Travell Janet G. - Why you really hurt : it all starts in the foot

Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot

Copyright 2009

By Dr. Burton S. Schuler

First Edition

Published by The La Luz Press, Inc.,

2001 W. 29th Street, Panama City, Fl 32405

(877) 698-6372, www.thelaluzpress.com

All rights reserved. No part or this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the permission, in writing from the author; except for the inclusion of brief quotations in reviews.

ISBN: 9780942664058

LCCN: 2008907603

Publishers Cataloging-In-Publication Data

(Prepared by The Donohue Group, Inc.)

Schuler, Burton S. (Burton Silverman), 1950

Why you really hurt: it all starts in the foot / Burton S. Schuler.

p. : ill. ; cm.

Describes the discovery and treatment of Mortons Toe, named for Dr. Dudley J. Morton. Mortons Toe is an abnormality of the first metatarsal bone that the author contends is the basis of most foot problems, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other body aches and pains. Also discusses the contributions of Dr. Janet Travell, White House physician during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN: 978-0-942664-02-7

1. ToesAbnormalitiesTreatment. 2. Chronic painTreatment. 3 FootCare and hygiene. 4. Morton, Dudley J. (Dudley Joy), b. 1884. 5. Travell, Janet G., 1901- I. Title.

RD786 .S38 2009

Designed by Rachelle Painchaud-Nash

Book Cover by Phil Velikan

Printed in Canada

To my patients, the wonderful people of

Panama City, Bay County, and Northwest Florida,

who for the past twenty five years have allowed me

the daily joy of hopeful making them feel better,

and making them laugh.

W hen I finally decided to sit down and get serious about writing this book, I had no idea that it would take me where it did and would introduce me to the wonderful group of people that it has. The following people made this book possible.

Im indebted to the staff at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum of Boston. I especially wish to thank Stephen Plotkin, Reference Archivist, who spent a great deal of time helping me hunt down the June, 1961 note that Robert F. Kennedy wrote about Dr. Travell. In addition, Cynthia Walker of the reference room was very helpful in locating a specific photo of President Kennedy and Dr. Travell I craved. Lyle Slovick, Assistant University Archivist, and G. David Anderson, University Archivist at the Gellman Library, George Washington University in Washington D.C., assisted me in regard to Dr. Travells papers and collection. At the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum in Austin, Ms. Morgan Blue was of great assistance to me. Laurie Langland, University Archivist at the George McGovern Library of Dakota Wesleyan University was very patient with me when I was looking for RFKs handwritten note to George McGovern. The staff at the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, at the Yale University Medical School, and the medical library at Columbia Universitys College of Physicians and Surgeons were of great help to me.

My deepest thanks goes to Janice Berger, Sandy Morton, and Chris Morton, the grandchildren of Dudley Morton, who were very gracious with their time in telling me about their grandfather. I also thank them for sharing (for the first time with any researcher) the private letters, papers, and photos of himthat was invaluable to me in writing this book. My thanks also goes to Mrs. Virginia P. Street, daughter of Dr. Travell, who was always available when I had a question about her famous mother. My gratitude is offered to Dr. David Simons for taking the time to speak to me. Dr. Ben Daitz worked with Dr. Travell on the 1990 videotape, and I want to thank him for telling me all about how it was made.

I need to thank the folks at Columbia University Press, especially Sarah Scott, for giving me the clearance to reproduce Chapters 22 and 23 of The Human Foot in the appendix. Ms. Florence Eichen of the Penguin Group (USA) assisted me in getting printed the cover of Dr. Travells autobiography. Thanks to my friends, the staff at the new and improved Bay County (Florida) Public Library for always getting me the books I requested and the research I needed. To the folks at the Cardinal Publishers Group, the Friesen Group and the La Luz Press, Inc., I appreciate your time and effect on my behalf.

At one time or another, several people worked on this book and helped to edit it. I need to thank themthis includes Joan Peace, Kate Estes and Connie Zales. But in the end it was Douglas Zang of Hawaii who did the bulk of the editing when I was wrapping up the book.

The one person who spent the most time on this book besides me was Rachelle Painchaud-Nash of Oakbank, Manitoba (thats in Canada). For about eighteen months, she has worked with me on numerous design changes to the book. I might have written every word but she is the one who got it down on paper. Thanks Rachelle.

The cartoon on page 22 was done by Kevin Goddu and was taken from my first book The Agony of De-Feet. Many of the photos, diagrams and drawing were done by Victor Strickland of beautiful Wewachitcha, Florida.

Again, thanks to all of you.

M illions of people get out of bed hurting. Millions go through the day hurting. And millions more try to get a good sleep while hurting. I wrote this book for those people. If you are one of them or know someone who is, please believe me when I tell you there is hope in getting better. This hope is not based on pills, injections, surgeries, dietary supplements or arch supports. This hope is based on the work of two brilliant doctors and on well-established proven medicine that was first written about over eighty years ago, that I have seen help thousands of people. The hope is also based on using a simple little pad that goes on the bottom of your foot that you can make yourself for less than two dollars. For the past four decades, I have used this simple little pad to treat my patients to feel better, walk better, sleep better, and have less pain all over their body. If you follow my directions, there is a good chance that you can start feeling better at once.

Because of this, I know there is encouragement for many of you who believe that you might have to suffer forever with your aches and pains. It is highly unlikely that any doctor you have ever gone to has considered a very common foot condition known as Mortons Toe as the real reason for your suffering. This is not your doctors fault. Despite the fact that Mortons Toe and the pains it could cause were well-known in the 1920s through 1950s, the modern physician was neither trained nor taught to recognize the torment it can cause. So it does not matter what you have been told in the past about why you hurt. It does not matter what tests, treatments or medications you have had. It does not matter that you may be even thinking about having surgery for your foot, knee, hip, leg, or back problem. The only thing that does matter is to find out if you do have a Mortons Toe and if any of your foot or body pains can get any better by just putting the simple pad on the bottom of your foot. Until you do that, you may never know if the real reason for your hurting is due to a Mortons Toe.

This is not a medical textbook. It was written for the average person. However, the book does have a bibliography and many endnotes throughout which support and document all of the long-established medicine and other facts that I have presented. I know some of the medical terms and words that I use in the book may be confusing. So for that reason, I have also included a glossary. If you find a word that has a * next to it (e.g., Joint*), you can find the meaning of that word starting on page 191 of the appendix.