Are you one of the hundreds of thousands of people who suffers from sharp, aching foot pain on a daily basis? More specifically, do you suffer from plantar fasciitis? You are not alone.
What exactly is plantar fasciitis and what can you do to help with the pain?
Plantar fasciitis is caused by a drastic or sudden increase in mileage, poor foot structure, or inappropriate running shoes, leading to painful steps. This can overload the plantar fascia, which is the connective tissue that runs from the heel to the base of your toes. Typically, you feel this pain when you get out of bed first thing in the morning, but it can occur at any time. This can happen to any person at any age and activity level.
Plantar fasciitis tends to affect those who overtrain or neglect to specifically stretch their calf muscles. Speed and agility training along with running hills may also cause pain to that specific area.
So what do you do if you have plantar fasciitis? Well, I talked to my chiropractor, Dr. Lance Hauser, to see what he had to say on the topic.
Dr. Hauser says the number one priority is proper footwear with good arch support. It's really hard to be fashionable—in the summer especially—and wear a good shoe with good support, but there are options available, including sandals with decent support. He always tells patients to buy a moderately priced tennis shoe. That will help with any pronation/supination, but it's integral to buy an insert that provides good arch support. Combining the two will help alleviate the pain.
There are many treatment options as well. You could start with massaging the bottom of your foot with a frozen water bottle, stretching the muscles of the foot and lower leg, and Kinesio taping. Dr. Hauser treats and sees great results in his office, and they have the ability to diagnose and treat plantar fasciitis with many different and effective options. Acupuncture is an option that they have had great success with. They also adjust the foot, use ultrasound, and use a special rehab technique called myokinesthetic.
If you'd like to learn more from Dr. Hauser, you can reach him at (402) 715-5692 or email him at drlancehauser@hotmail.com.
Don’t let plantar fasciitis slow you down. There are options to help with the pain and rid the pain for good. It’s up to you to take the next step. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to give us a call, send us an email, or visit one of our two locations.
