Saturday, February 6, 2010

Heel pain may slow the Bulls run to the playoffs.

After a poor start to the season, the Chicago Bulls seem to be headed in the right direction. But the team’s goal of reaching the playoffs again may be derailed by an injury to the left foot of center Joakim Noah. Noah has been arguably the most effective player on the Bulls this season, being third in the league in rebounds and providing constant energy on both the offensive and defensive ends. Lately, however, Noah has been hampered by plantar fasciitis to his left foot.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of connective tissue that stretches across the bottom of the foot from the heel to the base of the toes. Plantar fasciitis is an overuse syndrome which can occur with repetitive pronation, or collapse of the arch of the foot. This stresses the attachment of the fascia to the heel. Small microtears develop which cause pain and inflammation.

Joakim Noah has attempted to work through the plantar fasciitis pain, which is a difficult task for anyone to attempt, let alone a seven-foot tall runner/jumper/cutter/pivoter. The quick stopping, starting and pivoting maneuvers cause unusual ballistic strain on the inelastic plantar fascia. After two weeks of trying to work through the pain, the Bulls coaches and their training staff have decided to provide Noah with a much needed break.

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain we treat in the office every day.

The general course of treatment for plantar fasciitis involves calf stretching, icing and support of the arch to prevent “bottoming out” of the fascia. This can be an extremely difficult condition to treat because even walking can place strain on the plantar fascia. In addition to stretching and icing, plantar fasciitis prevention includes avoiding barefoot walking, wearing well-fitting shoes, warming up before strenuous exercise, and easing yourself into a new exercise program. Understand the pain information your body is sending you. In shoe orthotics can also help to correct abnormal foot posture and motion that contribute to this often debilitating condition.

Hope this post has made the sports-news talk a bit more understandable, and be sure to visit us at http://www.yourfootdoctor.com .

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