With so much information on the internet, it's easy to assume that we can diagnose our own health problems. For example, you may have read that the horrible heel pain you feel in the morning is plantar fasciitis. You decide to run out and buy an over-the-counter insert since this is one of the treatments you read about. Although you may think this is a good idea, it's not.
According to a new study in the March/April edition of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, although your self-diagnosis would be right 73% of the time there are other conditions that can exist simultaneously.
Thirty-four percent of the time you'd also be likely to experience a torn ligament or a plantar fibroma. These conditions are treated very differently from heel pain. While patients typically see significant relief from plantar fasciitis inflammation in 3-6 weeks post-treatment, a torn ligament often requires 2-5 months of recovery time and possible surgery.
You may also have read that stretching is one of the best things you can do for plantar fasciitis, and it is. Except if you have a torn ligament. Then you could actually do more damage to yourself if this was the case.
When you come to see this Seattle podiatrist you won't need to worry whether you only have plantar fasciitis or some other condition. At the Foot and Ankle Center of Lake City we use ultrasound and other diagnostic tools to make sure we know what's really going on with your feet.
Call us today at 206-368-7000 for an appointment, often same day. You can also request an appointment online.
