Texas Rangers player with plantar fasciitis can be helped, says Toronto podiatrist

According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, Texas Rangers player Mike Olt limped off the field after running to first base when plantar fasciitis in his right foot flared up.   According to the article, there is no treatment for plantar fasciitis other than rest.

This is not true. 

Heel pain and arch pain due to plantar fasciitis can be treated and should be treated.  The plantar fascia is a broad ligament found in the bottom surface of the foot which connects the heel bone to the toe bone and runs along the arch.  Overuse or injury can cause irritation or inflammation of the plantar fascia near where it inserts on the heel bone, also called the calcaneus,  as well as along the plantar fascia along the arch.

In my Toronto podiatry office, I treat plantar fasciitis by relieving the pull of the plantar fascia ligament and by relieving inflammation.

The first step is to relieve the pull of the plantar fascia.  This can be performed by using over the counter arch supports, or, if that is not successful, made to measure orthotics.   Orthotics improve the mechanics of the foot, re-align the foot, and relieve the pull of the plantar fascia.  This can be an important step to healing. 

The inflammation can be relieved by the use of anti-inflammatory medication such as Ibuprofen and Naprosyn.  However, anti-inflammatory medication is not a good idea to take if you have high blood pressure, stomach problems or heart problems.   A cortisone injection can also be performed in the tender  area  if  the pain is localized.  However, many people do not like the cortisone injections because they can be painful and repeated injections can weaken the connective tissue.

In my Toronto foot clinic I offer an alternative to cortisone and medication.  I use sound waves, sometimes in combination with a low level Laser Pain Treatment, to relieve inflammation without the side effects of pills and cortisone.

For people who have had plantar fasciitis for a relatively short time, such as two or three months or less, I find that they will often respond to a combination of low level laser and a sound wave treatment called pressure wave or radial wave (also referred to as radial shock wave).  Most people will require three treatments, spread out over three weeks.

In chronic cases where the person has been suffering for three or four months or more, I use a stronger modality called Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Heel Spur Pain, Arch Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis in my Toronto podiatry clinic.  This is performed under local anesthetic.  Most people will require only one treatment.

If you or a loved one suffer from heel pain or arch pain due to plantar fasciitis or have other painful problems, please call my office at 416-486-9917 to find out how you can be helped to walk pain free