Curing Chronic Pain

Chronic Upper Back Pain, Mid Back Pain And Low Back Pain – The Plagues Of The 21st Century

Rothbart — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:02:52 +0000

Do you know anyone over the age of 30 who doesn't have upper back pain, mid back pain or low back pain, ranging from occasionally bothersome to unendingly agonizing? I know very few. Chronic back pain seems epidemic.

Back pain ( no matter where it's located) is quite 'fascinating', as one can feel interesting and diverse sensations ranging from incapacitating muscle spasms to exquisite nerve pain that sends one falling to their feet.

In fact, there's nothing quite as humbling as being home alone with severe back pain, lying in bed with an icepack, then having to go to the bathroom and slowly, carefully inching your way to get there. All those who have gone through this humiliating experience will know exactly what I'm talking about.

Is it any wonder that people suffering with this highly unpleasant condition will do just about anything to stop the pain? If one wasn't on the brink of desperation, would they actually consider something like having their bones fused together with a rod (a surgery for back pain) and/ or having their spinal muscles, tendons or ligaments injected with cortisone; a dangerous drug known to destroy joint surfaces and dissolve or rupture ligaments?

Yes, sadly, the current treatments for back pain are often as bad as the pain itself. The thought of them sends chills up my own spine!

So, one must look at why so many people suffer from back pain, an affliction that is more widespread than heart disease, cancer and diabetes combined. And why is there seemingly no answer to resolving it?

Why Millions Of People Suffer From Chronic Back Pain

The reason why so many people suffer from upper back pain, mid back pain and low back pain is that the cause of all three is so common. Contrary to popular medical belief that common cause is not aging, over weight, arthritis or injury.

Research has demonstrated that the most common cause of back pain is due to pathomechanics. That is, postural distortions (bad posture) resulting in joint misalignments. These joint misalignments, in time, wear down the joint surfaces, similar to how a car alignment problem wears tires unevenly.

That being said, the most common causes of postural distortion (poor posture) are two inherited, abnormal foot structures known as Rothbarts Foot and the PreClinical Clubfoot Deformity.

If you have had the misfortune of being born with one of these foot structures, you can be young, thin, active, and take handfuls of nutritional supplements for healthy joints, but you are still destined to end up with back pain. It's only a matter of when.

There is a way to alter your predestined misery. Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, a noninvasive treatment (that does not use drugs or surgery) effectively reverses the postural distortions resulting from these abnormal foot structures.

As a result, the (formerly) misaligned joints are permanently placed in their normal, healthy position and now wear normally (evenly) side to side and front to back. The inflammation goes away, the cartilage rebuilds (yes, this actually happens) and the chronic back pain goes away.

It is a sad statement that many healthcare providers are not aware of the link between these two inherited, abnormal foot structures and the development of chronic back pain. Instead they treat the pain as the problem, which results in a lifelong process of pain management (not pain elimination).

Whether your chronic pain manifests as upper back pain, mid back pain or lower back pain, why struggle with temporary fixes and treatments that only work in the short term, like cortisone injections and surgery for back pain?

For more information on back pain, read: Causes Of Back Pain Your Doctor Probably Doesn't Know About

If you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

If you would like to contact me regarding an appointment to resolve your pain, click here.

Professor/Dr. Brian A. Rothbart
Chronic Pain Elimination Specialist
Discovered the Rothbarts Foot and PreClinical Clubfoot Deformity
Developer of Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy
Designer of Rothbart Proprioceptive Insoles
Founder of International Academy of Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy
Author of Forever Free From Chronic Pain

An Abnormal Foot Structure Can Make An Acute Injury Worse

Rothbart — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:47:21 +0000

This post, about why some acute injuries don't heal, is an educational piece edited from a comment I wrote in response to an article in Scientific American titled 'The Ways We Talk About Pain'.

The definition of an acute injury is an injury that has a rapid onset and is followed by a short and severe course. For example; you fall off a ladder, injure your knee, and it takes about two or three months to heal.

But why is it that some people incur an acute injury to a weight bearing bone or joint, that should heal within an expected period of time, but instead becomes debilitating and seems to drag on forever?

Part of the answer is in the overall health of the injured person. But there is another factor, commonly overlooked, that can make a seemingly minor trauma into a severe injury. That factor lies in biomechanics. That is; how you stand and move can directly impact how quickly an injury (to your weight bearing bone or joint) heals.

For example: Two people incur an acute injury to their knee. Because the knee joint is a weight bearing joint, the healing of the injury will be influenced by their biomechanics.
If one person has efficient biomechanics (the body stands and moves in a linear/non twisting fashion) his knee will heal probably heal faster and with less pain, than the other person, who has inefficient biomechanics (the body stands and moves in a torsional/twisting fashion).

What determines if the body has efficient or inefficient biomechanics?

In large part: your feet determine your body's biomechanics. If you have a normal foot structure, your foot is structurally stable and you will have efficient biomechanics. The result is that your foot does not twist as you stand or walk. When your foot does not twist, everything above it doesn't twist (including your knee). And so your acute knee injury, over a reasonable period of time, will heal.

If you have an abnormal foot structure – such as the Rothbarts Foot or PreClinical Clubfoot Deformity – your foot is structurally unstable. The result is that your foot will twist as you stand or walk. When your foot twists, everything above it will twist (including your knee). And so, your acute knee injury will take longer to heal.

For more information on biomechanics, read: How Biomechanics have Contributed To Resolving Chronic Pain.

For more information on foot twist, read: If Your Shoes Could Talk, What Would They Say?

If you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

If you would like to contact me regarding an appointment to resolve your pain, click here.

Eight Good Reasons Not To Have Joint Reconstruction Surgery

Rothbart — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:58:09 +0000

If you're suffering with chronic joint pain – knee pain, hip pain or back pain – you know what it's like to feel truly miserable! And after having tried just about everything from physical therapy to pain killers, you may now be considering joint reconstruction surgery . Surgery performed to replace natural joints with artificial joints is often referred to as hip replacement surgery or knee replacement surgery.

Your orthopedic surgeon may believe that joint reconstruction is the only solution to your irritating problem, and this may be a reason why joint reconstruction surgery is so prevalent in our society. But often there are important pieces of information that you are not told before (or after) you're on the table, such as the fact that repairing or reconstructing malfunctioning joints is never a simple procedure and often the results are far from what you're hoping for. Here are eight good reasons not to have joint reconstruction surgery, unless there is no other option:

Why Not To Have Knee Surgery, Hip Surgery or Back Surgery For Chronic Joint Pain

General Anesthesia Risks

General anesthesia interferes with and suppresses the functioning of your heart and lungs, which can lead to severe disability or 'anesthesia induced death'. Admittedly, one can argue this risk factor is fairly low (according to the National Healthcare Quality Report, 2003; this occurrence is one in every two thousand patients if you are under the age of 44 and increasing with age) but is the risk of severe complications or death worth taking when there are other options available? Someone has to be the 'one in two thousand' – it could be you!

Post Anesthesia Reactions

Due to the toxicity of the anesthetic drugs being used, some patients report short term memory loss, severe headaches and/or visual and hearing disturbances. These symptoms can last anywhere from hours to days to months. Because these drugs are slowly eliminated from the body, if you have multiple joint reconstruction surgeries (involving general anesthesia) the potential for serious side effects is exponentially increased with each successive surgery.

Post Operative Infections

Hospitals are the most germ infected structures on the face of the earth and practically every known pathogen resides there. Some of them are resistant to every known antibiotic. If you are unfortunate enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and one of those pathogens enters your post surgical wound, not only might you lose a part of your body, you could very well lose your life.

Because there are so many patients infected with highly invasive pathogens that (if not carefully confined) can spread throughout the hospital, many surgeons now place their patients in ambulatory surgical centers – not only for your welfare, but for theirs as well.

Weakening of the Joint

Surgery always weakens your joint(s) and you are left with a functioning joint that's never as strong and resilient as what you were born with. If possible, it's far better to allow your own body to heal the joint than to have a surgeon repair it. How is this done? By taking away the obstacle to healing – that is; find and permanently handle the cause of your painful joint(s).

No Guaranteed Outcome

You may get a good surgeon. You may not. But even good surgeons have bad days – a doctor's argument with their spouse earlier that morning does not forebode well for you on the surgical table that afternoon.

Unmet Expectations

The doctor may perform the surgery precisely as it was meant to be done, but your expectations may not be met. For example; after your recuperation you may still have pain, disability and/or lack of joint function. If you express your concerns to your surgeon, his initial response will probably be: "The surgery went well". (This translates as: 'I technically performed the surgery according to the way I was taught.')

If pressed further, his second response might be: "I'm referring you to a psychologist to help you cope with your recovery." (This translates as: 'Your remaining pain is all in your head.')

Failure of the Implanted Material

The metal used in the manufacturing of an artificial joint is typically a type of alloy, such as titanium or stainless steel. Sometimes there are manufacturing defects in these metals or in the design and/or construction of the artificial joint. These defects can cause the joint to malfunction.

In addition, artificial joints are subject to failure over time because they can:

"    break away from the bone stock
"    crack the bone they're attached to
"    malfunction due to a shift in their position

Any of these problems will require redoing the surgery.

In the case of hip joint replacement, typically there is only sufficient bone stock material in the femur to perform this procedure a maximum of three times because each hip joint replacement typically lasts 10 to 15 years. If you have this procedure done when you are relatively young……. do the math (you'll end up in a wheel chair before your 65th birthday).

More Pain

If you're fortunate, your recovery time will be relatively short and uneventful. But this isn't always the case, particularly when the underlying cause of your problem hasn't been determined and effectively treated. That is, when you undergo a surgical procedure which structurally weakens the joint and the cause that originally necessitated the surgery is still present, you're going to have a slow, difficult and painful recovery.

Reconsidering Your Options

After you've had your body cut open and parts moved around, reassembled or thrown away; this is not the best time to reconsider the choice you've made. Before making a decision that will most certainly affect your entire life, do your own independent research to find more effective, less invasive options. They are there.

To find out why many surgeons recommend hip replacements, go to: Is There A Hidden Reason Doctors Promote Hip Replacment For Chronic Pain In Hips?

Also be sure to read: "Pain All Over My Body" Resulted In Unnecessary Joint Surgery

When your chronic joint pain manifests as hip or knee pain, you may be told artificial joint replacement, often referred to as hip replacement surgery or knee replacement surgery, is your only hope for a life free from pain. Don't let yourself be rushed into joint reconstruction surgery!
Nor must you be content to struggle by with temporary fixes and treatments that only work in the short term, like physical therapy and prescription drugs.

If you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

If you would like to contact me regarding an appointment to resolve your pain, click here.

Pain All Over My Back – An Alignment Problem That Can Be Cured

Rothbart — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:42:24 +0000

When most people go to their doctor with the complaint of 'pain all over my back', the doctor's usual diagnosis is that the cause of back pain is degenerative disk disease, the deterioration of the disks between your vertebrae; which leads to a narrowing of the vertebral spaces and compression of the nerves leaving the spinal cord.

But contrary to what we frequently hear from our doctor, back pain is not usually caused by degenerative disk disease. So, let's get on with the real reason most people have pain all over their back:

Pain All Over Your Back is usually the result of an alignment problem

Let's look at how this happens:

Your spinal column is enveloped with muscles attaching themselves to the transverse and spinous processes of your vertebrae. These muscles are largely responsible for allowing you to move your spine side and side and front to back. When your spinal column is in its' anatomical neutral position (the spinal curves are not distorted and the spine is not twisted) these muscles enveloping the spinal column function around their physiological neutral position (the muscles are neither stretched nor contracted).

However, when you have a postural distortion (an alignment problem) from whatever cause, your vertebrae are distorted, side to side and front to back. Respectively, these are called scoliotic and kyphotic curves.

These vertebral distortions change the position of the muscles enveloping your spinal column. The direction of these vertebral distortions determines which muscles are stretched and which muscles are contracted. That is, the physiological resting length of these muscles is no longer 'normal'.

The result is that as your muscles function around a contracted or stretched position, they become fatigued and build up lactic acid. It's this accumulation of lactic acid in your muscles that leads to pain all over your back.

And so in most cases, the cause of back pain is not due to degenerative disk disease, but to muscular problems resulting from a postural distortion. Once this is understood, it's easy to understand how, by improving the posture, back pain will usually diminish.

For more information on back pain causes, read: A Surprising Source Of Chronic Low Back Pain

If you have pain all over your back, why struggle with temporary fixes and treatments that only work in the short term when you can be free, once and for all, of the chronic muscle and joint pain that is making your life miserable?

If you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

If you would like to contact me regarding an appointment to resolve your pain, click here.

Is There A Hidden Reason Doctors Promote Hip Replacement For Chronic Pain In Hips?

Rothbart — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:23:31 +0000

I recently read an article in the San Angelo Standard Times, written by an orthopedic surgeon; discussing the problem of severe and chronic pain in hips and related disability.

The doctor talks about what he believes to be the cause of severe hip pain – arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and traumatic arthritis – and then about non surgical treatments that are available to treat arthritis.

The first recommended treatments were over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medication, then; short-term physical therapy to improve strength and lessen stiffness. Those with more advanced stages of arthritis may use a walking aid such as a cane or walker to help transfer weight to the unaffected hip. The doctor also states that weight loss and light exercise may help.

The Real Purpose Of The Orthopedic Surgeon's Article – Hip Replacement Surgery

Finally, the doctor comes to the real purpose of his article, which is the promotion of hip replacement surgery.

No surprise here.

The surgeon states that, even with treatment, the disease normally worsens over time and "luckily hip replacement is an option for patients when non surgical treatments do not work or quit working effectively".

You see, the orthopedic surgeon knows that the above non surgical treatments (drugs, physical therapy, weight loss and exercise) don't permanently get rid of hip pain. He also knows that sooner or later (after trying these treatments) you will be in such severe hip pain that you will be begging for relief and thinking that a hip replacement just might be a welcome relief.

The surgeon then makes himself available to give you an orthopedic evaluation to determine if you are a candidate for total hip replacement surgery.

Hip Replacement Is Not A Permanent Cure For Chronic Hip Pain

I'm sorry, but if I was suffering with severe hip pain; after reading an article like this (and others like them) I would feel like a trapped animal being circled in for the kill.

Contrary to what this surgeon has to say, it has been found that arthritis is not the underlying cause of chronic hip pain and that by addressing the real cause of chronic pain in hips, invasive treatments like hip replacement surgery can be avoided.

To read more on a permanent cure for chronic pain in hips, read: There Is A Non Surgical Cure For Pain In The Hips

To learn about what is the most likely cause of your chronic hip pain, go to: Why Your Doctor Hasn't Told You Rothbarts Foot May Be Causing Your Chronic Pain

As you learn more about Professor/Dr. Rothbart's innovative therapy, you may find that addressing and effectively treating your foot structure may be the missing link to ending your long time battle with severe hip pain.

And if you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

If you would like to contact Professor/Dr. Rothbart regarding an appointment to resolve your hip pain, click here.

Linda Penzabene
Assistant to Professor/Dr. Rothbart

Arthritis – A Common Cause Of Chronic Pain In Hips

Rothbart — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:30:20 +0000

The hip joint is one of the largest weight bearing joints in the human body. It allows us to carry out many of our daily activities. If you have hip pain caused by arthritis in your hip joints, this can make everyday activities, such as getting in and out of a chair, climbing stairs, or even putting on your socks and shoes, difficult if not outright impossible to do. For some sufferers, even just the act of sitting or lying down can cause pain in the hips.

Your hip joint is composed of two parts: the socket (acetabulum) and the head of the thigh bone (which fits into the socket).

A healthy hip joint works like a lubricated machine. That is, there is cartilage covering the head of the thigh bone, which allows the head to move freely without friction. This cartilage also acts as a shock absorber.

However, arthritis destroys the smooth functioning of your hip joint, resulting in severe hip pain. This happens as the cartilage covering the head (of the thigh bone) becomes atrophied (thin). As the cartilage is destroyed, the smooth operation of the hip joint is also destroyed. This is known as osteodegenerative arthritis.

What Really Causes Chronic Pain In The Hips?

When you read the medical literature, the most common causes cited for the development of pain in the hip(s), are; serious hip injury, auto immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, or simply aging. But there is another, even more common cause of pain in the hip, infrequently cited in medical literature. That cause is misalignments within the hip joint. This misalignment destroys the cartilage lining the head of the thigh bone in the same way that a car alignment problem destroys the tires.

The two most common causes of misalignment within the hip joint and resulting hip problems are the Rothbarts Foot and PreClinical Clubfoot Deformity.

Both of these inherited, abnormal foot structures can be treated using a non invasive holistic therapy called Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy. The result of this therapy is a correction of the alignment within the hip joint. By correcting the alignment, the compression on the cartilage lining the head of the thigh bone is eliminated, which in turn, allows the cartilage to regenerate.

As the cartilage regenerates, the thigh bone can again move freely and unobstructed within the socket of the pelvis; much like a well lubricated machine. The pain in the hip is dramatically or totally eliminated without requiring hip replacement surgery.

Whether your chronic pain manifests as aching hips, acute hip pain, arthritis in your hip joints or any other hip problem, why struggle with temporary fixes and treatments for pain in the hips, like hip replacements, that only work in the short term?

To read more on hip pain and how to effectively treat it, read: there is A Non Surgical Cure For Chronic Pain In The Hips

And if you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

If you would like to contact me regarding an appointment to resolve your pain, click here.

Reduce Your Stress To Reduce Your Pain During Holidays

Rothbart — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:30:01 +0000

An ordinary day comes packed with plenty of opportunities for stress. The car starts making a funny noise, the kids come home from school with colds or flu and your next door neighbor is practicing a drum solo, and your stress level is on the rise.

And suddenly, so is your level of pain.

Now imagine those everyday stressors arriving on a holiday or any day you celebrate a special event like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations as well as the biggies like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Chanukah. Now, in addition to worrying about the car and wiping the kid's noses, you have to shop, cook and entertain. Even dressing up to be company at someone else's party can be stressful!

The Relationship Between Stress And Chronic Pain

What is the relationship between stress and chronic pain? It goes something like this: Chronic pain causes stress and then stress exacerbates physical pain.

So what can you do to break this cycle and make your holidays and special days more pleasant? Here are some helpful ideas for reducing stress during holidays:

1. Don't place undue demands on yourself just because it's the holidays. No matter what you see on TV, there's no rule that says your home has to look like Martha Stewart decorated it. You are not required to throw the ultimate birthday party or trick Santa into thinking your home is his workshop.

2. Reduce your exposure to stress-inducers. For example, give yourself permission to opt out of seeing family members or attending events that you find stressful. Much as you want to please others, your number one priority must be your own health!

3. Anniversaries, Easter, Valentines, Halloween, Christmas–they all seem to come loaded with candy. For your own sake, strive to keep sugar consumption to a minimum, as too many sweets can exacerbate pain. Health food stores often carry a wide variety of healthier versions of traditional favorites.

4. If you choose to drink alcohol, also try to drink more water, which will help flush out toxins that can increase pain.

Don't go crazy shopping around to find the 'perfect' gift(s). The best gifts really are free, such as the love you share and the time you spend with your dear ones.

Do little extras that will help your body carry the extra stress load during the holidays. Massage, aromatherapy, even a steam bath or sauna are all things that can help your body deal with the extra stress and pain.

Give your body the ultimate gift. Seek appropriate diagnosis and treatment so you can live a life free from chronic pain.

Remember, holidays and special days are meant to be a time of celebration for everyone, including yourself. If your health issues are such that you need to limit your celebrating, don't let guilt gull you into stressing yourself out. Be honest with friends and family, letting them know your situation. Most of all, be honest with yourself about your own needs and how you'll meet them.

For an inspiring read, go to: Chronic Pain Challenges Us To Live A Fulfilling Life

For helpful ideas on combating depression caused by chronic pain, read: Depression Can Be A Serious Side Effect Of Chronic Pain

If you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

If you would like to contact me regarding an appointment to resolve your pain, click here.

How To Cope With Both Chronic Pain And Well-Intentioned Advice

Rothbart — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:07:19 +0000

Many chronic pain sufferers appear to be quite healthy and rarely have visual side effects that people can see. Friends, family, and sometimes even your doctor wonder what could possibly be wrong – you look so good – maybe you just need a pep talk.

Thus the twofold plight of the chronic pain sufferer: multiple challenges with physical pain, plus emotionally dealing with well meant advice.

'You've given in to your illness; you need to fight it more' is often followed by specific advice on what needs to be done to 'fight it'. This advice includes:

Why don't you try this treatment/product that worked for me?
Stop seeing doctors, it's all in your head.
Don't let your illness control you.
Stop feeling sorry for your self, we all have problems.
Don't worry, be happy.

Author, and rheumatoid arthritis sufferer, Lisa Copen, in an article titled Is Living With Illness Choosing to Give In?, shares her thoughts on this delicate subject.

"Chronic illness uses up a great deal of energy and only the one who lives within the body knows what they can and cannot do on particular days. Sometimes we have to give it our best guess and make a choice. When we choose to not attend an outing we'd planned on because we are in deep pain, we frequently hear, "Oh, you are just giving in to your illness. You are letting it control you." No, we had to make a choice and we did. Healthy people will understand this when they reach about age 80."

In other words, don't measure other people by our own goals or standards of how to live life; especially if we've never walked in others' shoes.

Remaining Intact In Spite of Well Intentioned 'Advice'

Coping emotionally with chronic pain.

Just because you cannot "enter marathons, audition for reality TV contests or sign up for karate class" some people may assume you've given up. But physical limitations are not a measurement of determination about your disease. Each person must look at their own situation and what is an attainable goal for their individual body. It may be something like walking to the corner and back.

Friends and family often give 'advice' because they don't know what else to do – they can't make your pain go away. Helplessly watching someone suffer can be as emotionally difficult as going through it your self.

Work out a more positive way that your loved ones can support you, such as helping you tie your shoes, assisting you to run errands or weeding your garden when you can't do it yourself. Ask your friends to just be there and non-judgmentally listen when you need to talk. Support is vital and loved ones really do want to be supportive, they just need to be guided in a positive direction.

For sound advice on beating the blues, read: Depression Can Be A Serious Side Effect Of Chronic Pain

Professor/Dr. Rothbart treats his patients with compassion and understanding. Read about his Philosophy and Approach

Linda Penzabene
Assistant to Professor/Dr. Rothbart

Do Chronic Pain Patients Have A Difficult Time Explaining How They Feel?

Rothbart — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:10:36 +0000

Do you struggle to describe your pain symptoms to doctors? An article in the Discover Magazine states that doctors are having problems with patients who are unable to report how much pain they are in. Especially: "if they are unable to speak, exaggerating or downplaying their condition, or just plain unsure how to rate their pain on a 10-point scale."

Describing Your Chronic Pain

Because of these 'problems' of self-reporting, scientists are always looking for an objective, physiological way to quantify pain. A brain scanning study has been done to pick out painful experiences based on neural activity. That is, they are looking for types of brain activity that occur in response to pain. In other words, scientists want to learn how to measure pain.

I found this article quite humorous. Picture a fireman at the scene of a horrendous blaze, calculating the exact temperature of the heat, instead of saving the screaming victims and putting out the fire.

I can understand scientists doing studies, because it's their job to classify and quantify. But, if you are a healthcare provider, it's your job to listen. Everyone feels and expresses pain differently. This is to be expected.

It's not the degree of pain (an 8, a 6 or a 3) that's important, but how it's diminishing the patient's quality of life. What to one patient is a 3; but stops them from doing what they want in life, to another patient is a 7; but just a minor nuisance. Because we all experience pain and its' effects differently, this is why quantifying subjective pain makes no sense.

And as medical professionals, who are we to say that a patient is "exaggerating or downplaying their condition"? Even if they are, how does this affect the course of therapy (unless the patient is being treated by a psychiatrist)? It's the doctor's responsibility to find the cause of the pain and then effectively treat it, not to judge the emotional well being or means of expression of the patient who comes for help.

It seems that many medical professionals, especially in the field of chronic pain, are always looking for ways to blame the patient for their own lack of understanding in how to treat chronic pain. When the cause of the pain is known and an effective treatment is given, it's of little importance how the patient subjectively rates or expresses their pain. It is only important that their pain goes away.

To find out more on my approach to treating chronic pain, read: Professor/Dr. Rothart's Philosophy And Approach

And if you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

Why struggle with temporary fixes and treatments that only work in the short term when you can be free, once and for all, of the chronic muscle and joint pain that is making your life miserable?

As you learn more about my innovative therapy, you may find that addressing and effectively treating your foot structure may be the missing link to ending your long time battle with unrelenting muscle and joint pain.

If you would like to contact me regarding an appointment to resolve the pain in your hips, click here.

An Explanation Of Morton’s Foot AKA Morton’s Toe And Greek Foot

Rothbart — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:33:58 +0000

The article below is an updated version of the original article published in Children Foot Clinic, September 7, 2009.

Morton's Foot, also known as Morton's Toe or a Greek Foot, is a relatively uncommon foot condition, where the first metatarsal is short, in relation to the second metatarsal and the big toe is usually sorter than the second toe.

The name Morton's Foot, also known as Morton's Toe or a Greek Foot, derives from American orthopedic surgeon, Dudley Joy Morton (1884-1960), who originally described it as a triad of findings: a congenital short first metatarsal bone, a hyper mobile first metatarsal segment and calluses under the second and third metatarsals.

Morton's Foot Is An Uncommon Foot Abnormality

Although Morton's Foot is considered a disorder, many healthcare providers simply consider it to be a normal variant of foot shape, affecting 30-50% of the population (depending on the author). However, in my experience, it is not a common variant of foot shape, but an uncommon foot abnormality; affecting approximately 10% of the world population (it's more common in some parts of the world than others).

In all normal foot structures, the first metatarsal head bears the majority of a person's body weight in preparation for pushing off the big toe when you walk. But because, in a Morton's Foot, the first metatarsal is shorter than the second metatarsal, the body's weight is automatically transferred to the longer second metatarsal head.

Due to its smaller size, the second metatarsal head is not meant to support the majority of the body's weight. So when this happens, the body protects the (smaller and more fragile) second metatarsal head by building up callus tissue. This callus tissue acts like a pebble imbedded in the skin, which produces pain when you walk.

My research concurs with Dudley Morton's findings; that this foot structure mainly produces painful symptoms in the feet. But, recently, much has been written on the internet about the Morton's Foot, citing Janet Travel's earlier work, which suggests that Morton's Foot is a common perpetuator of chronic musculoskeletal pain throughout the body.

It needs to be clarified that, in Travel's later years; what she thought to be Morton's Foot, might very well be, in fact, a Rothbarts Foot. This is because (in a Rothbart Foot) in which the first metatarsal is elevated and twisted; it can appear shorter than the second metatarsal – when in actuality it is not.

Confusion has also arisen equating Morton's Foot with Morton's Neuroma. Morton's Neuroma, a term coined by Thomas George Morton (1835-1903), is a nerve tumor that frequently occurs between the third and fourth metatarsals. It has no relationship to Morton's Foot.

To learn more about the Morton's Foot, go to: What Is The Difference Between Rothbarts Foot And Morton's Foot?

To read about other foot structures, some of which cause chronic pain, go to: Your Feet: What They Look Like Gives Valuable Information.

And if you have questions about what's involved in being treated with Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy, see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Page by clicking here.

Why struggle with temporary fixes and treatments that only work in the short term when you can be free, once and for all, of the chronic muscle and joint pain that is making your life miserable?