Have you ever experienced a sharp pain or stabbing sensation in your heel for no apparent reason? One of the leading causes of heel pain is a condition called plantar fasciitis. Heel pain treatment is easy for the physical therapists at Back In Motion, Sarasota Physical Therapy and we have a very high success rate in heel pain treatment. Plantar fasciitis is caused by an inflamed plantar fascia, the tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes located on the sole of the foot. The plantar fascia serves as a “shock absorber” for the arch of the foot.
A person with plantar fasciitis or heel pain often will experience a stabbing sensation in the foot, especially when getting out of bed in the morning. The heel pain is usually worst during the first few steps out of bed & its not unusual for the pain to subside with movement or stretching. The pain tends to reoccur after prolonged sitting, standing, or walking. Heel pain treatment, after understanding what is causing the plantar fasciitis is quick and easy for our Physical Therapist to customize and teach the client how to perform at home. We will often implement a home based program after just one or two in clinic visits to maximize the heel pain treatment recovery process.
Causes of heel pain and plantar fasciitis include age, activity, and even gender. Certain activities that place stress on the heel such as running and dancing also play a role. Women are also more prone then men, especially when pregnant. Being overweight can be a major contributing cause of Plantar Fasciitis. The physical therapists at Back In Motion, Sarasota Physical Therapy like to always get to the root of the problem and during the assessment / evaluation process we will determine if being overweight is contributing to your heel pain. Part of the heel pain treatment may involve a free consultation with our full time on-site Nutritionist. Check out Ideal Protein for tips on weight loss and keeping the weight off forever.
Too much tension in the plantar fascia (located at the sole of the foot) can cause small tears in the tissue. Physical therapy plays an important role to reduce pain and help avoid surgery. If left untreated, the damage can worsen and surgery could be indicated in your future. Do NOT hesitate to call us to AVOID surgery. Do not delay. The longer you put off your heel pain treatment, the more serious your problem may become.
Often, people who suffer from plantar fasciitis have tighter and weaker foot and calf muscles. Heel pain treatment will consist of your physical therapist from Back In Motion, Sarasota Physical Therapy conducting a detailed evaluation of the foot and ankle including the strength and flexibility, ligamentous stability and the way your foot strikes the ground. Often times, there are factors such as foot pronation or supination which your physical therapist will identify and correct as part of your heel pain treatment to avoid surgery and to eliminate your signs and symptoms of plantar fasciitis.
The right exercise program can strengthen and make more flexible the ankle and foot muscles, which reduces the strain on the plantar fascia. This helps break the cycle of pain and discomfort. Flexibility is equally important to strength for heel pain treatment. Our Physical Therapy team in Sarasota is extensively trained in Active Isolated Stretching (also known as AIS). The calf musculature consists of 3 muscles: the gastrocnemieus, soleus and the plantaris. These muscles converge at the back of the heel to form your Achilles tendon. The achilles tendon continues down to the sole of the foot and forms the plantar fascia. SO…..if the calf muscles are tight, you can be prone to getting plantar fasciitis. Did I mention that the soleus muscle does NOT cross the knee however the gastroc does…this indicates that your physical therapist may be working in or around your knee to fix your heel as part of your heel pain treatment!!
Your physical therapist may also decide part of your heel pain treatment for plantar fasciitis be with orthopedic shoe inserts. These are specialty inserts that are built to conform to the unique shape and arches of your feet. We are certified to perform laser guided shoe orthotic fitting right in our own office. So if you have some foot bio mechanic problems, such as the foot rolling inward or outward, we will address the heel pain treatment in part with flexibility and strengthening activity as well as with laser guided custom shoe inserts. Heel pain treatment such as ice and rest may also be helpful.
A Step in the Right Direction…
Surgery is an option but should be considered as the last resort. We have a very high success rate at completely eliminating plantar fasciitis and heel pain with our current methods of heel pain treatment without surgery. But do not delay in calling us. The longer you delay, the more serious your problem may become.
Plantar fasciitis is best treated with a combination of exercise including stretching and lifestyle modification. You walk on your feet everyday and therefore your feet are under constant stress every day. Healing can take several weeks (or months) and a physical therapist will work with you every step of the way. If you have had Physical Therapy in the past at a different clinic and did not get results, try us. We promise not to “just do ultrasound and massage”. The best course of action is to work closely with a physical therapist at Back In Motion, Sarasota Physical Therapy. We will of course give you a customized home exercise program which will make your recovery quicker than most.
Your physical therapists at Back In Motion, Sarasota Physical Therapy will be committed to your health and wellness goals. Our primary method of referral is through work of mouth. If you know someone who is experiencing heel or foot pain, ask him or her to call us today. As always, NO Doctor referral or prescription is necessary for Medicare and most other insurance companies as the state of Florida is a “direct access” state for physical therapy services. We are preferred providers with Medicare in Sarasota, Florida and are in-network participating providers with most other insurance companies. Check out this link to see our large list of insurance companies we work with
We look forward to hearing from you. Physical therapy for heel pain treatment is literally a step in the right direction. Call us today at (941) 925-2700.
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