIN TREATMENT

Theory of RFA FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS: The pain of plantar fasciitis is transmitted by several nerves that can be inactivated by RFA to give time for the body to “heal” the area. The tissue is injured and healing ends the pain,

                 ê

            Surgery

Send mail to (zfootdoc at doctor dot com) with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 Michael A. Zapf, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., F.A.C.F.AOA.M.
Last modified: January 08, 2012