ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS

There are more patients than ever turning to alternative medicine for answers to problems particularly those problems which seem difficult to treat. Reasons for use of alternative treatments range from a distrust of the "medical establsihment" to the feeling that treatments outside of "mainstream" medicine may be superior. we will discuss a few such treatments here.

CHIROPRACTIC

Chiropractors, when treating plantar fascia often utilize physcial therapy modalities such as therapeutic ultrasound. A more "true" chirorpractic approach may involve manipulation or adjustments of the foot.

There are "general" adjustments used by many. A few chiropractors may be knwledgeable about a type of adjustment which is actaully a series of osteopathic adjustents dwsigned in the 1940's and 1950's by an osteopath in Los Angelses named Hiss who maintained a high volume practice. Hiss felt that the foot tended to go into a position he termed "functional eversion" which is a position that makes the arch cllapse or roll in . Hiss had  a series of seven adjustments designed to reduce functional eversion.

YOGA

Since a tight gastosoleus-achilles can aggravate plantar fasciitis, yoga provides a system of stretch and exercise to attempt to try to relax and lenghten the tight gastosoleus which causes a tight heel cord. we discuss the effects of a tight heel cord elsewhere in this site.

ACTIVE RELEASE THERAPIES

ART or Active Release Therapies is a form of deep tissue work, seemingly a form of vigorous massage but its adherents state that it is not a form of massage. The goal of ART is to try to break up scar tissue or adhesions in the plantar fascia. It is a set of techniques performed by a segment of the chiropractic profession. It often involves multiple applications.