Are you sidelined by your tension headaches? Do they cause you to be absent from work or ineffective while you’re there? Do they interfere with your family and social life? Most people have experienced more than one tension headache in their life. If you are someone who’s had a tension headache, then you know that the pain usually feels like an intense, but dull ache in your head. Such pain is commonly accompanied by a sensation of tightness or pressure along the forehead or on the sides and back of the head. Sometimes, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and periodically you may experience a loss of appetite or even nausea.

Most tension headaches are defined as mild to moderately intense, but the severity of the pain varies from one person to another, and can vary from one headache to another in the same person. Would you describe your tension headaches as occurring frequently? Did you know that if your headaches take place fifteen or more days a month for a minimum of three months, they’re viewed by healthcare professionals as chronic?

The good news is that if tension headaches are interfering with your life, once in a while or chronically, chiropractic treatment can help. For over twenty years Dr. Helwig has been helping the Oak Lawn Community to get out of pain, whether an individual is suffering from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, and headaches. That right! Chiropractors don’t just treat back pain. They address the entire musculoskeletal system!

So, if you are suffering from tension headaches that have kept you from living your life fully, call Dr. Helwig, your Chiropractor in Oak Lawn, Illinois today. Get your life back!

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The average, healthy individual takes 3,000-5,000 steps each day, not counting activities such as running and aerobic exercise. But, many times those steps are taken by people walking improperly, with clumsy gait patterns and bad posture.

Furthermore, a large number of individuals wear poorly-designed, improperly-fitting shoes. Walking and exercising on feet that are inhibited from performing as they were meant to cannot help but to create aches and pains not only in a number of places in the feet, but in other parts of the body, too.  For example, if a person over-pronates (walks like a duck) in a pair of poorly-made or unevenly-worn shoes, or in any pair of high heels, that individual is not only likely to develop foot and ankle challenges, but will more than likely experience challenges in the back, knees and legs.

The most common foot problem is Plantar Fascitis (heel pain), which is most frequently caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is an extraordinary, multi-tasking band of connective tissue that surrounds the muscles on the bottom of the foot, adheres the heel bone to the ball of the foot, supports the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock. It goes without saying, then, that the healthy function of the plantar fascia is crucial for pain-free walking and exercise.

There are many factors that can be considered reasons for the development of Plantar Fascitis. One factor is short and tight calf muscles. Undue stress on the smaller and weaker plantar muscles and fascia occurs when calf muscles get short and tight, exerting a strong pull on the back of the heel bone. What causes calf muscles to get short and tight? Besides running and jumping activities such as aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, and tennis, the wearing of high heels can produce the problem.

Other factors that contribute to Plantar Fascitis include sudden strenuous activity after a period of prolonged inactivity, incorrect walking patterns (such as over-pronation), improper footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces (especially barefooted), and obesity.

Once developed, Plantar Fascitis is frequently difficult to manage and can become extremely painful and persistent. Plantar Fascitis won’t go away without proper treatment.

If you are suffering from the pain of Plantar Fascitis, your chiropractor will be able to determine the reason for your problem and what chiropractic treatment would be most appropriate. Such care might include ultrasound therapy, laser, joint manipulation, Graston technique, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, special taping and, in some cases, orthotics.

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The average person takes between 3,000 and 5,000 steps everyday. Add to that activities such as running and aerobic exercise, and we add not only more steps, but stress, to our already overly-worked feet. It is no wonder that many people have aches and pains in this part of the body. Components such as flat feet or over-pronated feet, individual walking and running style, and the type of shoe a person wears can determine if an individual will get foot and ankle pain. These factors not only affect feet and ankles, but also the health of the back, knees and legs. Detailed below are several of the commonplace conditions that affect the feet and ankle.

Hallux Valgus and Bunions

Hallux Valgus is a problem that occurs when the big toe or hallux turns towards the outside of the foot, many times practically overlapping or bumping into the adjacent toe. It is a slow-developing affliction that generally develops a bump on the inside of the big toe, called a bunion. Hallux Valgus pain is normally experienced during weight-bearing activities such as walking or prolonged standing, but if a bunion has developed, a “numbing” or “burning” pain in the big toes can be felt at rest.

The joint between the big toe and the first metatarsal (the first metatarsal-phalangeal) is the actual problem, and not the bone, itself. The pain and deformity associated with Hallux Valgus is due to harm to this joint. The condition is normally the aftereffect of wear and tear over a long period of time from factors such as over-pronation that causes abnormal pressure on the big toe and first metatarsal during walking. An additional cause of Hallux Valgus is inflammatory arthritis that can harm the joint and cause degenerative changes. A broken toe that does not heal properly can also predispose a person to Hallux Valgus. But, one of the more common causes of the affliction is the high-heeled and pointed shoes that women frequently wear. These shoes not only put extra stress on the joint, but also assist in pushing the big toe to the outside.

If you have symptoms of Hallux Valgus, your chiropractor can examine your foot to determine which factors are contributing to your problem, and then use a variety of chiropractic techniques and modalities to lessen pain and improve the function of your foot.

Plantar Fascitis ( Heel Pain )

Heel pain, known as Plantar Fascitis, is a common foot problem caused by aggravation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia, a band of connective tissue that surrounds the muscles on the bottom of the foot, adheres the heel bone to the ball of the foot. It supports the arch, protects the foot, and absorbs shock.

Patients with Plantar Fascitis frequently complain of pain in the morning after first standing when they get out of bed and also when they stand up after having sat for a while. The pain originates just in front of the heel bone, but can spread over the entire bottom of the foot.

If left untreated, aggravation associated with the ailment can lead to the development of scar tissue, calcium deposits and eventually heel spurs. Heel spurs, a bony growth on the front part of the calcaneus of the heel bone where the plantar fascia attaches, can cause a acute stabbing pain with walking.

People with other foot conditions, especially Pes Planus (flat feet) and/or over-pronation, are most susceptible to Plantar Fascitis, although other factors often partly responsible as well. Muscle imbalances between the calf muscles and the muscles on the bottom of the foot are a crucial contributing factor. When the calf muscles are short and tight they exert an intense pull on the back of the cancaneus. Such a condition causes unnecessary stress on the smaller, weaker plantar muscles and its fascia that are connected to the other side of the calcaneus. Wearing high heels will cause a shorting and tightening of the calf muscles, as will running and jumping activities. Other factors that stress the plantar fascia include: sudden strenuous activity after a period of long-term inactivity, abnormal walking patterns, unsuitable footwear, walking on hard or uneven surfaces especially barefooted, and obesity.

People who are steadily on their feet, such as nurses, teachers and waiters, are more disposed to Plantar Fascitis, as are athletes who participate in foot-stressing activities such as aerobics, volleyball, running, basketball, and tennis.

It is often difficult to manage Plantar Fascitis once it has developed, and the problem can become extremely painful and ceaseless. Chiropractors are experts in not only determining the cause of your condition, but in recommending fitting treatment, such as joint manipulation, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises, special taping, ultrasound therapy and, in some cases, orthotics.

Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles Tendonitis is a painful, and often, debilitating inflammation of the Achilles tendon, also called the “heel cord.” This large tendon is a continuance of the two biggest calf muscles and runs down the back of the lower leg attaching to the heel bone or calcaneus. Injury to this valuable tendon can make it difficult or even impossible to walk. The condition may be produced by a sudden single incident, such as jumping, but more frequently it results from an accumulation of smaller stresses that create small tears in the tendon over time. Because the symptoms appear gradually, in the beginning many Achilles Tendonitis sufferers may associate the initial pain to the aches and pains that have to do with age or fatigue. However, the problem will gradually worsen, especially if the person attempts to “work through” the pain. In severe cases, a total rupture of the tendon can occur, resulting in traumatic harm and intense pain that makes walking virtually impossible and may even require corrective surgery.

Achilles tendonitis is many times associated with athletes and performers, such as dancers, who participate in running and jumping activities, specifically those that include sudden starts and stops. Also, women who regularly wear high-heeled shoes are also at risk, especially if they switch to sport shoes for exercise. In these cases, the Achilles tendon and muscles gradually habituate to the shortened position created by wearing high-heels, as the heel does not have to stretch all the way to the ground. When this happens, the switch to exercise or flat shoes forces the Achilles tendon to stretch further than it is adapted to, thereby producing stress and irritation. This is why, high-heels should not be worn everyday. If they are unavoidable, stretching should be done every morning and night to keep the Achilles tendon lengthened.

Achilles tendonitis often appears in middle-aged people, particularly in men who are athletes, because of the changes that transpire in the foot as a person ages. The arch tends to flatten as we grow older causing over-pronation and increased stress on the Achilles tendon as well as the calf and foot muscles. Likewise, problems are also common in the “weekend warrior” who exercises infrequently, as well as those who are just commensing to exercise. In such people, the muscles and tendons have little flexibility due to inactivity, and immoderacy in exercise in the beginning can create tendonitis. Therefore, people who are just commencing to exercise after a long layoff should stretch properly, start slowly, and increase gradually.

Despite the cause of the problem, if a person is experiencing the symptoms of Achilles tendonitis, he or she should seek out a qualified professional, such as a chiropractor, to manage the problem before it becomes severe. Your chiropractor has many years of experience in treating Achilles tendonitis.

Pes Planus ( Flat Feet )

Flat Feet, or Pes Planus as it is called by the medical community, is very common. It is approximated that at least one quarter of people have flat feet. Human beings are not born with an arch, but develop them somewhere between ages 3-10. However in certain people this development never happens. There are a number of factors, along with genetic disposion that can cause flat feet, or predispose a person to the condition. A person’s job, level of activity, and lifestyle can create a previously-developed arch to collapse later in life. Age and weight also are implicated in the development of the problem. Middle-aged people who have been working on their feet for years often experience flat feet, as do overweight sufferers who are placing added stress on their feet and legs.

Some people have flat feet and never feel any discomfort, while others experience pain in the feet and knees, and occasionally in the hips and lower back as well. If you think you have flat feet and are experiencing discomfort, you ought to see your Orlando chiropractor to determine a plan of care that can lessen your pain and prevent additional symptoms from developing. Chiropractic treatment includes joint adjustments to improve foot function and eliminate painful symptoms. Your chiropractor may also prescribe arch-supporting insoles, called orthotics, for additional support and stability.

Metatarsalgia ( Pain in the ball of the foot )

Metatarsalgia is occasionally called “ball-of-foot pain,” as it is a pain on the sole of the foot just behind the toes where the foot bends during walking. The metatarsal bones extend from halfway up the foot to the toes. A irregularity in one or more of these five bones is the cause of pain.

While many sufferers with metatarsalgia feel discomfort where their metatarsal bones join their toe bones, some also feel pain along the entire length of the metatarsals and most probably between them. Challenges in this area can vary from a stiff feeling upon movement of these bones to a burning or stinging sensation. This depends upon whether the problem is due to a dysfunction in the joints or an inflammation to the nerves as they travel along the metatarsals.

The cause of the distress is due to either structural or functional reasons. When a structural problem happens, such as when the metacarpal bones are either too long or too short, it causes aberrant mechanics in the feet and excessive on the entire area. Flat feet or excessive arch can also alter the stresses on the metatarsals causing similar symptoms.

Excess body weight, as well as wearing high-heeled shoes, are both contributing factors as they increase stress on the metatarsal that can lead to joint pain and nerve irritation. Also, excessive or poor running or athletic training can exasserbate the condition because repetitive foot activities directly stress the metatarsals by exposing them to constant trauma.

A chiropractor is able to beneficially treat metatarsalgia, no matter what the cause may be. After diagnosing the underlying factors, you will be offered a number of non-invasive therapies, inluding orthotics when necessary, and you will be advised on how you can avoid future pain.

See your Orlando chiropractor as soon as possible if you are experiencing any of the foot problems mentioned above.

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