My foot looks like a pancake but my pain is on my shin!
Many patients that are young come into the office complaining that there shins hurt. After evaluation it is noted that the foot usually is everted or the arch is very flattened throughout the entire foot. This is what we refer to as referred pain. The muscle bellies of the foot attach to the shins and the tendons that they control travel to the foot and attach there. Unfortunately for people with flatfoot deformity the foot is flat and pulls the tendons of the foot for very long periods of time and there is pain in the shin area called shin splints.
Many other long term problems such as knee, back and hip pain can occur if flatfoot deformity goes untreated. Patients that are runners cannot run for long periods of time because of the pain in the shin area and the arch area. In addition patients that are runners overpronate and cause excessive strain on the arch and increase tendonitis like pain in the foot. We have a multitude of bracing devices that are slimlined and fit in the shoe and or sneaker. There are a multitude of new styles of sneakers that can be used to help patients both walk and run comfortably. Besides bracing here are a multitude of stretching exercises and physical therapy that can help to decrease many of the painful scenarios that occur in the foot and ankle.
Please feel free to visit our shoe store in the office as well as get a physical evaluation with our new physical therapist Suzanne Pierri, PT.
Dr. Mitchell Wachtel is a podiatrist in Lowell, Bradford, Methuen and North Andover - all located in North Andover, MA
Podiatrist - North Andover
451 Andover Street
North Andover, MA 01845
(978) 794-8406