Pelvic Health & Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Addressing your questions about pelvic, women's, and musculoskeletal health. Health is a journey. Movement is healing!
Feet, everyone has them. No one wants to touch them. Your feet can take a beating throughout the day...from shoving them into uncomfortable shoes for hours on end, to standing on your feet all day, to forcing yourself to get those extra thousand steps in to reach your FitBit goals...Your feet quite literally take you places so treat them kindly.
Let's talk about a type of foot pain that 1 in 10 people experiences, some of you may even have this pain currently, Plantar Fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a type of connective tissue on the bottom of your foot that runs from your heel to the balls of your foot and to the toes over the muscles of your foot. Sometimes, the plantar fascia can become inflamed causing pain which we refer to as Plantar Fasciitis. This pain is often first experienced in the heel of the foot and is at its worst when you first get out of bed in the mornings. So what is causing your foot pain? It is important to decipher the cause of your pain in order to correct the issue. Plantar Fasciitis is commonly an overuse injury. You know those really cute, flat sandals that accentuate your pedicure? The ones you wear for hours on end every week that were on sale for $15? They may be making your foot pain worse because your foot has to work harder throughout the day to maintain its shape, walk, and stand! It is important that you consult a physician or your local physical therapist in order to be properly diagnosed and treated. While you are waiting for your appointment there are a few things you can do to manage your foot pain.
If you would have told me 6 years ago that I would be in physical therapy school, I would have looked at you a bit incredulously. I've always had an interest in the medical field, but in college I skipped around what I wanted to do. I ranged from wanting to pursue becoming a physician, pharmacist, researcher, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, you name it...I probably told someone that that's what I wanted to do. Commitment to a career path terrified me. I would become interested in something, just to stress about not wanting to lock myself into something and then back track. However, I knew the end was nearing, it was time to make a decision. Luckily, different situations arose blatantly pointing me in the direction of physical therapy. They say when you know you know and when I finally decided on becoming a physical therapist, I knew I had made the right decision.
Like many high school athletes, at some point during my high school athletic career I bit off more than I could chew. My eager and unprepared actions led to an injury and thus a visit to the local PT. While this interaction is integral in many students pursuing a career in physical therapy, I had no interest in the field following my experience. It wasn't until the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college my gears began turning about PT. That summer and the following summer I was a summer camp counselor at a camp for children with special needs. It was one of those experiences when things just seem to click. I loved working with the kids, assisting them in different camp activities, adapting activities for each child, and seeing them excel at camp. This summer job was fundamental in spurring my career search to see what I could do to work with kids with special needs. I eventually fell into the field of physical therapy and a really amazing observation opportunity. Beyond the idea of working with kids, I was drawn to the flexibility that the field of physical therapy offers. There is a fluidity in the field that allows practitioners to work in different settings or with different populations anywhere in the country. You can have one patient and then someone completely different in the next hour. This kind of flexibility offers clinical challenges with treatment and decision-making. Physical Therapy also offered an outlet for my creativity creating individualized care plans that engage each patient. It requires the skills to identify functional limitations, critically think and problem solve interventions, and develop creative techniques to make functional changes in an individual's life. You can change the quality of someone's life with your treatment. |
AuthorHello! I am Caitlyn, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board Certified Women's Health Physical Therapist working in St Louis, Missouri. Faculty in developing residency program. Endowarrior Categories
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