Swept Off His Feet by Severe Heel Pain
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Swept off his feet by severe heel pain
As
a teacher, William Crews has spent a good deal of time on his feet. But
when he began suffering from excruciating heel pain, his students
weren't the only ones who had to take a seat when the bell rang.
"Normally,
I walk around the classroom and see what they're doing, and I talk and
get them involved," says Crews, 57, a special education teacher at
That
changed when his feet started to hurt a couple of years ago. Discomfort
that began as little more than a nuisance progressed to debilitating
pain that made it impossible for him to stand for long periods.
"It
got to the point where I was limping all the time," Crews says. "And I
started sitting down to teach. I thought, 'This is ridiculous.' "
Sitting
down not only put a kink in Crews' teaching style but it also caused
commotion in his classroom because students had to walk to the front to
show him their work. "That was a disturbance," he says.
The pain
also affected other aspects of his life. Mowing the lawn was much more
work than usual. And favorite activities such as riding his bike and
playing golf were out of the question. Even the family pet was
affected: "I quit walking the dog," Crews says.
Crews had a
severe case of plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the plantar
fascia, the tough band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the
ball of the foot.
Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of pain
on the bottom of the heel and a frequent complaint at podiatrists'
offices. Lakers star Kobe Bryant, for example, was recently diagnosed
with the condition and is undergoing treatment.
People most at
risk include those who are on their feet a lot, are overweight, wear
unsupportive shoes or often go barefoot, have flat feet or very high
arches, have a tight Achilles tendon or suddenly increase their
exercise participation. High-impact activities such as running, tennis
and basketball are especially likely to injure the plantar fascia.
One or both feet may be affected. Crews had it in both, though the right one was more painful.
Like
many people with plantar fasciitis, he had flare-ups first thing in the
morning and when standing up after extended periods of inactivity, such
as the long ride to work from his home in
As
his pain worsened and became more frequent, Crews had great difficulty
walking. He began using the handicapped parking spots at school and
feared he might even need crutches.
Eager for relief, Crews
tried self-help measures, such as stretching his feet and applying ice
and heat to them. But when those failed, he turned first to his primary
care doctor and then to a podiatrist. He credits his recovery to a
second podiatrist, Noreen Oswell at
To
be sure, there was no quick fix. Oswell recommended several treatments
to help Crews get back on his feet. He was advised to trade in his
boots for supportive athletic shoes, and to wear over-the-counter heel
cups for additional support while custom-designed orthotics were being
made. He received a prescription for anti-inflammatory pills and got a
cortisone shot in his right foot.
In addition, he went to
physical therapy three times a week for a few months. Sessions included
ultrasound treatments, stretching exercises and massage of his feet and
calves.
Oswell also recommend night splints, boot-like devices
that stretch the foot up toward the knee, but Crews found them too
bothersome to wear in bed. Instead, he used them for a few hours in the
evenings when working on his computer or grading papers.
Crews also used elastic braces to support his feet, and he iced them at the end of the day.
Oswell
and other experts say such extensive treatment is necessary for
patients such as Crews who've suffered many months with plantar
fasciitis.
"Inflammation is a more difficult problem the
longer it persists," says Oswell, a spokesperson for the American
Podiatric Medical Assn. On the other hand, patients treated at the
first sign of trouble usually recover much more quickly with fewer
interventions, she notes.
Treatment for simple cases usually
costs $200 to $300, Oswell says. More complex cases, such as Crews',
can reach $2,000 to $3,000.
In either case, she says, the
majority of patients improve without surgery to cut the plantar fascia
away from the heel bone. Considered a treatment of last resort, it's
used in less than 5% of patients — and isn't always successful, Oswell
says.
Crews says he began getting better shortly after his
initial visits to Oswell, and he continued to improve steadily. "For
the most part, I can say I'm pretty much back to normal," he says. "I
still have some pain now and then, but it's very manageable."
To
keep his feet in good working order, Crews is vigilant about stretching
in the morning, icing his feet at the first sign of pain and wearing
proper footwear — even at home. He buys new athletic shoes every three
months so he always has good support. "It's a bit of an expense," he
says, "but it's worth it if you can walk without pain." He has a pair
of black sneakers for when he wants to dress up — they may not be
fashionable, but they're foot-friendly.
Crews can once again
walk around his classroom. And he's much more mobile in his off hours
too; he recently completed some repairs on his deck, he's back to
walking the dog, and he takes regular bike rides — as long as 11 miles.
"I'm even thinking I can maybe play golf again," he says. "I haven't done that in a while."
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