plantar fasciitis

Could That Pain In The Ball Of Your Foot Be A Plantar Plate Tear?

Posted on November 6, 2023June 27, 2025 by admin

Plantar plate tear is not a common foot and ankle complaint, and it can be challenging to diagnose. Understanding the symptoms and causes of this foot issue is crucial for those experiencing severe pain and swelling in the ball of the foot, particularly around the second toe. In many cases, there is no history of injury, making early diagnosis even more essential. This blog explores the complexities of the plantar plate, its common causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.

What is the plantar plate?

The plantar plate is a ligamentous structure that spans the ball of the foot. It connects the metatarsal heads, those areas of the foot we rely on for support, and helps prevent them from spreading apart. Additionally, it acts as a safeguard for the weight-bearing area in the ball of the foot, making it a vital part of foot anatomy. Its role in maintaining foot health is rather intricate.

What causes a plantar plate tear?

Several factors can lead to a tear:

Long Second Metatarsal Bone (Morton’s Foot): A long second metatarsal bone can create excessive weight on the second metatarsal phalangeal joint, leading to added stress on the plantar plate and resulting in a tear.
Over-Pronation: Excessive flattening of the foot, also known as pronation, can place undue weight on the joint, potentially causing a tear in your plantar plate.
Bunions: Bunions, the enlargement of the base of the big toe, can increase the width of the foot, contributing to stress on the plantar plate.
Activities: High-impact activities like running, climbing stairs, and dancing can place an increased load on the ball of the foot, making it more susceptible to plantar plate injuries.

Symptoms of a tear to the Plantar Plate

Identifying a ear typically involves the following symptoms:

Swelling around the second toe joint in the ball of the foot.
Deviation of the second toe toward the first toe.
Pain when moving the second toe joint.
Spreading of the lesser toes, especially the second and third toes.

Diagnosing a tear involves a combination of patient presentation and medical imaging:

A physical examination, which may give the doctor reason to suspect a tear of the plantar plate.
X-rays to rule out bone or joint problems.
MRI scans to evaluate the soft tissue structures around the joint for potential damage.

Management of a tear to the plantar plate

In the early stages of a plantar plate tear conservative measures can be effective:

Resting the affected area and applying ice to the affected toe may help.
Taping the second toe in a more correct position toward the third toe can relieve stress on ligaments.
Anti-inflammatories can alleviate pain.
Physical therapy can be beneficial, especially if symptoms are not severe.

Treatment by a Foot Specialist

For more specialized care, consult a foot specialist. Depending on the severity of the condition, here are treatment options:

Splinting with Tape: In the early stages, instructions on how to splint your toe with tape may be helpful.
Custom-Made Orthotics: For those with overpronation, custom-made orthotics can provide the necessary support.
Surgery: If conservative measures fail, surgery may be suggested, with various approaches available. Surgery may involve repairing the tear, repositioning tendons around the joint, or removing a portion of the joint, depending on the specific circumstances. The severity of the condition and your foot type determine the surgical approach.
Recovery from Surgery: Recovery times vary depending on the surgical method, ranging from several weeks to 3-4 months, with weight-bearing often allowed soon after the procedure.

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms that suggest a plantar plate tear, it’s crucial not to delay seeking professional attention from a local podiatrist. Early treatment may prevent the need for surgery, but if surgery is necessary, it can be very successful. Don’t hesitate to address the issue and start your journey toward a pain-free and fully functioning foot.

Understanding How Laser Therapy For Plantar Fasciitis Works! Is It Right For You?

Posted on June 26, 2023June 27, 2025 by admin

Heel pain is usually caused by plantar fasciitis, and laser therapy is a common noninvasive treatment we recommend. Many suffer from plantar fasciitis because it’s a very common problem. If you have heel pain, there are many treatments you will hear about.

How Do You Know If You Have Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis usually causes pain in the bottom of the heel bone. Often when you first get up in the morning is when it’s most painful. It’s thought that as you step down, the fascia, which is a strong fibrous band of connective tissue that extends from the ball of the foot to where it attaches to the heel bone, will be pulled. This is thought to cause damage to the fascia as the pulling may create microscopic tears where it attaches to the heel bone.

What is Important For You to Understand Before We Discuss How Laser Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis Can Help ?

Additional treatment methods for plantar fasciitis pain are

Stretching – Stretching is commonly recommended and although it may help for many, it may give a band aid approach, often not permanently resolving the problem.
Orthotic Devices – Custom made inserts may be very useful to help support the foot and decrease the pulling of the fascia from the heel bone. This pulling is thought to be the root cause of the problem.
Cortisone Injections – Cortisone can give temporary relief and is seldom a permanent solution.
Restorative Medicine – This form of treatment is highly successful and involves using human cellular tissue products such as stem cells. These are commonly derived from the placenta or umbilical cord to be injected into the area to repair the damaged tissues.
Surgery – When conservative measures fail, surgery may be performed. The surgery is done endoscopically through small incisions. A portion of the plantar fascia is released allowing it to be lengthened. Patients ambulate immediately in a cam walker for approximately 3 weeks.

Laser Basics

Laser treatment has been an important part of therapy for plantar fasciitis at Anderson Podiatry center for many years. It is used to help treat many foot and ankle problems. The advantage is that laser therapy offers its safety with no known side effects and is minimally invasive. The treatments are not painful and the lasers we use are robotic cutting-edge lasers. Our lasers are class IV level laser therapy lasers. The laser beam is set to trace over the area needing treatment. Our lasers are FDA approved cold lasers meaning there will be no heat generated or low level intensity during the treatment. The other class of lasers are called hot lasers. These lasers are used to destroy tissue such as warts or cut through tissues in surgery.

To understand how our cutting-edge lasers work we must first understand the mitochondria. Our lasers are deeply penetrating allowing for much more therapeutic value then most lasers. If you are up to speed in health, you may have heard about the mitochondrial. When you investigate a cell in your body, whether it’s a bone cell, muscle cell, or in this situation, the cells in the fascia of the foot, there is an area inside the cell called the mitochondria. The mitochondria is very important as it creates energy for the cell, repairs the cell and gets rid of toxins in the cell. When asked how a laser can help, you may often be told it gets rid of inflammation in the area, it increases blood flow and helps repair the tissues. These may all be true, however research shows that it all gets back to improving the function of the mitochondria.

Currently you may have heard that other things can improve the function of your mitochondria. This may include fasting, exposure to sunlight and getting good sleep. So, think of laser as a therapy that can add to your mitochondria to repair your body. In this situation it’s your damaged fascia.

How Is Laser Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis Performed?

Generally, laser treatments involve 6 to 12 treatments. With each treatment you will gradually experience reduction of pain. How fast and how much relief you get can vary. Laser is frequently used in combination with other treatments such as orthotics, restorative medicine etc. And for many, it does NOT become a maintenance program where you periodically need to keep coming in for more treatments.

We have had great success with laser therapy for plantar fasciitis because it is a low invasive and pain free treatment. We like this approach as we feel it’s really getting to the root cause of the problem by promoting your body’s own processes to heal the fascia which has been damaged. Our multilevel approach of using laser in combination with other treatments such as orthotics and restorative medicine, allows us to have a high success rate because we were attacking the root cause.

by Dr James Anderson, DPM, ABPS, FACFS, FAENS

Call us today at our Fort Collins location (970) 484-4620, Broomfield location (720) 259-5053 or use our online scheduling system to book your appointment.

Plantar Fasciitis : Stabbing Pain in Heel of Foot

Posted on September 19, 2022June 30, 2025 by admin

Stabbing heel pain is one of the most common foot complaints. There can be a multitude of reasons for such pain, but the most frequent cause is plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a name most are familiar with. However, in this blog, you will see me use the proper name, plantar fasciocis. This may come to a shock for some, but there is the potential you may be misdiagnosed because of a nerve problem that is frequently overlooked by health professionals. As you scroll through this blog, I will dive deeper into plantar fasciocis, pain, treatments, and supporting research.

This is the pain that frequently catches your attention when getting out of bed in the morning. Your heel makes an impact with the ground, and the first steps out of bed are painful. But, after a few minutes, the pain typically fades. So why the heel? Well, this is where the fascia connects to the heel bone, extending out into the ball of your foot. Most misunderstand plantar fasciitis as a tendon or a ligament, when in fact, by true definitions, it is tight connective tissue.

What Causes Plantar fasciitis?

With every step you take, the fascia is stretched and pulled from your heel creating tension. Children and teenagers seldom have plantar fasciitis, as their fascia is flexible and stretches rather than pulls from the heel.

Treatments

When it comes to pain, there are a multitude of treatments which include home remedies. Icing, anti-inflammatories, night splints, stretching exercises, supportive shoes, arch supports, and ice packs. These all may be helpful if used in the early stages of your heel pain, as they can potentially assist in reducing the tension of fascia in the heel. More often than not, these home remedies can be successful in self-management of your pain, but with only partial improvement – leaving you with unresolved symptoms.

The Real Problem That No One is Talking About

Science says your fascia is not inflamed, but rather it’s the tissue that is deteriorating. I want to briefly make a bold and averse statement: doctors aren’t looking at science. Doctor Harvey Lemont did a study taking fifty plantar fascia specimens when he performed surgery for plantar fasciitis ¹. Out of 50 specimens, only one came back showing inflammatory changes. The other 49 showed the tissue was deteriorating, thus creating the term plantar fasciocis ¹.

How Does that Change Treatments?

Home remedies may still be used, but because we now know that the tissue is inflamed, this explains why the pain is so persistent. Using ice, anti-inflammatory medication, or cortisone injections may not have high success rates. Unfortunaltey, many podiatrists continue to recommend cortisone injections offering only temporary relief.

Regenerative Medicine

At Anderson Podiatry Center, we started using regenerative medicine to repair damaged fascia tissue over 13 years ago. We were one of the early pioneers of this technique, and we now use human cellular tissue products such as placenta cells or umbilical cord fluids to repair fascia. We find this far more successful than cortisone.

Supporting the Foot

Yes, podiatrists recommend custom orthotics specifically made for your foot type to reduce the pulling of the fascia from your heel with each step you take.

Nerve Pain

This is the hidden problem that can mimic plantar fasciitis. There is a small nerve branch that comes from a region of the foot and ankle called the tarsal tunnel, just like carpal tunnel in the hand. The nerve going through this region travels to the bottom of the foot, into the arch and toes. Within the ankle region, a small branch travels beneath the heel from the ankle area called the medial calcaneal nerve. So, how is this treated? Typically, a series of two cortisone injections can reverse this type of heel pain. Additionally, a laser can also be effective.

How Do WE Know What You Have?

To begin, every patient we see with heel pain has an ultrasound examination of their heel. We know what the normal appearance of fascia should be by immense studies that have been performed. Generally, a patient with plantar fascia pain will have a thicker and darker appearing fascia in the area where it attaches to the heel bone. A diagnostic ultrasound is extremely useful to ensure that your pain is truly from fascia. If the fascia looks normal, we will then suspect the nerve problem.

Can You Have Plantar Fasciitis and Nerve Pain?

Yes, it is not uncommon from our clinical examination and diagnostic ultrasound to discover both. It is thought that the thicker the fascia becomes, the more likely the nerve may become irritated.

Summary

So, this may mean for you that if you’ve had many of the conservative treatments for plantar fasciitis, and you still have that sharp stabbing heel pain, your nerve may be the issue. If you are having stabbing pain in the heel of your foot, don’t assume it’s always going to be plantar fasciitis. You could be having nerve pain. And finally, understand that your heel pain may be from a fascia that is deteriorating (plantar fasciosis) and not inflamed. This gives you a whole new way of looking at the problem and a possible solution that could be the use of regenerative medicine!

References

¹ Lemont, H., Ammirati, K. M., & Usen, N. (2003). Plantar fasciitis: a degenerative process (fasciosis) without inflammation. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 93(3), 234–237. https://doi.org/10.7547/87507315-93-3-234

On the radio with Dr. James Anderson

Posted on August 12, 2021June 30, 2025 by admin

Hear from your local podiatrist Dr. James Anderson in this candid interview on 93.5 Oldies radio.

In this candid interview with Dr. James Anderson, your local foot doctor talks about his decision to become a podiatrist. The importance of feet in daily life and the high success rate drove Dr. Anderson to choose podiatry as his line of work. Anderson Podiatry Center has two locations, in Fort Collins and Broomfield, which provides patients easy access.

With 40 years of being in business, Anderson Podiatry Center has a great reputation and a lot of experience in various foot ailments. From the most common ailments of plantar facilities to the latest in regenerative medicine using stem cells, Anderson Podiatry provides full-service foot care.

Dr. Anderson is known across North America for his published work and book on Restless Leg Syndrome by opening nerve tunnels or nerve decompression.

What Is the Best Treatment for Drop Foot?

Posted on March 16, 2021June 30, 2025 by admin

Drop foot can be a very frustrating problem, and there are many potential causes for it. Before we get into things, it is important to understand what drop foot is. It is the lack of strength to pull your foot or toes upwards, or the ability to move your foot sideways away from your opposite foot. There are approximately five different muscles involved with the weakness that can create drop foot. We won’t be going over these muscle groups in this blog, but it’s important to understand that drop foot can affect both sideways and upwards motion to varying degrees.

When you walk with a drop foot, it may be difficult for your foot to clear the ground. The foot may also want to slap against the ground when your heel hits the floor, or be in such a downward position that you must flex your knee upwards for your foot to clear the ground. This is referred to as a steppage gait and can make walking exceedingly difficult to the point where it has a significant effect on mobility.

What Are the Causes?

Spinal-cord drop foot can be associated with your back, which is referred to as radiculopathy, caused from compression or irritation to the spinal nerves in the lumbar area.
Strokes can be associated with drop foot.
Sciatic nerve trauma, usually caused from hip or knee surgery.
Trauma to the nerves in the leg that stimulate the muscles to contract
Compression of the common peroneal nerve. Compression of this nerve tunnel may be associated with both diabetic and non-diabetic neuropathy. It is often assumed that the drop foot is from a sciatic nerve that was stretched and damaged from hip replacement surgery or knee surgery, because the common peroneal nerve tunnel becomes compressed. Anderson Podiatry Center has successfully reversed drop foot for many patients who were told it was from their back or from damage to the sciatic nerve.

What Is the Common Peroneal Nerve?

The common peroneal nerve is the most overlooked cause of drop foot. It is a branch of the sciatic nerve, and as the sciatic nerve courses down the back of your hamstring area, it divides. One branch goes towards the bottom of the foot, down the back of the calf, and the other branch goes around the outside of your leg, just below the knee.

It’s in this area that the common peroneal nerve tunnel is located. Just beyond the nerve tunnel is the branches that send signals to the leg muscles to contract. When the tunnel is tight, the branches don’t send strong enough signals, and the muscles become weak. This is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in the hand. This can be the case in diabetes, where there’s compression involved, or non-diabetic neuropathy, because the tunnel can become tight.

At Anderson Podiatry Center, we deal a lot with peripheral nerve disorders and evaluate peripheral nerve issues. Many doctors are not fully trained in the evaluation and treatment of peripheral nerve problems. So, for many of you reading this blog, the potential is that you may have been told there is nothing you can do. You may have had a hip or knee replacement surgery and your sciatic nerve was damaged, which has resulted in drop foot due to the common peroneal nerve.

Treatment

To quickly answer the question as to what the best drop foot treatment is, it’s surgery (especially if the drop foot is significant). If there is high potential that the nerve is compressed, surgery would be the best option because it can give you the most profound improvement.

If there is a delay in surgery, especially after trauma or a surgery that could have caused this, it could lessen the effectiveness of the drop foot surgery. Many say that if you have had a surgery, such as hip replacement, and drop foot occurs, you should wait around six months to a year to see if it improves. However, we strongly disagree with this approach and suggest that if it’s been 2-3 months since surgery, and there is no progression towards improvement, surgery on this nerve tunnel should be performed. Waiting may limit how much improvement the patient gets.

ESTIM: This is a non-surgical treatment that involves multiple visits and electrical stimulation. This is performed with local anesthetic injections, that in combination repair nerve damage and improve circulation to the nerves during treatments.
Tendon transfer surgeries and joint fusions: These surgeries have always been available in conventional surgical training to help stabilize the foot and ankle.
Ankle bracing: there are many types of ankle braces that also may help. In most cases, these are prescribed by the doctor.

In summary, the two most important aspects about drop foot treatment are:

If you’ve had surgery or an injury, and after the first two to three months you’ve not experienced improvement, do not put yourself in a position where you may lessen the effectiveness of the surgery by waiting. With that being said, we’ve also seen patients, years after a surgery caused by drop foot, that still still see improvement on their mobility from drop foot surgery. When surgery is performed, most patients see significant improvement of their lifestyle, even if they have less than 100 percent improvement of their muscle strength.
If you have neuropathy or back problems, don’t assume that you don’t have compression of the common peroneal nerve. It is commonly associated with diabetic and nondiabetic neuropathies.
To conclude, it is not always the case that surgery is the best treatment, but for those whose mobility is significantly impacted, proper assessment of the common peroneal nerve is important. The recovery time and risks are minimal, compared to other surgical options, and if surgery fails, the other options will always be there. When the drop foot is minimal other options such as ESTIM may be considered. So if you or someone you know suffers from drop foot, please consider the common peroneal nerve tunnel as a potential cause.

The Most Common Foot Problem: Plantar Fasciitis

Posted on March 4, 2021 by admin

We are frequently asked, what is the most common foot complaint? Without a doubt, plantar fasciitis is at the top of the list. Oftentimes, it is referred to as heel pain, or heel spur pain. The symptoms of plantar fasciitis often occur first thing in the morning, as the pain exists on the bottom of the heel and is irritated with those initial morning steps. You may hobble to the bathroom, or to go make some coffee, and after a few minutes the pain wears off. However, as it becomes more severe, you may notice the pain throughout the day, and it can come on gradually or all at once.

Plantar fasciitis is seldom caused by trauma. Although it could be caused by you falling on your foot and striking your heel, in most cases, it’s something that just happens and is unpredictable. Foot biomechanics can also play a role.

While plantar fasciitis is a common foot problem, it rarely occurs in your teenage years or early twenties Why is this? One of the ideas is that the fascia loses its elasticity over time. The fascia runs from the ball of the foot to the heel, where it attaches. With every step you take, as the arch flattens, the fascia pulls from its attachment point (aka the heel). When your foot is not bearing weight, the arch is relatively high, but as soon as your bear weight the arch flattens and pulls on the fascia.

This pain from the common foot problem can become very disabling as it can go on for months, or even years in some cases. It is important to note that an x-ray can sometimes show a heel spur, where the fascia attaches to the heel. The old school idea is that this was the source of the pain, however this is seldom the case. If surgery is ever performed to eliminate your plantar fasciitis (using small incisions to partially release the fascia), nothing is done to the spur. Patients have a remarkably high success rate with this form of surgery, proving that it is not the spur. In fact, the spur could have been created by the fascia pulling from your heel.

What Can You Do For Plantar Fasciitis?

Since plantar fasciitis is one of the most common foot problems, it is also the one that has the most treatment options. It can get confusing because everyone, including your shoe salesman, will claim to have the solution.

But the actual treatment solutions for plantar fasciitis are limited. There are many options that can help a bit, as these are referred to as “band-aid approaches”. These band-aid approaches include anti-inflammatories, icing, and stretching. They are fine to try, and in some cases can help a lot, but it’s important to do these at the earliest stages of your heel pain.

You can also try using supports, and if the shoes you wear for walking, hiking or running are worn down, consider replacing them. If these attempts fail, or if you find yourself having to go back to these approaches time and time again, it may be time to seek professional help.

Orthotics

Orthotics are one of the foundational things that a podiatrist will use. Orthotics help hold and support the foot better so that the fascia does not want to pull away from the heel. It is important that the orthotics being made utilizes either a casting technique, or a digital system by taking a non-weight bearing, impression of your foot. This captures the foot in its ideal functional position in order to get more precise control of your foot. Orthotics minimize how much that fascia is pulling from your heel by supporting your bony structure better.

Stem Cell Treatment

Podiatrists traditionally used cortisone injections to treat plantar fasciitis, but at Anderson Podiatry Center, we still do this on occasion, but recommended the consideration of stem cell treatment. It’s been known from recent studies that the fascia is not truly inflamed, but rather it’s tissue is breaking down and in need of repair. So what better way to do this than with stem cells (we typically use placenta cells).

Shockwave Treatment and Laser

Shockwave sends powerful sound waves into the heel area. This traumatizes the heel, but puts your body into a repairative mode that helps repair the fascia. We also use a treatment called MLS laser which helps by improving the functionality of the mitochondria in your cells to repair the fascia.

Surgery

Surgery is done on occasion, but only after conservative measures have failed. It’s typically done with a scope, and we make a small incision on both sides of the heel. Patients can ambulate immediately, but usually have to wear a movable cast for approximately two-four weeks. Success rate for this is quite high.

If your attempts to remedy your heel pain are not working, it may be time to move on to a more aggressive treatment plan. The longer you wait to see a podiatrist, the more time and treatment options you may need to eliminate the pain.

Heel and Arch Pain: Revealing the Seven Steps to Take

Posted on January 5, 2021July 1, 2025 by admin

Heel and arch pain can be persistent and painful. The runs and walks you once enjoyed can become a thing of the past; you may start to gain weight, and it can even impede your sleep. The start of the day can be met with extreme pain as you first step down on that heel. It generally affects people physically and mentally.

Considering the function that our feet have, it’s amazing how well they work since they are required to:

Balance the entire body
Adapt to irregularities in terrain
Maintain our balance as we stand
Take on more pressure when we gain weight
Help our body change directions
Function as a shock absorber

Due to these responsibilities, there are a multitude of problems that can cause heel and arch pain.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis, commonly referred to as heel spur pain, tends to be worse early in the morning when you first stand up. You may find yourself hobbling to the bathroom, but after you’re going about for a few minutes, the pain may to dissipate and get better as the day progresses. This is caused by the fascia, which runs from the ball of your foot to your heel – it often tends to get overstressed therefore causing the tight band of tissue to pull or tear away from the heel. The pain affects directly under the heel where you are bearing weight. Although it is commonly referred to as plantar fasciitis, more recent studies support that it’s not inflamed but rather broken down. So, a term you may hear more of in the future is plantar fasciosis which more accurately describes the condition. It is also now understood that the heel spur you may see on X-ray does not cause the pain, but it is rather the fascia pulling from the same area on the heel bone.

Posterior Tibial Tendonitis

The posterior tibial tendon is a tendon that attaches into the arch of the foot. It’s a very important tendon for stabilizing the foot. If the foot tends to overpronate, which we call flattening, then this tendon can be overworked and this can also frequently cause pain. Particularly, as you get older, the tendon starts to wear down.

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

Tarsal tunnel syndrome can also occur. This may cause burning and tingling and numbness in the arch. It’s less common, but can also be causing pain in the arch.

Arch Pain

If the pain is through the arch it may be from muscle or ligamentous fatigue. This may be caused by a foot that flattens (pronates) over a very high arch which is called a cavus foot.

What causes these problems?

Obesity
Overuse of the arch
Improper and run down shoes

What you can do?

Use ice and rest the area.
Purchase over the counter anti-inflammatories.
Choose over the counter inserts for more support.
Modify your activity by temporarily switching to biking rather than running.
Reduce going barefoot as much as you can. Wearing shoes can offer more support and can reduce pain.
Stretch your calf muscle. If your calf muscle is tight, your ankle can’t flex. It puts more pull and strain on the plantar fascia and other tissues in the arch.
Evaluate your shoes. If they don’t support you enough, you might be due for a new pair.

When should you seek professional help?

If you’ve tried the suggested home remedies and the pain is persisting and/or getting worse, seek medical attention from a foot specialist. It should also be stressed that if you think you injured your foot (either you fell, landed wrong, heard something pop or have significant swelling) seek medical attention immediately.

What is required of you?

A good medical history – Oftentimes your story will tell the doctor the diagnosis.
A physical exam- a lot can be learned from the examination. This can tell the doctor whether the pain is localized or from an overstrained plantar fascia or a tight calf muscle.
Other tests that may be done
- X-rays
- Diagnostic Ultrasound
- MRI

What are the treatments the doctor may discuss with you?

Use of custom-made orthotics to give more precise support to the foot
Cortisone injections
Physical therapy
Immobilization with a cam boot
Stretching and possible use of night splints
Stem cell – regenerative medicine treatment
Laser treatments

If the conservative measures fail and significant heel and arch pain remains, the option of surgery may also be discussed. In the case of plantar fasciitis, conservative measures are usually successful, so rarely does a situation occur where surgery is necessary, but if it is, it is highly successful when performed.

What Are the Benefits of Wearing Orthotics?

Posted on December 23, 2020July 1, 2025 by admin

As a podiatrist, we often recommend orthotic devices as they can be of great benefit for the wearer. Before we dive into the benefits of wearing orthotics, let’s answer the question of what an orthotic is, from a podiatrist point of view.

In today’s world, it seems like everyone is marketing their orthotics. You see them in retail stores, shoe stores, ski shops, and even Facebook ads. As a podiatrist, the whole concept of what an orthotic is has been muddied. My opinion is shared by my colleagues- podiatrists believe there is a non-weight-bearing, neutral-point position of the foot. And so, whatever technique is utilized to fabricate an orthotic, an impression of the foot should be taken in this position.

The foot is positioned at its optimal functional position. Any kind of orthotic that is made from a technique that involves any partial or full weight-bearing, we feel is not done accurately. There are small, torsional abnormalities, sometimes between the front half and rear foot, that are not taken into account when the foot is bearing weight. A podiatrist’s orthotic is much more precise and is able to support and control excessive motion in the foot more accurately. That is not to say that an orthotic made from a weight bearing technique won’t work, but the chances are greatly reduced. It is a common story of patients we treat.

Benefits of Orthotics

I am writing this blog at a time where some advocate barefoot running, or running in minimalist shoes. So hear me out from a foot specialist’s point of view. Outside the office, when someone finds out I’m a podiatrist, I’m often asked what types of shoes are best. Using tact, I’ll make the point that it’s like asking an optometrist what lens prescription they should have. We expect that kind of precision for our eyes, but medicine seems to not think the same rules apply to the feet.

If one has excellent foot structure, I’m not opposed to the idea of barefoot running. My point is that it all starts with what foot type you’ve inherited. It has been observed that 70% of people may have feet that overpronate. Pronation is simply the motion that involves the flattening of your feet. The foot will flatten the arch and abduct, or move away from the other foot. A more ideal foot type does not overpronate, and the actual bony structure helps stabilize and support the foot. There is a locking mechanism that takes place in the bones in the midfoot area. Those that have feet that are much more flexible, or pronates more easily, are thought to have a foot where the bones do not lock and support the foot. Therefore, soft tissue needs to. This can cause excessive stress on structures such as tendons, joints, nerves and other soft tissue structures such as fascia. So, how do you know if custom orthotics might be useful? The following are some tips and specific conditions you should know about.

If you keep getting the same type of injury or foot pain over and over, or if you’ve had that injury for an extended period of time, it may be time to look into orthotics. Especially if you’ve already tried resting, anti-inflammatories, and icing the area. This could also be an indication that your foot type lends itself towards having specific issues.

Soft tissue problems

Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis
- One of the more common problems is plantar fasciitis commonly referred to as heel pain. Orthotics will reduce the stress of the plantar fascia pulling on the bottom of the heel. For Achilles tendonitis the stress on the Achilles will be reduced.
Foot deformities
- Bunions may also be helped with orthotics. If you have an enlargement on the inside of your big toe you may benefit especially in the early stages of the deformity.

Nerve problems

Neuromas and tarsal tunnel syndrome
- Neuromas are a nerve enlargement that can occur in the ball of the foot. If you’re experiencing burning, tingling and numbness on the bottom of your foot, you may have tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Joint pain
- Arthritis in the foot can also be treated with orthotics and it’s a safer, drug free approach. This may include big toe joint pain commonly referred to as Hallux limitus. Also, ankle pain and pain in the small joints in your arch.

Final Thoughts

You may save money as you’ll quit shopping for shoes to solve your foot problems. The orthotic can be taken from shoe to shoe and will neutralize the less optimal shoe as it’s designed precisely for your foot.
You’ll avoid injuries as certain foot structures lend themselves to certain injuries
You could lose weight and sleep better as you become more active.

If you yourself frustrated with your inability to stay active, please consider a consultation with us to truly understand more about the foot structure you have and how it may be the issue that no one has explained to you. There are many benefits of wearing orthotics, so it’s time you discover for yourself!

How to Avoid a Visit to the Doctor’s Office When Experiencing Heel Pain

Posted on October 1, 2020July 1, 2025 by admin

One of the most common foot complaints is heel pain, which is commonly referred to as Plantar Fasciitis. Here we’ll discuss how to prevent a visit to the doctors office when experiencing heel pain and what you can do at home to help alleviate your symptoms.

The symptoms of heel pain often start at the bottom of your heel and are very prevalent when first getting up in the morning. This is a very common complaint, and even though the pain can gradually get better throughout the day, it’s important this is treated right away. When plantar fasciitis pain is mild, you have a better chance of reversing the pain with some simple recommendations.

Shoes and Orthotics

First and foremost, the most important thing to do is to make sure your shoes are not run down. Shoes eventually wear down and do not give the foot as much support as they used to, which can cause pain. If you’re an active runner or a walker, good shoe support is key. If you are flatfooted, this becomes even more significant.

With every step you take the foot flattens, causing the fascia to pull from your heel, which can cause symptoms of heel pain. So, utilizing more support in the shoe can be very beneficial. If you don’t believe your shoes are worn down, another option would be to buy over-the-counter shoe inserts, which are also known as orthotics.

There are many options when purchasing orthotics, and you can typically find them in an athletics store. However, be careful when going to an orthotics outlet because oftentimes these devices can cost several hundreds of dollars- and you’re better off seeing a podiatrist to have custom orthotics made to work for your foot type. Ideally, you should not be spending more than $10-$15 for store-bought inserts.

Icing the area of heel pain from plantar fasciitis

Icing is often used to treat sports medicine injuries and can also be employed for the reduction of pain and inflammation caused by heel pain. If you do choose to ice the area, it’s important to do it for 10 minutes twice a day. You can also roll your heel on a frozen plastic bottle as this can be beneficial.

Stretching

Stretching before you get up in the morning can also help as it can reduce the pain and inflammation of the plantar fascia. In order to stretch this area correctly you should keep your knee straight and put your foot up towards you. By keeping your knee straight you are stretching your calf and achilles tendon; this will allow your ankle to flex up more and thereby lessen the need for excessive pulling of the fascia. The band of tissue you can feel beneath your skin in the arch is the fascia. It is often suggested to be careful with this because there have been cases where this can actually worsen the symptoms.

Another way to help stretch the achilles, calf and plantar fascia is by using a night splint. Although they have shown to be useful for many, they can also be an annoyance and reduce sleep quality.

Anti-Inflammatories for heel pain from plantar fasciitis

Anti-inflammatories can also be taken. These medications help with the pain and inflammation for those experiencing mild plantar fasciitis. Anti-inflammatories can be taken for approximately one or two weeks to see if they help.

Cut Down on Activities

Lastly, it’s important to back off your activity level. While moving around may be a part of what you do, it’s not helping your heel heal! You can back off entirely, or even cut it down by 50%. One of the most common causes of heel pain is doing too much too soon. When people take up a new form of exercise, such as walking or running, it is important to factor in days of rest- especially since your body requires long periods of rest when injured. Resting is as important as the stress you put on your body to become more fit. Therefore, if you’re walking or running five days a week, maybe cut back to just two or three to see if there is improvement.

If you’ve attempted these treatments for heel pain from plantar fasciitis approximately three to four weeks and have seen no results, it’s probably time to consider professional attention as you may need more aggressive treatment options. Even so, it is important to note that early and aggressive intervention can spare you a trip to the podiatrist’s office.

3 Reasons Custom Orthotics Work

Posted on July 11, 2018 by admin

Summer is finally here, and we all want to be outside enjoying the warm weather and sunshine! Unfortunately, increasing our activity level can cause unwelcome and nagging pain that limits our ability to walk, hike, or take on a running race. There is a solution however, so read on!

Today, let’s discuss custom orthotics and how they can likely benefit you. Custom orthotics can be very effective in treating many common issues including plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and chronic joint pain.

If you are experiencing chronic, unresolved foot pain, custom orthotics might be right for you. Here’s why.

1. They are made for your foot, not anyone else’s

The over the counter shoe inserts (Dr. Scholl’s for example) only provide some additional cushioning and can’t compare to a prescription custom orthotic in arch and foot support. By the time a patient makes an appointment to see a foot doctor, they have often tried one or more different store-bought orthotics without much success or relief.

The process we like to use to make custom orthotics involves making a plaster mold of your feet in a biomechanically corrected/ideal position. This allows us to get an exact replica of your foot, which can be used to create an insert that is not only comfortable, but also highly supportive of any painful joints and tendons, and again, made specifically for you.

2. Technology has improved

Gone are the days of clunky, heavy inserts. Those were not pretty, they only fit in a few shoes and must have weighed five pounds each! But, they worked great and helped relieve pain.

The good news is, over the past 20 years or so, the technology and materials used for orthotics has greatly improved, so today’s orthotics are much lighter and thinner and can be used in a variety of athletic and dress shoes. This way, whether you are running a marathon, walking around the office, or attending a social event, your feet can have the support and comfort they need without having to be in tennis shoes all the time.

3. More comfort, less pain

Because that’s the whole point, right?

Most chronic foot pain is the result of daily wear and tear on the structures in your foot. Better, biomechanically corrected support results in less day-to-day damage and inflammation, and most importantly, less pain.

So whatever your particular foot aches and pains are, there is likely a custom orthotic option for you. I would encourage you to make an appointment to discuss what those options are. Even if you have had other inserts in the past that have not helped, I would recommend not giving up on orthotics just yet.

Come on in and discuss your options. Your feet will thank you for it.