Stand up for your feet

How often do you think about your feet? If you're like most people, you only think about them when they hurt. But your feet deserve a standing ovation for all the work they do.

In a lifetime, they carry the average person 70,000 miles. That's three times around the world! And together they absorb about 1,000 tons of force per day - much of it on hard pavement.

Four out of five adults eventually will suffer from foot problems. Some of the more common problems include metatarsalgia, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, and heel pain.

Physical therapy can be helpful in the treatment of many of these conditions. The goals of treatment are to reduce excessive stresses to the inflamed soft tissues, attempting to accelerate the healing of the involved tissues, restoring soft tissue and joint flexibility. By restoring muscle strength and planning a functional progression, it is hoped the patient can return to their desired activities.

These goals can be accomplished using a variety of methods. One recommendation might be to use specialized shoe inserts called orthotics. An orthotic distributes weight-bearing forces evenly across the bottom of the foot. This allows for decreased stress on the bones and soft tissues of the lower extremities. It also increases shock absorption and can control foot motion.

The Rehab Services departments at St. Mary's Hospital, St. Vincent Hospital and Prevea Clinic stock a variety of premolded orthotics, and have the ability to make adjustments to customize the fit as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for a variety of foot problems. As with all physical therapy services, a physician's referral is required prior to evaluation and initiation of treatment.