Welcome to the personal website of

Dr. Michael A. Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM

Thank you for visiting the web site of Dr. Michael Zapf. He is a member of the Agoura-Los Robles Podiatry Centers

The "real" practice web site, the one that contains registration forms, doctor information for all the office and directions to the office is located at:

www.conejofeet.com   ç Click here

I am Dr. Michael Zapf. I have been offering a full range of podiatric medical services, from ingrown nails to heel pain and foot surgery, to my friends and neighbors in the Las Virgenes, Conejo and Simi Valleys since 1985. This is my personal web site. It has been up since 1990 and has received more than 2 million visits. The entire site is my responsibility only and nearly everything on the site was written by me. You are welcome to peruse this site and learn what you can about me, your feet and the problems your feet can develop. Things happen fast in medicine so whatever you read could well be outdated, especially if it was written many years ago. On this site you will read historic articles that I wrote for a lay audience as long as 25 years ago, so please do not take anything on this site as definitive or as applying directly to your condition. You may wonder why I have my own site even though there is also an official practice site. Well, my partners are of a younger generation raised on tweets, e-mails and iPhones. They want a professional site that they believe better represents the professional nature of our practice. They also believe that people no longer take the time to read anything of length. I, on the other foot, think there is still a world out there full of people who still read lengthy descriptions of problems and solutions. if you are one of those old fashioned readers, then this site if for you. Let me know what you think. Let me know you are out there.

Please note that all information and photographs on this site are copyrighted by me, Michael Zapf, DPM, and cannot be used for any private or commercial purposes. I work with two other podiatrists in my practice who may or may not share any of my ideas and philosophy. Do not expect them to practice the way I do or even believe in any of the speculation I present here. If you appreciate what I have written and want me to be your treating doctor, you will have to ask for me specifically. Even if my office says at first, " He is booked until next month",  I still want to see you as long as you are a little flexible with your schedule. If your visit is an emergency, I know that  you will be happy with either of my associates, Dr. Darren Payne or Dr. Steve Benson. They are exceedingly well trained and capable in any foot emergency.

 

Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM     (If you want to know what all those initials mean, click here   è  

Our office phone number is (818) 707-3668 and my e-mail address is zfootdoc [at] doctor [dot] com

Agoura Hills Office: 28240 Agoura Road, Suite 101, Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Thousand Oaks Office: 555 Marin Street, Suite 290, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

For the address, hours and registration forms please see the practice web site: www.conejofeet.com


07/24/2010HomeNews+FAQShock Wave

 

To Order Foot Supplies è ç click

For Information about Laser Treatment for Fungal Nails Click hereè
 

For information about Shockwave Therapy for heel pain          click here è

Exciting news!!! New Thousand Oaks Location  è

 

 

 

 

ACORN March 1993

New Answer For Heel Pain!

By: Michael Zapf, D.P.M., M.P.H., F.A.C.F.O.

If you are a heel pain suffer, and there are lots of you, do I have news for you. If you have gone through the oral medication, the injected medication and more inserts than Dr. Scholls, you know how stubborn this pain can be. You have undoubtedly been told about the surgery. You know that traditionally the surgery was done at the hospital and required a three inch incision along the side of your foot. You also know that the doctor was not 100% sure that it would even work. And that was before he or she told you about the complications. Well, that was then. Now meet Mark

Mark was referred to me by his internist over a year ago for heel pain. He complained that his heel was so sore for the first step in the morning that he hated getting out of bed. After walking for few minutes the pain leveled off to mere torture. Two previous doctors diagnosed his condition as a heel spur and prescribed an assortment of pills, pads and prayers. None helped.

After reviewing his x-rays to make sure he did not have something else going on, I agreed with his previous diagnose. I went for my secret weapon: the low-Dye strapping. This is something that I guess only podiatrists and the occasional physical therapist do. It is adhesive tape applied to he foot in such a way as to relax a ligament on the bottom of the foot. Mark, like most people, got instant relief. But for Mark, it lasted only for a short time. This encouraged us to try making shoe inserts, called orthotics. These reduced his pain from "torture" to just "bad". A relief, to be sure, but the pain was still a problem. I fiddled and fiddled with his orthotics but couldn't get his pain to go away.

Podiatrists see a lot of heel pain. We are truly experts on heel pain. We take great pride in controlling just about every patient's pain without surgery. Just about. For all of us, however, every fiftieth patient, or so, exceeds our conservative talents and surgery is needed. I personally feel defeated when I can't control the pain without surgery. This was Mark.

I told Mark about a new procedure I have been performing for heel pain. It involves a tiny (1/4 inch) incision on the bottom of the heel and cutting a ligament-like structure. It requires just one stitch and is done in the office. Best of all, the patient walks on his foot the same day in a tennis shoe. I performed Mark's procedure last Friday and he went back to work on Tuesday. He reported that his foot is sore but not nearly as sore as it was before the procedure. He is even climbing ladders! In less than a week!

I have been performing this procedure for a little over six months on about a dozen patients. I am happy to report that every patient has improved, most completely. There have been no problems or complications. My experience seems to mirror those who have been performing this procedure for two or three years.

Heel pain is common and sometimes severe. Finally, failure of conservative therapy no longer means a complicated and sometimes successful surgery. This new procedure works. If you want more information on this procedure, please call my office. Or ask Mark, he's the one up there on the ladder.

Dr. Michael Zapf is a board certified podiatrist in practice in Agoura Hills and Thousand Oaks. For more information please call his office at (181) 707-3668

   

 

 

 

 

 

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Copyright © 2000 Michael A. Zapf, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., F.A.C.F.AOA.M.
Last modified: July 24, 2010