Tuesday, November 16, 2010
There are two twentieth century medical doctors whose contributions are very relevant for the treatment of pain today:
Dr. Dudley J. Morton and
Dr. Janet Travell. In 1927, the first, Dr. Dudley J. Morton, was the first to identify the possibly painful consequences of having a long second toe while an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Yale University. In fact, his research on this topic led the condition to evenually be referred to by the medical establishment as
"Morton's Toe."
According to Morton, a long second toe can result in the foot incorrectly absorbing shock when it hits the ground, causing extra stress. It was Dr. Janet Travell, Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University and White House physician for both John F. Kennedy and Lydon B. Johnson, who linked a long second toe to back, hip, knee, ankle and (of course) foot pain. She described "Myofascial Pain Syndrome" as muscle pain, and it is a condition that causes hurting in locations away from the stressed muscles. Travell stated that there are several causes of Myofascial pain such as mechanical stress, postural stress, muscle constriction, leg length descrepancies, slow metabolism, sleep disorders, anxiety/ depression, and--as previously mentioned--Morton's Toe.
According to Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot by Panama City podiatrist
Dr. Burton S. Schuler , Dr. Travell attended a 1942 lecture by Dr. Dudley J. Morton about treating Morton's Toe (which she referred to as "Dudley J. Morton's foot") and this lecture made a lasting impression on her medical practice and our modern understanding of how pain works.
Today, we hear much about
Fibromyalgia, which is related to Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The Merck Manual, a widely used medical reference book, lists them together and describes Fibromyalgia as pain in fibrous tissues, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other white connective tissues
According to the
National Fibromyalgia Assocation (FMA) website Fibromyalgia is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. According to the website: "Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause."
Although there is not one singular identifiable cause for Fibromyalgia, both doctors Travell and Schuler acknowledge Morton's Toe as one potential cause of the chronic pain that characterizes it. This should be taken as good news for those who have suffered inexplicable pain but have not yet considered whether their longer second toe could be causing some or all of the pain.
Women tend to get diagnosed more frequently with
Fibromyalgia than men, according to Schuler, who writes about his experience treating women who have already been diagnosed with the syndrome. In Why You Really Hurt, he states that the simple toe pad treatment that he prescribes many patients can help or hurt symptoms. . Whether you are newly diagnosed or have exhausted other treatment alternatives, treating your Morton's Toe appears worth trying based on research that dates back half a century or longer.
About the Author: Dr. Burton S. Schuler foot doctor, foot specialist, podiatrist of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center and is a leading authority on the Morton's Toe, Long Second Toe and it associated problems. He is the author of the newly published book about The Morton's Toe, Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In the Foot. The book is published by the La Luz Press, Inc and is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, is the story of how one bone in your foot could be the real reason for pains thru out your whole body. It is important because it offer the public new information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains, and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. It literally can be the "medical missing link"
Dr. Schuler, graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist Guide to Foot Care. During his thirty-five year professional career, he has written for Collier's Encyclopedia and various podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, First in Women, and other publications. Dr. Schuler has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs both here and aboard. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and the National Board of Podiatric Examiners. Dr. Schuler is certified as a wound specialist from the American Academy of Wound Management. His professional and civic accomplishments have earned his inclusion in the 1999-2002 Who's Who in America (Marquis).