Plantar fasciitis is a foot condition that can affect all types of people, and it is the single most common heel problem seen in the U.S.—especially among military personnel and professional athletes. The plantar fascia is a large, tough, fibrous runner-band like structure that holds up the inside part of your foot, and plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammation of the plantar fascia. According to the website, Livestrong, "Dr. James Wright, an orthopedic surgeon, suggests that having a larger body mass, spending long amounts of time standing and limited ankle range of motion put you at greater risk for getting plantar fasciitis"
http://www.livestrong.com/article/526950-trigger-point-therapy-for-plantar-fasciitis/). Another foot doctor, Dr. Burton S. Schuler of Panama City, Florida, suggests that another risk factor for plantar fasciitis is a short first metatarsal bone—also known as Morton's Toe
http://www.whyyoureallyhurt.com).
Schuler's research is influenced by Dr. Dudley J. Morton, and later by Dr. Janet Travell who worked as White House physician for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. While Morton called attention to the physical impact of a short fuirst metatarsal bone, Travell applied Morton's research to her own investigation of myofascial pain syndrome and its "trigger points"
http://www.footcare4u.com/category/dr-janet-travell/). Schuler's own research follows Morton and Travell's legacy, as he shows links between Morton's Toe, plantar fasciitis and condition like myofascial pain syndrome.
The significance of trigger points as therapy for plantar fasciitis is noted in a recent posting on the Livestrong website, which addresses health topics for athletes. "Trigger points are tiny collections of muscle fibers that tense to create a tight contraction. Often these muscle knots transfer pain into the plantar fascia of the foot"
http://www.livestrong.com/article/526950-trigger-point-therapy-for-plantar-fasciitis/). The website recommends that people suffering from plantar fasciitis consider trigger point therapy to alleviate the sometimes excruciating pain that accompanies this condition.
Considering Dr. Schuler's own research on links between foot conditions and myofascial pain, he would simply add that anyone suffering from plantar fasciitis should also get checked for Morton's Toe. In his book,
Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, Schuler writes that: "Dr. Janet Travell states how she was aware early in her career that when the second metatarsal bone was longer than the first metatarsal bone, it could transmit abnormal mechanical stress" to the foot, ankle, knee and hip joints as well. Therefore, if you discover you have Morton's Toe, it may be causing your plantar fasciitis and your ankle, knee and hip joint pain as well. Trigger point therapy and Schuler's recommended toe pad are two concrete ways to treat these pervasive pain conditions.