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 Things happen fast in medicine so whatever you read could well be outdated, especially if it was written many years ago.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

 

 

 

 

Family Life -SEPTEMBER 1996

The Bump That Stopped The Band

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

"Doc, please do something about my feet" pleaded the young patient sitting in my treatment chair "they hurt every time I march." Her name is Jennifer and she is a freshman at a local high school. She is also in the marching band. After the band made a parade appearance she could no longer take her foot pain. She pointed to a bright red bump on the back of each heel. In the past these have been called, among other names, pump bumps. I see them so often in band members, maybe I should refer to them as band-bumps.

The heel bone, called the calcaneus, is shaped like a rectangle. Normally it fits neatly into the heel counter of shoes because the back of the shoes is also, more or less, rectangular. Through an interesting quirk of biomechanics, people with high arched feet have a heel bone that leans a bit to the outside. That means that the upper-outer side of the heel bone pushes against the heel counter of the shoe. The shoes most kids wear are soft. If a child has a high arch foot the rubbing is kept to a minimum by their soft shoes. With adolescence comes more demanding shoe styles (or band boots) and symptoms can follow. Elevation of the heel causes the heel bone to lean even further to the outside. A non-painful heel can develop symptoms for the first time with high heels. This is how this malady got its quaint name of pump bump.

Jennifer’s symptoms were classical. She has a hard swelling on the back of her heel right next to the spot where the Achilles’ tendon inserts. Because of shoe irritation it was bright red and very tender to the touch. An x-ray confirmed that there was no tumor, fracture or other cause of her pain. It did show that the edge of the bone had overgrown (an exostosis for the medically inclined). This overgrowth of bone, along with the swelling from inflammation, has caused the lump that does not fit well into her boots. Now that it was symptomatic, it even hurts in athletic shoes.

Most people respond to conservative care. I told Jennifer to avoid any shoes that put pressure on the bump. Fortunately, the band season is mostly over for this year. If she had to march, she could either stretch the shoes over the bump, appropriately pad the shoes (or her feet) to take the pressure off the bump, cut a hole in the shoe over the bump or ask permission to wear another type of shoe.

Ice massage is great therapy. I asked Jennifer to rub the area for 20 minutes three times a day with ice with a circular motion. Cold therapy slows or reduces the amount of inflammation. Finally I asked her to try a short course of an oral anti-inflammation medication.

Once people are aware of the cause of their pump bumps they can sometimes modify their shoe styles to accommodate their feet. Guys who wear lower and wider shoe styles find this easier to do. For women and girls this can be almost impossible. Jennifer wants to be, heaven forbid, a lawyer and will probably need to wear pumps on a daily basis. If her feet still hurt after her conservative therapy and if she foresees that she cannot make it through another band season (let alone her legal career), I told her that there is a surgical solution. Through a small incision the bump on the back of the heel can be shaved right off the bone. The surgery is very successful, has very few complications and will get her back to pain free walking in any of her shoes – even band boots.

Jennifer left feeling confident that she will get back to her favorite activity. I felt good being able to offer her a little, ahem, band aid.

   

 

 

 

 

 

Home UpHit Counter

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: July 24, 2010