possible tarsal tunnel syndrome

I have been having burning, numbness, freezing cold pain in both feet for the last 4 years. I have not been able to get a diagnosis until last month. My new podiatrist thinks I have tarsal tunnel syndrome. It feels like my feet are in a bucket of ice water and I can't take them out. I have been on every pain med and only get minimal pain management. I have had lower back surgery and a neurostimulator implant with no relief. It also feels like I have a band of leather down the middle of both feet. The pads of my feet feel like they are 5 inchs thick alot of the time. There is no visual swelling either. There is no way I can wear high (or even low) heel shoes. I will be paying for it for days. I am very scared to even think about surgery. If anyone has any other ideas of what it could be or how to fix it I'd greatly appreciate it.

[FootDoc]

DISCLAIMER:
THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED GRATIS AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND, AS SUCH, MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER AND/OR HIS/HER PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER OR HIS/HER MEDICAL HISTORY, AND IT CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION OR ADVICE. ONLY THROUGH HANDS- ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE ACTUAL PATIENT CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BE ESTABLISHED AND SPECIFIC ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER AND/OR READER IS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, AND TO ACT ONLY UPON HIS/HER OWN DOCTOR’S ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BY THE READING OF MY POSTING WHICH FOLLOWS, THE READER STIPULATES AND CONFIRMS THAT HE/SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISCLAIMER AND HOLDS HARMLESS THIS WRITER. IF THIS IS NOT FULLY AGREEABLE TO YOU, THE READER, AND/OR YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, YOU HEREBY ARE ADMONISHED TO READ NO FURTHER.
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You certainly (I hope) did not have low back surgery without a diagnosis. Was that intended to treat your foot complaints or something else? The symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome often vary, but if tarsal tunnel syndrome is suspected, one should be able to demonstrate some presumptive diagnostic signs such as Tinel's Sign and Phalen's Sign, and show typical findings on an EMG and nerve conduction test. Has any of this been done?

The back surgery was because my mri showed extreme nerve compression in my low back, which they thought was causing the feet problems. It has helped my low back pain but has done nothing for my feet. Yes the Tinel's sign was done. I do have shocks that go to my toes when he does it. I had an EMG & nerve conductivity done and it was normal. I have been to the neurologist as well. He finds nothing.
I do not have any pain in my ankles. Is that typical of TTS?
I should have my custom orthotics by the end of the week. I'm not very hopefull that it will work but I'm willing to give it a try. What else can be done to correct this problem, asuming it is tts?

[FootDoc]

DISCLAIMER:
THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED GRATIS AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND, AS SUCH, MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER AND/OR HIS/HER PROBLEM. IT IS CLEARLY NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND/OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER OR HIS/HER MEDICAL HISTORY, AND IT CAN NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION OR ADVICE. ONLY THROUGH HANDS- ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE ACTUAL PATIENT CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS BE ESTABLISHED AND SPECIFIC ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER AND/OR READER IS INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED HEREIN, AND TO ACT ONLY UPON HIS/HER OWN DOCTOR’S ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BY THE READING OF MY POSTING WHICH FOLLOWS, THE READER STIPULATES AND CONFIRMS THAT HE/SHE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISCLAIMER AND HOLDS HARMLESS THIS WRITER. IF THIS IS NOT FULLY AGREEABLE TO YOU, THE READER, AND/OR YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, YOU HEREBY ARE ADMONISHED TO READ NO FURTHER.
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The typical pain of tarsal tunnel syndrome is not manifested in the ankles, but in the areas served by the the nerve which passes through the tarsal tunnel on the inside of the ankle. The symptoms depend upon the amount of pressure or tension on the nerve and which nerve fibers are affected. Often tarsal tunnel syndrome is a judgment call based on a concurrence of symptoms and findings. You say that your neurologist "finds nothing," but what does he say is responsible for the positive Tinel's sign. Tarsal tunnel syndrome can sometimes be successfully treated conservatively, and surgery should be your final resort. But I would be suspicious though not totally disbelieving of a diagnosis of tarsal tunnel syndrome without some corroborative findings on the EMG and NCT. A repeat of these test might be appropriate. Get another opinion if whatever treatment you undergo does not work and be comfortable both with the diagnosis and the skill and experience of the surgeon before submitting to surgery. Being comfortable with the surgeon does not mean "liking" him/her or his/her personality. Look at his/her credentials, his/her appointment to quality hospital staffs, his/her reputation with peers and his/her willingness to discuss your case with you in terms you can understand and can provide you with numbers reflecting previous experience and success and complication rates.

As a further note, although you do say you had some low back complaints which were improved by surgery, it could have easily been established that your foot complaints were or were not related to them simply by giving you a local total block of the foot. If the back problem were causing the foot pains, the pains would still be felt in the foot although it was otherwise totally numb. Perhaps you might not understand this, but ask your doctor.