Summer heat means flip-flop season and the peak of outdoor activity for the year. It also means that cases of plantar fasciitis, of which there are reportedly 2 million yearly, are at a seasonal high.
Some chiropractors are admittedly not seeing as many plantar fasciitis patients as they would like. Would you say the same about your practice? Here are some reasons why patients don’t always choose chiropractic care for plantar fasciitis:
- Pretend you are a patient and type “heel pain” or “plantar fasciitis treatment” into your search engine. What you will find is that there is probably no mention of chiropractic care at all on the first page of search engine results. You will find plenty of recommendations for braces or orthotics, physical therapy and even surgery—but probably no mention of chiropractic.
Solution: Work on your doctor-to-doctor referral network. See how Dr. James Maggio, Virginia Beach Chiropractor, approaches MDs to join his network. - Many plantar fasciitis patients only experience pain in the morning. Meaning some of your regular patients may be afflicted by the condition, but they forget to ask you about it by the time you see them for their appointment.
Solution: Always ask your patients if they are experiencing pain beyond what they scheduled the appointment for. Follow up on the question by emphasizing that you don’t just treat conditions related to the spine. - Some Doctors tend to approach non-spinal conditions by focusing on treatment of the symptoms, rather than treatment of the cause. For example, they may recommend stretches or braces to a plantar fasciitis patient, but they won’t necessarily look for the cause and how chiropractic may offer subsequent and lasting treatment.
Solution: Be on the lookout for new methods to treat conditions beyond the spine. For example, the gentle impulses from the PulStar are ideal for many non-spinal conditions. See how Dr. Maggio uses the PulStar system to treat plantar fasciitis.
