TAKING CARE
By Leslie Girmscheid, MD NCTMB
May 2010
The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent,
tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father,
deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to
yourself, respect; to all men, charity.
Francis Maitland Balfour
MASSAGE THERAPY: PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Plantar fasciitis (plan-tar fash-ee-i-tis) is a common medical problem
that most people don’t know about until they get it. The name is Latinderived and describes an inflammation of the thick band of connective tissue
located on the sole of the foot. This fascia originates at the front and bottom
part of the heel bone, and runs along the length of the sole, dividing into 5
thin bands that attach to areas within the toes. The primary area of
inflammation is where the fascia attaches to the heel bone, and in fact, some
people develop a heel spur when there has been a prolonged pull on that site.
Despite X-ray findings of a heel spur (which points forward and not straight
down), the presence or absence of such has no bearing on the degree of pain
which a patient has.
As one ages, the “padding” of the bottom of the foot thins out and
prolonged walking, walking on very hard surfaces like concrete and tile,
wearing flat uncushioned shoes, and gaining weight can increase the stress
on the feet. Pain in the heels or along the sole of the foot which worsens
with walking is the hallmark of this condition. A classic story for plantar
fasciitis is pain in the soles of the feet on arising in the morning until the
bottom of the foot stretches out. Bending your toes up toward your knee
stretches the plantar fascia and can reproduce the pain.
Treatment consists of making adjustments to your feet to decrease
impact—wearing heel cups and/or arch supports, inserting shoe cushions,
and increasing the heel height (1 inch high is maximum) so as to distribute
your weight forward. Rolling a tennis ball along the bottom of your foot and
stretching the calf muscles also help. Ice after an activity that will
precipitate pain and taking anti-inflammatory medication may decrease
symptoms. Of course, losing weight is key, but difficult to do if you can’t
be on your feet to exercise the weight off. Massage therapy for the feet and
lower legs can be beneficial. Special night braces, steroid injections and
surgery are treatments for cases that have protracted symptoms.
The take-home message is prevention. Wear comfortable cushioned
shoes, especially if you are planning to do a lot of walking, avoid standing
on hard surfaces (they make special floor pads for cashiers and kitchen
workers), and massage your feet or use the tennis ball trick after a long walk.
And don’t forget ice, which you can use for up to 24 hours after the activity
to quell inflammation.
OFFICE NOTES:
***MY PRACTICE INFORMATION If you think that your doctor,
chiropracter, or physical therapist would like to receive information about
my practice, let me know and I will mail out a brochure along with some
business cards.
*** GIFT CERTIFICATES are available. They are perfect for Mother’s
Day, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and as a thank-you for a job well
done.
*** I would like to remind you that should you become ill in the 24 hours
prior to an appointment, call (or email) me ASAP if you have any questions
regarding symptoms and if you need to be rescheduled. If you wake up ill,
please call (after 7:30 a.m.) or email me as early as you can. I do not charge
the cancellation fee if you are ill.
LAUGH OF THE MONTH:
Subject: Why God made Moms
"Why God Made Moms" answers given by elementary school age children to
the following questions...
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and
one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.
What kind of little girl was your Mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.
What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work &work at home, &dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got
to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not
me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back.
CONTEMPLATION:
Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby....
Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.
Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct... Somebody never took a threeyear-old shopping.
Somebody said being a mother is boring. Somebody never rode in a car driven by a
teenager with a driver's permit.
Somebody said if you're "good" mother, your child will "turn out good"....somebody thinks a
child comes with directions and a guarantee.
Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices ... Somebody never came out the
back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.
Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother....Somebody never helped a
fourth grader with his math.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first.... Somebody
doesn't have two children.
Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the
books.... Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery....somebody never
watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of Kindergarten.... or on a plane headed
for military "boot camp."
Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her
back. Somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.
Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her Child gets married....somebody doesn't
know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home...somebody never
had Grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.... somebody
isn't a mother.
Pass this along to all the "mothers" in your life and to everyone who ever had a mother. This
isn't just about being a mother; it's about appreciating the people in your life while you have
them....no matter who that person is.
Happy Mothers’ Day
Leslie
Leslie Girmscheid, MD, NCTMB
Licensed Muscular Therapist
3 Apple Tree Lane
Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107
207-272-6027
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