Sports Injuries: The Foot -Treatment & Prevention

Are you gearing up for athletic activity this summer? Have you noticed pain in your heel or arch of your foot? This could be plantar fasciitis, which is one of the most common causes of arch and heel pain. The plantar fascia is a thick connective tissue that supports the arch of the bottom of the foot and runs from the heel to the toes. When this band becomes irritated, becomes weak, or swollen due to an injury you may experience pain on the bottom of your foot in the heel or arch while running, walking or standing. This pain is typically worse first steps in the morning when you get out of bed.

Some of the major contributors or causes of plantar fasciitis are as follows:

-Wearing shoes that are not the right fit (too small or large)

-Shoes with no arch support

-Previous Injury of sprain/strain

-Flat Feet or Higher Arches

-Excessive heel wearing during daytime and flats later in day

-Exercise or standing for prolonged periods of time on hard surfaces

-Overweight

-Weak Pelvis or muscles of the feet

-Poor movement pattern

So, what are some ways to treat and prevent Plantar Fasciitis? Making sure to stretch your calves and arch of your feet before doing any activity.  This will not only reduce pain if you already have the problem but also prevent it from getting worse.  The best way to get the pressure to the bottom of you foot is to roll it out with a golf ball or massage ball with spikes. This will remove the scar tissue in the fascia and smooth everything out. Dr. Jenna Cook specializes in Active Release Technique and Graston Technique as well as functional rehabilitation to reduce inflammation and promote healing which can all improve results with soft-tissue injuries such as plantar fasciitis.

If these simple solutions don’t work right away there could be underlying problems elsewhere such as the spine or pelvis. Biomechanical weakness in these areas can cause problems further down the chain. Dr. Jenna Cook is an expert at identifying the cause of the injury and developing a treatment plan to get you going again Pain Free!

Feel free to call either of our clinics today for free information. SportCo Rehabilitation offers chiropractic, physical therapy, rehabilitation to the residents of Naperville, Oswego, Aurora, Yorkville, Montgomery and the surrounding areas.