Why you get Flat Feet-Fallen Arches-Tired Feet, explains Doc

Everybody knows or has heard of “fallen arches”. The million dollar question is: why do we get fallen arches or flat feet  to start with?   

The Why:  Morton’s Toe   (Long Second Toe) causes fallen arches and flat feet. Dr. Dudley Morton wrote passionately about the true causes of fallen arches, tired feet and weak ankles in his article of 1928, and his books of 1935, 1939 and 1952. He had no doubt that all of these problems were caused by a unstable first metatarsal bone. He said there was a loss of stability at the arch when you had hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone. This loss of stability will then cause the arch to fall, tilt or collapse inwardly because it has less support than normal in keeping the arch up.

He said that once this collapsing starts toward the inside part of the foot, then a chain reaction begins to take place that can cause many problems of your foot, heel and ankle. The muscles of the ankle will attempt to fight off this unnatural inward titling or collapsing of the arch. But if the abnormal forces put upon the muscles at the ankle and at the arch are too great, then these muscles will become strained and exhausted. They will then start to hurt in their attempt to prevent the arch from collapsing and to maintain the balance of the feet.

This unsuccessful battle of trying to prevent the arch from collapsing by the muscles of the ankle is also a common cause of tired feet and weak ankles. Chronic ankle sprains can also be caused by this acquired instability at the ankle joint due to its battle of trying to prevent the arch from collapsing. This straining or exhausting of the muscles can also cause spasms at night.The good news is that these problems can be easily treated with a toe pad or a shoe insert. In reality, true “fallen arches” are a rare thing. In spite of the fact that the term is now used to refer to several foot problems, in actuality it means a total breakdown and substantial deformity of the foot. This severe condition is, in fact, a truly uncommon occurrence in our time.

 In other words if you do have hypermobility at the first metatarsal bone, you will have improper weight bearing, and in turn, will lose the stability needed in supporting the arch. This is the real reason why our arches fall causing flat feet.

How many times in your life have you heard the term “fallen arches” and had no idea what it really meant? Now, the next time you are sitting around with friends or family and someone mentions fallen arches, you can impress the heck out of him by saying , “Did you know that according to Professor Dudley Joy Morton, fallen arches are caused by the laxity of the plantar ligaments, causing a hypermobility of the first metatarsal bone, which affects the stability of the longitudinal arch?”

  How a Morton’s Toe makes you hurt, or what goes wrong 

In a perfect situation, Mother Nature makes the first metatarsal bone as long as or longer than the second metatarsal bone. “Mom” also designed the first metatarsal bone so that it would be able to carry twice the weight as the second metatarsal bone. However if the first metatarsal bone is shorter than the second metatarsal bone, then this proper lifting by the first metatarsal bone cannot take place This is because with every step, the second metatarsal bone will abnormally meet the ground before the first metatarsal bone does. When this happens, the first metatarsal bone is not able of doing its job of supporting most of the weight of the front part of the foot. The second metatarsal bone is now forced to not only to lift its share of the burden, but now is made to absorb the first metatarsal bone’s share, as well. This makes the second metatarsal bone do 100% of the work, when normally it would be doing only one third of the work. This puts a tremendous amount of abnormal stress on the second metatarsal bone. It is this “super stress” put upon the second metatarsal bone that starts the chain of events that can cause us to hurt all over. More important this stress also results in something known as pronation.

  Here is a popular youtube video (about 45,000 viewing) about the Morton’s Toe)

Florida Podiatrist discusses different Heel Pain Treatments

Here is an article about heel pain, written about me

According to an article in the Lower Extremity Review in June 2010, roughly 2 million Americans are affected each year by heel pain, and 10% of people experience chronic heel pain in their lives at some point (http://www.lowerextremityreview.com/cover_story/heel-pain-revisited-new-guidelines-emphasize-evidence).   Although heel pain is such a pervasive problem, there are diverging perspectives about how best to treat chronic heel pain.  Lower Extremity Review attributes some of these diverging perspectives to the “scope of practice…physical therapists can’t give cortisone injections or perform surgery and podiatrists are less familiar with physical therapy approaches” (http://www.lowerextremityreview.com/cover_story/heel-pain-revisited-new-guidelines-emphasize-evidence).

One Panama City, Floridapodiatrist, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, who graduated from the New York School of Podiatric Medicine in 1975, is familiar with the many approaches taken to treating heel pain.  In his book, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, Schuler advances his perspective that it is all too common to misdiagnose heel pain and rush to treat it with injections or surgery.  But, how about using a toe pad instead.   Schuler’s reasoning behind taping a toe pad underneath your first toe applies only if you have Morton’s Toe (or short first metatarsal bone).

In his 36 years of podiatry practice, Schuler states that he has witnessed many patients’ heel pain diminish because they treated their Morton’s Toe.  Abnormal pronation of the foot can place undue stress on the arch and heel of the foot–eventually leading to chronic pain.  The toe pad alleviates this stress.  This treatment is a welcome alternative, as treatments like corticosteroid injections are discouraged by many as a first line of treatment, because “They don’t address a single issue that gave the person the problem,” says Michael Gross, PT, Ph.D. a professor of physical therapy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (http://www.lowerextremityreview.com/cover_story/heel-pain-revisited-new-guidelines-emphasize-evidence).  Many, including Gross, believe injections compromise tissue that is already weak.  And with such risks in treatment of heel pain, it is best to heed Dr. Schuler’s advice and check to see if you have Morton’s Toe; this could be the main cause of your heel problems, and it may be easier to treat in the long run.

Foot doc tells how to treat Runners with Plantar Fasciitis

The plantar fascia is a ligament-like band that runs from the ball of your feet to your heel.  This band pulls on your foot’s heel bone, raising the arch of your foot as it pushes off the ground.  When your foot moves improperly, due to overextending circumstances, such as strenuous exercise like running, the plantar fascia can swell and its tiny fibers can strain–causing plantar fasciitis.

A major factor that should be checked for runners with plantar fasciitis is the length of their second toes.  Dr. Burton S. Schuler, a podiatrist in Panama City, Florida who has practiced for 36 years, writes that a short first metatarsal bone–also known as Morton’s Toe–can be the cause of incorrect pronation leading to plantar fasciitis . He asserts that our bodies were not designed to take the abuse that can be caused by a Morton’s Toe when you are a runner or jogger, and prescribes a Toe Pad or Shoe Insert for runners (and non-runners) with Morton’s Toe.   By doing so, Schuler argues that you can delay such problems as shin splints, Anterior Compartment Syndrome, Overuse Syndrome, Chondromalacia (Runner’s Knee) and other problems caused by the constant abuse and pounding on the body brought on by running.

According to a recent article in Podiatry Today, it is difficult to find the correct treatment for plantar fasciitis patients, and even more difficult to treat runners who have it since they are so reluctant to take time off from their running to rest their feet (http://www.podiatrytoday.com/keys-to-treating-plantar-fasciitis-in-runners).  The good news is that runners with the condition can continue to train during treatment if they are diagnosed early enough.  For runners, the first thing to check is the shoes they are wearing.  They need stability and motion control to ensure proper pronation of the foot.  They also run less, get massages, and take corticosteroid injections.  These injections are effective yet risky, as ruptures have accompanied the injections, and injections at the same site can cause fat pad atrophy ((http://www.podiatrytoday.com/keys-to-treating-plantar-fasciitis-in-runners).

If you are a runner who endures heel pain due to plantar fasciitis then you should ensure that Morton’s Toe treatment is included in your plantar fasciitis treatment options if your first toe is shorter than your second one.

Dr. Burton S. Schuler foot doctor, foot specialist, podiatrist  of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center  and is a leading authority on the Morton’s Toe,  Long Second Toe and it associated problems. He is the author of the newly published book about The Morton’s Toe, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In the Foot. The book is published by the La Luz Press, Inc and is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group.  Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, is the story of how one bone in your foot could be the real reason for pains thru out your whole body. It is important because it offer the public new information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains, and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. It literally can be the “medical missing link”

Poststatic Dyskinesia or why your Heels Hurt when you get up

Patients in podiatry offices across America frequently complain of morning pain that is sharp and searing in the bottom of the heel–stretching to the arch of the foot.  This is not limited to the feet but can also cause pain in the back or neck when you first start to move around in the morning In fact, the medical term for heel pain, Poststatic Dyskinesia, www.footcare4u.com/category/foot-ailments-treatments/common-foot-ailments/bursitis/  means “pain after rest.”  It can also occur upon standing, after resting or sitting for a while, anytime during the day. Some patients state that they get this pain upon getting out of their car after driving for a while .

/Poststatic Dyskinesia is most commonly caused by a Plantar Fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a thick ligament made from fibrous connective tissue attached from the heel to the ball of the foot, extending into the base of the toes.  When the foot impacts the ground with each step, the foot flattens out, lengthening the foot. This action pulls on the plantar fascia, which stretches slightly and functions as a shock absorber.  The ligament’s tension is released when the heel comes off the ground.

When the plantar fascia stretches excessively, due to a variety of actions such as rigorous exercise, plantar fasciitis may develop. One cause of this is excessive pronation of the foot during walking and standing, which strains the plantar fascia. Panama City, Florida podiatrist Dr. Burton S. Schuler claims that excessive pronation can be caused by a short first metatarsal bone, also known as Morton’s Toe.  The foot does not absorb the shock of hitting the ground properly, resulting in strain on the plantar fascia.  This leads to plantar fasciitis and post-static dyskinesia

When a person rests their feet, such as overnight while sleeping, the plantar fascia is mending itself from the wear and tear of the day. Then with the first few steps in the morning, the plantar fascia becomes torn again. This is why Poststatic Dyskinesia tend is worse the first few steps in the morning or after rest when the feet are relaxed and free of strain.  This burden can be avoided if you have Morton’s Toe and decide to follow the simple treatment regimen of a toe pad that can lead to a pain-free morning 

WHAT IS A MORTON’S TOE OR LONG SECOND TOE 

In the 1920’s and 1930”s Dr. Dudley J. Morton of Yale Medical School and Columbia Medical School wrote that a problem with the 1st metatarsal bone, known as a Morton’s Toe could be the reason for most foot problems. Dr. Janet Travel, White House physician to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University took this concept further by writing and teaching that the Morton’s Toe could cause pain all over your body. She wrote and taught for four decades that a Morton’s Toe could cause back, hip, knee, leg foot and ankles problems. She felt that the Morton’s Toe, was so important that at the age of 89 she made a video tape to teach other physicians about how to recognize it and how to treat it. 

WHAT IS WHY YOU REALLY HURT:  IT ALL STARTS IN THE FOOT

Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, tells the story of two these famous physicians and their association with the common, but painful, medical condition known as the Morton’s Toe.  Millions of   people suffer everyday with chronic aches and pains from head to toe and don’t know why.  Many of them have lost all hope, and believe they will have to live with these pains for the rest of their lives. The book is significant because for the first time  in seventy years  the public is  made aware of the importance of the  Morton’s Toe, and the fact  that could be the real  unidentified reason  (the “medical missing link”)  for their  unending  torments. This book will also show how Morton’s Toe can also cause fibromyalgia, arthritis, sleep disturbances (RLS), temporomandibular joint pain, and numerous other problems through out the body The good news is that all of these problems can be treated with a simple pad that costs about two to three dollars. The bad news is  that in spite of the fact that two of the most famous doctors of the twentieth century were behind the Morton’s Toe, most modern day physicians are not aware of Morton’s Toe or of it ability of causing pain all over the body. This book took six years to research and write, but Dr. Schuler feels it was worth it because it should be able to help many people get out of pain. The book is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. It will be translated to Greek this Year.

What is Podiatry writes Dr. Burton S. Schuler, of Panama City

Around the turn of the century, (1911) M.J. Lewi, M.D., then the Executive Director of the New York State Medical Society, felt there was a tremendous need for a specialist trained in the care and treatment of the human foot. He then went about opening the first school for the training of such medical specialists.
For many years thereafter, foot care specialists were trained in the proper way to cut toenails, learned how to construct a beneficial arch support and received instructions on how to relieve such common disorders as painful Corns and Calluses. Through the years, these people were known as Chiropodists, and some who were trained throughout this period are still in practice today.
After 1950, a great evolution took place which resulted in the upgrading of these medical men. Podiatry grew out of the profession of Chiropodist. In 1957, the American Chiropodity Association was changed to the American Podiatry Association, and its membership today is no longer limited to those with pre-surgical type training but includes a multitude of those who practice far more sophisticated surgical procedures, and who, like any other type of physician or surgeon, earn their degree as a D.P.M. (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine).
At the present time, there are approximately 14,000 practicing podiatrists in the United States, all functioning in an individualistic style in accordance with their educational background and the nature of their specialization. There are those who confine themselves to such tasks as properly trimming toenails, and others who excel in the insertion of artificial ankle joints.

There are Podiatric:

• Pain Specialist
• Dermatologists
• Pediatricians
• Radiologists
• Surgeons

Skillfully trained as both a physician and surgeon of the foot, the podiatrist is best equipped to diagnose and treat both simple and complex foot problems. The range of a podiatrist’s diagnosis and care can be said to be extremely more far-reaching in the sense that it concerns itself with your complete physical history, past illnesses, current ailments and medications, occupation and hobbies, and any other factors that contribute to the general lifestyle of your feet. (It all plays a part, you know, and none of these areas can be ignored if the most effective solution to a foot ailment is to be found.) Surgical Podiatrists, are given to consideration of a patient’s professional and personal commitments in scheduling the best time and place for surgery.
Generally speaking, the greater percentage of foot surgery can be comfortably accomplished in the podiatrist’s office. When and wherever possible, hospitalization and the use of general anesthetics are avoided, which in turn permits the patient to immediately return to his family and to recuperate in an environment that is not alien to him. Major Bunion corrections, the relocation of dislocated metatarsal heads, the removal of painful Heel Spurs and Ingrown Toenails are problems which are all handled in the podiatrist’s office on a daily basis.