Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Red Sox's Napoli Gets Cortisone Shot For Plantar Fasciitis

Mike Napoli appeared in the Red Sox's lineup on Saturday for the first time in more than a week after
getting a cortisone shot in his foot to alleviate the pain from the plantar fasciitis he's been suffering from. Napoli had three hits, including a RBI single in the first inning.
"I got to play a couple of innings here and there the past week, and it felt alright," Napoli said. "The reason why I got the injection was because I was at a point where it was bothering me pretty good. I'm going to go into treatment for every day, like I've been, and try to take care of it as best as I possibly can.
"I'm just going to have to grind through it and play through some pain- which I have been already."
Los Angeles Anaheim star Albert Pujols recently called it quits for the season because of his ongoing plantar fasciitis, hoping it will have healed by spring training next year.
"Everyone is different," Napoli said. "Everyone can handle things differently. I don't know what was going on in his situation. Only time will tell. We'll see what happens. I'm going to try to stay out on the field and deal with it as much as possible."
"I don't feel it one bit hitting," the Red Sox first baseman said. "That has nothing to do with anything. Running is definitely the worst part of it- sometimes in the field, going to first base."
Like Pujols, Napoli's production has seen a slump as well. He's hitting a paltry .232 with a .339 on-base percentage and .338 slugging percentage since May 10, and he's struck out 112 times in the last 322 plate appearances. And his numbers are worse since the All-Star break: Napoli is hitting .189 with a .305 on-base percentage and .389 slugging percentage.
The team is hoping the cortisone shot and a week off his feet will help Napoli get back to normal.
"The foot issue has calmed down enough to feel like he's confident not only in the box but defensively," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "What we've seen is that when Mike has been compact with his swing at the plate, that's when he's driven balls. The swing hasn't gotten long. He's had a bit more swing and miss at those times."
Reference: Providence Journal
If you have heel pain, call our Newington, Kensington, or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Craig M. Kaufman, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Newington
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow our tweets on Twitter.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

What Is Astym Therapy?

Astym treatment, or therapy, is a physical therapy treatment that eliminates and reduces scar tissue that may
be causing discomfort or pain. It regenerates healthy soft tissues like muscles, tendons.
This treatment is used for restoring movement and reducing pain from soft tissue injuries or dysfunction and is sometimes used when all other treatment options have failed. Astym therapy was designed to target the underlying causes of soft tissue problems, rather than just treat the symptoms.
Astym therapy has proven effective in many cases of plantar fasciitis. In diagnosis trials, 1,131 patients with plantar fasciitis were studied using the Astym therapy. 92% of patients showed marked improvement after the treatment, while 7.6% showed no improvement at all. .4% patients exhibited worse symptoms
The treatment is non-invasive, with no injections or incisions. The instruments used in the therapies are applied topically to locate unhealthy or diseased tissues and to transfer mild to moderate pressure to the underlying soft tissue structures. This treatment encourages tissue turnover, scar tissue resorption, and the regeneration of tendons, muscles, and other soft tissue structures.
Astym treatment is done twice weekly for four to five weeks, depending on the severity of your plantar fasciitis (roughly nine treatments), and is done in conjunction with physical therapy exercises like eccentric loading, stretching, and functional exercises. This option encourages patients to remain active, continue working, and athletes to continue training and playing while they receive treatment. The Astym treatment claims to make the tissues affected stronger and allows a patient's body to become used to greater stress without injury.
Astym therapy is used in physical therapy clinics, hospitals, and industrial rehabilitation centers. It is not a treatment option we provide for our patients in our six offices, however.
Reference: Astym.Com
If you have heel pain, call our Newington, Kensington, or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Craig M. Kaufman, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Newington
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow our tweets on Twitter.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Jerry Seinfeld Has No Jokes About Heel Pain

This past April comedian Jerry Seinfeld visited the New York College of Podiatric Medicine to thank
APMA member Dr. Joseph D'Amico for ending his 30 year struggle with heel pain. Can you imagine spending 30 years of your life suffering with something as debilitating as heel pain?
Dr. D'Amico performed a biomechanical exam along with a computer-assisted gait analysis to treat Seinfeld's long-term heel pain. Dr. D'Amico is the former chair of the orthopedics department at the school and a longtime instructor and succeeded in determining the biomechanical problems of Seinfeld's feet where other medical professionals had failed. 
Seinfeld recalled how difficult it was for him to watch reruns of Seinfeld because of how much pain he was in during the filming of the show. With regards to the show, Seinfeld commented, "I have a hard time watching reruns because I see the shoes on my feet and remember how painful that experience was." 
Seinfeld was so appreciative of the medical care he received from Dr. D'Amico he made a donation to the Gait Laboratory of Biomechanical Research at NYCPM as well as a donation to fully fund the Richard O. Schuster Memorial biomechanics seminar. 
If you have heel pain, call our Newington, Kensington, or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Craig M. Kaufman, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Newington
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow our tweets on Twitter.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Kelly Olynyk Out Of Canadian National Team

Plantar fasciitis has been beyond pesky for athletes lately.
Boston Celtics rookie 7-footer Kelly Olynyk was not be able to compete for a spot on the Canadian
national team because of plantar fasciitis.
"Nothing too serious, but he just needs to rest and recover," said a source close to the Canadian national team.
Olynyk missed last week's senior men's national team training camp session because of the condition, which prepares the players for the world championship qualification tournament starting on August 30th. The team announced their list of 18 players who were set to play at the camp, and Olynyk was not on the list. Olynyk grew up in Toronto and has been a part of the Canadian national team in the past.
"He's so keen about wanting to play, but the Celtics had some concerns," said national team head coach Jay Triano.
The Celtics traded up to the No. 13 overall pick to draft Olynyk, who has been a top performer in the five games at the Orlando Summer League, averaging a team-high 18 points and 7.8 rebounds in 24.3 minutes. He was voted to the league's first team.
Boston fans are excited about his potential, but Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has said that he sees Olynyk weighing 260 pounds- 20 more than he does now- as a power forward who can play center occasionally.
"I don't see Kelly as a go-to-guy in the NBA," Ainge said on the day Olynyk was introduced to the media, "but a guy that complements the rest of the guys on the team and makes them all better."
Olynyk, a former Gonzaga star is smart to rest his injury so he will have plenty of time to recuperate before the star of the NBA season.
Reference: Boston Globe and SB Nation.
If you have heel pain, call our Newington, Kensington, or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Craig M. Kaufman, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Heel Pain Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Newington
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow our tweets on Twitter.