​

                                                                                    What is Plantar Fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is a ligament that runs from the base of your heel, through the arch of your foot and into your toes. It’s role is to keep the bottom of your foot together and to absorb force from running, standing, walking and other everyday activities. As a result it is a very tough robust material but, because of the amount of force it absorbs, plantar fasciitis is extremely common. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory response as a result of micro tears along you plantar fascia.

Pain due to plantar fasciitis is typically felt in the base of the heel, but can occur all the way along the arch along any part of the plantar fascia. It is very common to feel pain in the mornings when you get up or after rest. It is usually aggravated through weight bearing activity. People often mention that it can be aggravated by sitting in the car.

What does Plantar Fasciitis Feel Like?

Plantar Fasciitis pain is typically felt in the base of the heel, but can occur all the way along the arch along any part of the plantar fascia. Plantar pain is commonly felt first thing in the morning as well as after periods of inactivity or rest, such as sitting in the car. Plantar fasciitis is also aggravated through weight bearing activity.

What are the symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis?

The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is feeling pain when you take your first steps in the morning or after sitting for a long period of time. Pain may subside after a few steps but increases throughout the day. Pain will also increase after climbing stairs or standing for long periods of time. Plantar fasciitis leads to tenderness or pain on the inside of your heel and can often felt as a sharp immediate pain in your heel or arch.

What causes Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is a condition or injuries that can often occur without any apparent reason or cause. Although the most common cause is often impact and running sports; associated with long periods of weight bearing or changes in activity. Another common cause of plantar fasciitis is individuals with poor foot biomechanics that can stress  out the plantar fascia tissue. Flat feet or weaker arch control can also be common cause of plantar fasciitis.

There are usually two main underlying causes of plantar fasciitis. The biggest underlying cause is misalignment in your feet. This misalignment in your feet will cause extra force through areas of the plantar fascia when you stand and walk and as a result cause these microtears that lead to inflammation and pain.

Tight calves will also contribute to plantar fasciitis. This is because of where the calf attaches at the base of your heel. The calves and the plantar fascia are partially connected and if the calves are tight they will increase tension at the plantar fascia causing an irritation of the plantar fascia leading to an inflammatory response.

Who gets Plantar Fasciitis?

Often the people who suffer from plantar fasciitis are middle aged women due to hormonal, weight  & lifestyle changes. Plantar fasciitis is also common in people who participate in regular sporting activities such as golf, tennis, running, soccer and football. Individuals who are also overweight or obese are also at risk like those who are on their feet all day.

How do we treat Plantar Fasciitis?

There are a number of ways to treat plantar fasciitis, however it is usually best to treat the underlying cause. The biggest cause in most cases is the level of misalignment in the feet that leads to compensation resulting in an inflammatory response in the plantar fascia.

The best way to treat plantar fasciitis is to correct the level of misalignment. We do this is through foot mobilisation therapy which is a gentle hands on technique that corrects the alignment in your feet and strengthens the foot to reinforce the changes long term. This method is highly effective as it corrects the underlying cause without restrictions to footwear or activity found in other common treatment methods such as orthotics.

How we can help:

• Help to diagnose the underlying cause in your plantar fasciitis assessment

• Treat the underlying cause of your plantar fasciitis

• Fix your plantar fasciitis long term

• Keep you doing the things you love

So what’s the process?

1. Book an assessment with our podiatrists

2. Allow us to assess your foot and diagnose the underlying cause

3. Come up with a plan to fix your plantar fasciitis

4. Carry out the plan together and fix your plantar fasciitis forever

Contact us to book an appointment today