Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Along with this newsletter, we will be conducting the first of our free seminar series on many different topics.  The first seminar will be Wednesday October 1, 2008 at 6PM.  This is FREE of charge, but please call to reserve a spot as spaces are limited.

WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain in today’s population. Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia, which originates on the bottom of the foot at the heel and runs to the base of the toes. The plantar fascia is built to transmit weight across the bottom of your foot and also to act as a shock absorber for the body.  When the plantar fascia is not functioning normally, it can become inflamed and the weight of each step is transmitted directly to the bottom of the calcaneus, which may result in heel spurs.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain at the bottom of the heel at the attachment point of the plantar fascia. It is usually described as a burning or stabbing pain, which may radiate along the bottom of the foot to the base of the toes. The pain is most severe in the morning upon getting out of bed. This is because the plantar fascia contracts overnight, and the pain will gradually decrease upon movement and stretching throughout the morning. The pain can be aggravated by long periods of standing or sitting, or by jogging, running, walking, and other forms of activity.

CAUSES
Plantar fasciits can be acute or chronic, depending on the cause. The plantar fascia can become inflamed due to tearing, overuse,or trauma to the tissue. This can be due to one traumatic event, or it can be over a long period of micro-trauma to the fascia.  Common causes of trauma to the plantar fascia include:

• Structural problems of the foot, such as hyperpronation (flat-footed) or hypersupination (high arches).
• Wearing shoes with inadequate arch support or with hard soles.
• Occupations that require a lot of standing, especially on hard surfaces such as concrete.
• Obesity.
• Highly active people, especially runners.
• Women have twice the incidence of plantar fasciitis than men.

COMPLICATIONS
Acute plantar fasciitis may become chronic if ignored. It may also cause heel spurs to form on the bottom of the calcaneus, which are permanent and may have to be surgically removed. When a person is having significant pain in one foot, he or she will subconsciously change the way he or she is standing or walking to accommodate to the pain, which means putting more stress on other joints in attempt to take pressure off of the painful foot.  When plantar fasciitis flares up, a person may experience knee, hip, or back problems due to changes in the biomechanics of walking or standing. This can cause long-term problems in other joints in the lower extremity and/or back.

TREATMENT
There are several treatments available for plantar fasciitis. Medical intervention may include anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid injections, or surgery. Other treatment options include orthotics to ensure proper foot support and specific stretches to be done daily. Other pain relieving techniques include ice, massage to the bottom of the foot, reducing high impact activities to low or no
impact, or reduction of mileage of runners.

CHIROPRACTIC AND PLANTAR FASCIITIS
There are several ways chiropractors treat plantar fasciitis, but a very effective method of treatment has been found to be Graston therapy, combined with Chiropractic adjustments along with heat and cryotherapy.  Graston therapy is a soft tissue technique aimed at breaking up scar tissue and adhesions to promote the rebuilding of scar tissue in the correct line of force to strengthen the muscle, increase flexibility and movement, and promote normal function of the soft tissue. Graston therapy incorporates the use of stainless steel tools that are used to detect and treat scar tissue within muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia, and all other forms of soft tissue. By breaking up this poorly formed scar tissue and encouraging the body to form healthier and stronger scar tissue, the plantar fascia will be allowed to move properly and will no longer be irritated, inflamed, or painful.

PREVENTION OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS
There are several ways to prevent the inflammation of plantar fasciitis. First and foremost, maintain a healthy weight to reduce impact on your feet. Wear supportive shoes and/or wear orthotics to ensure the proper support your feet need. Do not wear old worn-out athletic shoes—ever. Before doing any activity, do a proper warm up.  This will soften your muscles, ligaments, etc. making them more pliable and less prone to injury and tearing. Lastly, do calf and foot stretches in the morning before getting out of bed, especially if you are already having heel pain in the mornings.

For more information about Plantar Fasciitis, Graston therapy, or Chiropractic, please join us at our FREE Plantar Fasciitis seminar on October 1st at 6:00 pm.

THANK YOU!

Thank you to team Heart Beaters for their efforts in raising money for the Relay for Life event for cancer research.

Top Referrals of the Month

The greatest compliment our patients give is the referral of their loved ones.  We appreciate that you trust us enough to recommend a loved one in our care.  This month we would like to congratulate and thank Pam for referring the most patients to Discover Chirpractic!