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 NOVEMBER 30, 2010 A Simple Stretch for Foot Pain If you have acute foot pain caused by plantar fasciitis, do this simple stretch and hand massage and you'll be back in action sooner than with shock-wave therapy. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel, and about 2 million patients seek treatments each year. More than 80% will improve within 10 months of starting simple treatment methods. According to a new study in the November 2010 Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, patients with acute plantar fasciitis (pain for less than six weeks) who perform manual stretching exercises may get better sooner than those who have shockwave therapy. A total of 102 patients were randomly assigned to two groups: one group performed stretches 3 times a day for 8 weeks, while the other group received 3 sessions of radial shock-wave therapy 3 times a week. Neither group had any physical therapy. After 2 and 4 month evaluations, two-thirds of the stretching group said they were totally satisfied with treatment or had minor reservations compared to only 29% of the shockwave therapy group. One of the study authors, John Furia, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon in Lewisburg, PA, suggests the earlier you learn how to perform the simple plantar fasciitis stretch, the less likely you will require a more invasive treatment. Shockwave therapy has been shown to be a very effective treatment for patients with chronic plantar fasciitis (pain for more than six to eight weeks), however acute cases are probably best treated with more simple measures, he says. How to do the stretch: In a seated position, cross your affected foot over the knee of your other leg. Grasp the toes of your painful foot and bring your ankle and toes up. Place your thumb along the plantar fascia, which is the elastic covering on the sole of the foot that runs the length of the foot, and rub it to stretch it. The fascia should feel like a tight band along the bottom of your foot when stretched. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds. Repeat it 10-20 times for each foot. |
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