Joe Johnson – Plantar Fasciitis

Toronto podiatrist Sheldon Nadal, D.P.M. reports that yet another two NBA player have been stricken with plantar fasciitis. The latest victims are Eastern Conference opponents battling for a round 2 spot: Brooklyn Net’s shooting guard Joe Johnson and Chicago Bull’s center Joakim Noah. In a statement to espn.go.com, Noah described his injury by saying “It feels like you have needles underneath your foot while you’re playing. That’s what it feels like.”

This is a common complaint amongst plantar fasciitis sufferers. Heel Spur Pain and Plantar Fasciitis  is a very common condition affecting not only athletes involved in vigorous activity but the everyday runner or walker as well. Due to the irritation of the plantar fascia at the base of the foot, there is often needle-like pain. Many times the pain can remain localized around the heel but in certain cases, it can also radiate towards the arch of the foot and/or upwards towards the ankle.

Diagnosis is key in correctly treating plantar fasciitis. Podiatrist Sheldon Nadal D.P.M. has been treating plantar fasciitis for over 30 years out of his Toronto podiatry clinic, employing techniques such as Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Heel Spur Pain, Arch Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, and Achilles  paired with custom Orthotics.

If you or someone you know suffers from painful plantar fasciitis or other painful foot conditions, call our Toronto podiatry Our Office at 416-486-9917. For more information on this and other conditions we treat, please go to our home page at http://www.footcare.net/

photo from http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/roderick-boone/nets-insider-joe-johnson-not-thrilled-about-shootarounds-in-new-jersey-1.4476995 

According to the April 24,2013 addition of the emailed newsletter, Weekly Focus, put out by the American Podiatric Medical Association, Jerry Seinfeld suffered with heel pain for more than thirty years. He was finally successfully treated by APMA member, podiatrist Joesph D'Amico D.P.M.

Seinfeld told a small group of faculty members of the New York College of Podiatric Mecidine that, " I have a hard time watching the reruns because I see the shoes on my feet and remember how painfull that experience was".

Seinfeld was so grateful that he made a donation to the Gait Labrotory for Biomechanical Research at the school as well as a donation to the Richard O'Shuster Memorial Biomechanics Seminar.

There are many different causes of heel pain, but the most common cause is Plantar Fasciitis. This is a condition where the long broad ligament at the sole of the foot, the plantar fascia, becomes irritated and playful.  Classically it hurts with the first free steps in the morning and feels better with a limited amount of walking, but the problem can become chronic if not treated.

According to the article, D'Amico identified a biomechanical problem with Seinfeld's feet. These types of problems can often successfully be treated with Custom Foot Orthotics, or Orthopedic Insoles which are insoles worn in the shoes. They improve the mechanics of the foot and allow the foot to function in a more normal manner. This can often relieve the pull and the pain of plantar fasciitis.

In some cases it is also necessary to relieve the inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis. This can be done with anti inflammatory pills or cortisone injections. However, some people are concerned about the side effects associated with pills and injections. For these people, in my Toronto podiatry office, I use Laser Pain Treatment and Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Heel Spur Pain, Arch Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis. This can relieve the inflammation without the side effects.

If you, or someone that you care about, or someone you know from a TV show suffers from heel pain please let them know that Sheldon Nadal, D.P.M., Toronto, Ontario Podiatrist is here to help. Please call our Toronto Ontario Podiatry Office at 416-486-9917 for a consultation.

For more information on this and other conditions we treat, please go to our home page at http://www.footcare.net/ 

By the way, I couldnt find any info on Kramer's feet.

Above picture courtesy of P.M. News, from left to right, Dr. Joseph D'Amico, Jerry Seinfeld, Dr. Michael Trepal, Louis Levine  courtesy of c  c
 

According to sports.yahoo.com Albert Pujols is playing baseball in spite of continuous pain in his heel.

According to orangecounty.com, Pujols has had a history of Heel  Pain, due to Plantar Fasciitis in 2004, 2005, and 2006, but never went on the disabled list because of this condition. 

Pujols had surgery on his right knee on October of 2013.  The good news is that the knee is not bothering him.  The bad news is his heel is bothering him.

Pujols continues to play despite the pain in his heel.  He admits that his is limping because of the problem.

The plantar fascia is a broad ligament that is found at the plantar surface or sole of the foot.  It runs from the heel to the toes and helps to support the arch.  If the foot isn’t balanced and supported properly, excessive stress will cause irritation of the plantar fascia, usually close to its insertion at the heel bone or calcaneus.

When this happens, patients complain of pain at the first few steps in the morning.  It is also painful with the first few steps following rest.  The keys to the treatment are to relieve the excessive strain on the plantar fascia and to relieve the inflammation or irritation.

The strain on the plantar fascia can be relieved with Custom Foot Orthotics, Orthopedic Insoles, Foot Beds, or Arch Supports.  You can try off-the-shelf arch supports at the drug store.  However, if this does not do the trick, you may need made to measure orthotics.  This Toronto podiatrist will be happy to help you with orthotics in Toronto.

The other important thing is to relieve the inflammation and irritation.  This can be done with anti-inflammatory pills.  However, many people do not like to take the pills because they can cause problems with your stomach, heart or blood pressure.

Another treatment would be cortisone injection.  However these can be painful and can weaken the connective tissue. 

In my office, I offer an alternative.   We use a low level Laser Pain Treatment and a soundwave treatment called radial wave or pressure wave to relieve the inflammation if the problem has been present for a short period of time.

For someone who has a chronic condition like Pujols, I would recommend a treatment we use in my Toronto podiatry clinic called Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Heel Spur Pain, Arch Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis .  This procedure is performed under local anesthetic.  It is a strong soundwave.  In my experience, approximately 80% of people with chronic plantar fasciitis will experience anywhere from a 50-100% improvement following one treatment.

In spite of plantar fasciitis, Pujols was able to hit two home runs in a game on April 06, 2013.  However, I do not recommend that patients continue to run through plantar fasciitis.  Excessive stress has a way of turning mild plantar fasciitis into a more painful, chronic problem.

When the Angels come to Toronto to play the Blue Jays, Albert is welcome to come to my Toronto foot clinic to find out how extra corporeal shockwave can relieve his heel pain.

                                                                                                                                      Albert Pujol's bat and heel are on fire

If you, or anyone you care about suffer from heel pain due to plantar fasciitis, please call my office at        416-486-9917 so that we can get you on the road to recovery.

A few weeks ago I  blogged about pro baseball player Logan Forsythe, who had been diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis .. It was hoped that two injections, combined with three or four days of rest would allow his pain to be manageable.  Unfortunately, according to sandiego.padres.mlb.com, Forsythe suffered a relapse following a pre-season game on March 26, 2013.  The foot is now worse than before and he will be out for a minimum of six weeks.  Apparently, he will be in a walking boot for the first three weeks.

The plantar fascia is a broad ligament that runs along the ball of the foot from the heel bone or calcaneus to the front of the foot near the toes.  It helps support the arch.

If the foot is not balanced and supported properly during strenuous activities, such as baseball, the plantar fascia can be stretched, strained, or irritated.  This often occurs close to the heel bone. Patients with this problem can experience severe pain with the first few steps in the morning and with the first few steps following rest.  Unfortunately, if the faulty mechanics are not addressed, it is often not enough just to have a cortisone injection.  In many cases it is necessary for orthotics to be made to help improve the mechanics and to relieve the pull of the plantar fascia.  The other issue is that, while cortisone injections can relieve the inflammation, they also weaken the connective tissue.  Oral antiinflammatory medication, which can also relieve inflammation, can cause problems with the stomach, blood pressure or heart.

This Toronto podiatrist  would treat someone like Forsythe with sound waves and laser, which do not have the side effects of cortisone and pills.

In a case like this I would consider using a soundwave called extracorporeal shockwave in my Toronto foot clinic.  This is a high intensity soundwave that is administered under local anesthetic.   In my experience more than 85% of people with chronic plantar fascia will experience anywhere from a 50-100% improvement following one treatment.  I would then make orthotics to wear in the sport shoes to help prevent recurrence.

If you, or someone you care about suffer from Heel Spur Pain, or Plantar Fasciitis please call my Toronto podiatry office at 416 486 9917 to find out how to end the misery of plantar fasciitis.

It is too bad that the Padres will not be coming to Toronto this season to play the Blue Jays.  I would like to meet Mr. Forsythe. 

According to nbcsports.com, on March 10, 2013, San Diego Padres second baseman, Logan Forsythe, has been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis.  He was given a second injection and hopes that the injection, combined with three to four days of rest, will allow the heel or arch pain to be manageable during the 2013 regular season.

Heel Spur Pain, Arch Pain, Plantar Fasciitis occurs when the broad ligament that connects the heel to the toes at the bottom, or plantar surface, of the arch becomes irritated or strained due to excessive use.  It can also be related to a mechanical imbalance. 

Classically, the heel or the arch hurts with the first few steps in the morning.  It gets somewhat better with a limited amount of walking.  If you are on your feet for a considerable length of time or run, and then you sit for a while, it is often painful with the first few steps after rest.

It is important to correct the mechanical imbalance that caused the problem.  This can be done by making made to measure orthotics to wear in your shoes.  They will help to support the foot and relieve the pull of the plantar fascia.

The other thing that is necessary is to relieve the inflammation or irritation, which is often near the heel where the plantar fascia inserts onto the calcaneus or heel bone. This can be done with a cortisone injection but injections can be painful and repeated cortisone injections can cause thinning of the connective tissues.  Another alternative is to take oral anti-inflammatory medications such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen or Naprosyn. However, this type of medication is not good for someone with stomach problems, high blood pressure or heart disease.

In my opinion, a  safer alternative is to use soundwaves to relieve the problem. If the condition has been present for a relatively short period of time such as days, weeks, or a few months, a lower energy form of soundwave called radial wave or pressure wave can be used.  Anaesthetic is not required. Most people need from three to five treatments.  They are performed on a weekly basis.  In my office I also combine the soundwave or radial wave with a low energy Laser Pain Treatment.  I find that this can be quite effective for acute plantar heel pain or arch pain due to acute plantar fasciitis (plantar fasciitis that has been present for a short period of time).

If you have chronic plantar fasciitis, that is, plantar fasciitis that has been present for several months or even years, I use a stronger modality called extracorporeal shockwave.  This is performed with local anesthetic.  I have found that approximately 75% of people with chronic plantar fasciitis will experience anywhere from 50-100% improvement following one treatment.

If you or someone you care about suffer from heel or arch pain due to plantar fasciitis, please contact me in at my Toronto podiatry office at 416-486-9917.  I will be happy to examine your foot and tell you the best course of treatment to get you walking more comfortably.

And if Logan Forsythe doesn’t get better with his cortisone injection, please tell him to give me a call.