What is Plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is generally common cause of heel pain. Plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes, which supports the arch of your foot and functions as our natural shock-absorbing mechanism. When you strain your plantar fascia, it gets weak, swollen, inflammation, pain and irritated, it is then your heel or the bottom of your foot hurts when you stand or walk.
Plantar fasciitis commonly causes stabbing pain that usually occurs with your very first steps in the morning which causes pain under the heel or even pain under the arch of the foot. Heel pain and arch both discomfort are related to Plantar Fasciitis, with heel pain being far more common than arch pain.
What are the main causes of heel pain?
The main cause of heel pain is overstretching of the plantar fascia ligament or ‘excess pronation’ under the foot. There are different factors:
• over-use: You walk, stand, or run for long periods of time, especially on hard surface
• over weight: our feet are designed to carry a ‘normal’ weight. Any excess weight places great pressure on the bones, nerves, muscles and ligaments in the feet, which sooner or later will have consequences.
• age: increase in age gets older ligaments which become tighter & shorter and muscles become weaker; the ideal circumstances for foot problems
• unsupportive footwear: ‘floppy’ shoes with no support as well as thongs affect our walking pattern or shoes that don’t fit well or are worn out.
• walking barefoot: barefoot walking especially on hard surfaces like concrete or tiles
• low arch/flat feet or over-pronation: You have high arches or flat feet.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may include-
• Extreme pain in your foot usually near the heel.
• Pain increases when standing for longer period.
• Pain felt mostly at morning as fascia ligament tightens up during the night.
• Pain when climbing stairs.
• Pain after exercise but not during exercise.
• Mild swelling in heel.
Treatment
Physical therapy treatment usually consists of reducing painful and inflammation, exercises to stretch the tight plantar fascia and Achilles tendon and to strengthen lower leg muscles, correcting any causes and a gradual return to full fitness which stabilize your ankle and heel. A therapist might also teach you to apply athletic taping to support the bottom of your foot.
A professional therapist can make an accurate diagnosis and may use electrotherapy such as ultrasound to relieve symptoms as well as manual techniques such as manual therapy or ART.
Physical therapist treats plantar fasciitis in order to help patients return to their favorite activities, free of pain.
SOS Physical therapy
SOS provides one-on-one treatment with your therapist for the full duration of your appointment which results in more personalized therapy, higher-quality treatment, and better health outcomes. We give our patients effective treatment and a rapid rehabilitation program.
For more information- Contact your local SOS PHYSIO clinic near you.
