Plantar Fasciitis - Pain Every Step Of The Way

   Are you suffering from foot pain?  Do you experience discomfort or pain near your heel, especially upon taking your first step in the morning?  Chances are if you answered yes to these two questions you may be suffering from plantar fasciitis.  Most of us know what this condition is, but do you know how to go about relieving this pain and avoiding it in the future?  We at Sowa Chiropractic Associates do!

   Plantar fasciitis is a condition that develops in the foot due to a biomechanical imbalance resulting in tension along the plantar fascia.  Most times the culprit behind plantar fasciitis is overpronation (flat feet).  When the natural arch in the foot flattens, the muscles on the bottom of the foot have to work twice as hard to produce the correct motion during a walking or running cycle.  Eventually the muscle fatigues and tightens up.  When this happen you begin to develop tender or painful points along the base of the foot along with pain in the bottom of the heel.  Every step now becomes tortuous as you are attempting to stretch this shortened muscle, especially as you push off with your toes.  If allowed to become a chronic condition, a heel spur may develop due to the stress of this plantar fascia muscle pulling on its attachment into the calcaneus (heel bone).

   So how could Chiropractic help?  First off, a detailed history and exam must be performed to confirm that plantar fasciitis is truly what is causing your pain.  An X-ray of the foot may be ordered in order to rule out other possible suspects that may cause similar discomfort.  If confirmed through examination, soft tissue work will be performed to lengthen the muscle on the bottom of the foot.  In doing this, the amount of stress experienced with each step will be immediately reduced.  A combination of cold-laser and ultrasound therapy will be administered to help reduce inflammation.  A passive support will be applied to the foot in the form of Kinesio-Tape in order to provide structural assistance as the healing process begins.  This tape provides symptomatic relief in between treatments to help ensure the least amount of discomfort is experienced throughout the day.

   Patient education is also an integral part in treatment of plantar fasciitis and will consist of icing, stretching and strengthening exercises.  An arch support may be introduced as well which will play a large role in avoiding reoccurrence of this problem in the future.

   Our success rate at Sowa Chiropractic with treatment of plantar fasciitis is astounding.  Over time, we have been able to develop a very effective treatment protocol that not only eliminates present discomfort but helps prevent any repeat flare-ups in the future. 

Have a great day! 

- Dr. Alexander Sowa

If you are experiencing Plantar Fasciitis, take the first step towards relief and call Sowa Chiropractic Associates today!  You can reach the East Greenwich location at (401) 398-0958 and www.sowachiropractic.com.