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Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
About me
Having worked in orthopedic clinical practice for over ten years, he is a committee member for the Asia-Pacific Foot and Ankle Chinese District.
Proficient in diseases
Specializes in treating foot and ankle injuries and diseases.
Voices
Plantar fasciitis etiology
The most common cause of plantar fasciitis is excessive weight-bearing walking, which leads to a type of nonspecific chronic aseptic inflammation of the plantar fascia, resulting in pain on the medial side of the foot when weight-bearing. This is the most common reason. The second cause is degeneration, which is most commonly seen in middle-aged and elderly female patients. The degeneration of the fascia can cause pain and may also be accompanied by heel spurs. Currently, there are two main treatments for plantar fasciitis. The first is conservative treatment, which includes rest, acupuncture, and local injection therapy to relieve pain. If conservative treatment does not work after more than six months or the condition gradually worsens, then surgical treatment becomes necessary. Surgical treatment can remove local inflammatory tissue and release the plantar fascia to achieve the purpose of relieving pain.
How to completely cure plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis clinically has no method that can achieve a radical cure. Only through surgical treatment can the recurrence rate be reduced, but it cannot be completely cured. Of course, the effects of surgical treatment are definitely more significant than conservative treatment. The first step in surgical treatment is to release the plantar fascia, and the second step is to remove bone spurs, as a significant portion of patients with plantar fasciitis have concurrent bone spurs. Of course, during the surgical process, it is necessary to remove bone spurs. The third step involves drilling into the heel bone to decompress it, as some patients also suffer from high pressure in the heel bone. Therefore, the surgery aims to decompress the heel bone by drilling, thus further alleviating pain in the heel and foot. However, if rest is maintained post-surgery, and strenuous activities are avoided, it can significantly reduce the chances of recurrence of fasciitis, but surgical treatment is not a cure-all method.
Is physical therapy useful for plantar fasciitis?
Physical therapy for plantar fasciitis is quite effective. It can reduce local inflammatory reactions and increase local blood circulation, thereby promoting the recovery of the plantar fascia and alleviating pain. Generally, there are many types of physical therapy; currently, the most modern and commonly used is extracorporeal shock wave therapy, which has better effects than previous methods like electrotherapy and magnetic therapy. In addition to this type of therapy, local application of injections can also be used. Blocking injections can provide immediate pain relief, but their use is limited to once or twice a month at most, as excessive use can damage the plantar fascia and exacerbate pain.
Can plantar fasciitis be treated with moxibustion?
Plantar fasciitis can be alleviated by moxibustion to relieve foot pain, but solely relying on moxibustion may not be very effective. In treating plantar fasciitis, it's important first to understand that the main causes of the condition are excessive loading, over-exertion, and degeneration of the fascia due to aging. The primary treatment for this condition is rest, avoiding excessive exertion. At the same time, other treatments such as shock wave therapy, acupuncture, or local injections can also be utilized. If conservative treatments have been applied for over six months without relief of pain, or if the pain gradually worsens, surgery may be needed to provide relief.
How long will it take for a comminuted ankle fracture to heal?
Hello! You're asking how long it takes for a comminuted ankle fracture to heal. Generally, the healing time for a comminuted fracture in the ankle is about three months. Depending on your specific condition, you may need to have an X-ray to confirm if your ankle fracture has achieved bony union. If bony union has been achieved, you can then appropriately begin weight-bearing activities to promote blood circulation in the lower limbs and restore joint mobility. However, if the X-ray shows that bony union has not been achieved, it is absolutely crucial not to bear weight. Premature weight-bearing can cause the fracture ends to break again and shift, potentially necessitating a second surgery. So, generally speaking, the healing time for non-comminuted ankle fractures is also about three months, but it is essential to check the final X-ray to see if the fracture has healed.
Is leg cramp related to varicose veins?
Leg cramps are not directly related to varicose veins. The most common cause of leg cramps in clinical practice is calcium deficiency, which can lead to cramps in the calves at night. For such cases, the first step is to supplement calcium by consuming foods high in calcium, such as drinking more milk and eating more legumes. Varicose veins are caused by the tortuosity of the veins in the lower leg, and patients with varicose veins often have some degree of deformation in the venous valves, which leads to varicose veins. This condition has no relation to calf cramps, as the causes and conditions of the diseases are completely different.
How is a fracture treated?
For the treatment of fractures, we first need to determine the type of fracture. First, whether the alignment of the fracture is appropriate, and whether there is any obvious displacement; second, whether it is a comminuted fracture; third, whether the fracture ends have affected the joint surface. If the alignment of the fracture is very good, doesn’t involve the joint surface, and is not comminuted, then conservative treatment, such as plastering or splinting, can lead to a full recovery. If the fracture is comminuted, comes with obvious misalignment, and also involves the joint surface, then surgical treatment should be considered. Conservative treatment under these circumstances might result in certain disabilities, thus surgery is recommended.
Do you need to take an X-ray for plantar fasciitis?
Patients with plantar fasciitis need to have imaging done, as many people with plantar fasciitis also develop heel spurs. Therefore, imaging can be used to check if the patient has heel spurs. In addition to imaging, it is also necessary to perform color ultrasound or MRI. These examinations can reveal local edema in the plantar fascia, indicating some damage to the plantar fascia, and even the presence of aseptic inflammation. It is also necessary to combine the patient's medical history, physical examination, and clinical signs to diagnose plantar fasciitis comprehensively. However, imaging is a very necessary part of the examination process.
Is the ankle pain due to gout or rheumatoid arthritis?
In clinical practice, the first reason for ankle pain is rheumatic or rheumatoid arthritis, which mainly involves the synovium of the joint in the early stages, causing synovial hyperplasia and effusion leading to pain. The second cause is gout, which is due to dietary habits, such as frequent consumption of greasy or seafood-based foods, and a preference for beer, leading to increased uric acid levels and gout. The third cause is osteoarthritis in middle-aged and elderly people, which leads to degeneration of joint cartilage and pain. The fourth cause is sprains, which can lead to damage to cartilage and ligaments within the joint, causing pain. To determine whether ankle pain is caused by gout or rheumatic arthritis, one can simply visit a hospital for a checkup, such as a uric acid test to see if there is a significant increase in gout uric acid levels. If the uric acid level is significantly elevated, it is likely caused by gout. Additionally, one can check for a rheumatism panel to see if the anti-O test is positive; if it is, it may suggest that rheumatic factors are causing the pain.
How is plantar fasciitis treated?
The treatment of plantar fasciitis currently is divided into two methods in clinical practice. The first method is conservative treatment, which includes rest, avoiding strenuous exertion and excessive weight-bearing walking. It can be managed with physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, physiotherapy, and local block injections. If conservative treatments do not improve the condition or even if the pain progressively worsens over more than half a year, severely affecting daily life, surgical treatment may be necessary. The objectives of surgical treatment are firstly to release the plantar fascia and secondly to remove bone, as a significant portion of patients with plantar fasciitis also have heel spurs; therefore, the surgical procedure involves the removal of these bone spurs to alleviate the pain.