Plantar Faciitis
What causes plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis means inflammation of the strong band of tissue (like a ligament) that stretches from the heel to the middle foot. This tissue supports the arch of your foot and absorbs shock.
Plantar fasciitis is caused by an injury near to the attachment of the plantar fascia band to the heel bone. At each step, all of the body weight rests on the heel of one foot. If the foot is properly aligned this causes no problems. However, if the foot is excessively pronated, the arch flattens causing abnormal stretching of the relatively inflexible plantar fascia, causing pain and inflammation at the attachment at the heel.
What are the symptoms of plantar fasciitis?
The main symptom is pain under the inside of the heel, which is often worse when taking the first steps in the morning, or after periods of rest. Gentle exercise may ease the pain for a while, but a long walk or being on your feet for a long time can bring the pain on again. Plantar fasciitis can occur in both feet at the same time.
How common is plantar fasciitis?
Around 1 in 10 people will get plantar fasciitis at some time in their life. It is most common in people between the ages of 40 to 60 years, but can occur at any age. It is twice as common in women as men.
What is the initial treatment for plantar fasciitis?
Initial treatments which you can do at home:
Rest – Avoid running, excess walking or standing. Gentle walking and exercises are fine.
Pain relief – Painkillers or anti-inflammatories will help ease the pain, but are generally not good for the stomach.
At the clinic we can help you by:
Determining the initial reason for the development of the foot pain
Providing you with a footwear assessment and advice on new shoes to help support the foot
Provision of custom made orthotics or off the shelf orthotics dependent as necessary
Soft tissue mobilisation to help aid soft tissue healing
Foot mobilisation to ensure the bones of the foot are in correct positions allowing optimum pressure distributions
A structured and personalised stretching and strengthening programme
Additional services such as taping and heel raises