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Plantar Fasciitis Therapy: Excess Pronation and Flat Feet: Effective Procedures

Most people who experience heel pain  think that it is something minor and will decrease solely by resting and becoming less active. Nevertheless, in some cases the heel pain is a warning signal from the body that it is injured. Foot malformations such as overpronation or low arches can lead to more serious conditions such as plantar fasciitis. This often crippling pain in the heels can be treated in a operating room as an outpatient.

Foot Overpronation and Flat Foot Can Lead to Serious  Anatomical Issues

As reported by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), plantar fasciitis can be caused by abnormal gait or foot anatomy. These issues can include overpronation and flat feet, for example.  When the lower leg biomechanics are out of step with the other parts  of the body, too much impact and jarring are put on foot structures that are not intended to bear those stresses. One manifestation of this, running on a hard surface or even being over your ideal weight can all be contributing factors for heel pain.

Solutions and Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

A procedure known as Instep Plantar Fasciotomy is one therapy for plantar fasciitis that is performed while the patient’s foot and ankle are anesthetized. The plantar fascia is a ligament of tissue at the root of pain caused by this condition. The heel is incised by the physician just over the heel bone. The inflamed area and injured tissue is released from the affected foot. Once the opening is sutured, a walking boot is required for an estimated four to six weeks, depending upon how fast the person heals.

Treatment For Plantar Fasciitis Can Be Treated Non-Surgically

A type of cutting edge technology being used today to heal foot conditions is with waves of low level sound. Called extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), this solution aims to use low-dose sound waves to destroy the affected tissues in the heel. It sounds illogical, but it isn’t. The damaging of these tissues in low amounts actually starts the body’s healing response and helps the plantar fasciitis to resolve itself. In a 2004 study, it took nearly 1000 study participants about two months to heal completely with about eighty-five percent success.

Cut Healing Time Dramatically with this Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

The final medical procedure that is becoming more popular simply because it requires less recovery time is an endoscopic plantar fasciotomy. In this procedure, the foot is numbed with an ankle block while the patient is alert. Since some surgeons may prefer to have the patient unconscious, that is also a valid way to conduct the operation with reduced stress to the patient. Quarter-inch incisions are made in the lateral and anterior angles of the heel to access the affected areas.  A tiny camera is used to aid the doctor to identify the plantar fascia ligament. Once it has been  identified, it is surgically fixed so that it can heal properly.

Overpronation and Low Arches Don’t Have to Hurt as Much

Though surgery is only required in about 5% of the cases of heel pain from plantar fasciitis, it’s recommended to be aware of the procedures that doctors are using today. Continuing with PT (physical therapy) is one of the best things patients can do after undergoing any of these procedures. Massages, exercises, and whirlpool therapy are just some of the many tools in the physical therapist’s toolbox that can help. For patients with walking gait abnormalities and biomechanics issues such as overpronation or low foot arches, orthotic inserts are recommended to stop recurrence of heel pain.

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