Vital Care PT - July 2018

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TREATING AND PREVENTING PLANTAR FASCIITIS

Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that causes heel pain when the supporting arch in the foot (the plantar fascia) becomes inflamed or tears. When someone has plantar fasciitis, they experience pain in the heel, arch, or ball when they put weight on their foot. Thankfully, physical therapy is a great way to treat and prevent plantar fasciitis. People can develop plantar fasciitis for many reasons. If you have a job or play a sport that involves prolonged standing or weight-bearing activities, you could be more prone to developing this condition. Also, if you’ve recently begun a new running program or landed a job that requires more standing and walking than you’re accustomed to, your plantar fascia can become irritated. Plantar fasciitis affects people of all ages, athletes and nonathletes alike. If you have plantar fasciitis, you may feel a stabbing pain on the underside of your heel and tightness in your arch. You may experience pain in the morning, with prolonged standing, when standing up after sitting for a while, after running or other weight- bearing activities, when climbing stairs, or when walking barefoot. To diagnose plantar fasciitis, your physical therapist will massage and press on your heel, gently stretch your ankle to bend the top of the foot toward the leg, and gently press the toes toward the ankle. If these tests result in symptoms, you will work with your therapist to create your custom treatment plan. Your treatment plan may include the following:

B lue C heese B uffalo D ogs and C elery S law

• Stretching exercises to improve flexibility of your ankle and plantar fascia

INGREDIENTS

• Use of a night splint to maintain correct ankle and toe position

For Celery Slaw: • 4 celery stalks, very thinly sliced • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice • 1 teaspoon olive oil • Celery salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

• 1 package of your favorite hot dogs • 1 package hot dog buns • 1 bottle Frank’s RedHot sauce • 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

• New footwear or inserts that minimize pronation

• Application of LaserTouchOne cold laser, heat, ice, or ultrasound to decrease pain and inflammation

• Soft tissue mobilization to the plantar fascia and surrounding ankle/leg musculature

DIRECTIONS

• Taping of the foot for short-term relief

1. For slaw, toss all ingredients together and season with celery salt and pepper. 2. Grill hot dogs and toast buns. 3. Assemble hot dogs, douse with hot sauce, and top with celery slaw. 4. Top with blue cheese, add another splash of hot sauce if you’re feeling extra spicy, and serve.

To prevent future episodes of plantar fasciitis, your therapist may recommend buying shoes with good arch support, replacing your shoes regularly, using a thick mat if you stand in one place most of the day, warming up effectively before exercise, stretching your calfes and feet before and after exercise, or maintaining a healthy body weight. If you are experiencing pain in your heel and the arch of your foot, call us today to start on the road to recovery.

Inspired by Bon Appetit magazine

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