Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Plantar Fasciitis Surgery

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:15:37 +0000

Plantar fasciitis is exhibited as an inflammation of a band of tissues, running from the heel along the arch of the foot. Patients may also suffer from a heel spur, which is a hook of bone formed on the heel bone (calcaneus). It is commonly diagnosed in middle-aged men and women, but all age groups can be afflicted. Athletes are more likely to have plantar fasciitis because of rapid weight gain and strenuous activity like running. Pregnant women, overweight individuals and people in occupations requiring long hours of leg-work are also susceptible.

People usually complain of a well-localized pain in their heel, most severe in the morning. It subsides in a short time but returns after prolonged periods of walking or standing. Surgery is not the sole option for plantar fasciitis. There are many non-surgical alternatives that have helped to relieve heel pain in patients. Surgery is only viable when non-surgical treatments have not helped after a stipulated trial period and heel pain hinders normal functioning.

Plantar Fasciitis Alternatives to Surgery

Shock Wave Stimulation is one non-invasive treatment. It entails directing sound waves to the painful area to encourage healing. The unwanted potential side effects are bruising, swelling, pain and numbness. Moreover, this treatment is not beneficial to everyone.

Other options include steroid injections, ultrasound, oral anti-inflammatory medications such as NSAID( Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatories) prescriptions, topical medications, massage and other methods that aim to reduce inflammation. However, the post dystatic pain (morning pain) will be not be alleviated.

Surgical procedures available for plantar fasciitis

Schon/Baxter Procedure: The tight fascia is cut to ease tension in the painful region of the heel.
DuVries Technique: An incision is made in the heel spur and the plantar fascia is removed. For some, the procedure is followed by numbness along the incision that may continue for several months. The weakening of the arch of the foot is another problem.
Planter Fasioctomy: Two small incisions are made on either side of the heel. An endoscope (a long, thin instrument specialized for minor surgery) is inserted on one side to assist the doctor. A tiny knife is inserted in the other slit to remove a portion of the fascia. Faciotomy is performed on people lacking an alternative solution.

Complications that may arise from plantar fasciitis surgery

There is a danger of more than the specified plantar fascia being released leading to a flat foot deformity, caused by the loss of the arc of the foot. Worse chronic problems precede flat foot.
Surgery carries the risk of damaging the small nerves adjacent to the plantar fascia. It is apparent when the patient experiences pain or numbness in the post-surgery areas.
Infection is often a complication with surgery. Patients will need antibiotics and more surgery to remove any infections.

The results vary from person to person but most say they feel relief after surgery. You should consult with an orthopedic surgeon to decide if surgery is the best choice for you and the risks are manageable. Recovery time is long and differs based on the severity of the case.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Options

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:23:02 +0000

Unfortunately, the strongest method for healing the plantar fascia is also the hardest to do; stay off your feet. This Plantar Fasciitis Treatment gives the tissues in your foot time to heal themselves whereas if you continue a lot of walking or running, they will become re-damaged every time you heal them just a little. However, if you absolutely must move a lot and put weight on your feet, there are methods to reducing the damage that the activity will have on the plantar fascia. One of these methods, taping, will take some stress off the plantar fascia by redistributing the pressure from your body weight pressing down on your foot. Some orthotics, soft inserts for shoes, might help distribute pressure better as well, but these can be costly and not quite as effective as taping or rest.

Exercise is one form of Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Meanwhile, whether or not you decide to rest your inflamed tissue or continue abusing it, you should engage in stretching therapy for your feet, simple exercises that can help speed up your recovery time and make the process less painful and arduous. Just stretching out your foot when you have a few minutes to spare, such as when watching tv or listening to music, can greatly improve your recovery time as well as decrease the day-to-day pain that walking will cause. Some New treatments such as extra corporeal shock wave therapy can help to break up any adhesions on the fascia and there are night splints that can be warn to stretch out the tissue gradually and promote healing.

Plantar Fasciitis affects many people worldwide and is often left untreated, causing irreparable damage and pain to an individual, all of which can be simply avoided by following some simple recovery methods. That is why it is so crucial to follow the proper recovery methods listed here if you are affected by plantar fasciitis, as well as any advice that you receive from a doctor of orthopedic professional. Why ignore this advice and damage your foot further when the alternative is so simple and effective?

Plantar Fasciitis: Symptoms and Diagnosis

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:23:20 +0000

If left undiagnosed and untreated, plantar fasciitis, a condition in which connective tissue in the foot becomes inflamed, can turn into a very serious problem in which the only solution might be expensive orthopedic surgery. To avoid this, it is important to know and be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of plantar fasciitis and the way in which it is diagnosed.

Before learning the symptoms of plantar fasciitis, it is important to recognize the primary causes of the condition. Generally, plantar fasciitis is considered an overuse injury, usually caused by repetitive movement of the selective area in the foot, but it can also be commonly found in those that are obese, have flat feet or diminished arch, and those that wear shoes too small for their feet. The reasons why these are probable causes for the condition is because every one of them causes increased pressure and weight placed on the plantar fascia, the connective tissue that when inflamed, results in plant fasciitis.

Now on to the symptoms. The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is a “first step” syndrome, in which the first step taken for the day causes the individual immense pain and agony. Often times it doesn’t even need to be the first step for the day though, and can even occur after just short rests. Although this isn’t the only symptom of plantar fasciitis, it is certainly the easiest to recognize and identify.

If an individual suspects they are suffering from plantar fasciitis, the immediate route should be visiting a doctor, who will then properly diagnose the situation using observation, x-rays, and/or other forms of scientific examination. Regardless, without knowing the symptoms, an individual will have no way of knowing that they should see a doctor, eliminating their chance at a proper diagnosis and the start on the route to recovery. However, now that you know that symptoms of plantar fasciitis, perhaps you can help yourself or others by identifying it when it occurs and ensuring that the individual receives proper medical attention.

Plantar Fasciitis Exercises: The Good, the Bad, and the Dangerous

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:21:27 +0000

With Plantar Fasciitis there are good exercises that you need to practice every day and ones that can cause the condition to get worse or cause it to flare up. Stretching along with low impact cardiovascular exercise can greatly reduce the pain along the plantar fascia by increasing the surround muscle tissue and tone.

Exercise DO’S

Towel stretch- By looping a towel around your foot, stretch by sitting with your legs stretched out. Pull the towel toward you and hold for 15-20 seconds and then release. Be carefull not to pull to hard or to fast as you don’t want to cause further injury
Stretch on the stairs- Stand on the balls of your feet and lower your heel and stretch out the arch of your foot. This will help your arch get the stretching it needs.
Frozen Can Roll- By rolling a frozen soda can on your foot, not only are you massaging your foot that has the Plantar Fasciitis, you are cooling the area too which can reduce the inflammation. This relieves a lot of pain and help with the healing process.
Use the Elliptical rider or Recumbent bike – The elliptical machine is great for helping to stretch and strengthen the muscles in the foot and heel. These low impact exercises reduce the chance of over extending any tissue or tendons in the foot.

Exercise DON’TS

Don’t Exercise in old shoes- Working out in old shoes is never a good idea, you are more likely to develop blisters when you are stretching. The pressure that needs to be put when you stretch can be painful if you don’t have a nice sole on the bottom of your shoes.
Don’t buy expensive equipment- You will be surprised on how much equipment around your home you already have. Towels, cans, and rope are all elements in performing the exercises that you need to do to help heal Plantar Fasciitis.
Don’t bounce when stretching- This will only hurt you even more. When you bounce when you are stretching, you cannot get the full affect of the stretch and it can cause you to stretch something that you shouldn’t. You need to be careful.
Don’t do any high impact exercise – Anything that involves jumping or repetitive pounding actions on the heel and arch of the foot like jumping rope or running should be avoided completely. A doctor would have to make the assesment to weather or not you are far along enough in your recovery to exercise hard.

Strength training can help by building the muscle around your arch. When our feet are tired, we tend to always rely on the arches of our feet to carry the load. Strengthening allows us to be in control of our own pain. Follow the exercises prescribed by your doctor, that is the main source of recovery and prevention. When you practice the exercises daily, you have a very high chance of not having this condition return.

The main thing that you need to know is that Planter Fasciitis is easily treated if you are willing to make some changes in your lifestyle, and activities. You can still be healhy and active without having to sit on the sidelines. Protect your feet and you will be happy that you did.