Over the coming weeks I will begin to break down some common conditions that arise from from the foot up that seem to hamper us as we progress towards those goals. I will then explain some of the strategies that I use in clinic to assist the healing response.
Lets start with the foot and In my world we have a saying that “when the foot hits the ground everything changes”.
Our feet are complex structures with foot pain and injury being an extremely common problem as we start to pound the roads for that running goal or when we start to load up at the gym with our strength training for that upcoming ski holiday.
Rear Foot Pain: Heel Pain
Plantar Fasciitis
One of the most common cause of rear foot pain or heel pain is plantar fasciitis.
Your plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band made of densely compacted collagen fibres that run from your calcaneus (heel bone) to your toes. The plantar fascia helps to maintain the arch on your foot and contributes to transmitting ground reaction forces and stress through the foot when we walk, run and play.
Our plantar fascia is around 2-4mm thick and absorbs around 14 % of our total body weight. It helps the control and stability of your foot by these tiny cells that innervate it called mechanoreceptors with cool names like “Ruffini Endings”
What can lead to plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis tends to be an overuse condition of the plantar fascia at its attachment site into the heel bone. It is relatively common in runners and individuals with low or high rigid arches, due to excessive stretching from repetitive and abnormal stress to the area.
The following predisposing factors may also lead to someone getting plantar fasciitis:
1. Lack of motion in their ankle joint
2. Obesity
3. Diabetes
4. Pregnancy
5. Seronegative Arthropathies (Psoriatic Arthritis)
Clinical signs of Plantar Fasciitis
Clients tend to report that the problem gradually builds up over time and pinpoint the pain to under the heel and particularly worse in the morning. As the problem manifests the pain starts to progress from:
- Heel pain after exercise.
- Heel pain before/after exercise.
- Heel pain before, during and after exercise.
- Heel pain all the time. Including at rest
Diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis
The GP or I, are usually the first port of call when people suspect that they have plantar fasciitis. My job is to try and discover the “Why” behind the problem. From there we can start to formulate a treatment plan to assist the bodies natural healing response and reduce the chances of the problem rearing its ugly head again.
Ultrasounds can be useful to identify any swelling, inflammation or tears within the plantar fascia.
MCPP Osteopaths approach to treating Plantar Fasciitis.
Well studies have shown that 90% of cases resolve without non surgical intervention which is a great reason to receive some conservative treatment.
I tend to see a good response from clients within 6-8 weeks once we have identified the potential cause of the problem.
How do we treat Plantar Fasciitis?
Low Level Laser Therapy: The wavelength and density of LLLT assist the bodies natural healing response by:
1: Reducing inflammation
2: Improving tissue regeneration
3: Stimulating the bodies natural pain killing response
Kinesiology Tape: Rock Tape
1: RockTape turns down the volume on pain: When applied it interferes with painful signals which are directed to the brain.
2: Decompresses an area of swelling and inflammation: When RockTape is applied to the skin, it has a microscopic lifting effect underneath the skin and between the many layers. This allows the by-products created by inflammation to be removed more quickly.
3: It delays fatigue: Research has shown that RockTape on skin can attenuate muscle fatigue. In rehab, this is very important, not only for the parts of your body that are currently hurting, but also for the surrounding areas as they help to pick up the slack for muscles that are currently not working well.
4: It normalises muscle tone: When someone is injured, fatigued, sick, or inflamed, the symphony of muscle action that normally takes place with great accuracy often falls out of tune. This can happen all over the body. For instance, research has shown that people who sprain their ankle tend to have altered activity of their hip muscle as a result. RockTape helps bring dormant muscle back to life and help calm down the overactive muscles. It helps your body coordinate movement as if it weren’t hurt, hence allowing it to heal properly.
5: It distributes physical stress: Unlike conventional taping, which prevents movement – RockTape allows full movement of a taped area. Through elastic properties and quick recoil, RockTape can help distribute forces to other nearby areas through the fascia, ligaments, and even bones.
Functional Manual Reaction: FMR™
FMR™ Is the application of hands to bone segments in order to facilitate an optimal sequence of motion during a functional movement.
FMR™ can be used to assess movement restrictions caused by muscles and joints. In addition to eliminating identified movement restrictions, it can also be utilised to restore the proper sequencing of bone movements that is essential to effective and efficient task execution.
FMR™ is frequently used to increase the load to a muscle during an eccentric contraction in order to enhance the muscle’s concentric power.
Active Release Technique: ART®
Every ART® session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART® provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.
I really hope that you find some of this information useful.
If you are experiencing sign of plantar fasciitis, then please contact me so we can get you back on the right path before the problem escalates.
Till next time.
Motion is Lotion.
Mario
Tel: 07518056355 Mail: info@mcpposteopath.co.uk
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