FASMA Podiatrist Featured in U.S. News and World Report
Dr. Howard G. Osterman (DC-I and Silver Spring/Fenton locations) was recently featured in an article about plantar fasciitis, one of the most common causes of heel pain. According to the article, “plantar fasciitis affects 10 percent of the population and accounts for about 1 million physician visits each year.” The condition is prevalent in runners and athletes – as the Washington Wizards’ team podiatrist, Dr. Osterman says that nearly every player has had it.
“But the condition is not limited to competitive athletes. In fact, ‘it’s probably just as common in non-runners as it is in runners,’ says Osterman, who treats it more than anything else in his clinic, Foot and Ankle Specialists of the Mid-Atlantic. The condition can also be caused by a lifestyle or profession requiring lots of standing, shoes with poor support, a quirky foot shape such as being flat-footed or having high arches, or any combination of the above. People who are overweight or obese are also frequently diagnosed with plantar fasciitis since a foot strain can easily morph into the condition due to the added pressure on their feet, Osterman says.”
Patients who suffer from plantar fasciitis are urged to seek treatment earlier rather than later. According to Dr. Osterman, “the problem is by ignoring it, you change the way that you walk and you create other issues. The earlier we treat heel pain, the better the chance we have of having it be an easy treatment.”
There are several lines of treatment to help with the problem ranging from simple stretching and custom orthotics to more intensive options, like steroid injections or shockwave therapy. This new technique, which Dr. Osterman uses for the patient mentioned in the article, uses sound waves to break down scar tissue present in chronic fasciitis.
To read the rest of the article, please click here.
Dr. Howard G. Osterman received his Doctorate in Podiatric Medicine from Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Illinois in 1989. He then completed a two-years’ post-graduation podiatric surgical residency at the Loretto Hospital Residency Program in Chicago, IL. Dr. Osterman is Board Certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery (ABFAS) in foot surgery. He is also a Fellow at the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, a Diplomate of the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, a member of APMA, and is past President and current Board Member of the District of Columbia Podiatric Medicine Association. In addition to being the current Team Podiatrist for the Washington Wizards of the NBA, Washington Mystics of the WNBA, and a Consultant for many college and high school programs, he is one of Yelp’s top rated podiatric physicians and received Special Recognition on Angie’s List of preferred providers.. He was recently honored as a Top Podiatrist and Sports Medicine Professional by the Washingtonian Magazine.
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