A Chiropractors guide to treating Plantar Fascitis by a Podiatrist

So, you are a Chiropractor, you advertise that you treat the foot and ankle.  but, you secretly pray that no patients come in with foot and ankle maladies.  That can be corrected, there are multiple foot and ankle deformitites that a Chiropractor can treat with little to no problem.  The first and most obvious of this is plantar fascitis.  Here are the signs of Plantar fascitis:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/plantar-fasciitis/DS00508/DSECTION=symptoms

Essentially, your patients will state that after sleeping or sitting for awhile, their first step hurts with a stabbing sensation.  You can take X-Rays of the Foot and Ankle as most insurances will cover those.  If you see a spur, you can mention it to the patient.  But, there is little scientific literature that indicates that the heel spur has anything to do with the plantar fascitis.
Treatments for plantar fascitis range from cortisone shots to oral steroids and those tend to be effective but the first thing you should advice your patient on is stretching exercises demonstrated here:

These are simple to perform with wonderful success.  However that does not make you much money, a lot of people consider orthotics to be a gold standard treatment of plantar fascitis because, the condition tends to be cause by a biomechanical abnormality.  I do not know how much experience a Chiropractor may have with custum orthotics.  If you have limited you may consider, simple over the counter orthotics like:





Sell either the Powerstep or the Spenco at a 5 to 10 dollar markup over your cost.  Be sure to have the items in stock for most sizes.  Patients tend to be relieved that they do not have to spend over 250 dollars for a custum orthotic, some people charge as much as 400 dollars.  It is a simple way to make a profit.  Note none of the prefabricated orthotics will be covered by insurance.  However, a lot of private insurances and the occasional public insurance do cover custum orthotics.  The great thing about Custom Orthotics is you do not need a two thousand dollar gait scan or cast to make them/.  The chiropractor can make custom orthotics safely and cheeply utilizing inexpensive biofoam boxes. As demonstrated here

Once you have the impression send it to an orthotic lab of your choosing.  Try to utilize a lab that is located close to your location.  Here is a place to purchase biofoam







So for a simple 15 dollar charge to you, you can then bill out a costum orthotic for as much as 200-300 dollars as well as give your patient a great deal of relief.  My next blog will focus on physical therapy as well as DME treatments available for the Chiropractor in treating Plantar Fascitis.