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Plantar fasciitis is a condition in which the plantar fascia is inflamed. The plantar fascia is a thick ligament located across the bottom of your foot. It connects your toe with your heel bone. This condition is one of the most common orthopedic complaints and it causes pain at the bottom of your heel.
There are several types of treatment available to treat plantar fasciitis, including therapy, surgery, and other procedures. Your doctor will be able to determine the best type of treatment for you.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy is a key treatment for plantar fasciitis. During physical therapy, you will learn exercises to stretch your plantar fascia and strengthen your lower leg muscles, which will help stabilize your walking and lessen the workload on your plantar fascia. Your physical therapist may also use contrast baths, massage, or ultrasonography to help with your long-term healing.
Steroid injections
Your doctor may recommend steroid injections to relieve your pain temporarily, usually for about a month. It will also keep your inflammation down. The steroid medication is normally injected into the tender area or the most painful area of your plantar fascia. However, multiple shots are not recommended as they can weaken your plantar fascia, which can cause it to rupture.
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy
If physical therapy and other methods are not working, your doctor may suggest you undergo extracorporeal shock wave therapy. During this procedure, your doctor directs sound waves to the area of the heel where you experience pain to stimulate healing within the ligament. The sound waves literally “shock” your plantar fascia, which may reduce the pain you experience.
Surgery
Surgery is only performed where other methods have not worked, your pain is severe, or your pain lasts more than 6 to 12 months. There are two types of surgery that can be performed to treat plantar fasciitis:
Plantar fascia release involves partially detaching your plantar fascia from the heel bone to release tension and relieve inflammation.
Gastrocnemius recession is done to lengthen your calf muscle to release stress on the plantar fascia and increase your ankle motion. This procedure is typically recommended if you find it hard to flex your feet even though you consistently stretch.
Your length of stay depends on the type of treatment you underwent. For non-surgical treatments, you should be able to leave Dominican Republic within 3 to 5 days. For surgical treatments, you may need to stay in the country for 7 days. For physical therapy, your length of stay depends on the frequency and how many appointments are needed. Your doctor/physical therapist/medical travel team will be able to advise you on this.
The recovery time will vary from person to person, depending on the severity of your condition and the type of treatment you have. With most types of treatments, you can go back to your normal routine within 1-2 weeks. With surgical procedures, you may need to wait for 3 to 6 weeks until you can go back to your normal routine. Whether you have a non-surgical or surgical procedure, it is important to increase the intensity and time of your activities gradually.
After all types of plantar fasciitis treatment, your doctor will give you instructions that you need to follow. These may include medications to take, diet plan to follow, exercises you can do, restrictions, and wound care (for surgical procedures).
After you have fully recovered, it is important that you maintain a healthy weight and you should also try to do low-impact exercises. It is also important that you wear shoes that fit well and support your arch.
Most types of plantar fasciitis treatment are generally effective and safe. However, extracorporeal shock wave therapy has not been shown to be consistently effective. Plantar fasciitis treatment, with the exception of physical therapy, carries some risks and side effects, such as nerve problems, neuroma, recurring heel pain, infection, chronic pain, bruises, numbness, and swelling.
In cases where your plantar fasciitis is not severe, you may be able to take pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, to ease your pain and inflammation. Your doctor may also recommend night splints or orthotics as the alternative. Night splints are used to stretch your calf and the arch of your foot while you sleep. Orthotics are custom-fitted arch supports that can help distribute pressure to your feet more evenly.
Whilst the information presented here has been accurately sourced and verified by a medical professional for its accuracy, it is still advised to consult with your doctor before pursuing a medical treatment at one of the listed medical providers
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The Dominican Republic can be found on the island of Hispaniola and is a part of the island group, the Great Antilles. The nation has diverse natural environments and land features. Characterized by rugged mountains on one side and the other side consist of low lying valleys and coastal plains. It is the world’s leading producer of professional baseball players. It is also home to the highest mountain, Pico Duarte, and the largest lake, Lago Enriquillo in the Caribbean Region.
In recent times, the Dominican Republic has become popular with medical tourists. Tourists, particularly from the United States, visit the country for Plastic and Reconstructive surgeries, especially for Breast Augmentation procedure. About 25,000 to 30,000 patients visit the Dominican Republic yearly for various medical treatments. The most sought-after services are general, Plastic and cosmetic surgeries, dental procedures, weight-loss, oncology, and orthopedic treatments.
Most medical service providers are situated around the capital city Santa Domingo and Santiago. The medical establishments offer competitive healthcare services with highly-qualified and internationally-trained surgeons. The following clinics can be found in Santa Domingo: Dr. Rafael E. Estevez - Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeon, Dr. Gustavo Almanzar Plastic Surgery Clinic, Alba Reyes Skin, and Hair Transplant Institute and Dr. Ivan Strachan Bariatric Clinic.
The Dominican Republic is an unmatched destination with amazing natural sceneries, intriguing history, and diverse culture. It offers ecotourism adventures in splendid national parks, mountain ranges, beaches, and rivers.
Top attractions of the Dominican Republic:
Jarabacoa, Sosua, La Romana, Las Aguilas, and Puerto Plata & Playa Dorada are several other popular tourist spots in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic has a tropical weather climate, and constant temperature throughout the year, with average yearly temperature, is around 77°F.
The hottest and humid period is from May to October. The mild winter season is from December to March. The period between November and April are the moderate seasons.
Rainfall is seasonal. The eastern and southern coasts experience rains between April and October. The northern coast receives rains throughout the year due to the influence of the north-eastern trade winds. The southern region is prone to hurricanes, with most striking in the months of August and September.
The Dominican Republic offers easy access to the rest of the world with a myriad of flight options from North America and Europe. The main ports of entry into the country by air are the international airports in Santa Domingo, Punta Cana, and Puerto Plata. Santiago and Samana airports are other points of entry.
There are many flights from major cities of Canada and the US. The most frequent flights are from New York, Miami, Toronto, and Montreal. JetBlue, the budget airlines, operates flights from North America to Santo Domingo, Santiago, and Puerto Plata.
The Dominican Republic has a well-developed inter-country transport infrastructure with a large network of roads. It has many types of public transportation for moving around within cities such as buses, the metro, carro publicos, guaguas, and the motoconchos.
Carro Publicos are small car-public taxis and have a specific route displayed on their roof. Guaguas are privately-owned minivans and pick up travelers from any point and drop them off close to their desired location. Motoconchos are private motorcycle taxis that have reasonable fares and are ideal for short journeys.
Citizens of countries such as the UK, USA, and Canada, and Schengen countries are not required to have a tourist visa to enter the Dominican Republic, under a bilateral agreement between the countries. However, they do need to:
Nationals of countries like India, Sri Lanka, China, and Russia need to get a tourist visa to travel to the Dominican Republic. The visas are multiple-entry type and are valid for 60 days.