Chiropractic Care for Plantar Fasciitis

There are a lot of reasons why your feet might hurt. One common cause is plantar fasciitis. This occurs when the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot, the plantar fascia, becomes inflamed. This can be a very painful problem and can be episodic or chronic. It is characterized by pain in the bottom of the foot that is worse in the morning or after long periods of rest. It also tends to worsen after long periods of standing or walking.

This condition can be very hard to treat, especially for people who are on their feet all day long. However, with the right combination of treatments, it can usually be cleared up. Therapies used to treat plantar fasciitis include, ultrasound, soft tissue work, manipulation and home stretching and exercise to name a few. For chronic cases, custom-molded orthotics can be essential to relieving pain and keeping it from returning. This is because the plantar fascia is made up of connective tissue. This type of tissue can stretch over time due to too much stress, but it cannot contract back to its original length. It is referred to as "plastic." If you have a pliable piece of plastic, you can bend it back and forth, but if you stretch it, it is permanently deformed. Think of a hospital bracelet. It is flexible, but if you pull really hard on it, it stretches and is never the same. Once the plantar fascia stretches, the only way to maintain good function in the foot and avoid stress on other areas around it is to use outside support. An orthotic can provide this support. This can reduce the pain and inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis and many other conditions of the foot, leg and back.

That said, it is important that the orthotic provide the correct support to the proper areas. This can only be achieved by building the orthotic to each individual foot. Each person has two different feet (I know, a right and a left, but seriously...!). If you want to see this for yourself, ask someone you know to look straight ahead, march for 3 or 4 seconds and then stop. Take a look at their feet. Chances are, one is pointing out more than the other. No one stands exactly the same on both feet. A custom orthotic can provide different levels of support to each foot. You cannot get that with store-bought, general orthotics. When you have a history of foot pain, it is essential to make sure you are standing on a good base.

For more information, email me at DrWente@AllianceChiroCenter.com or visit my website.