Panama City Podiatrist tells of Treatments for Plantar Fasciitis

This article about plantar fasciitis appeared international several months ago

The plantar fascia is a fibrous, thick cord-like tissue that originates off the calcaneus or heel bone and fans out to attach to the surfaces of the foot bones (otherwise known as the arch of the foot).  Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammation of the plantar fascia, and it is stubbornly resistant to traditional treatments, including corticosteroid injections, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, orthotics, and surgery.  One podiatrist, Dr. Burton Schuler of Panama City, Florida, argues that it is difficult to treat since one major cause is frequently overlooked: a short first metatarsal bone (or Morton’s Toe) . This is the subject of his recent book, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, which details how a short first metatarsal bone can cause a range of physical ailments.

Morton’s Toe throws off the foot’s normal pronation, and this can result in inflammation of the plantar fascia ).  A Morton’s Toe can cause Plantar Fasciitis because the foot will be unstable when it needs to be stable, compensating for the instability by abnormally pronating.  Dr. Schuler’s commonly prescribed treatment, after 36 years of diagnosing Morton’s Toe and plantar fasciitis, is a common toe pad under the first big toe of each affected foot.  This pad realigns the foot from  abnormal pronation 

Schuler warns that a toe pad should be tried if one has Morton’s Toe and plantar fasciitis before one tries more complicated treatments such as injections or even surgery.  A recent study by Stephen Barrett, DPM and Susan Erredge, DPM, looked at various plantar fasciitis treatments.  They observed that injections of platelet concentrations (platelet-rich plasma) effective in the treatment of the disorder known as plantar fasciitis (http://www.prlog.org/11178891-chronic-plantar-fasciitis-treated-with-platelet-rich-plasma.html).

About the Author:  Dr. Burton S. Schuler foot doctor, foot specialist, podiatrist  of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center. He , graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since; and   is a leading authority on the Morton’s Toe,  Long Second Toe and it associated problems. He is the author of the newly published book about The Morton’s Toe, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In the Foot and is the story of how one bone in your foot could be the real reason for pains thru out your whole body. It is important because it offer the public new information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains, and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. It literally can be the “medical missing link”