foot heel pain
Plantar Fasciitis Treatment and Overpronation: Effective Medical Procedures
The majority of persons who experience heel pain assume that it’s nothing to worry about and will go away with rest and less activity. However, in some cases the heel pain is a warning signal from the body that it is injured. Abnormal foot issues such as foot overpronation or fallen arches can lead to more acute conditions such as plantar fasciitis. This often disabling pain in the heels can be treated in a sterile back office as an outpatient.
Effective Therapy For Plantar Fasciitis Is Readily Available
According to the APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association), plantar fasciitis can be caused by congenital malformations and step patterns. These issues can include foot overpronation and low arches, for example. In cases when the lower body biomechanics are out of sync with the rest of the body, excessive weight and impact are put on foot structures that are not meant to absorb those strains. One manifestation of this, jumping or even being overweight can all be contributing causes for heel pain.
Solutions and Therapy For Plantar Fasciitis
A surgical option called Instep Plantar Fasciotomy is one plantar fasciitis treatment that is completed while the patient’s foot and ankle are completely numbed. The plantar fascia is a ligament of tissue responsible for the extreme pain caused by this condition. The doctor makes an incision in the heel across the length of the heel. The inflamed area and damaged tissue is removed from the inflamed heel tissues. Once the wound is sutured, a walking shoe is recommended to be used for about four to six weeks, depending upon the patient’s recovery.
Therapy For Plantar Fasciitis Doesn’t Have to Mean Surgery
A type of cutting edge technology being used today to heal foot conditions is with waves of low level sound. Known as extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), this solution aims to use small amounts of sound waves to destruct the affected tissuesin the heel. It Is apparently counterproductive, but it isn’t. The partial destruction of these tissues in small amounts actually starts the body’s healing response and cures the body of the painful issue. In a study done in 2004, it took 800 study participants about 2 months to heal completely with about eighty-five percent success.
Therapy For Plantar Fasciitis with Less Down Time
The final medical procedure that is becoming more popular simply because it requires less recovery time is an endoscopic plantar fasciotomy. In this surgical solution, the foot is given a nerve block in the ankle while the patient is awake. Given that some doctors may prefer to put the patient under, that is also a valid way to perform the surgery with less stress to the individual. Quarter-inch incisions are made in the sides of the heel to access the affected areas. A small camera is used to help the surgeon to locate the plantar fascia ligament. Once it has been identified, it is surgically fixed so that it can heal properly.
Overpronation and Flat Feet Don’t Have to Hurt as Much
Statistics show that surgery is needed in about five percent of the cases of heel pain from plantar fasciitis, it’s good to be alert about the procedures that surgeons are using today. Continuing with PT (physical therapy) is one of the best things persons can do after undergoing any of these procedures. Stretches, strength building, and underwater therapy are just some of the many procedures that can help. For persons with walking gait abnormalities and biomechanical issues such as over-pronationor low arches, orthotic inserts are one of the best ways to stop the return of plantar fasciitis.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Treat Your Feet Right If You Suffer From Shin Pain or Heel Pain
When feet feel worn out, achy, and overworked, the discomfort can often turn unbearable. Jogging, sports activities and the like can put tremendous strain on our feet, and cause trouble with our foot ligaments and muscles. Painful blisters, heelspurs, and shin splints can make even walking a painful undertaking. Nevertheless, there are some choice options that can help manage the pain and heal the injuries when carried out regularly. Here are a few ways to help your feet heal so you can get back to your life.
The First Weeks of Training Can Cause Blisters
Snugly-fitted shoes can cause blisters on the skin of the feet. They can develop on all regions of the feet, but the back of the foot is the most common site. Since the skin is the largest organ in our bodies, and responsible for protecting us from bacteria and viruses, a blister shouldn’t intentionally be popped. Many physicians advocate the use of moleskin as a suitable choice for guarding a blister to prevent it from opening up. For a blister that has already popped, it is recommended to clean the area and apply an antibacterial substance. Then, maintain the area coated with a bandage.
Start Healing Now: Overcoming Shin Splints
Shin splints is a painful condition that can affect athletes. This excruciating injury is caused by overuse of the lower leg by any activity that involves repeated impact. The precise nature of the injury is not well understood, but they seem to stem from injury to the front tendon that runs along the shin called the posterior peroneal tendon. Since this injury also seems to affect people who experience over-pronation of their feet (this is the tendency of the foot to roll inward), special support devices in the shoes, known as sport shoe insoles are especially effective.
Treatment for shin splints may include icing the area, staying off of it until it is healed, and encouraging no-impact activities such as using a stationary bicycle or swimming. To avoid re-injuring the area, wear sports insoles when you participatein high-impact sports.
How to Treat Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is one of the conditions that can develop in the heel. Plantar fasciitis happens when the plantar fascia is overly stretched thus becoming full, tender, and difficult to put pressure on. A proper method to treat these conditions right away is with sufficient support of the foot arches and cushioning, which can be provided by using sport shoe insoles . Other treatment options including icing the area and seeing a physical therapist are also helpful.
When your feet and legs become painful, your body is telling you something important: it needs help. Sometimes, just relaxing from high-impact exercises for a period of time and wearing sport shoe insoles is enough. But when more critical conditions develop such as shin splints, a doctor should enter the picture in order to properly diagnose the problem and provide proper treatment.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )How Arch Pain Can Lead to Serious Foot Complications
Foot arch pain and over-pronation can cause difficulties for people in every stage of life and can even affect an athlete’s performance on the court, field, or track. For those who suffer from this type of pain, there are 3 likely causes that many people may not even know about. Most of the causes are easily averted, whereas many can be hereditary. According to the Cleveland Clinic, three of the easily averted causes for arch pain include high heel shoes, tightly-fitting footwear, and deficient arch support. These ill-decided actions can all lead to painful foot disorders like bunions, hammertoes, and plantar fasciitis. The Mayo Clinic reports that 2 of the genetic foot conditions that can lead to over-pronation and arch pain include fallen arches or arches that are excessively high. Below are some common foot procedures that remedy these disorders and how each of them can be healed.
Serious Foot Issues Can Occur Without Proper arch support
Some of the hereditary foot disorders include either fallen arches or abnormally raised arches. Both types of arch disorders can affect the average person as well as an active athlete. The result of a fallen arch can be arch pain and over-pronation because this injured part of the foot is not functioning as it should. When this part of the foot malfunctions, foot pronation occurs which can lead to a heelspur, a bony protuberance in the heel. Surgery is sometimes needed to remove the boneprotrusion and relieve the irritation. The surgeon will use a bone saw to cut away the extra spur of bone to take away the inflammation and pain it had been causing. The best alternative for treating both types of arch problems so heel spurs can be avoided is by supplying the foot with normal arch support through orthotics.
Arch Pain Can Be the First Sign of Bunion Formation
Having a bunion removed, or a bunionectomy, is the process whereby the bony bump just above the arch is filed away to obtain a more natural foot shape and width. In critical cases where the big toe has situated itself under the other toes, the podiatrist cuts a triangle-shaped portion out of the bone in the big toe to reset it to its proper angle. A tiny screw is used to fasten the two bone portions together. After about 6 months, the screw is taken out of the bone. Despite the fact that this condition can be caused by pointed shoes, some bunion occurrences are hereditary. Podiatrists agree that shoes with little space force the toes into an unnatural position can bring on bunions.
Without Proper Shoes, Painful Hammertoes Can Occur
Shoes that crowd the foot, including pointed-toe shoes, can result in development of hammertoes. This condition can affect active people that wear tight shoes during activity as well. Hammertoes are, regrettably, difficult to fix without surgical intervention. First, a podiatrist can try to tape the affected toe to try and coax it into a more natural placement. For this procedure to work, patients need to wear shoes with plenty of toe room. Hammertoes can return if improper shoes are worn again. If taping the toe straight does not work, surgery is the only option. The affected toe must have a portion of the bone surgically removed to minimize its bend. The recovery period is very important, as patients who do not remain off the affected foot as suggested will fail to mend properly. The way to avoid this condition is to wear properly-fitting shoes.
Regardless of lifestyle, genetic disposition, or age, foot disorders can occur in a large percentage of patients. Though foot procedures can surgically repair these conditions, most of the time they are avoidable by wearing appropriate footwear and proper arch support.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spurs Can Keep You from Doing the Things You Enjoy
Why Feet Can Hurt
The human body is extraordinarily amazing; they are the perfect balance of fluids, hormones, muscles, and bone tissue. Unique cushioning is present in our joints and at vital regions in the body where weight-bearing pressure points occur. But when this fragile combination is disrupted by ailments or sudden injury, the result can be terrible pain. Heel spurs and plantar fasciitis are 2 conditions of the feet that can cause a complete lack of mobility.
The Reasons You May Have Heel Spurs or Plantar Fasciitis
A heel bone spur is a pointed outgrowth of bone that grow out of the heel bone (calcaneus). They can be located either underneath or on the rear of the heel. When a heel bone spur is present, it can cause swelling and ripping of the softer foot tissues, which is worsened with regular activity or when pressure is placed on the affected foot. When the bony growth is located behind the heel, it can aggravate the Achilles tendon and cause pain and inflammation in that region. MedicineNet reports on their site that pushing off the bottom of the foot makes this certain condition worse. Alternatively, when the heel spur is located under the heel, it irritates the plantar fascia ligament, thus causing a condition called plantar fasciitis. MedicineNet describes this ailment as being more of a problem when standing or walking.
The Reasons You May Have Heel Spurs and Plantar Fasciitis
Medical findings suggest that heel spurs can have genetic ties. the majority of cases are because of motion that is repeated and overextension of the plantar fascia tissue due to athletic activity, and can also develop as the result of heavy lifting. Plantar-Fasciitis.org reports that arthritis or diabetes can make it more likely for someone to develop either of these problems. They warn that shoes that are too tight can also cause painful foot problems.
Treatment Options for Heel Spurs and Plantar Fasciitis
The objectives in treatment of these injuries are to decrease the soft tissue swelling and tendon irritation as well as avoid re-injury. According to foot specialist Dr. William Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR, this can be achieved in several ways:
- Regular applications of ice on the affected regions
- Use of anti-inflammatory medicines
- Use of the best foot arch support available to realign the foot and take pressure off of the affected areas
- Appropriately-cushioned shoes
- The use of circular shoe inserts for the heel
- Last resort is an operation to remove the heel spur to allow for tissue and tendon healing
How to Find Relief for Your Flat Feet or Foot Overpronation
According to a study conducted by the American Podiatric Medical Association, a staggering 73 percent of people polled revealed that they are dealing with pain in their feet. Why are more patients complaining of foot pain in the examination room? For many people, this problem can be caused by one of the following: the kind of footwear they use, the activities they engage in, or the way their feet are formed. Wearing poorly-fitting shoes can turn minor problems into major ones. Physically active people are another segment of the population that are mostly-affected by painful foot conditions. Factors such as bad support can all be reasons for pain in the feet, ankles, knees, and lower back. Genetics can contribute to foot-related issues because they dictate how normally a foot is formed. This can increase the risk of someone having pain issues with their feet.
Foot Biomechanics: The Evils of Overpronation and Over-supination
Flat feet can cause abnormal rotation of the feet when walking or running. The foot is responsible for balance, stability, and bears the weight of the body. The portions of the foot that help to keep the foot in harmony with the body include the arch, heel, tarsals and meta-tarsals staggering. The arch gives stability by the following structures: the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Pain can result from raised arches or abnormally-low arches, which can cause the foot to rotate oddly. In high arches, the weight of the body is oddly emphasized on the outer ridge of the foot (oversupination). However, overpronation ensues with flat feet because the weight of the body is concentrated on the inside of the foot, forcing the feet to roll toward the inside .
Fallen Arches Can Lead to Serious Foot Problems
A quick test to see if flat feet or high arches are a problem is to go outside and stand on an area where a foot impression can be made, such as on concrete. Sink one of the feet in cool water and then stand normally for a few seconds. Then, lift the foot off the ground and see the mark that the foot leaves. A foot with overpronation will leave a full foot imprint where all of the skin of the foot has made contact with the ground. A high arch will leave just a part of the ball of the foot’s, outer portion, and the heel. Either of these arch conditions can cause painful spurs of bone in the heel or treatment for plantar fascitis because the foot experiences repeated and excessive pressure on points that were not intended to have impact.
Orthotics Give Much-Needed Relief for Treatment For Plantar Fasciitis
Those who have flat feet, heel spurs, or who need treatment for plantar fasciitis can experience the pain eliminated with the use of orthotic insoles. They provide the needed support to stabilize the weak structures in the foot, such as those that make up the arch. They also provide cushioning in areas where repeated and excessive pressure in the ball of the foot and heel. Orthotics are available in many sizes and types and are designed to keep up with anyone’s activity level.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Orthotic Inserts: Important Facts You Need to Know
The Reason Why You May Need Orthotic Insoles
An estimated 60-70 percent of the population of the planet are diagnosed with a problem called over-pronation, which can cause severe consequences as time passes. Certain individuals over-pronate more than others. The fact that so many people have flat feet is because of the hard, flat surfaces we run around on each day. Also, age, weak ankle muscles and body weight play a role. Hence, over-pronation is much more prevalent in people in their fifties and above, and also in overweight persons.
For lots of people, over-pronation doesn’t cause a real problem, specifically for younger people. Nevertheless, abnormal foot function caused by over-pronation can result in various problems like plantar fasciitis, heel pain, heel spurs, metatarsalgia – even knee pain and low back pain!
Orthotics correct the issue of over-pronation and can help reduce or eliminate many common aches and pains caused by flat feet and other ailments of the foot. Orthotic shoe insoles are not pricey, with a price from $30-40/pair. Purchasing a pair of orthotics can be a worthwhile investment in your health, because they can also prevent many future biomechanical issues.
Orthotic Insoles: What They Are
Orthotic shoe insoles are devices that are positioned inside your footwear with the goal of restoring our natural foot function. Many common complaints such as heel pain, knee pain and low back pain are triggered by inferior foot biomechanics. Biomechanics is the research of movement and observes the motion of our bodies while walking, running, and performing sports. The most usual form of irregular foot biomechanics is over-pronation. This is the dropping of the arches and inward rolling of the feet and ankles. An estimated 70% of people experience over-pronation to varying extents. Orthotic shoe insoles improve over-pronation and restore the alignment of the foot and ankle bones to their proper position, reinstating natural foot function. Simultaneously, this will help alleviate issues not only in the feet, but also in other sections of your body, in particular the lower body such as the knees, hips and lower back.
The Difference Between Orthotic Insoles and Ordinary Shoe Inserts
There is a great difference between regular shoe insoles and orthotic shoe insoles. Regular shoe insoles are purely designed to give a cushioning effect and shock absorption. They may provide comfort at to start, however they do not address any biomechanical issues i.e. they do not fix over-pronation. On the other hand, orthotics are practical devices, built to correct and normalize our foot function. Some shoe insoles also feature an arch support, but often the support is too weak to have any effect, especially if the shoe insoles are made of soft materials.
So how do orthotics precisely work? First of all, orthotics do a great deal more than giving support to the arches. Orthotic shoe insoles re-align the feet and ankles and restore normal foot function. Furthermore, orthotics create a smoother spread of our body weight, removing pressure from sore locations such as the ball of the feet, heels, corns and bunions, etc. They also supply a certain degree of shock absorption, but this not their main purpose. The main intention of orthotics is to improve foot function. In many instances, this will reduce foot discomfort and put a stop to future problems and harm.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Your Heel Pain Can Get Better with Exercises For Plantar Fasciitis and Orthotic Shoe Inserts
Foot health professionals suggest the plantar fasciitis exercises explained below in combination with using orthotic inserts to relieve heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis due to over- pronation. It is important to understand that these plantar fasciitis stretching exercises should not cause pain, but rather a stretching feeling. It is recommended that you do these exercises 2 to 3 times a day; these exercises should not necessarily be done in one session.
Exercises for plantar fasciitis that you can do before getting out of bed:
Plantar Fasciitis will cause many people to feel terrible heel pain in the morning, when taking the first steps after getting out of bed. This pain is a result of tightening of the plantar fascia that happens during sleep. Massaging and stretching the plantar fascia prior to rising will help diminish heel pain.
A good exercise that you can perform prior to sitting up is to stretch your foot by flexing it up and down 10 times. An additional exercise you can perform while sitting is to roll a rolling pin or tennis ball with the arch of your foot. If you are able to, progress to doing this exercise as you are standing up. When you are done with these exercises, put on your shoes with arch support inserts inside them, or wear arch support sandals. Try not to start the day walking barefoot on hard floors or tiles, or your heel pain will return, guaranteed.
During the day you can perform these exercises to help lessen your heel pain:
Calf stretch: While standing, face the wall and place your hands on the wall at the level of your eyes. Position the leg you would like to stretch about a step behind your other leg. Placing your rear heel on the floor, bend your front knee until a stretch is felt in the rear leg. Continue the stretch for 15-20 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
Achilles Tendon Stretch: Get up on a stair or step. Gradually extend your heels down over the end of the step at the same time as you relax your calf muscles. Hold the stretch for about 15 to 20 seconds, you will need to now tighten your calf muscle to raise your heels to return to the initial position. Repeat 4 times.
Hamstring Stretch: Stretch one leg in front of you while you flex your foot. As you bend the other knee tilt your body back a little. Keep Your pelvis forward. Your torso should remain vertical as you hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds, then change sides. You will feel the pull up the back of your extended leg, all the way up your thigh and calf.
Marble Lifts: Marbles should be placed on the floor alongside an open container. With your toes, try to raise the marbles up one by one and put them in the receptacle. Repeat exercise 15 times.
Towel stretch: Grip a rolled-up towel at both ends, as you hold it under the ball of your foot. In a smooth motion, pull the towel toward you as you keep your knee straight. Keep this position for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
If you practice these exercises daily, it is likely that you will feel relief from that heel pain.
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