Plantars fasciitis is an inflammatory condition which affects approximately 10 per cent of us at one point or another in our lifetimes.
In this condition, the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot becomes inflamed as a result of tears at the microscopic level.
The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue that extends from the heel of the foot towards the toes.
It is found in both the sedentary and athletic population but is most commonly associated with people with a large body mass index.
People who have recently gained a lot of weight or mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy are often affected.
This condition is associated with a sharp, knife-like pain situated on the underside of the heel and is reported to be most intense than the first hour of the day, or immediately after getting out of bed.
My patients will describe it as if a knife was being pushed into the bottom of the heel when standing on the effected foot. It is a very debilitating condition that rarely gets better if left unattended.
One of the functions of the plantar fascia is to maintain the arch of the foot.
When we stand, gravity tends to splay out the foot thereby stressing the arch. This places traction on the plantar fascia and the resultant pain is experienced as this fascia tends to try to pull away from your heel bone, or calcaneus. This is why it is relieved by sitting or lying down.
I have had an enormous amount of success in treating plantars fasciitis by the application of Low Intensity Laser Therapy.
The use of this therapeutic modality reduces the inflammation and removes any aberrant scar tissue in addition to establishing a new capillary network or blood supply to the area that is affected.
This allows the structure to heal naturally without any untoward side effects or need for medication or surgery.
The use of ultrasound, heat therapy or cortisone injections to the area have not been demonstrated to be very ineffective in this debilitating condition, often allowing the malady to become worse over time.
I feel that they laser therapy is effective because it treats the very root or foundation of the problem—inflammation and lack of a proper blood supply to.
Within the confines of my clinic, I use not one, but three separate lasers, each having a very specific results within the injured tissues.
Not only is this therapeutic modality effective at reducing inflammation and scar tissue and re-establishing a proper blood supply to the area, but it also promotes activation of cells to produce more cellular energy.
In fact, all of our cellular energy comes from one type of cell called mitochondria. We have literally billions of these throughout her body.
Mitochondria is responsible for all of the energy our body uses at the cellular level.
Mitochondria produces a cellular fuel called adenosine triphosphate or, ATP. The application of the infrared laser has been demonstrated to stimulate these mitochondrial cells to produce an exponentially increased amount of ATP, saturating the injured area with energy to promote healing, allowing the remedy to be permanent.
Often when I mention laser therapy to people, they think of tattoo or hair removal. This laser, of which I speak, is a therapeutic laser.
It is non-thermal, meaning that the patient feels nothing except a heel that they can stand on once again without wincing or limping.
If you suffer from plantars fasciitis talk to your healthcare provider and get back on your feet once again.
