The plantar fascia is a connective tissue in the heel that stretches across the bottom length of your foot. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the connective tissue becomes inflamed, causing heel pain and discomfort during physical activity. Although the condition is completely treatable, traditional methods can take up to a year to start becoming effective.

Plantar fasciitis is caused by a number of everyday activities, so understanding the condition is important for managing and treating it. One of the most common causes of plantar fasciitis is excessive running, especially with improper fitting or non-supportive shoes. Too much exercise can lead to the plantar fascia being overworked and overstretched, which can cause tears in the tissue. Along with improper fitting shoes, pronation, the rolling of the feet inward, is a common cause of plantar fasciitis. If not treated properly, the plantar fascia becomes overstretched and starts to tear, causing inflammation.

Despite the common causes of plantar fasciitis, there are many different treatment options. For less severe cases, conservative home remedies include taking anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate pain, applying ice packs to the bottom of your foot and heel, slowly stretching and exercising your feet to re-strengthen the tissue, and using orthotic devices are all ways to help manage your plantar fasciitis.

For more severe cases, shockwave therapy has become a common solution for plantar fasciitis. Shockwave therapy can effectively break up the tissue on the bottom of your foot which facilitates healing and regeneration. This fights the chronic pain caused by plantar fasciitis. Even if this doesn’t work, surgery is always a final option. Surgery on the tissue itself can be done to permanently correct the issue and stop the inflammation and pain in your heels.

No matter what the case may be, consulting your podiatrist is the first and best step to recovery. Even the slightest amount of heel pain could be the first stage of plantar fasciitis. Untreated symptoms can lead to the tearing and overstretching of tissue. Because the tearing of tissue can be compounded if it remains ignored, it can evolve into a severe case. The solution is early detection and early treatment. Talk to your podiatrist about the possibilities of plantar fasciitis if you’re experiencing heel pain.

What is a Bunion?  

A bunion is often described as a bump on the side of the big toe.  However, a bunion is more than that. The visible bump actually reflects changes in the bony framework of the front part of the foot. The big toe leans toward the second toe, rather than pointing straightahead. This throws the bones out of alignment – producing the bunion’s “bump.”

Causes

Bunions are a progressive disorder. They begin with a leaning of the big toe, gradually changing the angle of the bones over the years and slowly producing the characteristic bump, which becomes increasingly prominent. Symptoms usually appear at later stages, although some people may never have symptoms. Bunions are a common foot deformity that can be inherited or occur as a result of repeated stress to the joint.  It is not the bunion itself that is inherited, but certain foot types that make a person prone to developing a bunion. Not wearing proper sized footwear that crowd one’s toes will not cause bunions, however it can contribute to the progression of the deformity. As a result, symptoms may appear sooner with improper footwear.

Symptoms

Symptoms, which occur at the site of the bunion, may include:

• Pain or soreness

• Inflammation and redness

• A burning sensation

• Possible numbness

Symptoms occur most often when wearing shoes that crowd the toes, such as shoes with a tight toe box or high heels. This may explain why women are more likely to have symptoms than men. In addition, spending long periods of time on your feet can aggravate the symptoms of bunions.

Diagnosis

Bunions are readily apparent – the prominence is visible at the base of the big toe or side of the foot. However, to fully evaluate the condition, the foot and ankle surgeon may take x-rays to determine the degree of the deformity and assess the changes that have occurred. Because bunions are progressive, they don’t go away, and will usually get worse over time. But not all cases are alike – some bunions progress more rapidly than others. Once your surgeon has evaluated your bunion, a treatment plan can be developed that is suited to your needs.

Non-Surgical Treatment

Most people however, find relief from wearing soft, pliable shoes, and arch supports, and from applying ice to the sore toe joint Sometimes observation of the bunion is all that’s needed. To reduce the chance of damage to the joint, periodic evaluation and x-rays by your surgeon are advised.

Trauma to the foot, especially the toes, can occur in many ways. Banging them, stubbing them, or dropping something on them are a few different ways this trauma can occur. Given the fact that toes are positioned in front of the feet, they typically sustain the brunt of such trauma. When trauma occurs to a toe, the result can be a painful break or fracture. Another type of trauma that can break a toe is repeated activity that places stress on the toe for prolonged periods of time.

Broken toes can be categorized as either minor or severe fractures. Symptoms of minor toe fractures include throbbing pain, swelling, bruising on the skin and toenail, and the inability to move the toe with ease. Severe toe fractures require medical attention and are indicated when the broken toe appears crooked or disfigured, when there is tingling or numbness in the toe, or when there is an open, bleeding wound present on the toe.

Generally, a minor toe break will heal without long-term complications. However, it is important to discontinue activities that put pressure on the toe. It is best to stay off of the injured toe and immediately get a splint or cast to prevent any more additional movement of the toe bones. You can also immobilize your toe by placing a small cotton ball between the injured toe and the toe beside it. Then, tape the two toes together with medical tape. Swelling can be alleviated by placing an ice pack on the broken toe directly as well as elevating your feet above your head.

Severe toe fractures may be treated with a splint, cast, and in some cases, minor surgery, especially when the big toe has been broken. Due to its position and the pressure the big toe endures with daily activity, future complications can occur if it is not properly treated. Pain associated with minor toe fractures can be managed with over-the-counter pain medications. Prescription pain killers may be necessary for severe toe fractures.

The healing time for a broken toe is approximately four to six weeks. In severe cases where the toe becomes infected or requires surgery, healing time can take up to eight weeks or more. While complications associated with a broken toe are immediately apparent, it is important to note that there are rare cases when additional complications, such as osteoarthritis, can develop over time. You should immediately speak with your podiatrist if you think you have broken your toe due to trauma. They will be able to diagnose the injury and recommend the appropriate treatment options. 

Dr. Young Talks About Lateral Column Pain and Lateral Overload

This is a subject that I have talked about previously. I wanted to revisit this and summarize this problem and condition. The lateral column of the foot encompasses the fourth and fifth metatarsals. This is the outside of the foot that includes the fifth toe and the fifth metatarsal phalangeal joint. It also includes the fifth metatarsal base which is the insertion point for the peroneal brevis tendon. Finally it also includes the cuboid bone and some patients with this may be diagnosed with "cuboid syndrome".

This is a common condition that I see in our clinic. It is frustrating for our patients because often this is not something that comes with a real nice clear diagnosis like let's say a bunion. But what happens is the patient will present to our clinic and say that they have pain on the outside of their foot (lateral column). Often times the patient will have a high arch foot or they will have compensated for another problem such that the weight is shifted to the outside of the foot. The lateral column is not designed for significant weightbearing. This is primarily the function and job for the great toe joint and the medial column. Therefore all it takes is a small change in weightbearing or the pattern of gait and the extra load going through the outside of the foot causes pain and symptoms. It is very rare to have a stress fracture in this location but that can happen. What can happen as there is just fatigue and pain on the lateral column and the stress load is such that it is short of that needed to cause a stress fracture. So stress fracture rarely occurs in this location. It is possible to develop pain at the insertion of the peroneal tendon of the fifth metatarsal base. It's also possible to have a tailor's bunion and have that pain flareup.

Our patients will have an x-ray to make certain there is no other pathology in this location. This condition responds very well to prescription orthotics tuned to shift the pressure off the lateral column of the foot, especially if it is a chronic condition. Some athletic shoes are better than others for this also. If there is a component of peroneal tendon symptoms, and there is a special ankle brace that may be helpful also.

These are some the conditions that may be associated with lateral column pain:

-Tailor's bunion or pain affecting the fifth MTP joint

-Stress fracture of the fourth or fifth metatarsal (rare)

-Stress reaction of bone of the fourth and fifth metatarsal (rare)

-Nonspecific Bone "fatigue and pain" of the fourth and fifth metatarsal (common)

-Insertional peroneal brevis tendinitis

-Cuboid area pain "cuboid syndrome"

If you have foot pain and need evaluation, please see myself Dr. Timothy Young, or my partner Dr. Brendon Nelson. Give us a call at 425-391-866 or make an appointment online.