Have you been told you have Bunions? Metarsalgia? Morton’s neuroma? Hammertoes? Plantar fasciitis? Dreaded heel spurs?
Most foot pain “diagnoses” are just fancified medical jargon that does nothing more than name your symptom:
Plantar fasciitis = the gristly bits under my arch hurt!
Achilles tendonitis = the ropy guy on the back of my heel hurts!
Metatarsalgia = the ball of my foot hurts!
Hallux abductovalgus (aka bunion) = the big toe bone is sticking out! (and probably hurts!)
… you get the picture. Unfortunately, none of that Latin gobbledygook gets us any closer to WHY your foot hurts in that spot (or has literally changed shape, as with bunions, bunionettes, and hammertoes).
The medical approach typically consists of sage advice such as:
“You should stop running.”
“You just need to buy these expensive custom orthotics and shoes.”
“You definitely need a cortisone shot.”
“You’re a surgeon’s dream! You require multiple surgeries [that likely won’t solve anything and frequently create new problems].” ← this is an actual quote from a patient’s podiatrist!
Free Your Feet!
Sound familiar? You deserve better. So did my Mom.
My Mom’s had THREE bunion surgeries on her TWO feet (she is contemplating a fourth, believe it or not), and she still has some ROCKIN’ bunions, toe crowding, clawing, back pain, hip pain… you name it. She can hardly find shoes that fit and hates the way her feet look and feel. If the first three surgeries didn’t work, why why why would you think just one more would do the trick???
Mom is my motivation to do better: I am treating bunions and other preventable foot problems in younger and younger patients, and they are getting all the same terrible advice that she did.
That’s why I became a certified Gait Happens provider and full-time foot nerd!
Dr. Sue and her mom’s feet
Nearly all foot, knee, and hip problems are due to faulty load management: one or more muscles are not doing their jobs like they should, and your grumpy spots are the results of their slacking! One of the main problems with the traditional medical approach is that they ONLY look at your grumpy foot, and don’t look at the contributions of muscles controlling the knees, hips, and core, or even of the opposite limb! It’s kinda like blaming the driveway for that stubborn oil stain (I just cleaned it yesterday!) but never getting your car checked to eliminate the source.
Instead, I specialize in using cutting-edge, non-invasive treatments to help strengthen, align and restore the health of your entire SYSTEM. And most importantly, teach you how to KEEP it healthy for the long haul.
Step One: Unraveling Your Foot Mystery
History: This didn’t happen overnight, and many foot problems actually started higher up the chain, from issues in the spine, hips, or knees (especially problems that are in BOTH feet). When did it start? What have you already tried that worked for awhile or not at all? Bring me all your weird doodads and orthotics, I wanna see ‘em!
Look for clues: A deep dive exam of your feet, but also knees, hips, and spine. Where do you have movement limitations (joints and soft tissue), grumpy spots, weak muscles, and differences from L to R? Funky callus or shoe wear patterns? Bring it on!
Gait analysis: I want to see how you walk and move. I will film you from multiple angles on our in-office treadmill and see where things could be improved.
I will combine all this information into a FUNCTIONAL diagnosis, not just a fancy Latin name of your symptoms, and make an ACTION PLAN!
Step Two: Pain Relief
I have a wide array of tools we can use, and all of these will be custom-tailored to YOU.
Myofascial release - Hands on massage, gua sha/Graston tools, cupping, and even dry needling may be used to release tight and stuck spots. I will also show you how to work on these spots yourself, so you feel better faster!
Adjustments - Chiropractic is NOT just for the spine. We’ll be checking and adjusting joint restrictions in all 33(!) joints in each foot, plus the ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, and spine.
Devices - Some feet need a bit of extra help, and I may prescribe Correct Toes® to help spread and align the toes, or foam pads/posts that help offload tender structures while you’re healing.
Step Three: Homework!
This is where the real magic happens (and where other approaches that rely on passive care like shots, “supportive” shoes, or orthotics fail).
Custom exercise plan - You will be taught progressively challenging exercises to improve mobility, strength, and movement patterns so you 1) understand how you got here, and 2) know how to keep it from coming back! This will include foot-specific homework as well as hips, core, breathing, and gait.
Education - You’ll learn about healthy footwear and lifestyle choices, and introduced to the amazing world of shoes that are GOOD for your feet (and don’t look like Grandma’s orthopedic shoes). This does NOT mean you can never wear “cute shoes” again; instead I will show you some healthy alternatives and also how to recover after you wear grown-up shoes to fancy dress or work occasions (or sport-specific tight-fitting shoes for things like cycling, rock climbing, and cleats).
Step Four: Foot Freedom!
Get out there and enjoy your pain-free feet! Finally run that 5k or marathon, kick butt at pickleball, chase the dog or ‘rassle the grandkids without worrying about paying for it later. You deserve to walk, run, and play to your heart’s content, and we will guide you every step of the way.