Friday, November 13, 2009

Starting off on the Right Foot


The average person takes between 3,000 and 5,000 steps per day. With each step, we put a remarkable amount of stress on our feet. When everything is working properly, we take it for granted. When there is a problem, each step can be agonizingly painful. People who are steadily on their feet, such as nurses, teachers, and restaurant staff, are more inclined to have foot problems, as are athletes who participate in foot-stressing activities such as volleyball, running, basketball, and tennis. However, when problems occur, there is help.

If you have ever twisted your ankle, you might still have some weakness, which could still be causing problems. The most common injuries to the ankle include turning it in, such as when wearing high heels; or turning it over, by stepping on a stone or the edge of a curb. These are examples of common ankle sprains.
Occasionally the end of the bone on the outside of the ankle breaks, but more often the ligaments of the ankle on the front and side get torn and produce massive swelling and bruising. It can take 4 to 6 weeks to recover from the immediate injury, but the ligaments very rarely repair satisfactorily and often become full of scar tissue, which is not elastic. This increases the likelihood of rolling it over again and causing further sprains. Such repeated traumas will influence the mechanics of the ankle and cause problems in the joint and the structures above, such as the knee and spine. These tend to become obvious after jogging or long walks, especially on uneven ground, but since the actual symptoms may be in other joints, you do not necessarily think of that old ankle injury being the origin of the problem. Chiropractic treatment can help to prevent chronic and recurring problems.

Another common concern is plantar fasciitis. The arches of our feet work together to serve as shock absorbers when we are standing, walking, and running. Normally, the bones, ligaments and tendons are able to spread out the stress of gravity throughout the entire foot so no single area is overloaded. However, after an injury, such as twisting an ankle or standing on hard surfaces day after day, the 26 bones of the foot can become stuck out of alignment and your foot’s shock absorbers do not continue to work properly. Now whenever you take a step, all of the force gets put on one area, typically the bottom of the heel, and this area become inflamed.

Over time, this pressure on the bottom of the foot can lead to the development of a heel spur. These heel problems don’t often go away on their own. I have seen patients who have had little success with treatments like oral anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections, orthotics, and prolonged physical therapy. Some have been deemed candidates for surgical removal of the spurs but have declined to pursue that option, electing instead to use chiropractic care and conservative management in an effort to change and improve the actual source of problem.

By focusing on getting each individual foot bone to move properly and stay in the correct alignment, the foot’s natural shock absorbers can work again and take pressure off the heel. Proper alignment also places less stress on the ligaments and decreases the risk of repeated ankle sprains, thereby reducing stress on the knees, hips, and lower back.

If you have grown frustrated with an uncooperative foot, chiropractic care may be able to help you.

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