Your Feet Do Not Have To Hurt.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of a thick, fibrous ligament in the arch of the foot called the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia attaches into the heel bone and fans out toward the ball of the foot, attaching into the base of the toes. If this ligament is stretched excessively it will become inflamed and begin to cause pain.
Cortisone injections, used in the treatment of heel pain, are not commonly used for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. The main emphasis of treatment is to reduce the forces that are causing the plantar fascia to stretch excessively. This includes calf muscle stretching, over the counter arch supports, orthotics, and sub-talar implants. Oral anti-inflammatory medications may be useful in controlling the pain.

· Heel spurs, a common cause of heel pain are bony growths on the underside of the heel bone. If there is no evidence of bone enlargement on an X-ray the condition is sometimes referred to as “heel spur syndrome.” Heel spurs are caused by the strain on the muscles and ligaments of the foot and the resulting tearing away of the lining or membrane that covers your heel bone. Another name for this is plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a long ligamentous structure that runs from the bottom of the heel and attaches to the soft tissues along the under the along the ball of the foot. Typical symptoms of plantar fasciitis include heel pain during the first few steps in the morning hours and also after rest during the day. Pain typically increased the day after prolonged activity. Faulty foot mechanics is the main cause of plantar fasciitis and custom molded foot orthotics are a very effective treatment option. Other causes of plantar fasciitis include improper fitting shoes, excessively worn shoes or failure to stretch and warm-up before jogging or running.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy treatments use high-power sound waves to end chronic heel pain without painful surgery. This treatment is now being offered by our office as an alternative to heel surgery. The discovery of ESWT came about somewhat by accident. Shock wave therapy is used regularly by urologists to break up and disperse kidney stones. Urologists began reporting that patients who had kidney stones treated showed increased bone density and new tissue growth. This led to studies for using shock wave therapy for soft tissue injuries and the results were amazing—75%-80% of patients with soft tissue injuries were reported to be healed or greatly improved following ESWT.
Shock wave therapy works by purposely targeting trauma at the pain site. This stimulates the diseased tissue and activates your body’s own healing process. Blood and oxygen rush to the site, activating a metabolic response that fosters healing by the growth of new connective tissue. This is what is damaged and torn when you have plantar fasciitis or heel spur pain. The most important and exciting aspects of ESWT are that it ends the pain, the procedure is not painful, there isn’t a lengthy recovery period, and there are no side effects.

Custom-made foot supports known as orthotic devices that are worn under your heel and the arch of your foot are referred to as orthotics. These devices are molded to be anatomically matched to your foot and they do more than just provide support. Orthotics are designed to realign your foot to a neutral or natural position to alleviate pain in your feet, legs and back, as well as to restore balance, improve sports performance, and relieve foot fatigue.
Research shows that the majority of foot problems can be directly connected to skeletal imbalance. More people tend to have some amount of either hyperpronation (flat feet) or hypersupination (high arches). The presence of these conditions can cause the foot to be unstable during normal everyday activity. This constant stress on the feet can lead to pain in the feet, ankles, legs, knees, hips, and back. Orthotics can improve function in the foot by compensating for existing imbalances and in most cases can relieve or prevent the associated pains.
How do you know if the use of orthotics is right for you? If you have an obvious imbalance that causes such symptoms as flat feet or high arches, or if you have external misalignments such as “knock knees”, “bow knees”, in-toeing, or out-toeing you are probably a good candidate for orthotics. If you participate in an activity that places stress on your feet or if your work requires you to be on your feet for extended periods orthotics could be beneficial. The use of orthotics is just one of the conservative foot treatments used in our offices. They can be used to treat foot, heel, and arch pain, some calluses, diabetic ulcers and pressure sores, arthritis, abnormal foot function, and to prevent sports injuries or improve sports function. Orthotics can be used to treat children as well as adults. The best way to find out if orthotics can help you is to make an appointment with us for an exam.

Dr. Silvers is a board certified foot and ankle specialist practicing in McKinney, Texas and serves surrounding communities including Allen, Plano, Prosper, Anna, Princeton and Melissa, Texas. www.mckinneyfootcenter.com. Our office can be reached at 972-542-2155.