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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
 Posted - 03/06/2007 : 06:47:36
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Here is what Dr. Sopher says about foot pain in chpater 19 of his book. I too have foot pain:
Chapter 19
FEET
Feet are a favorite topic of mine right now. There is a veritable
epidemic of foot pain in our society. All of a sudden, everyone has
foot problems, from pro athletes to the couch potato next door. This
has not always been the case. Think hard, back 10 to 20 years ago.
Do you remember hearing so much about plantar fasciitis, heel spurs,
and other foot disorders? Of course you don’t, because foot pain was
relatively uncommon then. When I started my medical training about
20 years ago, foot pain was not a common complaint, now it is in
vogue and everywhere you turn.
There is no doubt in my mind that the overwhelming majority of
foot pain attributed to plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, neuromas, or other
physical causes is TMS. Here is something to think about: why
should the incidence of foot pain be increasing now? It makes no
sense. WE are not strolling about on rocky, uneven trails, barefoot, like our ancestors did. We are not shod in rudimentary footwear,
lacking cushion or support. In fact, I would argue that the footwear
industry has done an incredible job providing us with supremely
comfortable and affordable shoes. Not only is there a vast array of
styles, but we have shoes specifically designed for every waking
activity. There are shoes for walking, running, hiking, cross-training,
aerobics, tennis, soccer, baseball, football, squash, racquetball,
bicycling, rock climbing, golf, basketball – the list goes on. There are
shoes in different widths, for overpronators or underpronators, for
heavier folks, or those who are lighter, for high arches or low arches,
for those who prefer extra cushioning or a wider toe box. The choices
are dazzling. Now people are getting foot pain? How does this make
sense at all?
Most of us have been upright, standing, walking, running,
skipping, climbing since the age of one year. Suddenly our feet
should start to hurt? This makes no sense. Falling from a significant
height and landing on our feet – that should cause pain. But even in
that scenario, with trauma, we heal (unless the trauma is severe) promptly and the pain leaves. Even broken bones heal, within four to
eight weeks, except for truly extraordinary circumstances. Yet, well-meaning orthopedists and podiatrists will provide a
detailed lecture on foot mechanics and a very convincing explanation
of the suddenly acquired physical inadequacies responsible for the
pain. Why? Because this is what they are taught: a physical
symptom must have a physical cause. Yes, we all can get injured.
Step in a hole and you may sprain your ankle, injuring ligaments. But this heals. We are fantastic creatures, as I’ll remind you often. We
have an amazing capacity to heal quickly when injured. When pain
and discomfort linger well beyond the timeframe for expected healing
following an injury, what is going on? Have we suddenly become
defective, losing our innate ability to heal? If pain develops and stays
without obvious trauma or an unusual physical stress, what’s going on
there? How does that make sense? And if that discomfort becomes
chronic, then logic has really been defied. We cannot be so fragile. If
so, how could we still exist? We’d be extinct, having been wiped off
the face of the earth as a result of being so feeble in the face of normal
activities.
So now, foot pain is in vogue. It is acceptable. Everyone has it.
The pain, the nuisance, serves as a distraction, keeping unpleasant
thoughts and emotions at bay. It is fine to commiserate with others
about aching feet, far more acceptable than ranting and raving about
stressful issues in your life, past or present.
Complain enough and your feet will get injected, put in splints or
fit for orthotics. Undoubtedly medication will be prescribed. Maybe you’ll
eventually have surgery. Even worse than those treatments will be
the inevitable advice to stop running or quit aerobics class, to get off
your feet. Exercise, which helps to maintain conditioning and fitness,
aid with stress management and even improve mood, will be taken
away in the name of modern medicine. Not too difficult to imagine
the consequences, is it?
Oh, yes, sometimes the pain seems improved with one of these
therapies. However, in my experience, the relief may be temporary,
as with any placebo response (Remember, very few people really
want to be in pain). If it appears to last longer, it is inevitable that a
new pain will surface at another location. This is the brain’s strategy,
to make you believe that the cause is physical, rather than
psychological, and to keep you guessing, off-balance.
As an aside, I think the foot pain epidemic began shortly after
Larry Bird’s surgery for heel spurs in the early 1980’s. Heel spurs are
often incidental findings on foot x-rays, but now are regularly blamed
for foot pain. Which leads to the question: were heel spurs to blame
for Larry Bird’s foot pain? Obviously, I cannot answer that, but in the chapter on athletes I postulate how a competitive athlete’s personality
makes him/her a set-up for TMS.
Jack is a 45-year-old with heel and foot pain for more than one
year. Diagnosed by both a podiatrist and orthopedist as having
plantar fasciitis, nothing has alleviated his daily foot pain. He’s tried
orthotics, NSAIDs, taping, stretching and special exercises to no
avail. In addition to his foot pain, he has a history of chronic
intermittent back pain despite two surgeries, reflux, migraines and
irritable bowel syndrome.
Married with two children, he is self-employed and trying to get a
book published. He is very happy with his life but acknowledges that
he feels much responsibility for his family and realizes that this is a
source of stress.
At my urging he stopped all treatments and within two weeks his
foot pain resolved. His other symptoms have also improved.
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Sarno-ize it!
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yikes read past posts on neuromas....
