An Effective 3-Step Foot Pain Treatment Plan Only a Jacksonville Chiropractor Can Provide
An individual takes an average of 5,000 steps per day. If you regularly participate in running, walking, or aerobic exercises, your step count could be much higher. One of the more common injuries that runners and aerobic enthusiasts suffer from is heel and arch pain. Another group of patients with a high incidence of heel and arch pain is the geriatric population.
And, if you’re wondering why your feet are hurting, it’s because your feet take on a lot more damage than you give them credit for. Here are some of the reasons why your feet may be hurting and what our chiropractic team can do to help relieve the pain.
The Different Types of Foot Pain
While there are many different types of foot pain, some of the most common seen by chiropractors are:
- Heel pain; Plantar fascia, a band of connective tissue that cushions the muscles at the bottom of the foot, supports the arch while protecting the foot from shock. In most cases, heel and arch pain are caused by over-pronation (the rolling in of the foot) of the foot and foot subluxations. A dropped or fallen arch is now an over-pronated foot, which eventually leads to an inflammation of the fascia, muscles, and ligaments on the bottom of the foot. This condition is diagnosed as plantar fasciitis. Those who suffer from heel pain often notice that it’s worse first thing in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time. It’s important to have heel pain examined, as it can be indicative of a more serious problem like heel spurs or calcium deposits. This condition is commonly seen in those who spend a lot of time on their feet for work or who participate in sports that are hard on the feet.
- Calcaneal bursitis; This is usually extremely painful upon rising in the morning. Many individuals state that they can barely hobble around for the first 30 minutes every morning. As the day progresses, the pain diminishes. This is due to the changes in the bursa sac. Eliminating running or aerobic activity may lead to a reduced pain level, but in most cases, the injury will reoccur if the bio-mechanical problem of over-pronation is not corrected.
- Achilles tendonitis; This large tendon connects the lower leg to the heel bone. This type of tendonitis is both extremely painful and quite debilitating. While the pain starts off relatively mild, it can quickly worsen, and in severe cases may even rupture the tendon entirely. Athletes and dancers who run and jump frequently are especially vulnerable to developing Achilles tendonitis, as are women who wear high heels regularly.
- Flat feet; If you’ve ever spent any time around children, you’ve noticed that we’re all born with flat feet; our arches begin to develop while we’re in grade school. However, much of the population never develops that arch. While flat feet don’t always cause pain, it can become very uncomfortable for some individuals.
As you can see, foot pain is often found in those who spend long periods of time on their feet or athletes who put added amounts of stress onto their feet or ankles. However, anyone can suffer from foot pain; particularly those with poor posture, have aged, or are obese.
Treatment Options
Treatment of any type of foot pain should start with conservative treatment before requiring radical treatment. Fortunately, in most cases, conservative treatment will resolve the problem. Treatment starts with chiropractic treatment to correct foot, ankle, knee, and pelvic subluxations. The talus is the keystone of the foot and is frequently subluxated. Also recommended is that individuals have a series of deep tissue massages to reduce the plantar muscle spasm and assist in breaking up any adhesions. Ultrasound and EMS may also be prescribed as apart of the treatment plan. This type of treatment program has been shown to be tremendously effective in the treatment of heel and foot pain.
Did You Know?
Doctors of chiropractic are the only physicians trained to administer this three-step program:
- Correction of subluxations of the lower extremities and pelvis.
- Fitting of custom foot orthotics.
- Physical therapy to the foot.