What is plantar fasciitis?
The plantar fascia is a long, thin connective tissue that connects the heel to the front of your foot, It supports the arch of the foot and helps with shock absorption when stepping and running. But sometimes, too much pressure may irritate, damage or tear the tissues. This will all in tun cause inflammation at the connective tissue, which results in the heel pain and stiffness of plantar fascia.
Causes/Etiology
- Poor foot posture
- Limited ankle joint flexibility or range of motion
- Tight or weak calf muscles, feet muscles or plantar fascia
- Having an arch that is too high or too low
- Standing or running for too long
- Obesity
- Improper shoe fit
Symptoms of plantar fasciitis
- Heel pain in the morning or after rising from prolonged sitting
- Pain when touching underneath the heel
- Greater pain after exercise or activity
Management (How we can help?)
Rest or activity modification - Depending on your activity level or work schedule, our physiotherapist will listen to what you’ve been doing and discuss an appropriate activity level or rest breaks.
Massage - During the painful stages, massage would usually help relieve some of the pain that is present within the plantar fascia itself. Massage on the calf may also help with symptom relief. Self-release of the plantar fascia with a tennis-ball under the foot may also be an option.
Exercise - Depending on the condition, stretching or strengthening of certain structures may be required. Our physiotherapist will help determine which exercises are appropriate for you.
Mobilisation of stiff ankle joints - As stiff ankles may contribute to plantar fasciitis, our physiotherapist will assess and loosen up the ankle joint if they are stiff to restore proper foot mechanics.
Orthotics/night splints - Footwear or insole prescription will be able to help with addressing poor foot postures. Our clinic does supply insoles and thongs with arches, please do let us know if you need any.
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy - If your condition does not respond to the previously described treatments, shockwave therapy may be considered. In this treatment, high-energy sound waves is transmitted to the plantar fascia, which will produce injury that promotes neovascularization and healing. The main risk is permanent damage to the tissue if too much pressure is applied.
