Lonestar Foot & Ankle Group

01/08/2025

Can Plantar Fasciitis Be Cured? | Plantar Fasciitis Heel Pain

Do you have a sharp pain on the bottom of your foot near your heel when you first step down in the morning? The number one cause of heel pain in the US is a condition called Plantar Fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a soft tissue structure in the bottom of all of our feet that connects from the the heel bone to the bottom of all five toes. The plantar fascia works like a bowstring to help stabilize the arch. As we walk, all of our arches fall naturally. This is called pronation and acts as a built in shock absorber for our feet. As the arch falls, it puts an increased stretch on the plantar fascia. Plantar Fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia tissue tears away from the heel bone. This is not typically a complete tear, but very small micro tears. This creates an inflammatory response and pain.

The treatment of Plantar Fasciitis is to heal the tear and get the soft tissue structure to grow back onto the heel bone. Here are the top seven things to try to help get rid of Plantar Fasciitis:

Activity Modification - Running, dancing and any type of weight bearing exercises and working out should be modified or stopped. Rest your foot, put it up and sit as much as possible.
Supportive Shoes - Some examples of supportive shoes can be found here at HealthyFeetStore.com. These shoes should be worn from the time you wake up until you go to bed.
Arch Supports - These will help preserve or slow down arch collapse (pronation) which will reduce the work load on the fascia. Some great arch supports can be found at HealthyFeetStore.com.
Night Splint - A splint that you wear at night while you sleep is called a night splint. It helps hold your foot at a 90 degree angle to your leg. This is the position you want the fascia to heal in. This will also help reduce that painful first step out of bed in the morning. You can purchase a night splint at HealthyFeetStore.com.
Anti-inflammatory Medication - Typically over the counter medicines like Motrin or Advil (dosage as directed on the bottle) will help with inflammation.
Ice - 3x per day helps reduce inflammation, you can even use a frozen water bottle and roll your foot back and forth on it.
Calf Stretches - Lightly stretch your calf muscles, as it reduces tension through the fascia and Achilles.
Although this condition can last for awhile and unfortunately, come and go with time, it is common and does respond well to the suggestions above. For more severe cases, there are some things that your Podiatrist may try which include steroid injection, shock wave or laser therapies and even, surgery.

01/08/2025

We will follow the City of Granbury offices closures for Thursday January 9, 2024- if they are closed, we will be closed. Please call if you have an appointment to ensure that we are seeing patients. :)

10/16/2024

Our beloved Christy is undergoing open heart surgery. Please consider providing her and her family with meals after this recovery.

Christy is the most caring person and always looking to help others when they are in need. She and her family are going through a big surgery to give her a perfectly functioning heart. Her recovery is going to be difficult for her because she isn't one to rely on others and always wants to take care...

05/27/2024

To the ones who gave it all and to their families, thank you- God bless you 💜

Jesus and the American soldier, the first died for our soul, the 2nd died for our freedom. Thank both of them today!

04/17/2024

We spend so much of our lives on our feet, whether it is at work or during our favorite hobbies or activities. After a while, it can take a toll on our bodies, specifically the legs and feet. This leads many people to go through even more discomfort, especially if they have flat feet or high arch feet. While these two conditions are common, they can be extremely difficult to deal with.

The most common foot type is a mild flatfoot. Flat feet occur when there is not enough arch in the foot which provides very little support, and can increase with more exposure to weight-bearing activities. It occurs from multiple reasons including genetics, injuries, tendon problems, shoe gear, and systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes.

When a patient with a flatfoot stands, the rearfoot can tend to roll in and if severe, the ankle, knee, and hip can also start to rotate inward. In some cases, this type of foot can result in bunions, hammertoes, Achilles tendinitis, inside ankle pain, arch pain, and plantar fasciitis. If you have any of these problems, they can typically be addressed by a supportive orthotic, which is a removable arch support that fits into your shoes.

High-arched feet, also known as "cavus feet", is a condition where the foot's arches are unnaturally high and put extra pressure on the ball and heel of the foot when walking or standing. The high arched foot tends to roll outwards, which can lead to foot instability and the increased risk of ankle sprains and other conditions.

Athletes with high arches should pay extra attention to their lower limbs with this foot structure because it is not the best for absorbing shock, as a raised midfoot can be more prone to overuse injuries. This type of foot can result in neuromuscular diseases, hammertoes, painful calluses, ball of foot pain, and recurrent ankle sprains. An orthotic can be used to cushion and reduce the pressure on the outside of the ankle to prevent further ankle sprains.

If you have a condition that is causing you concern, make an appointment with your podiatrist to check your gait and get a diagnosis of your condition and its underlying causes. They can assess any arch issues you may be dealing with and try to cushion your arch with either support or absorption of shock, in order to reach optimum performance.

03/13/2024

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01/15/2024

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10/31/2023

Ready to wish you and yours a happy trick or treat costume day! We love all of you!

-Lonestar Foot & Ankle girls!