Plantar tendonitis (foot pain) is caused by toe deformity! | Treatment, Self-Care and Prevention Methods to Heal Yourself

Commentary by a toe doctor

YOSHIRO YUASA
Keiro Yuasa

Dr. Toe, Director of Toe Research Institute, President of Japanese Society of Functional Foot and Toe Therapy, and developer of Halmek shoes. Former director, vice president, and medical director of General Hospital. He specializes in exercise physiology and anatomy. He is also a foot and shoe specialist and a leading expert in postural occlusion therapy. He has cured various orthopedic diseases (over 70,000 people) with toe therapy alone.

summary

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common conditions causing heel painIt is. It is related to inflammation of the plantar fascia, a tough, fibrous band of tissue that runs along the sole of the foot. The plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone (calcaneus) and the base of the toes. It plays an important role in supporting the plantar foot, cushioning the foot to absorb shock during walking, and utilizing the absorbed shock as energy for kicking off the foot.

Tension or stress in the plantar fascia increases when weight is placed on the foot (e.g., when bearing down). Tension also increases at the base of the toes and when kicking off the toes. Both of these movements occur during normal walking and running.Overuse or time with deformed toes causes the fascia to lose elasticity and resilience, which is stimulated by daily lifeThere are times when

You can usually relieve the pain yourself, but if your heel or foot pain does not improve within two weeks, read this article.

cause

The plantar fascia is designed to absorb the heavy loads placed on the foot when walking, running, or playing sports. However, too much pressure can damage or tear the tissue. The body's natural response to damage is inflammation, which results in heel pain and plantar fasciitis stiffness.

Deformed toes (big toe, small toe, crooked toe, floating toe) orFlat feet, high arches, poor foot muscle strength, overweight or pregnant with a center of gravity that is more toward the heel, inadequate arch support, orWearing shoes with hard soles and inadequate heel support (shallow or soft heel counter)In some cases, the calf muscles may become stiff and put a great deal of stress on the plantar tendon membrane, causing plantar tendonitis.

Plantar Tendonitis and Toe Deformity

In fact, the cause of plantar fasciitis pain is "toe deformity. The plantar fascia is the tissue that fans out from the heel bone to the bones at the base of the five toes. The plantar fascia maintains the arch structure of the foot and, like a spring, absorbs shock under load.

It is important to note that the area to which the plantar tendon membrane attaches is the "toe".In other words, when the toes become "floating" or "crouched," the plantar muscles become stiff and the "heel bone area" and "toe base area" to which the muscles are attached remain pulled or excessively tense.

When muscles and other tissues become stiff, they cannot stretch and contract properly when walking, running, or jumping, and are forcibly pulled tight, causing small muscle tears around the heel bone where the plantar fascia attaches and around the base of the toes, causing pain.

In addition, how you wear your shoes can have a significant impact on plantar tendonitis. Be especially careful if you wear the following types of shoes

Shoes without heels or shoes with heels that easily come off will cause the feet to slip inside the shoes and unconsciously exert force on the toes to prevent the shoes from coming off. If this condition continues for a long period of time, the toes become deformed.If you try squeezing your toes while standing, you will notice that the muscles in your calves and thighs as well as in the soles of your feet become stiff. This leads to the symptoms of plantar fasciitis.

What causes deformed toes?

Unfortunately, most modern people have deformed toes due to the wrong choice of shoes and the way they wear them, and the foundation has collapsed. When the foot slips back and forth in shoes, the toes try to stop the slippage, resulting in hammertoes or floating toes. Socks and slippers can also cause the toes to bend.

In addition, the bones of the feet are straight, supported by many muscles, but most of the muscles are attached to the toes. Therefore, it is not well known in medical science that walking without functional use of the toes results in loss of muscle strength in the foot.

symptoms

Plantar fasciitis pain usually increases gradually and usually causes pain along the heel or sole of the foot.Pain may occur suddenly after stepping off a foot or jumping from a height. Symptoms may be most intense with the first step after getting out of bed or after sitting for an extended period of time. Symptoms may lessen during the day or after warming up, but may worsen after prolonged or strenuous activity. Pain may also appear more intense when barefoot or wearing shoes with minimal support.

Examination and Diagnosis

During the physical examination, the physician will palpate and press on the heel and other areas of the foot to assess for problems and to identify where pain is occurring. You may need to flex your foot and describe the sensations and pain you are feeling. The physician may ask you to walk to see if you are changing the way you walk to avoid foot pain.

An x-ray examination that produces images of the bones may be indicated to rule out other causes of foot pain, such as fatigue fractures. An ultrasound or MRI scan (both of which produce soft tissue images) can confirm the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, especially if non-surgical treatment has not yet relieved the pain. These imaging studies can also determine if nerve irritation or inflammation, rather than inflamed fascia, is causing the pain.

point

Heel spurs (osteophytes) can be seen on x-rays. Osteophytes in the heel may be the result of prolonged tension on the plantar fascia attachments (where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone). However, most people with heel bone spurs do not experience heel pain. Since heel bone spurs are not the cause of plantar fasciitis, plantar fasciitis pain can be treated without removal of the bone spurs. It may also resolve spontaneously once the overstretched or stretched plantar fascia is corrected.

medical treatment

Other conservative approaches include rest, massage, heat, icing, calf strengthening exercises, overweight or obese weight loss, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen. In addition, although the use of NSAIDs is common in the treatment of plantar fasciitis, their use does not relieve symptoms in an estimated 20% of patients.

Corticosteroid injections are sometimes used in cases of plantar fasciitis that have proven resistant to more conservative measures. Some data suggest that corticosteroid injections are effective for short-term pain relief for up to one month, but are ineffective beyond that time.

Another treatment method is known as plantar ionophoresis. In this method, anti-inflammatory substances such as dexamethasone or acetic acid are applied topically to the foot and an electric current is applied to transmit these substances through the skin. there is some evidence to support the use of a night splint for 1~3 months to relieve plantar fasciitis pain sustained for 6 months. Night splints are designed to hold the ankle in a neutral position and passively stretch the calf and plantar fascia during sleep.

All of these treatments have a temporary effect, but because they are symptomatic, they repeatedly recur.Self-care foot stretches are recommended to solve the root of the problem and prevent recurrence. In conjunction with this, it is also important to choose the right shoes and the right socks to prevent the feet from slipping in the shoes.

self-care

Approximately 901 TP3T of plantar fasciitis cases improve within 6 months with conservative treatment and within a year regardless of treatment. However, for those who play sports or do standing or strenuous work, they will want to improve as soon as possible.Foot stretching is one of the best treatments for plantar fasciitis.

In general, stretching should focus on the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, but many people find that their plantar fasciitis does not heal despite stretching and massage. There are two reasons for this.

1. Wrong treatment method to soften the muscles.
2. The causes of muscle stiffness have not been eliminated.

If the cause of plantar tendon and Achilles tendon stiffness is a toe deformity, the first stretch that should be performed is the toes.Foot stretching stretches the plantar muscles (such as the plantar fascia), which also strengthens the lower leg muscles and helps stabilize the ankle. Many patients see improvement in their plantar fasciitis symptoms within two to four weeks.

Hironoba Exercise, a stretch that stretches the plantar fascia

Try doing it once a day for 5 minutes; if you do not see any change in symptoms after trying it for 2 or 3 days, we recommend increasing the frequency to 2 or 3 times a day.

STEP 1Sit on a chair or on the floor and place one leg on the thigh.

Tilt knees down as far as possible
...to prevent the ankle from turning upward.
Place feet properly on the thighs

　

STEP1-2Look from above and make sure your feet are in the correct position!

The back of the foot should be turned in firmly.
The ankle should come out slightly from the thigh.
　

STEP2-1Put the fingers of your hand between your toes.

...Put the tip of one toe in the base of each finger.
Allow clearance at the base of the toes.

　

STEP2-2Check the position of the finger you put in.

I feel like only the tips of my toes ride on the base of my hands.
...and toes snugly against the base of the hand.

　

STEP2-3Don't put too many fingers in your hand.

Ideally, the toes should not protrude from the fingers.

　

gaffeBe careful not to get into the base of the foot.

...If you put your fingers in to the base of the toes, you will not be able to bend them properly.

　

STEP 3Gently hold the hand with the toes in it.

Hand comes to a little above the base of the toes.
Press the thumb of the foot lightly with the thumb of the hand.

　

gaffe

It is difficult to warp when the fingers of the hand are inserted all the way to the base of the foot.

　

STEP 4Turn your toes toward the instep.

Gently and slowly warp
Press your toes with the base of your hand.
Ideally, the toe joints should be at 90 degrees.
(Do not overdo it if you are stiff)
Once warped, hold for at least 5 seconds.
(If stiff, hold for 30 seconds)

　

STEP 5Turn your toes toward the instep.

Gently and slowly
Warp the back with the image of stretching the instep.
Press the sole of the foot lightly with the whole palm of your hand.
Once warped, hold for at least 5 seconds.
(Hold for 30 seconds if stiff)

　

STEP6 Repeat STEP4 and 5

After repeating STEP 4 and 5, turn the opposite leg in the same manner. It is OK if you can do both legs for at least 5 minutes; if you are stiff, it is more effective to do one leg for 10 minutes.

If it is difficult to do it yourself, have someone else do it for you.

Other Stretching

Calf Stretch
Lean against a wall with one knee extended and heel on the ground. Place the other leg in front of you and bend the knee. To stretch the calf muscles and heel cords, press the hips toward the wall in a controlled manner; hold that position for 10 seconds and relax. Repeat this exercise 20 times for each leg. You should feel a strong pull in the calf during the stretch.

Plantar fascia stretch
This stretch is performed in a seated position. Cross the affected leg over the knee of the other leg. Grasp the toe of the sore foot and pull it slowly toward you in a controlled manner. If the foot is difficult to reach, wrap a towel around the thumb of the foot to help pull the toe toward you. Place your other hand along the plantar fascia. As you stretch the fascia, it should feel like a tight band along the bottom of your foot. Hold the stretch for 10 seconds. Repeat this 20 times for each foot. This exercise is best done in the morning before standing or walking.

prevention

Plantar tendonitis is said to be caused by increased stress on the plantar tendon membrane (overuse) due to increased training and weight gain,Some people have no symptoms no matter how much training they do or how light their weight is.Therefore, there is no clear medical cause.

Flat feet, high arches, clubfeet, and loss of plantar strength and flexibility are also said to be the causes, all of which are the result of deformed toes.In other words, the fundamental prevention of recurrence is to restore the toes to their original state and allow them to function at their full potential.Although it is important to review the intensity and duration of training, I have seen many people give up sports due to lack of practice, failure to compete, or neglecting their toes and repeated relapses.

It is important to use insoles and taping to reduce the burden, and the hospital will probably recommend exercises to maintain and improve muscle strength, such as towel gathers, and relaxation exercises such as foot massages using bamboo stomps or golf balls, but first and foremost, toe stretching is I recommend it.

How to choose the right shoes

The most common cause of toe deformity is the choice of shoes and how they are worn.Many foot and back and other problems are caused by not using the toes properly. Choosing the right shoes is important to keep the toes moving while wearing shoes.

How to choose the right socks

Pure cotton and silk materials are slippery

There is a silken finish (or mercerization process). Silkette treatment is a process that gives silk-like luster to yarns, and involves soaking yarns in a caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) solution and stretching them like hand-pulled udon noodles to straighten the cross section of the yarns. It is overwhelmingly used mainly for cotton and silk fibers (cotton).

The cross-section of the cotton is aligned, coloration is improved, and fluff is suppressed when processed, giving it a luxurious appearance. It is smooth and slippery to wear, but as the words "smooth" and "slippery" suggest, it is easy for the feet to slip inside shoes and socks. In other words, it is a material that can easily cause deformation of the toes.

Of course, there are cotton and silk materials that are not silken, so choosing such materials is also an important factor in preventing plantar tendonitis.

Five-toed socks allow toes to function.

Common socks are also called tube socks, and most people around the world have this type of socks. It is a shape that has been used for many years, but the tube type makes it difficult to use the toes properly. For this reason, socks with five separate toes are better, but there are many different types of this type.

The most important thing is to make sure it fits your own feet just right.The socks should be worn with a soft, comfortable, and comfortable footwear. If the fingertips or instep area is loose, even a good 5-finger sock will "slip". On the other hand, 5-finger socks that fit too tightly and feel oppressive are not recommended, as they can impede blood circulation. It is important to find 5-toed socks that feel "comfortable" when you try them on.

There are more and more socks with corrective power, but when I tried them, I found that many of them press down more strongly than I expected. Particularly in the area of the arch of the foot.Supporting the arch is important, but arch structure is a property that can lose its function if it is lifted too stronglySo, be sure to choose an arch that is also not too oppressive.

When you take it off, you say, "Ha, that feels good!" then the pressure is too strong.This is the case.

YOSHIRO SOCKS for optimal support of plantar tendonitis

We have produced functional 5-finger socks made of cotton and silk and tried them on many patients in clinical settings, but we were unable to solve the problem of feet slipping in shoes and socks. Therefore, we spent two years working with a textile company to perfect the ideal fiber, and the corrective 5-toed socks "YOSHIRO SOCKS" were born.