360 Foot Care

When the 360 Foot Care Center first opened we discovered a trend. Approximately 65% of our visitors complained about heel pain. In some cases people had visited their physician and were given a specific diagnosis. In other cases people came in with a complaint that was pretty consistent for the 65%, ” my heel hurts especially when I first get up in the morning or when I stand after sitting for a while. It goes away after I take a few steps. ” 

Recent news stories confirm the fact that plantar fasciitis has exploded within the U.S. with many people seeking medical treatment and other treatment strategies. There has also been a corresponding explosion of products that pledge to prevent or successfully treat the condition.  In the case of our visitors who had received medical diagnosis, they uniformally were diagnosis with plantar fasciitis. For visitors who had not received a medical diagnosis we explained and described the various conditions that could create heel pain without giving a specific diagnosis. We encouraged them to seek medical advice. Invariably most would return to 360 Foot Care with a specific diagnosis of plantar fasciitis.  

What is plantar fasciitis and what are some of the non-medical treatments for the condition?

Nationally, members of the medical profession agree that over the past few years there has been an explosion of people experiencing heel pain and most notably plantar fasciitis. Essentially, plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament. The plantar fascia ligament is a large thick fiber that runs along the bottom of the foot, roughly from the heel to the ball of the foot. The ligament serves several purposes one of which is to provide the foot with a certain level of natural cushioning. For several reasons, for example stress or trauma, this band of tissue can become inflamed and when this occurs there is usually pain anywhere along the ligament. Ultimately, most people experiencing this inflammation will complain about heel pain.

There are numerous non-medical treatments for plantar fasciitis. Seeing a medical professional is always advised.  At 360 Foot Care we try to offer options that have proven successful for our customers/patients. Taking stress off of the ligament has proven successful in the vast majority of our cases. Wearing a good rigid/semi-rigid arch support, over  time, has proven beneficial. In most cases we recommend wearing both a good arch support and Spira shoes. This combination has had the best result for minimizing stresses on the plantar facia and over time allows the inflammation to subside thereby alleviating the pain associated with the condition. We also recommend this combination as a means to help minimize the occurrence of the condition in the first instance.  

Additionally, there are exercises that can be done to help stretch and strengthen the plantar facia. Our plantar facia night splint is useful and can help minimize the pain often experienced early mornings when you first stand from a long night sleep. We recommend the splint or a short period of stretching for persons prior to getting out of bed. Many of our customers/patients are on their feet for long periods of time. Waiters, teachers, nurses, retail sales reps and many others have found significant releif from our combination of arch supports, Spira shoes and night splint.

  About the Author: Milton is Vice President of 360 Foot Care. A Certified Pedorthist, Milton is trained on the foot and feet conditions.  Visit 360footcare.com to see more on various health conditions and the 360 Foot Care products that are available to help you in achieving your health goals.

360 FOOTCARE Website Discalimer:
ATTENTION: This information is not intended as medical advice or solutions. The information is offered for educational purposes only. Only a certified medical practioner can diagnose medical conditions. You should always consult your medical practioner if you have questions about a medical issue. Always follow your medical professional’s advice.

Tags: arch pain, Foot Care, foot pain, heel pain, plantar fasciitis, spira shoes

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 9:44 am and is filed under Orthopedic Supplies, arch supports, spira shoes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.