A: This is a common question, and one we hear from a lot of people. Before I answer this for you, I want to walk you through a simple test. We will call it the “Foot Pain Audit,” and it will tell us if PT can help you or not … Q: “I WOKE UP WITH PAIN IN MY FOOT 3 DAYS AGO, AND IT HASN’T GONE AWAY. CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP ME?”
Part 1: The ”Stand and Walk in the Morning” Test 1. After waking, stand up and walk 3 feet. 2. When you bear weight, does it hurt on the bottom of your foot or heel? 3. Does your pain go away as the day goes on?
Is your pain worse in the morning after you wake up, or is it the same all the time? If you felt pain, soreness, or stiffness standing up in the morning, check here 5
All right, next:
Part 2: The “Toe Pull” Test 1. Sit in a chair and maintain good posture. 2. Cross your painful foot over the opposite leg and pull your big toe back toward your ankle as far as you can. 3. Repeat with the other toe. Did you have any pain, soreness, or stiffness in one toe more than the other? If so, then write it down here. Note what you felt with each movement. (For example, “My right toe was stiff and could not go back as far as my left one.”) _______________________________________________________________________________________
Part 3: The “Plantar Fascia Tenderness” Test 1. Sit in a chair and maintain good posture. 2. Cross the painful foot over the opposite leg. 3. Press your fingers into the arch of your painful foot.
Was one side more tender than the other? Write down what you felt here: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Now that the test is done, let’s take a look at this.
A simple rule we use in PT is:
If the pain is reproducible, then it’s reducible.
This means that if one of these movements made your foot pain, soreness, or stiffness worse, then there’s a good chance we can help you with physical therapy.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker