Bracing for Lower Leg and Foot Control

Bracing for poor hip control

The SERF Strap

 

Bracing for foot and lower limb control

The Post Tib Brace

 

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diagram showing heel pain in Tucson caused by different structures in the foot including the plantar fascia and flexor digitorum brevis

Flexor Digitorum Brevis Pain: 7 Signs Your Heel Pain Isn’t Plantar Fasciitis

Many cases of heel pain diagnosed as plantar fasciitis may actually involve other structures in the foot, especially the flexor digitorum brevis muscle on the bottom of the foot. The article outlines seven key signs that point toward flexor digitorum brevis involvement, including cramping, pain with toe flexion, changes in walking pattern, and worsening symptoms after activity. It emphasizes that proper diagnosis matters because different tissues respond to different treatments, and persistent heel pain often requires a more detailed evaluation than simply labeling it plantar fasciitis.

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Steps To Develop A Diagnosis In Physical Therapy

“My butt hurts.” A significant proportion of my conversations start with this statement. She continued, “ I have regular active release along with dry needling. I stretch my hamstring ALL THE TIME and I still have pain.” Her frustration was palpable. “I know I have a tight hamstring and there is scar tissue.  But it’s been 8 months.” She assumes the pain must be the hamstring; we call this the pain generator.  The hamstring tendon attaches right where her pain starts. The tightness is over the hamstring muscle belly.  She describes the pain in a clear way that implicates the hamstring.   She made a convincing argument that the hamstring is the issue and the diagnosis has been repeated by multiple medical providers including a physician and two physical therapists. The location matched.  Running increased the pain. Another match. Stretching and manual therapy provided temporary relief. But 8 months into the

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4 Ways Individuals With Heel Pain Can Make Their Pain Go Away

Why is your heel pain not getting better? Heel pain is a common, painful foot condition leading internet searches for “cures to heel pain” or “treatments for plantar fasciitis.” The pain resolves with time if the cause of symptoms is removed, but up to 10% of individuals with heel pain do not get better. These chronic sufferers try everything to get rid of the pain including plantar fascia releases, injections, and pain medications. The causes of heel pain are numerous, ranging from plantar tendinopathies like the flexor digitorum brevis, nerve involvement with tarsal tunnel syndromes or lateral plantar nerve, low back referrals, and double crush syndrome to fat pad injuries. The answer is not more stretching and new orthotics. If you are stuck with heel pain and the typical treatment for plantar fasciitis is not making you feel better, then you likely have a different problem and require a different

Read More »
diagram showing heel pain in Tucson caused by different structures in the foot including the plantar fascia and flexor digitorum brevis

Flexor Digitorum Brevis Pain: 7 Signs Your Heel Pain Isn’t Plantar Fasciitis

Many cases of heel pain diagnosed as plantar fasciitis may actually involve other structures in the foot, especially the flexor digitorum brevis muscle on the bottom of the foot. The article outlines seven key signs that point toward flexor digitorum brevis involvement, including cramping, pain with toe flexion, changes in walking pattern, and worsening symptoms after activity. It emphasizes that proper diagnosis matters because different tissues respond to different treatments, and persistent heel pain often requires a more detailed evaluation than simply labeling it plantar fasciitis.

Read More »

Steps To Develop A Diagnosis In Physical Therapy

“My butt hurts.” A significant proportion of my conversations start with this statement. She continued, “ I have regular active release along with dry needling. I stretch my hamstring ALL THE TIME and I still have pain.” Her frustration was palpable. “I know I have a tight hamstring and there is scar tissue.  But it’s been 8 months.” She assumes the pain must be the hamstring; we call this the pain generator.  The hamstring tendon attaches right where her pain starts. The tightness is over the hamstring muscle belly.  She describes the pain in a clear way that implicates the hamstring.   She made a convincing argument that the hamstring is the issue and the diagnosis has been repeated by multiple medical providers including a physician and two physical therapists. The location matched.  Running increased the pain. Another match. Stretching and manual therapy provided temporary relief. But 8 months into the

Read More »

4 Ways Individuals With Heel Pain Can Make Their Pain Go Away

Why is your heel pain not getting better? Heel pain is a common, painful foot condition leading internet searches for “cures to heel pain” or “treatments for plantar fasciitis.” The pain resolves with time if the cause of symptoms is removed, but up to 10% of individuals with heel pain do not get better. These chronic sufferers try everything to get rid of the pain including plantar fascia releases, injections, and pain medications. The causes of heel pain are numerous, ranging from plantar tendinopathies like the flexor digitorum brevis, nerve involvement with tarsal tunnel syndromes or lateral plantar nerve, low back referrals, and double crush syndrome to fat pad injuries. The answer is not more stretching and new orthotics. If you are stuck with heel pain and the typical treatment for plantar fasciitis is not making you feel better, then you likely have a different problem and require a different

Read More »