A survey done by the American Podiatric Medical Association revealed that 64 % of people suffering from heel pain have never sought treatment from a podiatric physician. The survey also revealed that nearly 40 percent of the American population suffers from heel pain! With the economy on a downturn and unemployment rates over 12% in some state, American’s cannot afford being off of their feet. What if your feet hurt? How long can you stand at work before your feet need a break! If you are avoiding the doctor for heel pain because you are scared of the cost or surgery, you are being foolish!
The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis. This is a soft tissue injury that is commonly healed with conservative treatment, meaning no surgery! Though there are many reasons for heel pain, plantar fasciitis is by far the most common and is one of the most debilitating. It is often characterized as pain with the first step of the day. When stepping out of bed in the morning or a long car ride, the sufferer experiences pain with the first few steps. Many patients describe the pain as an achy bruise on their heel times ten!
To understand the treatment of plantar fasciitis it is essential to understand why and how this chronic pain occurs. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that attaches to you calcaneus, the heel bone, and bones in your forefoot. The fascia supports the arch of your foot. When standing or walking, feet tend to pronate. This means the foot is tilting inward and elongating. This biomechanical positioning causes stretching and tearing of the plantar fascia which leads to inflammation. It is the inflammation process that causes the pain in the heel of the foot where the fascia attaches. The human body is masterpiece; thus, not everyone experiences plantar fascia damage. Our body will often adjust to compensate for abnormal stresses, but sometimes it just cannot take the stress put it through. One may experience plantar fasciitis during pregnancy or after gaining weight. It is also associated with an increase in activity. So, if you are taking on more shifts at work or began a new work out plan, you may start to feel some foot discomfort.
Since the pain is due to inflammation, many treatment plans flight this problem first. Corticosteroid injections is an antinflammatory that will give many suffers great relief. There are side effects associated with steroid injections, thus the number of injections that one can receive is limited and not everyone is eligible for an injection. Another primary treatment is orthotics. Orthotics helps control the pronation that leads to the stretching and tearing of the fascia. The orthotics will also help the fascia support the arch. Another essential portion of the treatment plan is stretching, exercising, and rest. Since this is a dynamic process, many podiatric physicians will recommend physical therapy to optimize the healing process. This treatment will also play a critical role in prevention in the reoccurrence of facial injury.
No foot pain is normal and no one should have to suffer from foot pain. It can be debilitating to your everyday life and many American’s cannot afford to slow down or stop for foot pain. The good news is that heel pain is often treatable without surgery. With the pain so excruciating and the treatment options so obtainable, it unacceptable that 64% of heel pain suffers are living with pain because they fail to seek help.
Showing posts with label foot pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foot pain. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Do you have stabbing, burning heel pain? When you get out of bed or out of your car is your foot achy and painful to walk on? If yes, you may be suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.
Plantar Fasciitis is caused by inflammation of your plantar fascia, a band of tissue that supports your arch. It can arise for various reasons including improper shoe gear, overuse, or even your foot type. Anything that causes increased stress on the arch supporting ligament will cause this debilitating pain.
Do you have stabbing, burning heel pain? When you get out of bed or out of your car is your foot achy and painful to walk on? If yes, you may be suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.
Plantar Fasciitis is caused by inflammation of your plantar fascia, a band of tissue that supports your arch. It can arise for various reasons including improper shoe gear, overuse, or even your foot type. Anything that causes increased stress on the arch supporting ligament will cause this debilitating pain.
How is it treated?
For immediate pain relief, your podiatric physician can give you a cortisone injection. There are many conservative treatments for plantar fasciitis that when used accordingly are very successful. You should be icing and stretching the bottom of your foot daily. Your podiatric physician may refer you to a physical therapist to aid in your treatment and to teach you the most effective stretching techniques for your foot type and condition. You may also be advised to wear a night splint that stretches your tendons and fascia in your foot while you sleep. These treatments can significantly reduce the inflammation of your plantar fascia and thus reduce your pain. It is also necessary to address your shoe gear. You should be wearing shoes that properly stabilize your foot and support your arch. Your podiatric physician can provide you with a prefabricated or custom orthotic that would give your achy foot the support it need. Athletic shoes are easily broken down and lose their supportive capabilities and should be replaced on a regular basis. This is a common cause of heel pain in runners. Your podiatrist can properly advise you on proper shoe gear and how often you should replace your sneakers.
How fast will the pain go away?
Since the fascia or ligament in the bottom of your foot is injured, the pain will not go away over night. It takes time and therapy to improve the integrity of the tissue. If you are diligent with the treatment plan, your pain will subside. When your pain goes away, you should not stop wearing proper shoe gear and orthotics and continue to stretch because the pain can reoccur.
You do not need to wake up every morning with achy feet. You can get back to walking, running, or even daily activities with simple conservative treatment! When your pain is addressed one step at a time, you will see results.
For immediate pain relief, your podiatric physician can give you a cortisone injection. There are many conservative treatments for plantar fasciitis that when used accordingly are very successful. You should be icing and stretching the bottom of your foot daily. Your podiatric physician may refer you to a physical therapist to aid in your treatment and to teach you the most effective stretching techniques for your foot type and condition. You may also be advised to wear a night splint that stretches your tendons and fascia in your foot while you sleep. These treatments can significantly reduce the inflammation of your plantar fascia and thus reduce your pain. It is also necessary to address your shoe gear. You should be wearing shoes that properly stabilize your foot and support your arch. Your podiatric physician can provide you with a prefabricated or custom orthotic that would give your achy foot the support it need. Athletic shoes are easily broken down and lose their supportive capabilities and should be replaced on a regular basis. This is a common cause of heel pain in runners. Your podiatrist can properly advise you on proper shoe gear and how often you should replace your sneakers.
How fast will the pain go away?
Since the fascia or ligament in the bottom of your foot is injured, the pain will not go away over night. It takes time and therapy to improve the integrity of the tissue. If you are diligent with the treatment plan, your pain will subside. When your pain goes away, you should not stop wearing proper shoe gear and orthotics and continue to stretch because the pain can reoccur.
You do not need to wake up every morning with achy feet. You can get back to walking, running, or even daily activities with simple conservative treatment! When your pain is addressed one step at a time, you will see results.
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Dr. Peter Wishnie is a podiatrist who specializes in foot and ankle surgery. He is the senior partner at Family Foot & Ankle specialists located in Piscataway and Hillsborough,NJ. Their goals are to educate the public on the care of their feet and ankles and to get them functioning as quickly as possible. They are dedicated to foot and ankle health. For more foot health tips on heel pain, get a Free copy of their book, “You Do Not Have To Suffer With Heel Pain,” by visiting their website: http://www.stopfootpainfast .