Heel & Other Foot Pain Treatment

The treatment of heel and other foot pains of Chiropractic Health and Wellness Clinic offers effective and natural remedy with lasting benefits.

Dr David Liew’s passionate about providing affordable, non-drug, and non-invasive chiropractic treatment not just for foot problems but also painful conditions in all other areas of the body.

Foot pain

The foot is a complex structure with 33 joints, 26 bones and 100 ligaments, tendons, and muscles. As such, foot pain can be caused by misalignment of bones leading to muscle and other soft tissue damage.

Pain in the bottom of the foot

A sharp pain in the sole of the foot is frequently due to plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament caused by strain. The condition can be caused by overuse or badly-fitting shoes.

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:

• Stiffness of the foot, particularly on waking.
• Difficulty walking.
• Swelling or tenderness.

Without treatment, plantar fasciitis can lead to other complications – including tearing of tendons – that delay the healing process.

Chiropractic is an effective treatment for plantar fasciitis and the pain it causes, and Dr David Liew uses very precise techniques entailing chiropractic adjustments to reduce stress in the plantar fascia and encourage healing.

Pain in the top of the foot

Pain in the top of the foot can be mild to severe, depending on the cause. Your foot may hurt when walking or even standing still.

The most common causes of pain in the top of the foot is overuse through activities such as running.

Symptoms of problems in the top of the foot include:

• Numbness or a prickling sensation that can radiate into the legs.
• Weakness of the foot.

If left untreated, problems in the top of the foot can cause extensor tendonitis – inflammation of the extensor tendons used for flexing the foot. This issue can be extremely painful.

Dr David Liew can resolve the problem of top of the foot pain with gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments that’ll also improve the alignment of the bones in your foot.

Pain in the side of the foot

Lateral foot pain, which occurs on the outer edges of the feet, can make it difficult to walk, run or even stand.

There’re various causes of pain in the side of the foot, including a hairline stress fracture resulting from overuse or repetitive movements.

A low-risk hairline fracture will usually heal on its own with rest, so Dr David Liew won’t manipulate the bone. He can, however, ease the discomfort and fix the problems that may have contributed to the fracture in the first place.

Lateral foot pain may also be due to cuboid syndrome if you damage the ligaments or joints around the cuboid bone.

If your lateral foot pain is caused by a bunion, chiropractic adjustment techniques can be used to provide bunion pain relief.

Pain in the back of the foot – the heel

Heel problems are a common issue. However, heel pain isn’t typically caused by a one-off injury like a fall, but from repetitive stress on the heel.

If heel pain becomes severe and isn’t treated, it can result in a severely disabling condition.

Achilles tendonitis

Pain in the back of the heel is usually down to Achilles tendonitis – also known as tendinopathy or tendinosis. The infection of the Achilles tendon is a chronic condition that results in progressive degeneration of the tendon.

Indications of Achilles tendonitis include:

• Stiffness in the tendon.
• Severe pain after exercising.
• The tendon becomes thicker.

Dr David Liew treats Achilles tendonitis by improving movement in the foot and achieving a more balanced distribution of body weight.

Bursitis

Pain in the back of the heel can also be caused by bursitis, inflammation of the bursa fluid sac at the back of the heel bone. Bursitis can be triggered by too much running or walking.

Symptoms of heel bursitis include:

• Swelling.
• Tenderness.
• Fever or chills if the infection spreads.

Dr David Liew can use massage therapy for bursitis to lessen inflammation by breaking down scar tissue.

Once the condition is stabilised, chiropractic joint manipulation is effective in loosening the soft tissue to restore flexibility and ease friction on the bursa.

Ankle pain

Ankle pain can be a result of inflammation of tendons through injury, like a sprain, or a medical condition, such as arthritis.

Symptoms of ankle problems include:

• Difficulty in walking or bearing weight.
• Stiffness.
• Swelling.

A sprained ankle left untreated can leave the ligaments torn or stretched and lead to arthritis. Arthritis in the ankle can grow worse without treatment, becoming so painful that you can’t walk even short distances.

The good news is patients with ankle issues respond well to our chiropractic treatment, which includes manipulation of the foot to improve mobility of the joint.

Natural remedies for foot pain

Remedies for foot pain relief include:

• Rest.
• Ice.
• Elevation to reduce swelling.
• Exercises to correct posture.

Additional remedies for heel pain include:

• Putting an ice pack under the heel for up to 20 minutes.
• Wearing shoes with heels at least 2 cm high.
• Stretching exercises – using a towel looped around the foot to pull your toes towards the body.

However, home remedies like these, even when combined with anti-inflammatory drugs, won’t address the real issue like chiropractic can.

Chiropractic massage and manipulation provide heel and other foot pain relief

In providing foot pain relief, Dr David Liew will also improve the function of your foot by restoring flexibility of the muscles, particularly beneficial in protecting the plantar fascia.

Different chiropractic techniques, instruments, and exercises can be utilised to resolve the root cause of your foot pain to give you the best chance of a lasting recovery.

Effective foot pain treatments include:

Active release therapy

Active release therapy can precisely locate the exact spots causing your foot pain by using massage to shorten muscles and then hand pressure to stretch them.

Once the muscles are lengthened, Dr David Liew can assess whether the area is healthy or contains scar tissue. More tension can then be applied to areas of scarring, which is especially effective in removing an accumulation of scar tissue caused by plantar fasciitis.

Direct thrust

Another chiropractic technique for plantar fasciitis affecting the foot is the direct thrust method, which entails pressure from the hand or a small hand-held instrument.

As misalignment of any of the seven bones in the ankle can put stress on the plantar fascia, Dr David Liew uses the direct thrust technique to relieve that pressure by chiropractic adjustments to move these bones back into their proper position.

Shockwave therapy

Shockwave therapy stimulates the body’s natural healing ability to repair damaged muscles and tendons.

A machine is used to transmit waves of pressure – not electrical pulses – through the affected area to improve blood circulation and promote growth of blood vessels.

Plantar fasciitis treatment with shockwave therapy is reported to have a success rate of up to 90%.