Football and Fasciitis

For all you sports fans out there, you probably heard about New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning being diagnosed with an inflamed tissue in his foot a few weeks back. However, what you might not know are the specifics of this condition known as plantar fasciitis. The condition occurs when the plantar fascia located at the arch is strained over time beyond its normal extension, which causes the soft tissue fibers of the fascia to stretch or tear at points along its length. All of this stretching can lead to swelling, pain, and maybe even the growth of a bone spur. As Mr. Manning leads quite the active athletic lifestyle, this no doubt continued to aggravate the fascia over time leading to chronic irritation and exacerbation of the condition. If you are not the athletic type, however, it's possible to further the progression of plantar fasciitis by use of improper shoes that lack adequate support.

There are several different routes for treatment of this condition. Resting, which team physicians initially attempted with Manning on a day to day basis, only provides temporary relief. Another conservative approach may be to ice and stretch the area to relieve some of the pain in addition to taking over the counter pain medication when necessary. Additionally, if these first conservative methods do not work, a patient might opt to try a steroid injection (if they have accompanying heel pain) or custom orthotics to give them better support. Plantar fasciitis is a very manageable condition of the foot - especially for those who aren't looking to make the winning touchdown any time soon.

You're so Vein

Varicose veins are no longer solely a cosmetic issue - they can also lead to further complications affecting physical appearance, quality of life, time off from work - and treatment options may not even be covered by some insurance companies. Although varicose veins are more common in women, they also affect the male population (prevalence ranges from 25% to 33% in women vs 10% to 20% in men). They also tend to increase in frequency as one ages. Although varicose veins are most commonly found in the legs they can be found elsewhere. The most common presenting symptoms of individuals presenting with varicose veins include heaviness, fatigue, or throbbing pain in the legs. Additionally, pain and swelling may be common. These symptoms usually disappear when patients elevate their legs or get off their feet. So if you suspect varicose veins, what might some of your treatment options be? Some treatment options include external compression devices such as compression stockings (which remain the mainstay of therapy for varicose veins), drug therapy (some diuretics and horse chestnut extract), sclerotherapy (injection of a substance that obliterates the vein), laser and pulsed-light therapy (small veins), and surgery. Treatment considerations would of course depend on the level of necessary therapy needed. Treatment options have come a long way from days in the past where many patients left their physician's office dissatisfied with their treatment due in part to the limited knowledge of varicose veins and the limited treatment options available at the time. With the progression in varicose vein treatment, future developments will more than likely be better streamlined to meet the needs of patients.