03/15/2013    

PODIATRISTS IN THE NEWS

MA Podiatrist Discusses Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis has become so ubiquitous that podiatrists can practically make the diagnosis before a patient even sets foot in their office. "I see 18 to 20 patients a day with plantar fasciitis. Heel pain is epidemic," says Dr. Michael King, a podiatrist practicing in Fall River, MA, and past president of the American Podiatric Medical Association. He can only guess how many more cases are out there. "Some people just tolerate the pain and try to get by."

Dr. Michael King

Plantar fasciitis has become a mark of modern life, but it's far from inevitable. According to King, heel pain could become a relative rarity, assuming we are willing to take better care of our feet. More than anything, King says, people with plantar fasciitis just have to give their feet a chance to recover on their own. He has a few simple guidelines. First of all: no going barefoot, and no flimsy flip-flops. (Flip-flops or sandals with arch support are fine.) He encourages patients to put on footwear with some arch support before even getting out of bed.

Source: Chris Woolston, Chicago Tribune [3/13/13]