Jump into 2021 with 2 good feet!

Don't let your feet be a disaster in 2021!

If there is anything we have learned in 2020, it is that the future is never certain for anyone.  But we all can take precautions for our health to keep us at our best.  As this new year begins we wanted to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year! We also wanted to assure everyone that we take your health and safety very serious at the Center for Ankle and Foot Care, and want to let you know we still have all of our Covid protocols in place. 

Our doctors and staff are working very diligently to keep you healthy and our office as a safe place for you to have your foot or ankle problem addressed. Dr. McGowan and Dr. Henne want you to be safe and stress free while they help you with your problem. 

We are continuing to have no waiting room, this decreases any patient to patient contact and to decrease any gathering in an enclosed space.  Every treatment room is thoroughly cleaned in between patients. "We are lucky enough in this environment to have an office that is big enough to accommodate multiple patients in individual treatment rooms, so people rarely have to wait in their cars" Dr. McGowan explains. "Patients just call when they arrive at the office and then they are instructed to what treatment room to go into when they enter the building."

Our facility is is equipped with onsite X-ray. This becomes such a great asset to the patient who has fallen and the pain is only in the foot, ankle or lower leg. We are able to accommodate same day appointments for foot and ankle related injuries.  "I think it is a great sense of comfort for patients to be able to get into a smaller environment like our office instead of an emergency room.  You don't need to avoid treatment if you have had trauma to the foot or ankle, you need to seek out your specialist who have the capabilities in their office to treat your problem.  Covid is not a reason for you to walk around on a broken ankle for 6 weeks" Dr. Henne explains.  

 

We have about 28 bones in each foot. Our feet take a big beating sometimes with everyday wear and tear.  When we walk, about two and a half times our body weight goes through our feet and running about 4 times or more our body weight.  These are things many of us do each day.  Without the right support or protection of your feet, these simple activities can cause foot and ankle problems like: stress fractures, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and more.  

Getting any pain in your foot or ankle means your body is telling you that something is wrong and you should go get it checked out.  Ignoring foot pain very often turns into a much bigger problem than it originally would have been.  "It is not uncommon for people to ignore foot pain, but during the fall months of 2020, we saw many patients who just ignored real foot problems for 6 months or more. These people's prognosis was much worse.  Some diabetic patients who ignored a small wound for months went on to amputations.  Other patients who thought the pain in the ankle would eventually go away, had Achilles tendon rupture or other tendon problems that pushed them to surgical intervention versus the conservative route that would have helped many months ago" Dr. McGowan reflects. 

As 2021 is off and running, we want to make sure you know we are happy to see you in our office and get you back on your feet as quick as possible. Happy New Year from our family to yours!

The Center for Ankle and Foot Care

Michele McGowan DPM 

Timothy Henne DPM

3190 Citrus Tower Blvd STE A

Clermont, FL 34711

352-242-2502

Centeranklefootcare.com

Pandemic foot pain!! Top reasons why #myfeetarekillingme during the pandemic!

 I have heard and seen so many patients over the last 3 months who think they are having foot pain due to their increased activity level.  This becomes very disheartening for the person who wants to be in shape.  You suddenly have more free time than you want. It almost is the “no excuse season” for getting into shape.  Even Dr. Henne and I, even though we are seeing patients daily and have not decreased our time in the office, but we have  a lot more time in our personal life because our kids involvement in sports and extracurricular activities is diminished.  We personally have been running, lifting and biking consistently for several months now.  Dr. Henne looks skinnier, I look the same, lol. 

So of course, if you went from doing little to a lot you may think the increase in activity is the sole reason for your foot pain.  I do agree that some people over do it and develop tendonitis: Achilles’, peroneal or posterior tibial tendonitis are the most common three we have seen in the past couple months in addition to plantar fasciitis.   But the reality is the root cause of your pain may not be just the activity.  So many people have been home, barefoot walking around their house all day. 

The barefoot walking all day in the house is one of the top reason we are seeing patients for foot pain.  If you look at your foot’s bony architecture, like on this X-ray, you will see that these 28 bones need support in all different areas.  If you don’t have enough support for example and you put too much pressure on your forefoot it is very easy to develop capsulitis under the metatarsal heads for example.  This can be very painful from the repetitive micro trauma of walking on hard surfaces with no shoes on.  Many patients come in and say they don’t want to wear their outside shoes in the house especially now during COVID-19.  I usually show them a pair of Oofos flip flops or Hoka Flip flops.  I own both of these and depending on what is going on with your feet one of these might be the correct choice for you. My Oofos I have had for about 5 years and my Hoka’s for about 4 months I love them both and they are my go to shoe gear right when I come in the house after work or on Saturday and Sunday just milling around the house.

I would recommend that if you are experiencing foot pain and have had no trauma you may want to play around with having good support on your feet around the house.  I am not saying don’t go see your podiatrist because you want to make sure there is nothing more serious happening but you can not go wrong with more support around the house.  If you want to learn about more specific foot and ankle problems visit our website at centeranklefootcare.com

The oofos will run about $50 but last for a very long time  

The Hoka’s run from $50 to about $80 on Amazon, I think I purchased mine locally for a very fair price of about $50.  The real point is that if you are walking barefoot around your house more than you normally do, you are going to develop some foot pain.  This is usually pretty reversible if just having some support while walking around your house.  

Michele McGowan DPM

Center for Ankle & Foot Care

3190 Citrus Tower Blvd Ste A

Clermont FL, 34711

Centeranklefootcare.com

My feet are killing me and I do not want to go to the doctor for my heel pain!

We are trying to give some simple real world advice on heel pain and how to stay out of the ER and Urgent Care centers while the Coronavirus is a part of our daily life for now.  Dr. Henne and I know that some of this information is very common sense.  But honestly, simple things work all the time for minor foot and ankle problems.

In this video we discuss rolling the ice bottle on the foot:
This is simple to do. If you think you have plantar fasciitis or heel pain get rolling! I have had heel pain a couple times and this simple step makes it feel very good right away. Rolling the ice bottle, not only stretches the plantar fascia but it serves as a nice natural anti-inflammatory.

We also discussed stretching the calf muscles which will also in turn stretches out the plantar fascia or arch.  See below my homemade diagram of stretching the fascia because I didn't want to get sued for copyright infringement, so here is my art skill level and why I am a podiatrist!

Next we talked about good support on the foot, even when you are walking around the house you should not go barefoot!!! We like Oofos, spenco, vionic recovery flip flops even a pair of Crocs around the house is better than nothing! Just don't go barefoot and if it is plantar fasciitis, you will feel better.

Obviously, we are human and after watching I thought about a couple things that also we tell patients.  Good shoes with good support obviously.  A good pair of sneakers can help a lot, especially if you have to be on your feet a lot!

If the Shoes need a little more arch support I recommend a Powerstep full length arch support.  Sometimes just a little more support, along with the stretching and icing make all of the difference.

I always tell people that is the pain in the morning is persistent, consider purchasing a posterior night splint as shown below, you can buy it on Amazon.  Even if you can't wear it while you are sleeping, wear it while you are Netflix binge watching during the Quarantine of 2020.

Finally, if you do all these thing and you are not better call your podiatrist office, just make sure they have policies in place to protect you from getting sick!

For more info about heel pain or plantar fasciitis click here: https://centeranklefootcare.com/heel-pain.html

Coronavirus and your foot health

Taking care of yourself remotely in light of the Coronavirus

Dr. Henne and myself, Dr. McGowan, are dedicated foot and ankle surgeons.  Telemedicine is now an option for all patients that either have a genuine valid fear of becoming sick and for those whose immune systems may put them at higher risk in a waiting room situation.  Your doctors offices should be working on more proactive steps like curbside check in reducing your interaction in a waiting room setting. This decreases your chances of being in close contact with those that may not even know they are sick or contagious. We are podiatrist that practice in Florida but according to the new legislation that may be passed today we will able to help patient across state lines.  If your podiatrist cancels your appointment but you have questions we would be happy to help you!

Much of what we do in our profession, we actually need to see the patient because palpating and sometimes X-rays are very necessary as well as in office procedures that can't be performed over the phone.  However, there are many foot and ankle problems that patients may be able to have a conversation via phone, email interaction or Skype session with one of our doctors to help. We can prescribe and even write for X-rays to be performed in a location closest to your home and that can be by appointment only. 

We would love to help your feet feel better and keep you safe all at the same time. We are completely set up for Telemedicine in our practice.  You are more than welcome to call our office and set up an appointment with our office staff at 352-242-2502 to make an appointment.  Or visit our website at centeranklefootcare.com and request an appointment or you can email anklefootcare1@gmail.com to request an appointment. Dr. Henne and I will also, as of tomorrow, have after hour and weekend appointments for Telemedicine. 

We wish everyone health and wellness as we continue to do what we love, to help people feel better and keep people moving!

Best of luck and good health wishes from our family to yours!

The most common foot injuries after a marathon! Congrats to the Boston Marathon Runners now your feet need some TLC:)

To the brave people who have fun pushing themselves to the physical limits in a race such as The Boston Marathon we salute you!  Here at the Center for Ankle and Foot Care in sunny Florida we see our fair share of marathon runners, as Clermont is home to many professional runners and tri-athletes.  Once the race is over and the rush, thrills and endorphins wear off you may be stuck with a couple of little foot problems, if you're unlucky maybe some big foot problems.  Even with the best training and prevention efforts, sometimes stuff happens.  We are going to go over the most common foot problems we see in the runners after putting on so many miles in just one day, and of course all the training that leads up to that day, that can play a true toll on the feet!

Nail Problems
I started here because honestly this is one of the most common complaints we get from patients after they have trained for and ran a marathon.  All those repetitive miles in the shoes over the last several months training for the Boston Marathon has left you in great shape with a jacked up toenail!  The question I get all the time is "will my toenail ever look normal again?" I tell people "Maybe" , this is not a very popular answer I have discovered over the last 17 years in practice. The truth is runners usually have ugly toenails, that repetitive micro trauma plays a toll on these tiny fragile structures.  I have seen patients who have run multiple marathons over the years and during or after training for a marathon their toenails fall off.  Sometimes these nails grow back flat and smooth, but sometimes they grow back thick and lifted and much like this picture above the lifted part of the nail sets them up for a little fungus under the nail.  That is a treatable problem sometimes with a topical medicine or oral medication.



 The other type of toenail that comes into the office after a marathon is a blue toenail with blood under the nail.  I describe it to patient as a blood filled blister under the nail.  If it doesn't hurt and there are no no signs of infection we can do what I refer to as "skillful neglect", which means we just keep an eye on it.  If it continues to not hurt we just wait and watch it over the next several months until the nail is completely grown out.  You basically have to be patient and slowly see the little dry blood spot continue to advance to the end of your toe.  It is not pretty but this is usually self resolving in most people, but again the important caveat here is that there should be no pain and no signs of infection.

But when the toenail itself is actually painful after a marathon, which happens quite a lot, we sometimes have to remove part of or the whole nail. This is sometimes a very necessary evil.  The nail can be ingrown secondary to the repetitive micro trauma in combination with how your foot strikes the ground in time and space.  Like the picture to the left here, this needs medical attention, so if you just finished the Boston marathon and have a toe that looks like this, do not let it stay like this and get in to see your podiatrist! This link here to our website goes into more detail of the importance of treating an ingrown toenail and what the procedure entails.  .  http://centeranklefootcare.com/ingrown-nail.html


Heel Pain (Plantar fasciitis or Achilles' Tendonitis)

Even in the best conditioned, rolled out, stretched out runner these injuries can happen.  The degree of pain after the marathon and time of how long it hurts usually dictates when we see these athletes.  The reality is after a marathon, these runners expect everything to hurt.  After a week if you are limping still due to a painful heel, either on the bottom like plantar fasciitis or in the back of the heel like Achilles' tendonitis you should get it checked out. These two structures are super work horses during a marathon and play a huge roll in propulsing your every step in forward progression. 

If you want to learn more about plantar fasciitis follow this ling to our website here http://centeranklefootcare.com/heel-pain.html

If your pain is more in the back of the heel/ankle then click on this link to learn the difference between instertional and non-insertional Achilles' Tendonitis. http://centeranklefootcare.com/achilles-tendonitis.html

Stress Fracture of a metatarsal bone
 The best example of a stress fracture is to grab a branch from a  LIVE shrub or tree and bend it.  You will hear a snap, but the branch will stay together.  This is what happens to bones in the foot.  If too much stress is placed on the bone it will snap, but not fall apart.  That is why stress fractures are often not seen on X-rays.  The foot will start to hurt all the same.  If you keep bending the branch back and forth, eventually it will snap in two.  Likewise, if you keep "stressing" the foot (running, jumping, walking) the foot bone may also snap in two. 

Marathons are the ultimate stress fracture maker. 26.2 miles of stressing these tiny little bones in the feet! 

We see stress fractures in the office almost weekly. They are very common and more importantly easy to treat!  The difficulty is in getting better.  Healing is 90% up to what the patient does and 10% what the patient is.  What the patient does (taking it easy) after the injury is often more important than who the patient is (healthy).  Our runners are usually very healthy but they are crazy and sometimes our most difficult patient to treat because they want to keep running, even with the broken bone in their foot.  That's right I called you crazy if you are a marathon runner but you already know you're crazy so calm down!

Marathon runners do not want to hear the treatment. The treatment is SIMPLE.  Stop stressing your foot!  I typically give the patient a fracture boot and say, "If you wear this all the time, except for sleeping and bathing, you should be healed in 1-2 months.  BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT EASY!  If you get the boot and pretend your foot is not broken and run around all day long it may take 2-6 months.  If you only wear the boot "sometimes" it may never heal or get worse. Like anything when you are a  runner, if you do not convalesce an injury correctly you will suffer forever! 

Congratulations to all the men and women who participated in the Boston Marathon, it is an incredible feat but if you are having feet pain get into see your podiatrist!

Special congratulations to Desiree Linden took the women's race Monday with a time of  2 hours, 39 minutes and 53 seconds. She is the first American to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years!!!!!

Welcome back Dr. Michele McGowan to the Center for Ankle and Foot Care!

If you are a patient of the Center for Ankle and Foot Care, then you are aware that Dr. McGowan has been away from the practice for the last 6 months. She has returned this April to start seeing patients. If you do not know Dr. Michele McGowan let us introduce you. 

Dr. Michele McGowan is originally from Willingboro, New Jersey right outside of Philadelphia.  She grew up in South Jersey where she played competitive soccer well into her early 20's.  Dr. McGowan became a Nittany Lion and attended The Pennsylvania State University from 1992 until 1996 where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Biology with a Vertebrate Physiology emphasis.  While attending Penn State, Dr. McGowan took the opportunity to shadow many different medical specialties.  "I originally wanted to be a pediatrician, but after two weeks of shadowing 2 different pediatricians, it wasn't for me" Dr. McGowan explained.  "In my sophomore year at Penn State I shadowed an orthopedist and a podiatrist, and I really fell in love with the podiatry specialty! There is something so gratifying to be able to help someone, sometimes on the same day they come in feel better walking out of the office. "

After completing her 4 years at Penn State University, Dr. Michele McGowan went on to Des Moines Medical University in Des Moines, Iowa. "I knew I picked the right specialty for me, when I could spend 6 hours in a library studying a day and enjoyed it" McGowan explained.  Dr. McGowan loved being at the library so much she got a job there where she would work 6 hour shifts, so she could study and get paid! 

While attending podiatry school Dr. McGowan met Dr. Timothy Henne a fellow student at the time and now her husband of almost 18 years.  The two made a great team from the beginning, from journal clubs to jazz clubs they had fun whatever the venue was. Both Dr. McGowan and Dr. Henne were accepted after their 4 years in podiatry school in Iowa, to the prestigious and highly sought after surgical residency program at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.  "I was very excited to have the opportunity to attend the same surgical program as Tim.  The city of Pittsburgh was one of my favorite places I ever lived!"

While Dr. Henne was finishing up another year of surgical training, Dr. McGowan moved to Florida and opened their first office for podiatry in Clermont, The Center for Ankle and Foot Care.  "I did everything that first year almost entirely by myself. I answered phones, made appointments, did my own billing,developed x-rays(we have digital x-ray now), I roomed patient and checked them out by myself for at least the first 7 months" Dr. McGowan explained. "It was fun, patients thought I was crazy but they came back because I helped them, and that's what patient really care about. Now we have this fancy office and gadgets, but patients still just come back because we help them!"

Dr. McGowan and Dr. Henne live here locally in Lake county and have 3 amazing children that keep them on the go constantly. "I used to think when they were babies it would be easier when they were older, but now between 3 children we have the following activities: soccer, basketball, tennis, track, cross country, golf, robotics, cello, guitar and piano! But I would not change it for the world" explains McGowan.  The children of Dr. Henne and Dr. McGowan are a big part of their office life. " Our children have been a part of this family business from the beginning. When they were babies they would eat, sleep and play in the office. Now that they are big kids they have their own room to hang out in, but that doesn't stop our youngest Emma, who is 6, from coming out into the waiting room and trying to sell patients pictures she drew on her days off from school!" 

If you are having foot pain call the Center for Ankle and Foot Care to make an appointment with one of our great doctors!  

Office number 352-242-2502

Office address:

3190 Citrus Tower Blvd Ste A

Clermont, FL 34711

The Lazy Man's Guide to treating your Heel Pain!

My name is Dr. Michele McGowan, and much like the President for the Hair Club for Men, who is not only the president but a member of the organization himself because he has no hair, that is how I feel about heel pain or plantar fasciitis. I am a foot doctor who treats heel pain multiple times daily and has struggled with heel pain a couple different times in my life.  I help people get better all the time for this yet my inability to take my own advice was my downfall.

I can say that over the last 15 years of private practice in podiatry in Clermont Florida, the frequent flyers we see with heel pain that suffer longer or take longer to get better take all shapes and sizes. But they have one thread in common, which is they are usually too lazy to keep up with a stretching program to get better or stop stretching the moment the foot feels better. When I suffered with heel pain the first time I was a bad patient! I tell my patients all day long that they need to stretch but I suffered with heel pain for longer than I needed to due to my lazy streak and not wanting to stretch. 

Of course, once I started stretching and icing for my heel pain I started to get better and once I felt 100% better I stopped stretching! In order to ward off the return of this horrible pain you have to keep stretching.  This I find super annoying to say over and over again to the same patient year after year, whether the patient is a frequent flyer or myself.  Recently my paradigm has shifted in how I teach the lazy like myself to get better and stay better.

In 2015, when I had plantar fasciitis where it hurt so bad to walk, I decided to purchase a night splint.  This is a pretty simple device that you wear when you sleep that holds your foot in a complete stretch while you are sleeping, genius right? Well turns out this device is not super comfortable to sleep with it on.  This device spent more time with my toy fox terrier dog cuddled inside of it at bedtime then on my leg for the first few weeks.  But then my heel pain got so unbearable that I had to do something, because even the dedicated times during the day that I was stretching was yielding absolutely no result.  

I decided that I could no longer live like this and out of desperation I started to wear my night splint any time I could.  As I do not have a sit down job in one place going from room to room to see patients, my husband thought it was unrealistic to even bring the splint to work but I did.  But he was totally right, I couldn't wear it while seeing patients, but I put on around 11:45am until 1pm during my lunch break.  I would then lug that boot home( I was too cheap to buy 2 boots to keep one at work and one at home) and after soccer, track and music lessons for my girls I would put the boot on again when I was reading, watching TV or finishing up paper work from the office. 

At night I had a very particular regimen,  at about 8 pm I would prop up my leg on a couple of pillows and add a gel ice pack into the foot part of my night splint, place the night splint on and watch TV or finish up my work.  I did this for 2 months and my heel pain went completely away.  Until it came back a year later because I stopped stretching! 

So now I wear my night splint when I am sitting down in my house relaxing watching a movie or playing on my computer.  I currently have no heel pain but I feel like even the couple times a week I wear the splint it prevents me from having to have that sharp pain in the morning feeling and keeps my foot healthy! 

This is basically a little life hack for the lazy who have heel pain.  If you have any other foot problems feel free to learn more at our office website at http://centeranklefootcare.com/

Michele McGowan DPM

3190 Citrus Tower Blvd Ste A

Clermont, FL 34711

352-242-2502

Heel pain is the worst! Here are my favorite pieces of advice for patients suffering from heel pain that I know work from experience!

You wake up, step out of bed and then BAM! You feel it, a sharp undeniable  pain on the bottom of your foot near your heel.  Were you asleep for a hundred years, or did you rapidly age overnight?  No, you have plantar fasciitis, most likely.  As a foot doctor we see patients with heel pain about 15 times a day.  It is one of my favorite problems to treat, because people are always in shock on how easy it is to get better if they just follow some simple instructions.

This topic is very close to home for me, because after 2 weeks of a new exercise program P90X3, I developed plantar fasciitis!  The doctor is now the patient! This exercise program is a lot of jumping and up on your heels for different exercises.  It is a great program, but I would recommend some extra stretching of the calf muscles before and after to avoid getting plantar fasciitis.

Many people find it hard to get into the doctors office, but when your foot hurts it sometimes is unavoidable.  If you think you have plantar fasciitis or "heel pain" I would recommend seeing your foot and ankle specialist. But I will share with you what I have done from Friday of this past week, when my pain first started, until today Tuesday, just 4 days later.  My pain has gone from an 8 out of 10 Friday morning to about a 2 out of 10 Tuesday morning.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis is an injury sustained as the result of repetitive stress placed on the bottom of the foot. More specifically, its damage sustained on the fascia—a thin layer of fibrous tissue that protects
other tissues within your feet. Many people develop Plantar Fasciitis from long periods of standing, running, or performing various load-bearing activities. For me it was a new exercise program with a lot of jumping.

 Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms

The most common symptom of Plantar Fasciitis is pain. This can be burning, stinging, stabbing or throbbing pain. Many people experience a dramatic amount of pain when they first get up in the morning, with the sensation lessening throughout the day. For others, the pain is consistent. The pain can be isolated to an area in the middle of foot, or it can radiate outward towards the toes. The heel is the most common area for Plantar Fasciitis pain to show up. Plantar Fasciitis pain can be very stubborn and last for months or even years. Since walking and standing cannot be completely avoided in our lives, the injury can cause serious disturbances in professional and private life.


 Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

The causes of plantar fasciitis can be multi factorial, as you can see below.  But the anatomy of our lower leg plays a major role as well.  If you look at your calf muscle as compared to the front of your lower leg, you will notice a big disparity in muscle size.  The back of our leg muscles are bigger because they have the responsibility of pushing our body forward with each step. But the more we walk or exercise with out stretching, the tighter this muscle group gets!

Several different things can cause Plantar Fasciitis, which makes classifying the condition somewhat difficult. For example, bone spurs, flat feet, high-arched feet, and hard running surfaces are all very different—but each one can be a cause of the condition. Individuals in professions that require you to stand for long periods of time—nursing, for example—are at a higher risk for developing cause Plantar Fasciitis. Another very common cause of Plantar Fasciitis is the type of shoe you choose to wear. Older or poorly constructed shoes can place your feet at a higher risk for stress. Shoes that don't have adequate padding for the heel and arch can be a problem as well. Finally, overweight individuals are at a higher risk for developing Plantar Fasciitis. As you gain weight, this naturally places more stress on the tissues of your feet, and the fascia tends to bear the brunt of this.

 Treatments

Below you will find my recommendations regarding treating and making your heel pain go away
People find it hard to believe that stretching, icing and support can be the perfect combo to relieve and help get rid of their heel pain, but it's true!!!! I know from experience over the last 4 days!

What I always tell patients when they come into the office with heel pain or plantar fasciitis, is that even though it hurts so darn bad the cure really does revolve around stretching believe or not, in most cases.  Sure it can require a medicine by mouth or even a shot with some extra support in shoe gear but it is usually a simple fix.

The fix is simple but, depending in how long it takes you to seek help to get better, could be the deciding factor on how long it actually takes you to get better.  The sooner you seek care, start the stretching exercises and put good support in you shoes, the sooner you are on the road to recovery.

Here are my classic three stretches performed by my lovely stick figure drawings, but simple is always better. I have done these three stretches 4 or 5 times a day for the last 4 days.  Stretching is important for your Plantar fasciitis to get better and stay away.  Yes, that is right, I tell all of my patients that they need to stretch daily after having Plantar facsiitis to prevent it from coming back! These three basic runners stretches should be performed 3-4 times a day when you have Plantar fasciitis.  You should stretch both sides for completeness sake and hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds with no bouncing.

Icing is another thing I tell people to do when they have acute Plantar fasciitis.  But how you ice can be a real key to your success.  You need get a little plastic water bottle and freeze the water inside, then take it out 2 times a day rolling it under the arch of the foot back and forth.  I tell patients this is like physical therapy without a copay.  It is a natural anti-inflammatory and stretches the arch very effectively. I currently have three ice bottles in my freezer and have been rotating the bottles for ice massage non stop when I am home.

These are the two main ways to start treating your Plantar fasciitis right now: stretching and icing. They have been the hallmark of my own treatment over the last 4 days.  But I also have used the following to  help support my fascia while I was standing like inserts and slippers.  Also, there is something called a Plantar fascial night splint that I have worn every day for the last 4 days while I was sitting.

Some people get home and kick off their shoes and then strain the fascia walking barefoot around the house.  Support, even at home has a very positive effect in your outcome and feeling better sooner. Something like a spenco slide or slipper can be a foot saver and is what I have relied on the last couple days to protect  my feet around the house.

Here is a link to our webpage, with our top recommendations for heel pain and plantar fasciitis.  I put my favorite helpers for heel pain available below, my secret trick was the night splint with a gel ice pack in the foot bed of the splint from about 7pm until 11pm while I was doing computer work.  This was great because I could not sleep with the splint on but I got a great stretch for 4-5 hours every night while I was really doing nothing:
    

http://centeranklefootcare.com/plantar-fasciitis-helpers.html

Running with plantar fasciitis, you can get better and keep running!

Plantar fasciitis or heel pain is a real bugger to have for anyone, but when you are a runner it is 1,000
times worse.  I speak from experience.  This summer I began to run 4-5 times a week and increased my mileage to about 4 miles a run after a month or two.  Running is one of my favorite activities to do now, other than playing with my children and hanging out with my husband!  A year ago I would have never said those words about running.

After the second month of running, it happened, I got out of bed one morning and felt the very familiar stabbing pain on the bottom of my foot, known as plantar fasciitis.  I couldn't believe that I, a podiatrist, would get what so many of my patients come in to have treated. The good news was I immediately knew what I had and I started to treat myself. Below I have wrote my steps down for other runners who may be experiencing the same problem and would like some simple advice.  My one disclaimer is, if you do not know if you have plantar fasciitis, I would recommend seeing a foot doctor before you start a treatment program. There is a small possibility of a stress fracture in the heel bone

It is also important to note, that from August until November, I experienced some symptoms on and off of the heel pain.  I continued to run and on some occasions increased my mileage.  The running , I believe was not the source of aggravation of my plantar fasciitis, the resting after running and lack of stretching were the biggest culprits!

Step 1: Stretch
Your calf muscle is a big powerful muscle group of the lower extremity.  This is also a muscle group that does the majority of work when you are running below the knee.  This muscle group plays a huge role in pro pulsing you forward with each step while you are running.  These muscles need extra attention or they will let you know they are not happy with you.  I have included the perfectly illustrated stretching exercises you should be doing before and after running and maybe two other times a day.  Also, purchasing a night splint is a nice way to get  static extended stretch while you are resting, watching TV or sleeping.   Another great tool for a deeper stretch is using a Pro-stretch.

Step 2: Ice
Icing is really important to help calm down plantar fasciitis, especially when you are continuing to run.  I always say get a 20oz bottle of water and freeze it.  Roll it under your foot for 10 minutes 2 or three times a day.  Giving you a deep stretch and ice it a great natural anti-inflammatory. This is quick, easy & very worth it for the plantar fascia. Other devices are sold kit that can help you get a deep stretch and freeze a foam roller in a Thera-band kit.      

Step 3: No Barefoot and Good shoes
Going barefoot when you have plantar fasciitis is a killer.  I always tell patient they have to have something on your feet while you are walking around even in the house.  A great alternative is a spenco flip flop.  They have a little bit of a built in support in the arch.  Sneakers really are the gold standard to help you get better, as long as they are in good condition.  Sometimes you have to ditch your dress shoes for 4-6 weeks to give good supportive care. Many sneaker have built in support in the arch too. Asics are one of my favorite running shoes for support in the arch.  Just remember that the more miles you put on  a week the quicker you will need to replace your shoe, no matter how great they are, probably every 3-5 months.  Running 3-5 miles 4 times a week I replaced my sneakers after 2 months.  If you have new shoes and just feel like you need more support I would recommend superfeet, spenco or power step over the counter inserts. If you were to go see a podiatrist, they would most likely recommend one of these over the counter inserts.


If you are a runner and have plantar fasciitis, running is usually fine to continue but remember to STRETCH, ICE, & GOOD SUPPORT are the keys to keep you running and help you get better!

Plantar Fasciitis...The Doctor Is Now The Patient!!!!!

You wake up, step out of bed and then BAM! You feel it, a sharp undeniable  pain on the bottom of your foot near your heel.  Were you asleep for a hundred years, or did you rapidly age overnight?  No, you have plantar fasciitis, most likely.  As a foot doctor we see patients with heel pain about 15 times a day.  It is one of my favorite problems to treat, because people are always in shock on how easy it is to get better if they just follow some simple instructions.

This topic is very close to home for me, because after 2 weeks of a new exercise program P90X3, I developed plantar fasciitis!  The doctor is now the patient! This exercise program is a lot of jumping and up on your heels for different exercises.  It is a great program, but I would recommend some extra stretching of the calf muscles before and after to avoid getting plantar fasciitis.

Many people find it hard to get into the doctors office, but when your foot hurts it sometimes is unavoidable.  If you think you have plantar fasciitis or "heel pain" I would recommend seeing your foot and ankle specialist. But I will share with you what I have done from Friday of this past week, when my pain first started, until today Tuesday, just 4 days later.  My pain has gone from an 8 out of 10 Friday morning to about a 2 out of 10 Tuesday morning.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis is an injury sustained as the result of repetitive stress placed on the bottom of the foot. More specifically, its damage sustained on the fascia—a thin layer of fibrous tissue that protects
other tissues within your feet. Many people develop Plantar Fasciitis from long periods of standing, running, or performing various load-bearing activities. For me it was a new exercise program with a lot of jumping.

 Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms

The most common symptom of Plantar Fasciitis is pain. This can be burning, stinging, stabbing or throbbing pain. Many people experience a dramatic amount of pain when they first get up in the morning, with the sensation lessening throughout the day. For others, the pain is consistent. The pain can be isolated to an area in the middle of foot, or it can radiate outward towards the toes. The heel is the most common area for Plantar Fasciitis pain to show up. Plantar Fasciitis pain can be very stubborn and last for months or even years. Since walking and standing cannot be completely avoided in our lives, the injury can cause serious disturbances in professional and private life.


 Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

The causes of plantar fasciitis can be multi factorial, as you can see below.  But the anatomy of our lower leg plays a major role as well.  If you look at your calf muscle as compared to the front of your lower leg, you will notice a big disparity in muscle size.  The back of our leg muscles are bigger because they have the responsibility of pushing our body forward with each step. But the more we walk or exercise with out stretching, the tighter this muscle group gets!

Several different things can cause Plantar Fasciitis, which makes classifying the condition somewhat difficult. For example, bone spurs, flat feet, high-arched feet, and hard running surfaces are all very different—but each one can be a cause of the condition. Individuals in professions that require you to stand for long periods of time—nursing, for example—are at a higher risk for developing cause Plantar Fasciitis. Another very common cause of Plantar Fasciitis is the type of shoe you choose to wear. Older or poorly constructed shoes can place your feet at a higher risk for stress. Shoes that don't have adequate padding for the heel and arch can be a problem as well. Finally, overweight individuals are at a higher risk for developing Plantar Fasciitis. As you gain weight, this naturally places more stress on the tissues of your feet, and the fascia tends to bear the brunt of this.

 Treatments

Below you will find my recommendations regarding treating and making your heel pain go away
People find it hard to believe that stretching, icing and support can be the perfect combo to relieve and help get rid of their heel pain, but it's true!!!! I know from experience over the last 4 days!

What I always tell patients when they come into the office with heel pain or plantar fasciitis, is that even though it hurts so darn bad the cure really does revolve around stretching believe or not, in most cases.  Sure it can require a medicine by mouth or even a shot with some extra support in shoe gear but it is usually a simple fix.

The fix is simple but, depending in how long it takes you to seek help to get better, could be the deciding factor on how long it actually takes you to get better.  The sooner you seek care, start the stretching exercises and put good support in you shoes, the sooner you are on the road to recovery.

Here are my classic three stretches performed by my lovely stick figure drawings, but simple is always better. I have done these three stretches 4 or 5 times a day for the last 4 days.  Stretching is important for your Plantar fasciitis to get better and stay away.  Yes, that is right, I tell all of my patients that they need to stretch daily after having Plantar facsiitis to prevent it from coming back! These three basic runners stretches should be performed 3-4 times a day when you have Plantar fasciitis.  You should stretch both sides for completeness sake and hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds with no bouncing.

Icing is another thing I tell people to do when they have acute Plantar fasciitis.  But how you ice can be a real key to your success.  You need get a little plastic water bottle and freeze the water inside, then take it out 2 times a day rolling it under the arch of the foot back and forth.  I tell patients this is like physical therapy without a copay.  It is a natural anti-inflammatory and stretches the arch very effectively. I currently have three ice bottles in my freezer and have been rotating the bottles for ice massage non stop when I am home.

These are the two main ways to start treating your Plantar fasciitis right now: stretching and icing. They have been the hallmark of my own treatment over the last 4 days.  But I also have used the following to  help support my fascia while I was standing like inserts and slippers.  Also, there is something called a Plantar fascial night splint that I have worn every day for the last 4 days while I was sitting.

Some people get home and kick off their shoes and then strain the fascia walking barefoot around the house.  Support, even at home has a very positive effect in your outcome and feeling better sooner. Something like a spenco slipper can be a foot saver and is what I have relied on the last couple days to protect  my feet around the house.

Here is a link to our webpage, with our top recommendations for heel pain and plantar fasciitis.  I put my favorite helpers for heel pain available at :
http://centeranklefootcare.com/id114.html