Flat Feet
Robert Filice, M.D. Former staff physician
Recently I saw a 58 year old woman for follow up consultation in regards
to her natural
hormone replacement therapy. She had started coming in
about 6 months ago. She told me that she had "flat feet" and that she
had quite a bit of pain, primarily across the tops of both feet and at
the inner side of the arch, for many years. Flat feet or fallen arches,
as the condition is also known, occurs because
ligament weakness allows
the arch to collapse during normal ambulation, or even at rest. Many
cases of flat feet, or pes planus
as physicians refer to it, will be associated with
plantar fascia
pain in the sole of the foot. In this particular case, my patient had
pain primarily at the top of the foot. This too was caused by mechanical
stressors acting on ligaments and tendons because of the collapsed
arches.
My examination confirmed these dynamics, and I indicated that I thought
she would do well with Prolotherapy.
Normally in such cases the structures supporting the inner arch and
plantar fascia are treated along with any other localized areas of pain.
She received her first treatment on that initial consultation date, came
back in a month for a second treatment, and was already 50% better after
just one Prolotherapy. During that second office visit I noticed that
she had some
swelling
on the outside of the right ankle. She told me she
had that swelling for many years, ever since her ankle had been
fractured. Interestingly, she really did not have pain in the
ankle...just the swelling. Normally we think of prolo as being primarily
a treatment for pain. However since the swelling had occurred as a
result of ligaments being damaged when the fracture occurred (a common
scenario) I suggested that Prolotherapy to that area stood a good chance
of helping her clear that up as well. So I treated her foot the second
time and the ankle for the first time. She did not come back until
today, about 3 months after that treatment. Her report? 100% relief of
her bilateral
foot pain, and "from that very first Prolotherapy
treatment to my ankle, it has never been swollen again".
I don't want my readers to misunderstand. Many patients have ankle
swelling, and there are many causes of that problem which would NOT be
appropriately treated with prolo. But where the swelling has occurred in
association with disruption or injury to ligaments, Prolotherapy can
bring outstanding results. Remember that chronic musculoskeletal pain is
treatable, and should be evaluated by a competent
Prolotherapist. Don't
even think about just "living with it"!
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