Stop Pussyfooting Around! Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs and Chiropractic Care

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a patient mention seeing another doctor for foot pain, I tell them that I have very good success with that condition, and treat them, and when they are feeling better they say, “I never knew chiropractors worked on feet!” As I’ve said before:  if your condition is not immediately life-threatening, at least ASK me – most of the time you will be pleasantly surprised at what can be accomplished with chiropractic care.

The foot has 26 bones:  seven make up the heel/ankle/arch, five are the actual ‘foot’ bones, and the remaining fourteen are in the toes. Each arch provides extremely strong support for half of the body’s weight upon a small surface as well as stability for the foot.

When the foot is injured in one of its myriad possibilities, the ligaments and muscles which sustain the arch often will stretch and tear in a manner that allows one or more of the bones to slip down slightly out of position. While this is seldom in the category of “flat feet” or “fallen arches”, it still causes instability of the surrounding joints and irritation of the local nerves, along with the pain from the injury itself.  When the pain continues beyond any obvious injury, the painful inflammation and swelling of the fascia (all soft tissues including muscles and ligaments) in the plantar (foot) area is labeled “Plantar fasciitis” (foot pain).

There is a small ligament which connects the heel bone with one of the bones in the front of the arch which assists in maintaining the integrity of the arch. Sometimes, particularly after injury or aggravation to the heel area, this ligament begins to calcify, and on an x-ray appears as a hook-shaped bone beneath the heel which is commonly referred to as a “heel spur”. This condition is often quite uncomfortable during standing and walking.

At Val Vista Chiropractic, chiropractic treatments supplemented by the ‘cold’ laser – particularly of the arch area – for foot problems are quite successful. Many times plantar fasciitis and heel spur pain can be calmed simply by returning the arch bones closer to their correct arrangement, and allowing the injured areas to heal. Inserting a rigid plastic arch support is often of minimal value in creating, or restoring, the arch, and cortisone injections to treat heel spurs is a much more invasive approach which often does not keep the pain at bay for very long. If you are having foot problems, I encourage you to ask first what your chiropractor can do for you.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic