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The average person will walk more than 115,000 miles on their feet, and can spend years over a lifetime standing - our feel literally take a beating! From sports injuries to poor quality footwear, painful problems can slowly evolve over time or occur suddenly.
If you’re experiencing foot pain, don’t wait until it’s debilitating to seek help. Be proactive and see your doctor right away.
Let’s review three common foot problems and treatment options.
Plantar Fasciitis
Feels like: A ‘thick’ feeling on the bottom of the foot or heel, a burning or aching sensation radiating out from the heel, or a tearing feeling from the arch area of the foot.
During normal gait, our heel strikes the ground first, and as we shift our weight forward we transfer our weight to our mid and forefoot. As this shift from the rear to the forefoot happens, the plantar fascia stretches and helps propel us forward. When we put excessive strain on the foot, the plantar fascia becomes irritated and inflamed.
Treatments can include:
Avoid the activities that caused the problem (ex: running on pavement or wearing poor footwear)
Stretching the plantar fascia, icing, and foot exercises
Wearing proper footwear, and avoiding walking in bare feet
Custom foot orthotics
Ultrasound, electric stimulation, and LASER therapy can help promote healing and reduce inflammation
Soft-tissue manipulation techniques help improve the healing and reduce the stress
A plantar fascitiis night splint may also be necessary
Heel Spurs
Feels like: Sometimes no painful symptom, it could feel like your heel is stepping on a pebble or be extremely painful if associated with or as a result of plantar fasciitis.
A heel spur is a bony protrusion on the heel bone of your foot. Prolonger foot problems, such as plantar fasciitis, can lead to heel spurs. This happens as bone has a tendency to deform along the lines of stress that it is subjected to. The excessive stress and the pulling force on the heel where the plantar fascia attaches can become a bone spur.
Treatments can include:
Rest
Avoid the activities that caused the problem
Stretching the plantar fascia, icing, and foot exercises
Taping or strapping the foot to reduce stress on the area
Wearing proper footwear and/or custom foot orthotics
Ultrasound, electric stimulation, and LASER therapy can help promote healing and reduce inflammation
Although an estimated 90% of people respond well to non-surgical therapies, two surgical options may include:
Release of the plantar fascia
Removal of the spur
Painful Arches
Feels like: Pain in the arch area of your foot, between the ball of your foot and your heel.
Painful arches are usually caused by strain in the ligaments that connect your foot muscles and bones - again related often to plantar fasciitis.
Treatment options:
Rest
Icing the area, stretching and foot exercises
Wear compression stockings
Elevate the foot
Avoid wearing high heels and performing the activities that may have caused the problem
Taping or strapping the foot to reduce stress on the area
Wearing proper footwear and/or custom foot orthotics
Ultrasound, electric stimulation, massage and LASER therapy.
If you’re looking for natural foot pain treatment options or would like more information about compression stockings or custom foot orthotics - please reach out to us: 519-258-8544 or email: hcchiropractic@gmail.com
