Plantar Fasciitis Frankfort, IL

Botti Chiropractic & Wellness | Chiropractor Frankfort

Did you know that the number one cause of pain in the heel/feet is Plantar Fasciitis? The plantar fascia is a ligament that works by connecting the heel to the five toes. In this, the ligament helps to offer support for the foot’s arch. In the event that the plantar fascia is strained, it swells, gets inflamed and becomes weak. This is what causes pain in the bottom of the foot or heel when you stand or walk. Plantar fasciitis commonly affects individuals with chronic lower extremity biomechanical dysfunction or individuals who spent extended time on their feet.  Many times patients these same patients have bunions, Achilles pain, medial knee pain, or pain or discomfort in the lower back and hips as well.

Causes Of Plantar Fasciitis

Straining the ligament that supports your arch is the main cause of plantar fasciitis. When the strain is repeated, there might be a development of small tears. These tears are the main cause of swelling and pain. The tears will develop if:

• Your feet are always rolling too much inwards when walking. This is also referred to as excessive pronation.
• Flat feet or high arches
• You are overweight
• You wear shoes that are worn out or do not fit properly
• You have tight calf muscles or Achilles’ tendons

Symptoms Of Plantar Fasciitis

Most people who have plantar fasciitis have reported feeling pain when making the last step after sitting for a long time, or after getting out of bed. After taking a few steps, the stiffness and the pain will reduce. There will, however, be an increase in pain as the day progresses and as you use your feet. The pain might peak as you climb stairs or when you stand for extended periods. If the pain comes at night, there is a high chance that you are dealing with a different condition such as tarsal tunnel syndrome or arthritis.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is all about questions. The medical practitioner will observe you as you get up to walk and ask a few questions. You will need to provide details related to your health history and activities of daily living.  If the expert suspects that there might be a problem related to your bones, there will be a need for X-ray. It is therefore important that you accurately answer the questions for proper diagnosis.

Since foot pain may not necessarily be a result of or associated with plantar fasciitis, therefore, it needs to be made sure that your foot pain is not the result of a different foot problem. In order to ensure this, your doctor will perform a physical exam to check for tenderness in your foot and the exact location of the pain. You will be asked by your doctor to flex your foot while he/she pushes on the plantar fascia. This is to see if the pain gets worse as you flex and better as you point your toe. Mild redness or swelling in the foot will also be checked for. In addition, the strength of your muscles and the health of your nerves will be evaluated by the doctor. It is done by checking your muscle tone, reflexes, coordination, balance and sense of touch and sight. Further, in order to ascertain that nothing else (such as a bone fracture) is causing your heel pain, the doctor may conduct an X-ray or an MRI.

Risks/complications associated with plantar fasciitis

Whether one chooses to ignore plantar fasciitis or go in for treatments or even surgery, there remain certain risks that are associated with every option. Such risks include:-

• If one ignores the condition of plantar fasciitis, one is liable to develop chronic heel pain. This may change the way one walks or may even cause injury to one’s knees, legs, hips or back.
• If one takes steroid injections or some other treatments, the plantar fascia ligament may weaken which can further cause potential rupture of the ligament.
• If one goes in for surgery, the associated risks such as bleeding, infection, and reaction to anesthesia always exist.
• Plantar fascia detachment may either cause changes in your foot or damage to the nerves.
• Nerve damage may also be caused due to a gastrocnemius recession.

Chiropractic Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

At Botti Chiropractic & Wellness, chiropractor Frankfort, we not only focus on getting you fast relief of your pain symptoms but addressing underlying issues as to why the pain began in the first place.  Ultimately patients with the condition also have other musculoskeletal issues that need resolution. Additionally, we take pride in providing custom orthotic inserts that far exceed the quality of inserts that patients have usually been provided in the past.  A true custom orthotic should not only create arch support but should be precisely tailored to create ideal weight distribution through the knees, hips, and pelvis. It is not uncommon for our patients to see the resolution of other pain symptoms after being treated for their original complaint of foot or heel pain.

Call us today to book an appointment or talk to us about any health condition you might be dealing with.