Common Foot Pain Problems, Conditions and Treatments

Spring and summer is a beautiful time around Fresno, Visalia and the rest of the Central Valley and a great opportunity to take hikes around Yosemite, go for walks on the many trails or around the parks, and generally explore the beauty everywhere.  Enjoying the vast beauty can become painful and onerous by common foot conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis and Heal Spurs.


Over the years The Bone Store’s kind, courteous and knowledgeable staff has helped many people, from Sacramento to Los Angeles and all over California,   with a vast array of painful foot problems with their large selection of foot orthotics and footwear, accompanied with several other products that benefit your wellness needs. As this month’s guest blogger for avecinia wellness center, the experts at The Bone Store explain the most common foot conditions, causes and available treatments so you can truly enjoy the coming months!  And remember to check out their April special- up to 30% off Orthotic/Arch Support Sandals!

Plantar Fasciitis 

Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation caused by excessive stretching of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a broad band of fibrous tissue which runs along the bottom surface of the foot, attaching at the bottom of the heel bone and extending to the forefoot. When the plantar fascia is excessively stretched, this can cause plantar fasciitis, which can also lead to heel pain, arch pain, and heel spurs.

Cause


Plantar Fasciitis often leads to heel pain, heel spurs, and/or arch pain. The excessive stretching of the plantar fascia that leads to the inflammation and discomfort can be caused by the following:

• Over-pronation (flat feet) which results in the arch collapsing upon weight bearing
• A foot with an unusually high arch
• A sudden increase in physical activity
• Excessive weight on the foot, usually attributed to obesity or pregnancy
• Improperly fitting footwear

Over-pronation (flat feet) is the leading cause of plantar fasciitis. Over-pronation occurs in the walking process, when a person's arch collapses upon weight bearing, causing the plantar fascia to be stretched away from the heel bone.


With Plantar Fasciitis, the bottom of your foot usually hurts near the inside of the foot where the heel and arch meet. The pain is often acute either first thing in the morning or after a long rest, because while resting the plantar fascia contracts back to its original shape. As the day progresses and the plantar fascia continues to be stretched, the pain often subsides.

Treatment and Prevention

The key for the proper treatment of plantar fasciitis is determining what is causing the excessive stretching of the plantar fascia. When the cause is over-pronation (flat feet), an orthotic with rear-foot posting and longitudinal arch support is an effective device to reduce the over-pronation and allow the condition to heal.


If you have usually high arches, which can also lead to plantar fasciitis, cushion the heel, absorb shock and wear proper footwear that will accommodate and comfort the foot.
Other common treatments include stretching exercises, plantar fasciitis night splints, wearing shoes that have a cushioned heel to absorb shock, and elevating the heel with the use of a heel cradle or heel cup. Heel cradles and heel cups provide extra comfort, cushion the heel, and reduce the amount of shock and shear forces placed during everyday activities.


Every time your foot strikes the ground, the plantar fascia is stretched. You can reduce the strain and stress on the plantar fascia by following these simple instructions: Avoid running on hard or uneven ground, lose any excess weight, and wear shoes and orthotics that support your arch to prevent over-stretching of the plantar fascia.

Heel Spurs

The heel bone is the largest bone in the foot and absorbs the most amount of shock and pressure. A heel spur develops as an abnormal growth of the heel bone. Calcium deposits form when the plantar fascia pulls away from the heel area, causing a bony protrusion, or heel spur to develop. The plantar fascia is a broad band of fibrous tissue located along the bottom surface of the foot that runs from the heel to the forefoot. Heel spurs can cause extreme pain in the rear-foot, especially while standing or walking.

Cause


Heel spurs develop as an abnormal growth in the heel bone due to calcium deposits that form when the plantar fascia pulls away from the heel. This stretching of the plantar fascia is usually the result of over-pronation (flat feet), but people with unusually high arches (pes cavus) can also develop heel spurs. Women have a significantly higher incidence of heel spurs due to the types of footwear often worn on a regular basis.

Treatment and Prevention

The key for the proper treatment of heel spurs is determining what is causing the excessive stretching of the plantar fascia. When the cause is over-pronation (flat feet), an orthotic with rearfoot posting and longitudinal arch support is an effective device to reduce the over-pronation, and allow the condition to heal.


Other common treatments include stretching exercises, losing weight, wearing shoes that have a cushioned heel that absorbs shock, and elevating the heel with the use of a heel cradle, heel cup, or orthotic. Heel cradles and heel cups provide extra comfort and cushion to the heel, and reduce the amount of shock and shear forces experienced from everyday activities.


Always remember, if these problems persist, consult your primary care physician or foot doctor (podiatrist).

Warm weather is right around the corner and The Bone Store would like to assist each and every one of you with proper foot care with their April promotion. During the month of April, purchase a pair of our Orthotic/Arch Support Sandals and receive up to 30% off select styles. There are several foot conditions that can hinder and interfere with the many enjoyable activities and vacations that families will be embarking on in the upcoming months.

If your feet don’t feel good, you don’t feel good. Experience healthy feet, let The Bone Store assist you. 

 

The Bone Store is located at 343 E Shaw Avenue, Fresno (Ph: 559-226-7500) and at 5410 W Cypress, Suite 101, Visalia (Ph: 559-739-7500).

For daily updates on news, information and more on health care and wellness, join avecinia wellness center's facebook page (facebook.com/avecinia) and follow avecinia on twitter (twitter.com/avecinia4health). avecinia wellness center is Fresno's premier integrative medicine and wellness center. We combine internal medicine and primary care with health management, weight management, acupuncture, aesthetics (Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Obagi and more) and massage therapy for a holistic approach to health. We use a robust electronic health record program and patient web portal to enhance our delivery of services and to help our patients reach their optimal well-being. To learn more, visit www.avecinia.com. If you are looking for a primary care doctor in Fresno or the Central Valley and would like to become a part of the avecinia family, visit our website and click on new patient registration. Let Dr. Unaiza Hayat and/or Ali Kunkel, MPA, PA-C, become your trusted guides. Our Aesthetic, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Health Management and Massage Therapy services do not require us to be your primary care physician. Learn more at www.avecinia.com We look forward to meeting you!

Beauty Isn't Just Skin Deep!

What is between 16 and 21 feet,  hosts up to 50 million different living organisms and some parts regenerate every 27 days?  Your skin! 

Your skin is one of your most vital organs. It protects your inner organs from radiation, bacteria, and other harmful agent.  It reflects your physiological and psychological health, and can be the difference between a bad day, a good day and a great day.

The two most common skin problems, acne (both pubescent and adult) and sun damage/aging (wrinkles, discoloration, sunspots, cancer) have been around since the beginning of time. So have various skin protection and healing remedies.  Ancient Egyptians used soaps made from animal oil, vegetable oil and salts.  Fenugreek was used to create soothing face masks and Cleopatra used to bathe in milk to help exfoliate and rejuvenate her skin.  In ancient Greece, masks of honey were used to treat acne. Today, you can buy or make many of these ancient remedies or turn on the television to see the latest therapy.

What causes Acne?

Acne is a part of the normal pubescent experience. Some teens exhibit more acne than others because their body is creating more of the oils that trap bacteria (P.Acnes) residing in hair follicles in the skin.   This trapped bacteria continues to grow and produces the pimples, blackheads and whiteheads.  In much the same way, almost 50% of adult women and 25% of adult men experience acne as well.  A hormonal change, such as when starting a birth control pill, hormone imbalance due to stress and/or poor nutrition, or other factors are usually related to an increase in acne.  It’s important to remember though that there is no direct relationship between the food you eat and acne.  However, because the skin is the bodies largest organ, eating well keeps your skin healthy, just like any other organ.

Treating Acne!

Having acne can be stressful, treating it doesn’t have to be.  Once the root cause of acne is identified, treating it can be as simple as following the right plan for you.  Because acne starts by bacteria being collected deep in hair follicle roots, it’s important that any acne treatment utilized is able to penetrate deeply into the skin to get to this bacteria.   The next important step is to help the skin control how much oil is produced/applied and trapped on the skin.  The sebaceous glands produce oil and overactive ones produce more.  In some cases, certain cosmetics include excess oil that is then trapped in follicles as well.  A good cleanser can help control how much oil is present on the skins surface and how much gets trapped in the hair follicles.  However, you don’t want  a cleanser that simply over dries your skin. Oils are essential to helping your skin look and feel healthy.

I look too old for my age!

If acne isn’t the issue but skin discoloration, sunspots and the appearance of fine lines and the development of wrinkles has you looking and feeling older than you are, then you may need something to help heal your skin.   If you spend a lot of time in sun, like to tan (outdoors or in a sun tanning bed), live in an area with poor air quality or a lot of pollution or smoke, free radicals associated with these environmental factors accelerate the skin’s aging process.  Free radicals are unstable molecules that attack nearby stable molecules to steal their electrons.  By stealing electrons, they create more unstable molecules, thus, for example in your skin, break down the collagen in your skin that normally gives you that youthful resilience.  Normally your body can develop anti-oxidants to help control free radicals but when excessive environmental factors overwhelm your system, your body needs help. 

Nature to the rescue!

One effective, natural way to battle excessive free radicals and the damage they cause is using Vitamin C.  Not only is Vitamin C a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, it is crucial to the production of collagen and therefore helps produce collagen where it has broken down. 

Sure you can eat a lot of Oranges to get your Vitamin C, but in order to effectively treat and reverse the breakdown of collagen and its effects on the skin, you have to be able to apply Vitamin C directly to the skin and let it be absorbed.  The best type of Vitamin C for this is stabilized ascorbic acid (you can tell how stable a Vitamin C serum is by seeing how quickly it oxidizes or becomes brown and crusty near the containers opening).  Serums can come in concentrations from 5% to 20%, with 5% being ideal for sensitive areas and 20% being the most effective at reducing brown spots, discoloration, fine lines and other signs of damage caused by free radicals.

How can avecinia wellness center help you?

We have developed two new services to help you address acne or the early signs of aging:

“Clear” is a combination therapy designed to diagnose and treat the cause of Acne.  We start with a 30 minute consultation session to understand your diet and nutrition habits and determine whether their might be an hormonal issue to address.  Then you get a combination treatment of 3 Obagi Radiance Treatments and a 3 month supply of Obagi Clenziderm Acne Treatment.  The Radiance and Clenziderm treatment work together to cleanse your skin of dead skin and bacteria and get you back on track to clear, smooth skin.  

“Glow” is a combination therapy designed to refresh and revitalize your skin. We start with 3 Obagi Radiance peels and a 20% Obagi Professional-C Serum.  Obagi’s Professional- C  Serum is rated by Allure as a “Beauty Best Buy” and is consistently rated as one of the best Vitamin C Serums available.  Obagi’s Professional C-Serum is specifically designed to be more stable and penetrate deeper into your skin to help reduce the visible and not so visible signs of aging.  The “Glow” package also comes with Obagi’s new SPF 50 sun protection moisturizer to help you protect your new, refreshed skin.  The sun screen protects you from both UVA and UVB particles as the Professional C Serum corrects damage caused by free radicals and repairs collagen.

Call us today to come in and find out what may work best for you!  Starting a healthy skin care regimen now can get you the healthy, beautiful skin you want before the summer!

Visit our website at www.avecinia.com to see our prices and our sales.  Call us today to make an appointment and be ready for a beautiful new you for the summer! This article was reviewed by Dr. Unaiza Hayat, MD.


For daily updates on news, information and more on health care and wellness, join avecinia wellness center's facebook page (facebook.com/avecinia) and follow avecinia on twitter (twitter.com/avecinia4health). avecinia wellness center is Fresno's premier integrative medicine and wellness center. We combine internal medicine and primary care with health management, weight management, acupuncture, aesthetics (Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Obagi and more) and massage therapy for a holistic approach to health. We use a robust electronic health record program and patient web portal to enhance our delivery of services and to help our patients reach their optimal well-being. To learn more, visit www.avecinia.com. If you are looking for a primary care doctor in Fresno or the Central Valley and would like to become a part of the avecinia family, visit our website and click on new patient registration. Let Dr. Unaiza Hayat and/or Ali Kunkel, MPA, PA-C, become your trusted guides. Our Aesthetic, Weight Management, Acupuncture, Health Management and Massage Therapy services do not require us to be your primary care physician. Learn more at www.avecinia.com We look forward to meeting you!