Risk Factors for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis remains a mysterious condition. Although the connective tissue at the bottom of each foot is subjected to a lot of daily wear, it is unknown why some people develop inflammation and others don’t. However, there are often specific factors that can be identified as increasing the risk of fascia strains. At Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates in Lorain, our podiatrists are specialists in sports medicine and offer comprehensive treatments for plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain, but our patients will need to do what they can to mitigate their risk factors.

Plantar fasciitis is common in distance runners, whose feet are subjected to an especially high amount of stress. It’s also seen in people whose jobs require them to be on their feet for most of the day, such as hairdressers, and in people whose shoes don’t allow them enough arch support. But people who are overweight are also at increased risk, as are people who are new to physical activity or who have recently returned to it. Researchers have noticed that people with plantar fasciitis often have tight calf muscles, suggesting that the plantar fascia is being overstretched to compensate for the heel being pulled upwards.

One bit of good news about plantar fasciitis is that it doesn’t usually appear in people who have heel spurs, so it’s probably possible to stretch the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon enough so that a heel spur won’t wear them down too much. The less good news is that plantar fasciitis is common in people with fallen arches. However, it may be possible to reinforce and arch without restoring to surgery, by making use of customized orthotics and physical therapy to strengthen the foot muscles. Patients should also make sure they are stretching their calf muscles before work-outs and giving them enough time to recover afterward.

Doctors David J. Hintz and Michael A. Wenowitz run Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates at 1740 Cooper Foster Park Road #B, Lorain, Ohio, 44053. To schedule an appointment, visit Integrity Foot and Ankle or call 440-282-1221.

 

Bones of the Foot

We talk a lot about the bones of the foot at Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates in Lorain. As podiatrists, we often perform surgeries and help people to recover from broken bones and other problems in their foot structure. We recognize that patients are more confident making decisions about their care when they feel comfortable with the language used in the office, so we wanted to briefly describe where each bone of the foot is and what they’re called.

The talus is the bone at the top of the ankle that the leg bones, the tibia and fibula, connect to. Below it is the calcaneus, or heel bone. In between the back of the foot and the mid-section are the tarsals, which form the curved ramp that is the foot’s arch. They are the navicular, which is in front of the talus, the cuboid, which is in front of the calcaneus on the outer side of the foot, and the three cuneiforms, which are in front of the navicular and, along with the cuboid, form a crescent-shape when seen from above.

The middle of the foot is made up of the five metatarsal bones. They are long and thin, with one connecting to each cuneiform and leading to the first three toes, and the remaining two connecting with the cuboid and leading to the outer two toes. The toes themselves are made up of bones called phalanges, with the big toe having two and the others each having three. The phalanges furthest back toward the metatarsals are called “proximal,” and the ones at the tips of the toes are called “distal.” The ball of the foot is where the proximal phalanges and metatarsals connect.

Doctors David J. Hintz and Michael A. Wenowitz run Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates at 1740 Cooper Foster Park Road #B, Lorain, Ohio, 44053. To schedule an appointment, visit Integrity Foot and Ankle or call 440-282-1221.

 

Juvenile Arthritis

Could arthritis be the cause of your child’s swollen feet? It’s possible. Recently, we of the Integrity Foot and Ankle Associates in Lorain discussed Sever’s disease, a common cause of foot pain in children. Since then we've felt it would be helpful to discuss another potential cause of ankle swelling in pediatric patients, and describe how it’s recognized and treated.

Juvenile arthritis is poorly understood, but we know it's an autoimmune condition. That means the body’s immune system is attacking healthy tissues, causing swelling, hot spots, and stiffness. Most cases of juvenile arthritis are oligoarticular, meaning that they only directly affect a small number of joints. However, the joint that is affected is often the ankle or knee. It is more common in girls and tends to strike during the first few years of a child’s life.

Oligoarticular arthritis is generally considered to be the most mild form of juvenile arthritis. The diagnostic process includes x-rays and blood tests for antibodies associated with autoimmune disorders. Treatment is conservative, usually consisting of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs and physical therapy to strengthen the muscles, allowing them to better support the joints. We especially encourage low-impact exercises that will also stretch the ankle without jostling it.

Doctors David J. Hintz and Michael A. Wenowitz run Integrity Foot & Ankle Associates at 1740 Cooper Foster Park Road #B, Lorain, Ohio, 44053. To schedule an appointment, visit Integrity Foot and Ankle or call 440-282-1221.