Many persons who experience heel pain assume that it's nothing to worry about and will go away with rest and less activity. Nevertheless, in some cases the heel pain is a red flag for something that the doctor may need to treat. Malformed foot conditions such as excess pronation or fallen arches can lead to more serious conditions such as plantar fasciitis. This often crippling pain in the heels can be treated in a sterile back office as an outpatient.

Low Arches Can Be a Biomechanical Issue

As found by the American Podiatric Medical Association, plantar fasciitis can be caused by faulty biomechanics and walking motion. This can include excess pronation and low arches, for example. When the lower body biomechanics are out of line with the other parts of the body, too much weight and impact are put on bones and ligaments of the feet that are not meant to take those strains. One manifestation of this, running on a hard surface or even being over your ideal weight can all be contributing reasons for heel pain.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Can Be a Welcomed Relief

A surgery known as Instep Plantar Fasciotomy is one treatment for plantar fasciitis that is performed while the patient's foot and ankle are anesthetized. The plantar fascia is a ligament of tissue responsible for the extreme pain caused by this condition. The heel is incised by the physician just over the heel bone. The swollen region and damaged tissue is released from the affected foot. Once the opening is sutured, a walking boot is required for approximately 4-6 weeks, depending upon the healing time for the patient.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Doesn't Have to Mean Surgery

Low level sound frequencies are also being used today to treat certain foot problems. Known as ESWT (extracorporeal shock wave therapy), this treatment aims to use small amounts of sound waves to eliminate the affected tissues. It Is apparently illogical, but it isn't. The injuring of these tissues in tiny amounts actually starts the body's healing response and helps the plantar fasciitis to resolve itself. In a study done in the early part of this decade, it took 800 study participants about 2 months to heal completely with about eighty-five percent success.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment with Less Down Time

Lastly, shorter down time can be achieved with treatment of plantar fasciitis if an endoscopic procedure is performed. In this procedure, the foot is anesthetized while the patient is conscious. Since some surgeons may prefer to have the patient unconscious, that is also a sensible way to perform the surgery with less stress to the patient. Small slits are made in the sides of the heel to access the affected regions. A small camera is used to help the doctor to identify the plantar fascia ligament. Once it has been identified, it is surgically fixed so that it can heal properly.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment is Better Today than Ever Before

Although surgical intervention is only necessary in under 10% of plantar fasciitis cases, it's good to be aware of the procedures that surgeons are using today. Continuing with PT (physical therapy) is one of the best things persons can do after undergoing any of these procedures. Manual manipulation, water pool exercise, and lengthening the tissues are just some of the many tools in the physical therapist's toolbox that can make a difference. For persons with walking gait abnormalities and biomechanics problems such as excess pronation or low arches, orthotics are recommended to avoid recurrence of this painful condition.