Dr Timothy Young Talks About Tight Calves and Foot Problems

Tight calves are a common finding and a common factor in many foot problems.  This can start in childhood with some children with calves so tight that the parents notice and call their kids “toe walkers”.  Later in life the mechanical force on the foot increases and if the calves are still tight, then tight calves can cause more problems.  We often call tight calves equinus.  The ankle joint moves down (plantarflexion) and up (dorsiflexion).  There are normal ranges for this upward and downward motion.  As a child we expect more flexibility compared to the adult range of motion.  A child might have 15 to 20 degrees of dorsiflexion and an adult range is less, more like 10-15 degrees.  The calf muscles attach to the Achilles tendon, and then to the foot at the heel (calcaneus bone).  

As mentioned, the mechanical load on the foot from the calf and ultimately the Achilles is tremendous.  So, with equinus ( a tight calve and or Achilles) there are many problems.  Think of a woman who wears high heel shoes every day for many years and over time the calf gets less flexible.  Now with that tight calf, her gait has changed.  As she walks, with each step going forward that tight calf pulls, and her heel comes off the ground early.  Early heel off with gait leads to early transfer of weight and force to the front of the foot.  Over time, this extra pressure on the front of the foot can cause problems.  This is like the childhood toewalker, but with adult body size and weight.

If you are experiencing any foot or ankle pain, give us a call today at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online. 

It is common for patients to come in the office and relate pain in the morning or right when they get out of bed. This can be a challenging way to start your day and can lead to chronic foot pain. Most patients describe the pain as a bruised feeling to the heel or a tightness with pins and needles. This can go on for months and become chronic. The most common cause of this type of pain is Plantar Fasciitis. Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of a supporting band of tissue on the bottom of the foot. The Plantar Fascia is essential for normal foot function and when it is inflamed daily tasks can be overwhelming.

Morning pain is one of the most common signs of Plantar Fasciitis. The reason behind this is while you sleep your Fascia and Achilles Tendon have a chance to relax. With this relaxation both structures begin to tighten up. This tightening up leads to stiffness when you first step on your foot. One can really help this by exercising their foot before getting out of bed. I recommend writing the alphabet with your foot and stretching with a theraband.

If your pain continues for more than a week an appointment is essential. Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. 

Heel pain has a variety of causes and can be challenging for many patients. Most patients with heel pain describe it as a dull ache, or a bruised sensation but some have tingling and burning. The main causes of heel pain are plantar fasciits, bursitis and nerve entrapments. Sometimes there are overlapping symptoms and some patients even have multiple causes.

Plantar fasciitis is by far the most common cause of heel pain. It presents as pain when you get out of bed, or first step pain and often gets a little better as the morning goes on. However, typically the pain returns every time you stop and sit and then get back up. Plantar fasciitis usually feel like a bruise to the bottom of the foot.

Bursitis, or bursal sack formation is usually found in people with a high arch. The bursa forms to help cushion the foot and is important in situations where a heavy heel strike occurs. Many times you can feel the soft bursa, or what seems to be a bubble under the heel.

Nerve pain and entrapments can occur do to anatomical constrictions in the foot or the ankle. These are often the hardest to diagnosis and can cause a myriad of symptoms. However, the most common are burning and tingling.

If you are suffering with heel pain we can help get you pain free. Heel pain is the most common pathology we see and are treatment protocols work quickly and effectively. Do not suffer for the summer make an appointment so we can help.

Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. 

The weather is changing and I find myself spending more time outside. I think we are all feeling a little cooped up after the Northwest winter. I know how important it is for us to all get outside and recharge with some fresh air. The hiking, biking and running options in the Northwest are always abound and they help to provide some create therapy for our minds and our souls. I see an increase in patients that come in the office this time of year for heel pain and I want to help my patients get back out there as soon as possible and pain free.

The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis and it can be very difficult to exercise with this condition. I encourage anybody suffering from heel pain to come see a foot and ankle physician quickly as this will speed up the process of getting better. I see a direct correlation with how long the symptoms have been present and the time it takes to get relief. Additionally, there are many other causes of heel pain that can be complicated by waiting to see your doctor.

Plantar fasciitis typically will present with pain in the morning or pain after you get out of bed. It usually gets better as you stretch and walk and returns any time you sit down or are off your feet. Most patients describe a bruised like sensation and often think they have stepped on something that has started this process.

The current most effective treatment that we have to offer has almost a 100% success rate. In the past some patients would not get better despite conservative treatment options and would require surgery. This rarely happens now at our clinic as heel pain is the most common pathology we see. We have spent years developing and tracking our treatment success and now have perfected the most successful conservative treatment option available. The majority of patients we see will be 100% in less than 3 weeks and never experience heel pain again. Do not go into summer with heel pain let us help.

Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today. 

Heel pain has many causes, however the most common cause for adults is Plantar Fasciitis. Most of us have heard this term at some point in our lives because a friend or co-worker has talked about it. But what is it? The Plantar Fascia is the main supporting network of the foot. It runs from your heel bone all the way to your toes. It is active every time you stand or walk and is very important for normal gait cycles. Since this structure is under chronic strain it can become inflamed and over used. This will typically lead to pain in the morning or a bruised type sensation on the bottom of the heel. Patients will often state they feel like they are walking on a pebble. Plantar Fasciitis left untreated can become extremely painful and debilitating.

So when should you see a doctor. I cannot tell you how many patients I see that have had heel pain for greater than a year. The majority of patients will have tried icing and stretching and continue to have pain. I cannot stress enough that plantar fasciitis is much easier to treat with early intervention. I find it extremely valuable to get in to see your doctor early. This will lead to faster recovery and a better long term outcome. Additionally, they are other causes of heel pain and some of these can create serious long term damage. I think it is best if you have pain for greater than a week it is time to have it evaluated. Once evaluated my average patient has a 50-90% reduction in symptoms in less than 1 week.

If you are suffering from heel pain please give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online.

Recent literature has proven that about 10%-20 of American adults will experience heel pain. Heel pain whether it is causes by plantar fasciitis, bursitis or a stress fracture can be challenging to treat. With constant use the foot and ankle rarely have time to recover from the constant pressures of walking. This can make heel pain and plantar fasciitis very difficult for many people.

If you are experiencing pain in the bottom of your foot, especially in the morning it could be plantar fasciitis. Often times patients will describe a bruised type feeling or tightness that loosens up with walking but returns at the end of the day. Some people will feel a numbness or tingling in the foot or even a burning. It is important to have a foot and ankle physician evaluate your foot before initiating treatment.

Treatment for heel pain focuses on finding the underlying causes. The majority of people with heel pain have a tight calf muscle. One of the best long term strategies is to begin a calf stretching program. I like to have my patients stretch 3 times a day and spend a couple minutes on the muscles of the calf. Another great option at home is to ice and rest.

Our clinic Issaquah Foot & Ankle Specialists has one of the most advanced protocols that is based on current research to fix heel pain permanently. The majority of patients we see have a greater than 50% reduction in symptoms in less than 1 week and a long term success rate of almost 98%. We focus on the underlying process that is creating the inflammation and help the body to recover and repair the heel pain. Our methods do not require and period of non-weight bearing and have treated thousands of patients. If you are suffering from heel pain call us at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.

One of the most common patient complaints to a foot and ankle physician is heel pain. It is important for patients to understand there are many other causes of heel pain and we will review some of those today. A short list of these would include lumbosacral radiculopathy, plantar fascial rupture, tarsal tunnel syndrome, Baxter’s nerve entrapment and fat pad atrophy.

Lumbosacral radiculopathy:

The most common cause of back pain leading to heel pain is nerve entrapment around L4-S1 vertebral level. Most patients will have a history of back pain or heel pain that manifests. It is important to consider an MRI of back for this or any EMG NCV which are nerve conduction studies. Often times physical therapy for nerve medication can help control the symptoms.

Plantar fascial rupture:

Ruptures of the plantar fascia are relatively uncommon, but can occur for patients that have had ongoing heel pain. The majority of patients that we see rupture their fascia have had some sort of high impact activity like football players or long distance runners. Diagnosis of the rupture often includes an MRI treatment can depend on the varying degree of the rupture in the site of the rupture. There many options for plantar fascial rupture including repair.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome:

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a nerve entrapment that is similar to carpal tunnel. Usually involves the posterior tibial nerve and branches that wrap around the heel. Many patients will describe burning or tingling in predispositions, this include patients with diabetes or a flatfoot. Often times an MRI or nerve conduction study is needed to verify this. Treatment often can require steroid injections or decompression of the nerve.

Baxter’s nerve entrapment:

This is a common condition that a lot of physicians will not recognize as this is a tough diagnosis. This can be undiagnosed or underdiagnosed relatively easily. This often times can be confused a tarsal tunnel syndrome as well. One of the key diagnostic indicators for this is inability to move your fifth digit. Again often times advanced imaging is utilized and a steroid injection and sometimes decompression the nerve is required.

Fat pad atrophy:

Fat pad atrophy is typically seen in older or obese patients. The majority us have a nice cushion on the bottom of the heel to help with shock and provide support. Often times there are thinning in other areas of the foot that can be identified help clue physicians in. This usually can be solid with a prescription orthotic and a rocker-bottom soft tissue.

If you have heel pain, call Issaquah Foot and Ankle Specialists today at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online. 

I currently have two children and actually have had one that was experiencing some heel pain. It was pretty classical symptoms of apophysitis or what we call Sever’s disease which is and inflammation of the growth plate. Kids often present with this type of pain after activities or after going barefoot. Most commonly we see this in young girls between the ages of 8 and 14 and young boys between the ages of 12 and 16. This is when kids often experience a growth spurt and the growth plates can become quite inflamed.

This inflammation of the growth plate can often be seen on x-ray and I highly recommend kids with heel pain get an x-ray. There are many great modalities that work well. I recommended starting with ice and stretching in the calf. However, I would discourage parents from doing home therapies until an accurate diagnosis is made. If your child is experiencing some heel pain we would like to help.

Give us a call at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.

Heel pain can be one of the most challenging conditions to deal with as a patient. Heel pain can really impact everyday activities including just walking and working. Some of the most common causes of heel pain include plantar fasciitis, plantar bursitis, nerve entrapments and tarsal coalitions. The #1 cause by far is plantar fasciitis, which is usually amenable by conservative measures.

Heel pain usually responds to stretching and icing. However, if you have constant heel pain that is debilitating or painful in the morning I recommend seeing a foot and ankle physician. An x-ray is vital to identifying the pathology that is causing the pain. Often times on the x-ray you can see arthritis or a heel spur. A heel spur can take condition a little more challenging for both the physician and the patient. Issaquah Foot and Ankle Specialists is the #1 referral center for heel pain. We see patients from Seattle, Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond and Snoqualmie. If you have heel pain we can help. The majority of our patients are 60-70% better in less than a week. carpet cleaning Seattle

Give us a call today at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online.

There are many sources of heel pain. Heel pain can be caused from a bone spur, stress fracture or the most common reason plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is caused by inflammation within your plantar fascia which is a big thick ligament like structure that supports the bottom of your foot. The fascia begins in your heel and runs to your toes.

This is why the most common spot for heel pain is right where the fascia attaches to your calcaneus or heel bone. With an increase in exercise or walking we see more stress on the fascia. This in turn can begin to create and inflammatory cycle and the beginning of plantar fasciitis. One of the best things we can do in the beginning is to stretch your calf muscles. I recommend stretching at least 3 times a day for about 2-3 minutes each session. One must make sure to stretch both the gastroc and soleous muscles. 

If you are suffering from heel pain or plantar fasciits we can help. Give us a call today at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online.