Some of the most common treatments include anti-inflammatories, diatery suplements, cortisone injections, surgery and orthotics or arch support. The cause of this painful condition, that produces extreem pain in the bottom of the heel and arch,as you walk and first begin to stand up from sitting and resting, is the collapse of the long arch of the foot. This breakdown as we stand and walk creates a pull on a structure know as the Plantar Faschia causing inflammation and eventually calcification or spur. Ultimately most all of the treatments involve something that will decrease the inflammation and subsequently the pain. The most common attempt to decrease pain was by limiting the amount the patient walked.
Unfortunately medications that decrease the inflammation soon wear off or are inadaquate in decreasing enough inflammation to resolve all or even a small amount of the pain. Surgical procedures attempt to lengthen this ligament thereby reducing the pull, inflammation and pain, and can be effective but involve the inherent risks of surgery. Orthotics and arch support limit the breakdown or collapse of the arch , take the pull off of the ligament and subsequently decrease the pain on a long term basis without surgical intervention. Attempts to decrease activity were not always practical resolutions to the patient and this condition was identified as a chronic condition that was difficult to treat succesfully.
Because orthotics can be used during all weight bearing activity, and address the primary motion responsible for the stress and pull on the plantar faschia, they provide a long term approach to treatment. Unfortunately the design of even the best of over 200 different brands of orthotics and arch supports fail to relieve sufficient arch breakdown and pull on the faschia to satisfactorly control the pain. Treatment with all of these orthotic devices was hit or miss and even when of some benefit usually fell short of complete relief of the pain.
Research started almost 20 years ago attempting to create a foot control device (orthotic/arch support) that would better limit arch collapse and the inflammation and pain that it causes, resulted in a revolutionary discovery know as THETA. Theta was defined as the angular measurment in degrees of the highest point of the wedge, present in all types of devices that were described to improve foot function. Over a four year period the specific points that define this angular measurement were identified and related directly with the ability of any foot control device to support the arch, restore foot function, and control the pain of this dissabeling condition.
Clinical research over the last 20 years has discovered that every 5 degrees of angular correction will have a significant benefit in the treatment of this condition. When this technique of measuring angular correction was applied to the many foot control devices currently used by physicians, orthotists and others, it was found that the correction present ranged from 5 to 20 degrees. It was observed that devices with the most angular correction (Theta) were the most capable or restoring the integrety of the long arch and reducing the inflammation and pain associated with heel spur syndrome.
Perhaps the most important discovery over the last 20 years of clinical research with thousands of heel pain sufferers was that angular correction above 20 degrees and up to 40 degrees could provide far more of the arch control necessary to reduce the pain of this condition. It became clear that even though any correction between 10 and 25 degree would help control the pain, 70 percent of the active adult patient’s treated required 30-40 degrees of theta angulation in order to completely resolve all pain with normal activity.
Because any change in the way a patient walked required acclimation it was observed the the most effective use of theta angular control involved a progressive increase in correction, starting a a tollerable level that could be used full time during all ambulatory activity then increaseing at 5 degree increments untill all heel pain was resolved. Theta-Orthotics with seven levels of angular correction from 10 to 40 degrees were created that could resolve the pain associated with this condition in over 95 percent of the patients treated. Clinical statistics using traditional treatments and orthotics revealed that almost half of the patients presenting with heel spur syndrome went on t o require surgical lengthing of the plantar faschia in order to resolve the symptoms. This was in contrast to less than 2 percent when treatment with progressive Theta angulation was employed.
As a foot surgeon of 25 years it is my reccomendation that no patient concent to surgical treatment until after they have tried Theta. If you have question and need to speak with on eof our highly traind treatment specialists call toll free at 800-5584382, 7 days per week between 8 Am and 8 PM MST. Brent Jarrett DPM