|
The cost of plantar pain - By Brent D. Haverstock, DPM, FACFAS Plantar fasciitis, also referred to as heel spur syndrome or plantar heel pain, is a common orthopedic condition that affects thousands of Canadians annually. It's characterized by a plantar heel pain when first stepping out of bed in the morning that's relieved after a few minutes of walking. Similar pain may occur throughout the day whenever an individual stands up after a long period of sitting or lying down. In general, plantar fasciitis is a self-limiting condition, but it can take 12 to 18 months to resolve, particularly if treatment is initiated late. The pain associated with it is usually caused by microtears and collagen degeneration at the origin of the plantar fascia. Limited motion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint has been shown to affect the strain. Other factors include obesity, improper footwear, athletic training errors and unyielding surfaces such as concrete floors, on which many workers are required to stand for eight to 10 hours a day. The form of treatment is often financially driven and not rooted in sound evidence-based research. All too often. patients are fitted with custom foot orthotics that range in price from $400 to $700 and told that their problem is solved. In the proper foot type. such as a pes planus or a pronating foot, these devices can control the foot motion and the resultant strain, but a large number of individuals with plantar fasciitis have an arch height that appears normal. Modify precipitating factors
This abstract is a portion of the article
which appears in the Winter 2007 issue of BodyCast.
|