An Epidemic of Plantar Fasciitis in Athletes, asks Fla Podiatrist?

In just one day, December 1, 2010, sports media reported the performance of several athletes is affected by a condition called “plantar fasciitis.”

Plantar fasciitis is a swelling of the heel and or arch, and the most common type of pain on the bottom of the heel. It is caused by an ongoing injury at the place the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone. This spot on the bone is called the medial tuberosity of the heel. If there is an abnormal pulling or tugging at this spot, because of the Morton’s Toe it can resulting in pain and inflammation occur at the plantar fascia. This pain and swelling of the feet is known as plantar fasciitis.

In the sports world, this condition is getting quite a bit of publicity among basketball players.  For example, on December 13, 2010, it was announced that Tyreke Evans, basketball player for the Sacramento Kings, has plantar fasciitis (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32179465/ns/sports-player_news/).  Sources also believe plantar fasciitis could keep Al Nolen out of the team’s Big Ten opener at Wisconsin on December 28th (http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/blogs/111815499.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUjc8LDyiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU6:iPhD_oD3aPc:i_kchO7DU).

It is also reported that Milwaukee Bucks’  Drew Gooden is ready to return Monday night against Dallas after missing six of the last seven games due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot (http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/111799344.html).   And Celtic Rajon Rondo has fans begging his coaches to give him a break so he can recover from plantar fasciitis (http://gallery.live.com/Error.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/default.aspx).

The condition is so common among basketball players that here is even a blog called “Plantar Fasciitis: A Basketball Blog as Volatile as the Injury Itself” (http://plantarfasciitis.eatstheuniverse.com/).  But basketball players are not the only ones with the condition.  The Press-Enterprise reports that San Diego Charger’s Antonio Gates has the same problem: “By Saturday, realized it was no use. He couldn’t run, he couldn’t cut, and trying to bluff his way through plantar fasciitis just wasn’t worth the drop-off in performance, regardless of the importance of Sunday’s game against Kansas City”  (http://www.pe.com/sports/breakout/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_chargers_notes_13.4042d02.html).

Team doctors may be scrambling to find quick fixes for plantar fasciitis, so that the athletes can get back on the court or field as soon as possible.  At least one podiatrist, Dr. Burton S. Schuler of Panama City, Florida, would encourage team docs to find out if these athletes have a second toe that is longer than the first (also known as “Morton’s Toe”).  His reasoning?  In his 36 years as a podiatrist, plantar fasciitis is usually caused by abnormal pronation of the foot due to Morton’s Toe

Here is a video about  plantar fasciitis made by Dr. Burton S. Schuler on YouTube

<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/UPPxrgvPLVw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sports fans everywhere, take note:  if your favorite athlete is sitting on the bench due to heel pain, and he has a longer second toe, he needs to correct the pronation of his foot with a simple toe pad 

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 1^st 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.

Dr. Burton S. Schuler   http://www.footcare4u.com/category/about-dr-schuler/ is a foot doctor, foot specialist (Podiatrist), of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center. He is also the author of the new book Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot