Effective treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis can cause pain in the heel at the attachment of the plantar fascia or through the sole of the foot. The plantar fascia, a thick, fibrous, broad band of tough ligamentous tissue runs from the bottom of the calcaneous and attaches distally to the underside of the bones of the forefoot. One of the main functions of t he plantar fascia is to provide a strong structural reinforcement to maintain the arch of the foot. When the plantar fascia becomes irritated and inflamed it is called plantar fasciitis. This irritation can have many causes such as overuse (too much running, walking, or standing), or trauma (stepping on a stone, falling on the heel, etc.), but most often can occur suddenly or over time for no apparent reason. This is especially the case in over 35 year olds as the foot posture can change quite rapidly. Sometimes the plantar fasciitis creates a heel spur at the calcaneal attachment of the plantar fascia which can be seen radiologically. This results from the constant traction force applied by the tight plantar fascia at the calcaneum. The presence of a heel spur in no way affects the treatment of plantar fasciitis in the first instance, as many hel spurs have been present asympyomatically for years before the onset of plantar fascial pain. Therefore in most cases the presence of a heel spur should be noted as a radiological finding of little clinical significance.

The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain located in the heel or through the sole of the foot. The pain may be very local, in one precise spot, or it may be very generalized. The problem may be in one or both feet. Typically people feel sharp pain when weight bearing especially when first getting out of bed or getting up after sitting or driving. Often the pain eases off after walking a few steps. Sometimes though the pain can worsen with any weight bearing activities such as prolonged walking or standing.

Plantar fascial pain responds extremely well to physiotherapy. When treated correctly the pain from plantar fasciitis can often be significantly reduced. Treatment is directed at loosening the tight plantar fascia to reduce its pull and the irritation at the heel. In many cases there is a biomechanical component to the cause of their problem, for example over-pronation of the foot. This will often be addressed with appropriate footwear advice or the prescription of correctly fitted off the shelf orthotics fitted by our physiotherapists. If more complex biomechanical foot issues are present then at North East Physiotherapy we often use a combined treatment approach involving our podiatrists, Damien Rossato and Luke Hewitt.

By loosening the plantar fascia and by improving the support for the feet, in most cases significant improvement is achieved with this treatment approach over a 4 to 6 week period- even in people who have had this problem for a long time!

For more information please contact one of our physiotherapists.

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Staying on your feet is hard with plantar fasciitis. ! Get back to your sport or recreation with a speedy recovery guided by your physiotherapist.

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