Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM October 2017 | Page 31

Heel or Painful Feet? Dr. Kerry Rodocker-Wiarda Diplomate American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians Gateway Chiropractic - South Shore, PLLC [email protected] Did you know that plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain? Plantar fascia is the medical term for the tissue that supports the bottom of your foot. Plantar Fasciitis means inflammation to the fascia of the bottom of the foot. Fasciitis results from the breakdown of the plantar fascia over time or sudden trauma to the bottom of the foot. The symptoms of plantar fasciitis: • You have pain when you take your first steps after getting out of bed or after sitting for extended periods of time. • When you press on your heel, you have a tender spot deep in the tissue on the bottom of your heel. • Sometimes there is tenderness in the middle of the bottom of the foot. This pain is more common in athletes who spend a lot of time on the balls of their feet, as in aerobics, sprinting, dancing, basketball, skating, or cycling. • Flexing or standing on your toes causes heel pain. • Localized swelling in the bottom of the foot may be present. • When you stand, you have a high or low arch (flat feet). When you walk, you have excessive inward rolling of the foot (pronation) when your heel strikes the ground. • Visible inflammation or redness is usually not present. Conservative Treatment Options: • Manual therapy performed with hands or instruments to loosen up the tight fascia and calf muscles. • Chiropractic adjustments to loosen restricted joints in the back, hip, knee, and ankle. • An analysis of your walking or running gait can detect muscle imbalances. • Corrective exercises prescribed specifically for your muscle imbalances. • Sport taping applied to the bottom of the feet to give support to tired stressed arches. • Specialized feet scanner to scan the bottom of the feet to measure if you would be a candidate for custom orthotics. Most people recover with conservative treatments over a period of a few months. If conservative treatment does not work there are other options such as injections and surgery. Make sure you are receiving proper care from an experienced chiropractor, therapist or medical doctor for the care of your feet. Your feet are the foundation for your body. MOMENTUM / October 2017 30