Seattle Chiropractor: Chiropractic Care Can Help You Get Rid of Foot Pain

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:20:21 +0000

It’s not surprising that Chiropractic Seattle Style has treated hundreds of people suffering from foot pain, and knows all too well how common painful foot problems are these days. Here’s why: Health care professionals, especially chiropractors, will tell you that movement is healthy for the entire body, right? From our head to our toes, our good health is highly influenced by how much physical exercise we get on a regular basis. If that’s the case, why do so many people suffer from aches and pains in their feet? After all, our feet are made for walking, aren’t they? Yes, but they aren’t designed for mistreatment.

The ordinary, healthy individual takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not counting activities such as running and aerobic exercise. However, many times those steps are made by individuals walking incorrectly, with poor gait patterns and inappropriate posture.

In addition, a significant number of individuals wear inadequately-designed, improperly-fitting shoes. Moving the body through space inappropriately on feet that are kept from functioning correctly cannot help but to cause painful problems not only in various places in the feet, but in other parts of the body, too. For instance, if a person over-pronates (walks like a duck) in shoes that are poorly-made or unevenly-worn, or in any pair of high heels, that individual will not only develop foot and ankle challenges, but will probably experience aches and pains in the back, knees and legs.

One of the most well-known foot problems is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is usually caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a wonderfully-formed, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that surrounds the muscles on the bottom of the foot, fixes the heel bone to the ball of the foot, reinforces the arch, safeguards the foot, and absorbs shock. It goes without saying, then, that the healthy function of the plantar fascia is crucial for pain-free movement of the foot.

There are many factors that contribute to the development of Plantar Fascitis. Short and tight calf muscles are one factor. When calf muscles get short and tight they exert a strong pull on the back of the heel bone, producing undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia. You may be wondering how calf muscles get short and tight. Aside from aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, tennis, and similar activities that involve running and jumping, the wearing of high heels can create the problem.

Other factors that contribute to Plantar Fascitis include sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity, abnormal gait patterns (such as over-pronation), improper footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (especially barefooted), and obesity.

Once an individual develops Plantar Fascitis, the condition is often difficult to manage and can become exceedingly painful and persistent. Without proper attention, Plantar Fascitis will only get worse.

If you are suffering from heel pain, your chiropractor will be able to establish the reason for your problem and what chiropractic management would be most appropriate. Management might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, Graston technique, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, kinesio taping and, in some cases, orthotics.

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Seattle Chiropractor: Chiropractic Care Can Help You Get Rid of Foot Pain