15 Sep Remarkable Recovery!
Recently, one of our patients came to the clinic, suffering since February with debilitating foot pain. I diagnosed this patient with plantar fasciitis. Seemed pretty straight forward and as discussed in previous blogs, this syndrome has a multitude of causes with a tendency to be very painful, causing a sharp, tearing sensation at the sole of the foot, from the toes to the heel. The plantar fascia is a thick membrane (ligament) that connects some of the ankle, foot and toe bones from the heel to the arch of the foot and then to the balls of the toes. When this membrane is injured or over-stressed, it becomes inflamed, irritated and very painful. It is usually at its very worst just getting out of bed in the morning and also during standing and walking throughout the day. At times it can be so painful that bearing weight on the affected foot is nearly impossible.
At Strash Foot and Ankle Care, we have a multitude of ways to decrease the pain and inflammation caused by plantar fasciitis. Patients may have an injection of steroid with lidocaine to break the pain and inflammation cycle, oral medications may be prescribed, home stretching exercises are recommended, and patients may be given a night splint or prescribed orthotics among other treatment recommendations.
One additional advantage we have now is our concierge physical therapy with Brian Thomson. Brian is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. He’s able to provide specialized physical therapy to patient in their own home or place of work. That’s right, Dr. Thomson makes house calls. He comes to you!
Recently during a patient assessment, Brian identified that this patient had experienced weakness in her hip-stabilizing muscles and that was one major reason her foot was being over-stressed and causing terrible pain when she stood or walked. Over ten treatments, Brian worked together with this patient on a customized exercise regimen to strengthen her hip-stabilizing muscles, improve her balance and improve overall leg strength. He also performed manual therapy on her foot to improve flexibility in her ankle, heel and toe joints and muscles and soothing massage to decrease pain in the sole of her foot. All of this in the comfort of her own home!
This wonderful patient has made a remarkable recovery, now walking for aerobic exercise and enjoyment around her neighborhood without foot pain! She even revealed to us that she is now planning a trip to view the fall foliage in the northeast in a few weeks and she can’t wait to hike the trails and look at the beautiful autumn leaves.
If you would like to receive physical therapy in your home, office or pool, give Dr. Strash a call to set this up for you. Brian can begin evaluation and treatment with you within 48 hours!
Bottom line, there’s absolutely NO reason why you should have to live in pain. My staff and I would love to see you, and our promise to you is always to help you put your best foot forward, again!