Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that affects the section of soft tissue on the bottom (plantar surface) of the foot. It is considered a stress irritation to the sheath (plantar fascia) of elastic (connective) tissues running nearly the entire length of the foot. These connective tissues provide the primary support for the undersurface of your foot.
If the three arches of your foot drop too far or collapse (through time and stress), the plantar fascia becomes abnormally pulled and stretched out. This pulling can lead to inflammation and pain in your heel, your arch, and even in your forefoot. The level of discomfort can range from mild to severe. In severe pain cases, a burning sensation can be felt going across the bottom of the foot, and walking would be very painful and difficult. For some the pain is felt every time they stand up.
By the age of 20, nearly 80% of us has some kind of foot problem, and by age forty almost all of us do.
The most common cause of plantar fasciitis is excessive pronation, which is considered the most common of all foot problems. In excessive pronation, some of the bones of the foot drop to a less stable position due to a structural weakening and misalignment of the foot arches and bones of the foot. The arches themselves may be unnaturally stretched causing a flattening of the feet. This results in abnormal stress on the entire foot, which leads to abnormal biomechanical stress on the ankle, knees, hip, sacroiliac, and spine.
From the time you learn to walk, your feet assume three crucial functions: they support your body whenever you stand, walk, or run; they assist you in achieving movement from one place to another; and they help protect your bones and soft tissues from damaging shock stress as you move. Being overweight, having minor structural defects in the feet, or injuries — all of these factors can contribute to additional foot and body stress. So even though one-quarter of all the bones in your body are in your feet, having to perform these three strenuous tasks day after day can (and often does) lead to some type of foot and/or body problem. It’s not too surprising to learn, therefore, that by the age of twenty, nearly 80% of us have some kind of foot problem, and by age forty almost everyone does.
If plantar fasciitis or excessive pronation aren’t treated, they can lead to progressive development of foot malfunction and discomfort. Your feet can become “tired and achy” or you may experience burning pains. Your walking may begin to feel “clumsy” as you try to move your foot in a way that avoids further pain. Left untreated for a long time can result in the formation of a heel spur. Heel spurs are small deposits of bone-like calcium on the heel bone (calcaneus), usually on or near the bottom of the foot where the long tendons of the arches (plantar fascia) insert into the bone.
Some experts believe that a spur is the body’s attempt to strengthen its foundation. Being overweight, having abnormal foot biomechanics, or running regularly on hard surfaces can cause excessive stress on the foot, which may lead to the production of a spur. Other authorities contend that spurs are a normal part of the aging process: some studies have shown that calcaneal spurs are more frequently found in people after age 50. The best data currently available projects that between 11% and 16% of the population have heel spurs. It is also interesting to note that spurs occur almost twice as often in adult females as they do in adult males.
Foot pain means that you should make an appointment to be evaluated in our office right away. But most problems of the feet are symptom-free (painless). Even if your feet don’t hurt, the structural imbalance and weakening of your foundation can have a serious impact on the rest of your body. If you are currently having pain in your knees, hips, low back or neck, the reason may be because you have excessive pronation. Your feet may not be properly supporting the rest of your skeleton. The abnormal stress will work its way up into the rest of your of your body.
If you are having pain in your ankles, knees, hips, back or neck, contact our office to discover if your feet could be a contributing factor.
We follow a very effective treatment strategy based on the letters ASR. They stand for:
- A – Adjust (whole-body adjustment techniques)
- S – Support (spinal pelvic stabilizers and other joint supports)
- R – Rehabilitate (targeted exercise therapy/physical rehab)
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