Stabbing Pain in Your Heel????

Do you feel a stabbing pain in your heel with your first steps out of bed in the morning? You’re not alone! Every day, thousands of Americans suffer from this condition. Plantar fasciitis, more commonly known as heel pain, is by far, the most common complaint seen in my office.

Aching heels can truly affect your lifestyle and disrupt essential activities and prevent you, to a large extent, from playing sports or simply going for a walk. An accurate and expedient diagnosis of the cause of your symptoms will help you receive the appropriate treatment.

There are several causes of heel pain. The most common include:
Plantar Fasciitis – Inflammation of the band of fibrous connective tissue (fascia) running along the bottom (plantar) surface of the foot, from the heel to the ball of the foot. Both heel pain and heel spurs are frequently associated with plantar fasciitis.
Heel Spurs – A bony growth on the underside of the heel bone. The spur, visible by X-ray, appears as a protrusion that can extend forward as much as half an inch. Heel spurs can result from strain on the ball of the foot and repeated tearing away of the lining or membrane that covers the heel bone. Contrary to popular belief, heel spurs are generally not the cause of pain—the pain you may feel is from inflammation of the plantar fascia.
Excessive Pronation – Excessive inward motion can create an abnormal amount of stretching and pulling on the ligaments and tendons that attach to the bottom back part of the heel bone. Excessive pronation may also contribute to injury to the hip, knee, and lower back.
Achilles Tendinitis – Pain at the back of the heel is associated with Achilles tendinitis, which is inflammation of the Achilles tendon as it runs behind the ankle and inserts on the back surface of the heel bone.

Other possible causes of heel pain include rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of arthritis (e.g., gout); Haglund’s deformity (a bone enlargement at the back of the heel bone in the area where the Achilles tendon attaches to the bone); inflamed bursa (“bursitis”), a small, irritated sac of fluid; neuromas (nerve growths) or other soft-tissue growths; and bruises or contusions, which involve inflammation of the tissues that cover the heel bone. A bone bruise is a sharply painful injury caused by the direct impact of a hard object or surface on the foot.

Some contributing factors associated with heel pain are:
-Age: With increasing age, often there is decreasing flexibility.
-Any sudden change in activity: Particularly activities that increase weight bearing or pressure on the foot
-Flat, pronated feet or high-arched feet
-A sudden increase in weight: Such as pregnancy
-stress from an injury: A bruise incurred while walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces

Seeking medical attention is the first line of defense in treating heel pain. However, there are several steps you can take to avoid heel pain in the first place:
-Wear shoes that fit well and have shock-absorbent soles, rigid shanks (the part of the shoe that supports the foot and helps give a shoe its structure), and a supportive heel counter (the rear-most part of the shoe, at the back of the heel above the sole)
-Wear the proper shoes for each activity
-Do not wear shoes with excessive wear on heels or soles
-Begin exercises slowly
-Wear athletic shoes with good shock support in the heels
-Purchase shoes that fit
-Avoid activities that may put constant strain on the foot
-Avoid going barefoot on all surfaces

A variety of treatment solutions are available to provide short and long-term pain relief. Begin treating heel pain by avoiding all sorts of pressure or tension on the inflamed area, giving your feet ample rest. Applying ice and heat packs in alternating fashion will greatly accelerate the process of healing. Another option is the use of custom insoles. Custom insoles may assist with treating active conditions of heel pain and likewise reduce the risk for reoccurrence. The custom insole will restore body balance and prevent the plantar fascia from experiencing strain when you walk. If all non-invasive treatment solutions do not work, surgery is probably the best next option.

Regular exercise for calf muscles and the plantar fascia is necessary to alleviate pain and improve flexibility of the affected muscle. These exercises are advised for both legs even if the pain is in one heel only. Some of the most beneficial exercises are:
Towel stretches – This exercise should be done every morning before you leave your bed. Make a loop with a towel and use it to pull your toes toward your body, while keeping the knee straight. Stretch each foot three times, and hold each stretch for 30 seconds, if possible.
Stair stretches – Stand tall on a staircase with the balls of both feet on
the edge of the step. Place hands on the railing or the wall for balance and support. Slowly lower heels toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your lower leg and heels. Maintain the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat this exercise six times, and perform the stretches twice every day.
Wall-leaning Stretch – Stand an arm’s length away from a wall, place both hands on the wall at shoulder height, with the feet slightly apart and one foot in ront of the other. Your front knee should be bent, but the back knee should be straight while you lean toward the wall. Hold the position for 10 seconds at a time for up to 15 or 20 repetitions per leg.

If you are unsure of the cause of your symptoms, if pain is severe, or if you have the following symptoms, please call our office immediately:
_ Inability to bend your foot downward.
_ Inability to rise on your toes.
_ Inability to walk comfortably on the affected side.
_ Swelling or discoloration of the back of the foot.
_ Heel pain that occurs at night or while resting.
_ Heel pain that persists beyond a few days.

Heel pain does not always subside quickly after medical attention is received. Unfortunately, it may take several months before the pain is actually gone. In most cases, heel pain can be treated at home under a podiatric physician’s supervision.

If you or someone you know is suffering from heel pain, please give our office a call for consultation, 440-946-5858.

Ankle Sprain......Common Atheletic Injury....Ask Daniel "Boobie" Gibson

Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, a guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, is benched with an ankle sprain. An ankle sprain is an injury to one or more ligaments in the ankle, usually on the outside of the ankle. Ligaments are bands of tissue – like rubber bands – that connect one bone to another and bind the joints together. In the ankle joint, ligaments provide stability by limiting side-to-side movement.

Some ankle sprains are much worse than others. The severity of an ankle sprain depends on whether the ligament is stretched, partially torn, or completely torn, as well as on the number of ligaments involved. Ankle sprains are not the same as strains, which affect muscles rather than ligaments.

Sprained ankles often result from a fall, a sudden twist, or a blow that forces the ankle joint out of its normal position. Ankle sprains commonly occur while participating in sports, wearing inappropriate shoes, or walking or running on an uneven surface. In Boobie's case, it was during a basketball game.

The symptoms of ankle sprains may include pain or soreness, swelling, bruising, difficulty walking and/or stiffness in the joint. These symptoms may vary in intensity, depending on the severity of the sprain. Sometimes pain and swelling are absent in people with previous ankle sprains. Instead, they may simply feel the ankle is wobbly and unsteady when they walk. Even if there is no pain or swelling with a sprained ankle, treatment is crucial. Any ankle sprain – whether it’s your first or your fifth – requires prompt medical attention.

There are four key reasons why an ankle sprain should be promptly evaluated and treated. First, an untreated ankle sprain may lead to chronic ankle instability, a condition marked by persistent discomfort and a “giving way” of the ankle. Weakness in the leg may also develop. Second, a more severe ankle injury may have occurred along with the sprain. This might include a serious bone fracture that, if left untreated, could lead to troubling complications. Third, an ankle sprain may be accompanied by a foot injury that causes discomfort but has gone unnoticed thus far. Fourth, rehabilitation of a sprained ankle needs to begin right away. If rehabilitation is delayed, the injury may be less likely to heal properly.

When you have an ankle sprain, rehabilitation is crucial—and it starts the moment your treatment begins.The available treatment options include:

•Rest: Stay off the injured ankle. Walking may cause further injury.
•Ice: Apply an ice pack to the injured area, placing a thin towel between the ice and the skin. Use ice for 20 minutes and then wait at least 40 minutes before icing again.
•Compression: An elastic wrap may be recommended to control swelling.
•Elevation: The ankle should be raised slightly above the level of your heart to reduce swelling.
•Early physical therapy: A rehabilitation program will be started as soon as possible to promote healing and increase your range of motion. This includes doing prescribed exercises.
•Medications: Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may be recommended to reduce pain and inflammation. In some cases, prescription pain medications are needed to provide adequate relief.

In more severe cases, surgery may be required to adequately treat an ankle sprain. Surgery often involves repairing the damaged ligament or ligaments.

If you or someone who know has sustained an ankle sprain and/or commonly "rolls their ankle" please give our office a call, 440-946-5858, for evaluation and treatment, so you are not benched.

Foot Facts

* 3 out of 4 Americans experience serious foot problems in their lifetime.

* The foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles.

* 1/4 of all the bones in the human body are down in your feet.


-When these bones are out of alignment, so is the rest of your body.

*Only a small percentage of the population is born with foot problems.
-It's neglect and a lack of awareness of proper care-including ill fitting
shoes that bring on problems.

* Women have about four times as many foot problems as men.
-High heels are partly to blame.

* The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which adds up to
about 115,000 miles over a lifetime.
-That's enough to go around the circumference of the earth four times.

* Women on average walk 3 miles farther per day than the opposite sex.

* There are 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet.
-Sweat glands in the feet excrete as much as a half-pint of moisture a day.

* Your two feet may be different sizes.
-Buy shoes for the larger one.

* Your feet mirror your general health.
-Conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show
their initial symptoms in the feet. Therefore, foot ailments can be your first
sign of more serious medical problems.

* Walking is the best exercise for your feet.
-It also contributes to your general health by improving circulation,
contributing to weight control and promoting all-around well being.

If you or someone you know is having foot problems, please give our office a call at 440-946-5858.

February is Heart Month.....So Please Read Article Below

Do you get pain in either leg when you walk?

Does the pain go away when your stop walking (within 10 minutes)?

According to the World Health Organization if you answered yes to both of these questions your likelihood of PAD is 95%

What is PAD you ask?

Commonly referred to as “poor circulation,” Peripheral Arterial Disease (P.A.D.) is the restriction of blood flow in the arteries of the leg. When arteries become narrowed by plaque (the accumulation of cholesterol and other materials on the walls of the arteries), the oxygen-rich blood flowing through the arteries cannot reach the legs and feet.

The presence of P.A.D. may be an indication of more widespread arterial disease in the body that can affect the brain, causing stroke or the heart, causing a heart attack. According to The Journal of Vascular Surgery, 60-80% of patients with PAD have blockage in one coronary vessel and 21% of these patients will have a MI, stroke, cardiovascular death or hospitalization within 1 year.
Based upon the guidelines of the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, the following individuals would benefit from an ABI test:

- Exertional leg symptoms
- Non-healing wounds
- Asymptomatic patients at high risk
o Adults 70 years old
o Adults 50 years of age with diabetes or tobacco use

Testing for this condition is non-invasive: It utilizes blood pressure cuffs and is painless. If interested in being tested, please call our office to schedule an appointment.