Tag Archives: foot pain

Treatment Options for Achilles Tendinitis

November 8, 2023 Teresa Stockton - Ankle, Blog, Foot

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body. It connects your calf muscles to your heel bone and is used when you walk, run, and jump. Although the Achilles tendon can withstand great stresses from running and jumping, it is also prone to tendinitis, a condition associated with overuse and degeneration. Achilles Tendinitis causes pain along the back of the leg near the heel. If you suffer from Achilles Tendinitis – try these pain relief methods.

Treatment Options for Achilles Tendinitis

REST: Cut back your training by decreasing your mileage and intensity. Also, avoid hills and speedwork. You may substitute running with swimming, running in water, and biking to reduce the irritation.

ICE: Apply ice to the affected area for 10 to 20 minutes with at least one hour between applications. Do not apply ice directly to your skin – a pillowcase or dish towel works well as a protective barrier. Frozen peas or reusable gel packs are flexible and conform well to the injured area.

PROPER FOOTWEAR/ORTHOTICS: This situation can be corrected with arch supports or custom orthotics. Orthotics allow your foot to maintain the correct position throughout the gait. Avoid walking barefoot and wearing flat shoes. If your pain is severe, your doctor may recommend a walking boot or to cast you for a short time. This gives the tendon a chance to rest before any therapy is begun.

NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEDICATION: Drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen reduce pain and swelling. They do not, however, reduce thickening.

PHYSICAL THERAPY: Achilles tendinitis can be a painful, chronic condition if left untreated. Physical therapists may use stretching, massage, custom orthotics, strengthening, and/or balance activities to help your body relieve pain and heal.

CORTISONE INJECTIONS: Cortisone, a type of steroid, is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication. Cortisone injections into the Achilles tendon are rarely recommended because they can cause the tendon to rupture (tear).

8 Tips for an Enjoyable Bike Ride

May 3, 2023 Teresa Stockton - Blog, General Information

Optimizing your bike and clothing isn’t just for competitive racers. Even if you’re just looking to ride a few miles recreationally, you can be more comfortable and have more fun by following our tips for a more enjoyable bike ride!

1. Check Tire Pressure
If your tires are too soft, you have a much higher chance of “pinching” a tube, causing a flat. Low pressure also increases rolling resistance, making it more difficult for you to ride at a normal speed. Check the sidewall of your tires for recommended pressure range; it doesn’t need to be at the maximum, but be sure it’s at or above the minimum.

2. Seat Angle
Everyone has a different preference on exact seat angle and position, but it should be roughly level. Deviations of 1-2 degrees up or down are OK, but don’t point up or down too much. This can place unnecessary pressure on pelvic soft tissue or the hands/wrists.

3. Seat Height
An old belief about seat height was that you must be able to touch the ground with both feet when sitting on the saddle. If you are very new to cycling, this does improve your ability to stay upright at very slow speeds. A seat that is too low, can put excess pressure on your knees and back, making it less efficient. A “proper” seat height has the knee at about 30 degrees of bend at the lowest point in the pedal stroke.

4. Stay Hydrated
Carry water with you on any ride longer than 30 minutes (shorter in hot conditions). You can use a backpack-style hydration pack, or a simple water bottle and cage. Almost all bicycles have bolts to hold a water bottle cage. Whichever method you choose, get familiar with it and get in the habit of using it often.

5. Know How to Change a Tube
Carry the items needed to replace a tube in the event of a flat tire. Your local bike shop can help you with choosing these items. These can all be carried in a bag under your seat. You don’t need to be Nascar pit-crew-fast at it, but you want to know how to fix a flat tire so you don’t end up stranded.

6. Like Lycra
Very few people think of bike shorts as a good fashion statement. However, if you’re riding more miles, especially in warm weather, they provide comfort that can’t be matched with basketball or running shorts.

7. Be Visible
Along with the bike shorts, make sure your t-shirt or jersey is a bright color that will keep you visible in traffic. If there is a chance you’ll be riding near or in darkness, be sure to have at least a rear and preferably also a front light on your bicycle.

8. Riding Shouldn’t Hurt
Sure, if you’re looking to get a hard workout or ride fast, your legs will feel the burn. However, if your body and bike are working together properly, riding shouldn’t cause any joint pain. If you can’t ride without getting neck, back, hip, or knee pain, consider having a professional look at either your body or your bike fit. Better yet, have a physical therapist who is versed in bike fitting address both at the same time. The answer to most aches and pains is rarely just in one area (bike fit or bodywork), and a combined approach will usually work best for alleviating pain and getting the most out of your ride.

Let Physical Therapy help you before your pain turns into an injury.

What an ache tells you:
• It’s the first clue your body is telling you something is wrong.
• Your body can accommodate the ache, but eventually, a breakdown will happen.
• While you accommodate to your ache, weakness, and lack of flexibility start.
• Once you have a breakdown, the pain will begin, and more than likely you will stop doing the activities you currently enjoy.

How physical therapy can help prevent sports injuries:
• Modify exercise routines when you have a minor ache and pain (This does not always mean you need to stop exercising!)
• Get assessed for weakness and flexibility issues to address biomechanical deficits.
• Educate on faulty or improper posture or body mechanics during exercise
• Educate and help with techniques on exercises that help your muscles stretch farther. Flexibility training helps prevent cramps, stiffness, and injuries, and can give you a wider range of motion.
• Correct muscle imbalances through flexibility and strength training.
• Alleviate pain.
• Correct improper movement patterns.

Common Cycling-related pain and injuries that Physical Therapy can treat:
•  Low Back Pain
•  Neck Pain
•  Foot numbness
•  Shoulder pain
•  Muscle strains
•  Hand pain/numbness

This information about having a more enjoyable bike ride was written by Advanced Physical Therapy, a physical therapy group that uses progressive techniques and technologies to stay on the forefront in their field. Their staff is committed to providing patients with advanced healing techniques. For more information click here.

Struggling with an ache, pain, or simply need help getting your bike fitted? Our team can help make sure you get the most out of your time on your bike!

Physical Therapy For Plantar Fasciitis Pain

April 26, 2023 Teresa Stockton - Blog, Foot

Does your foot or heel hurt with the first step in the morning? Does your foot hurt when you get up from sitting or driving for long periods of time? If the answer is yes, you may have plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the most common type of foot pain. Plantar fasciitis is the irritation or inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a thick dense connective tissue that attaches to the heel and ball of the foot. A related problem is a heel spur which is extra bone that may grow from the heel bone. This is in response to the plantar fascia being tight or inflamed, thus pulling on the heel bone.

Inflammation and microtears occur more commonly in sports that involve running, long-distance walking, dancing, tennis, basketball, and in non-athletes who spend long periods of time walking on unyielding surfaces. Patients with pes planus and heel pronation have an increased likelihood of developing plantar fasciitis because of the increased tension on the plantar fascia caused by these anatomic features. A tight gastrocnemius can result in heel pronation thereby making plantar fasciitis more likely. Cavus feet with relative rigidity also place more stress on the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia also tends to become more rigid with age making it less effective as a shock absorber and more likely to develop microtears.

Common Causes of Plantar Fasciitis:

Too Rapid of an Increase in Exercise Program.
Change in Lifestyle (Active to more Sedentary) Causing Sudden Weight Gain or Sedentary to Active.
Muscle Tightness and/or Weakness.
Poor Biomechanics (movement) at the Foot and Ankle.
Inadequate Cushioning in Shoes or Inadequate Shoes.
Occupation with prolonged weight bearing on Hard Surfaces.

Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms:

People with plantar fasciitis complain of searing pain at the point of the fascias insertion into the calcaneus. This pain is at its worst with the first few steps upon arising in the morning or after a sustained period of being off their feet. The plantar fascia origin is often extremely tender to palpation. Pain is also increased after long periods of walking, climbing stairs or doing toe raises.

For Plantar Fasciitis Pain Relief at Home – Try These Stretches:

Frozen Can Roll
Take a frozen food can and roll your foot forwards and back.

Towel Grab
Grab and pick up a towel or dishcloth using only your toes.

Finding Plantar Fasciitis Relief with Physical Therapy:

Physical Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis

Physical therapy evaluation generally reveals an antalgic gait pattern especially when first beginning to walk. Often foot is pronated, gastrocnemius is shortened and there is severe pain with palpation of the inferior, medial heel. Most people can experience relief in just a few sessions. However, the longer the pain remains untreated, the longer it will take to heal. It can even become so chronic in some cases other non-conservative treatments are deemed necessary. If you are experiencing symptoms similar to the ones listed earlier you may have plantar fasciitis. If you are diagnosed with plantar fasciitis physical therapy can help you resolve your pain.

Physical therapists take the time to educate each plantar fasciitis patient on how to prevent a recurrence of pain. They provide preventative stretching programs that can be done at home, instruct on what to look for when purchasing new shoes, and if necessary, help patients adapt their current lifestyle to prevent re-injury.

PT News

November 29, 2017 Teresa Stockton - Blog, PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

1. How to Deal with Chronic Joint and Muscle Pain
Written by the Therapy Team at Cornerstone Physical Therapy – Gahanna, OH

All of us have experienced pain and discomfort in the muscles and joints at some point, especially with age. In most cases, the use of over the counter medications, hot/cold packs and rest help resolve the problem. Read more

2. Pain at the Mall
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Northern Virginia

As the outside temperatures drop, people contemplating undertaking an exercise program often consider walking at the mall. Benefits include a controlled climate, an absence of traffic, security and easily available restrooms and water. Read more

3. Quality of Care in Rehab
Written by the Ian M. Campbell, DPT at Intermountain Physical Therapy – Boise, ID

What does quality care mean in rehabilitation? One can drive through their city and likely notice multiple physical therapy (PT) clinics. Some may be privately owned and operated, others run by local hospitals. Read more

PT News

September 26, 2017 Teresa Stockton - Blog, PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

1. Foot Pain in Dress Shoes
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics Physical Therapy – Northern Virginia

Have you ever had a long anticipated night on the town spoiled by sore feet? The source of your discomfort just might be those pretty shoes you have chosen to wear. Read more

2. Knee Pain… Could it be Patellar Tendinitis?
Written by the Therapy Team at Denali Physical Therapy – Anchorage, AK

What is Patellar Tendinitis?
The patellar tendon is a ligament that connects the shin bone to the patella that helps the muscles extend the knee. Read more

3. ARC Physical Therapy+ Expands with a New Clinic in Urbandale, Iowa
Written by the Therapy Team at ARC Physical Therapy – Urbandale, IA

ARC Physical Therapy+ is pleased to announce the opening of a new clinic in Urbandale, Iowa on September 25^th, 2017. This makes the third ARC Physical Therapy+ clinic in Iowa and the 18^th clinic across Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. Read more

Clinic Spotlight: PT & Me Therapists

March 23, 2017 Teresa Stockton - Blog, General Information

This month we are featuring stories from some of our PT & Me therapists. We asked them how they got into the awesome world of physical therapy and what they enjoy about it. These are their stories…

Name:
Kelly Wilson, PT, DPT at University Physical Therapy – 8 locations conveniently located throughout the New River Valley in Virginia

Why did you chose physical therapy as a career?
I took an anatomy class in high school with a teacher who absolutely changed my life. I could not get enough of the curriculum and wanted to learn more about how we work and how we can make ourselves better. I stayed after school one day to ask how I could learn about this topic forever. My teacher suggested that I look into physical therapy. I started shadowing a PT in my hometown and loved it! I was hooked!

What is your favorite thing about going to work each day?
I get to work with the absolute best people on the face of the planet.

Name:
Lea Ann Rumlin, PT, Clinic Owner at DeKalb Comprehensive Physical Therapy – Lithonia, Georgia

Why did you chose physical therapy as a career?
I had an opportunity to observe a PT in high school and found it was very interesting. I thought it was cool to observe a diverse variety of ailments in people.

What is your favorite thing about going to work each day?
I’ve been doing physical therapy for a long time, but it still feels new. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to help people.

Name:
Wendy Richards, MSPT, DPT at Port City Physical Therapy – Portland, Maine

Why did you chose physical therapy as a career?
I wanted to be in a helping profession. Growing up in rural Maine most of the careers were either in healthcare or nursing. That is why I was drawn to physical therapy. I especially liked the stroke patient rehab and spinal rehab aspect of it. Helping people with paralysis was especially fulfilling.

What is your favorite thing about going to work each day?
I enjoy working in a team environment. Working in an outpatient climate and helping patients to get better. Being able to resolve their limitations and improve their lives.

Name:
Jocelyn Zolna-Pitts, PT, Director at Metro Spine & Sports Rehabilitation – Chicago, Illinois

Why did you chose physical therapy as a career?
It combined my interest of medicine with sports. I was always interested in medicine and helping others.

What is your favorite thing about going to work each day?
The daily satisfaction of watching people get better. The challenge and variety of problems patients face and solving their problems through critical thinking with them. I enjoy the fact that you get to play every day at work and it’s a lot of fun!

Seeing a Physical Therapist After an Accident

March 7, 2017 Teresa Stockton - Back, Blog, Neck

Anyone who has been involved in an accident and is now struggling to cope with a resulting injury should seriously consider visiting a physical therapist. The documented benefits of physical therapy are numerous, and in many cases physical therapists are able to greatly improve their patients’ quality of life. Whether you are mildly hurt or are suffering from a long-term debilitating injury, read on to learn what physical therapy is, which types of accident injuries physical therapists commonly work with, and about the numerous benefits of physical therapy

What is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is a type of rehabilitation aimed at bringing injured patients back up to their optimal level of health via various treatments and exercises. Physical therapists create patient specific plans designed to enable the patient to perform their daily tasks at the highest possible level of function. While a physical therapist will set different goals for different patients, common goals of therapy include:

Improving physical function and movement
Decreasing/managing the patient’s pain
Preventing re-injury
Increasing the patient’s strength, endurance, range of motion and flexibility

Wondering how physical therapy helps achieve these goals? While different therapists may approach these goals in slightly different ways, physical therapy programs rely mostly on progressive exercises and manual therapy in order to reach a patient’s goals. For example, a therapist will generally start you out with simple stretches and gradually work towards more challenging exercises tailored to suit your injury, limitations, and recovery goals. Additionally, manual therapy, such as soft tissue mobilization and joint mobilization, can help decrease a patient’s pain, reduce swelling, and restore motion.

Accident Injuries that Physical Therapists Commonly Work With

While physical therapists are well equipped to assist patients with minor as well as serious injuries, many people who visit a physical therapist in Houston do so because of a long-term debilitating injury that they suffered as a result of a boat, truck, or car accident. For example, physical therapists commonly work with patients who have been involved in an accident and are suffering from:

Back and neck pain
Arm and shoulder pain
Leg and knee pain
Foot and ankle injuries
Hand injuries
Decreased range of motion

The Benefits of Physical Therapy

Individuals who are injured in an accident often find that attending physical therapy improves their well-being in a number of different ways. While each case and each patient are different, the benefits commonly associated with physical therapy include:

Pain Management: Many people who are injured in an accident attend physical therapy primarily in order to reduce or eliminate the pain caused by whiplash, disc herniation, fractures, and other injuries. The therapeutic exercises and manual therapy techniques utilized by physical therapists are often able to help reduce a patient’s pain and allow them to rely less on pain medication.
Can Help Avoid Surgery: In some circumstances physical therapy has been known to help a patient avoid having surgery altogether. This can be beneficial as surgeries sometimes involve a lengthy recovery, not to mention the inherent risk of undergoing the surgery itself.
Quickens Recovery: Individuals who attend physical therapy after an accident often recover much faster than they otherwise would have. Additionally, these individuals also tend to ultimately achieve better range of motion and muscle strength than those with comparable injuries who did not attend rehab.
Helps Prevent Chronic Pain: People injured in car accidents often suffer from chronic pain and other symptoms long after the accident occurred. Additionally, some car accident injuries, if left untreated, will worsen over time. Fortunately, accident victims who promptly attend physical therapy tend to experience much less chronic pain than they otherwise would.

Of course, if you have been injured in a wreck due to another person’s negligence, you may wish to speak with a car accident lawyer for help. Indeed, an attorney can help advocate on your behalf to ensure you receive the compensation necessary to pay for your recovery.

Can Your Feet Cause Pain in Your Knee, Hip or Back?

February 23, 2017 Teresa Stockton - Back, Blog, Foot, Hip, Knee

Can your feet cause pain in other areas of the body? Yes it can. The foot is an arch and arches decrease compressive forces by distributing them across the span of the arch. Engineers use arches in building and bridges to hold up greater weight across longer spans. The human foot has 3 arches that all work together to distribute the forces our bodies put on it. This allows us to walk, run and jump.

We start running into problems when the arch is either too flat or too high – causing the forces put through the foot to be abnormally distributed, resulting in strain.

Flat feet limit the range of motion of our ankle, causing our hips to rotate inward and move towards the center of our body.
High arches do the opposite to our hip joints.
These changes cause strain to our ankle, knee and hip joints, and our back.

People can be unaware that their feet cause pain throughout the body because they were born with flat feet or high arches and they do not know what “normal” feels like. As physical therapists we have treated many children who didn’t realize that their feet are not supposed to be sore. But instead of seeing them for prescribed foot pain, they come for pain in their joints or back.

Orthotics were developed to correct or adapt to changes in the foot. Orthotics should be fitted by a healthcare professional trained in assessing the foot and gait. Standing on a pressure plate in the store is not good enough. Why? If your foot hurts are you going to stand on it normally? Probably not. This results in an abnormal reading.

An orthotic by itself is not the best treatment. A physical therapist will assess your function, strength, flexibility and range of motion. Patients will present with other problems as the result of abnormal arches. Treatment with orthotics combined with strengthening and stretching exercises, balance training, functional training and manual therapy is necessary to restore full function.

Work Related Stress & Increased Risk Zones: Part 1 of 2

January 10, 2017 Teresa Stockton - Blog, Industrial Rehab

INCREASED RISK ZONES
All Risks Increase with Duration, Frequency and Magnitude.

• Excessive Force

• Repetition of Activity (Can irritate tendons and increase pressure on nerves)

• Awkward Posture (Can compress nerves and irritate tendons)

• Sustained Static Posture (Can restrict blood flow and damage muscles)

• Unsupported Positions

• Motion (Increased speed or acceleration when bending / twisting, can increase the amount of force exerted on the body)

• Compression (Grasping sharp edges like tool handles, can concentrate force on small areas of the body, reducing blood flow and nerve transmission, and damaging tendons and tendon sheaths)

• Inadequate Recovery Time (Overtime, lack of breaks, & failure to vary tasks)

• Vibration of Tools (From vibrating tools, can decrease blood flow, damage nerves, and contribute to muscle fatigue)

• Whole Body Vibration (From driving trucks or operating subways, can affect skeletal muscles and cause low-back pain)

• Effects of Temperature (Cold temperatures can adversely affect a worker’s coordination and manual dexterity while Heat stroke can be very serious as when the body becomes unable to control its temperature, it rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down.)

• Environment (Slip/Fall hazard-Uneven Floor Surfaces)

• Material Handling Guidelines:
Weight Loading over 50lbs
Lift Speed greater than 5/minute
Vertical Lift Exceeds 3ft
Carry over 1 minute
Sustained Push/Pull over 30 seconds
Static reach holding tasks over 1 minute

Part two of our Work Related Stress & Increased Risk Zones can be found here

Sources:
1) Ergonomics: The Study of Work, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA 3125, 2000 (Revised)
2) T. R. Waters, “Manual Materials Handling”, in: Physical and Biological Hazards of the Workplace 2nd. Edited by P. Wald and G. Stave. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2002.
3) Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) © Fit2WRK 2015 R.Gagne

PT News

November 29, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

2. Kick the Pain of Gout
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Middleburg, VA

In this age of gyms on every corner and fitness-focused reality television shows and entire networks, it’s easy to think of a high-impact workout as a panacea for all kinds of physical ailments. Read more

3. Four Ways to Make Holiday Travel Pain Free
Written by Therapy Team at Momentum Physical Therapy – San Antonio, TX

‘Tis the season for holiday travel. The hustle and bustle is unavoidable with people moving through airports, piling into traffic, and some even traveling by bus to reach their destination. Read more

Treatment Options for Achilles Tendinitis

Let Physical Therapy help you before your pain turns into an injury.

Common Causes of Plantar Fasciitis:

Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms:

For Plantar Fasciitis Pain Relief at Home – Try These Stretches:

Finding Plantar Fasciitis Relief with Physical Therapy:

Physical Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis

More Articles about Plantar Fasciitis Physical Therapy: