Understanding Plantar Fasciitis
Our local physiotherapist, Katie Shaw has offered us some great advice to help clients who suffer with Plantar Fasciitis:
Is your foot pain affecting your daily life? Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition (and increasingly common as people age) which can be very debilitating and painful. I have treated many clients with this condition and have the utmost sympathy for you if you are a sufferer.
What is it? The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that connects the heel to the toes. It can cause sharp pain in the heel and bottom of the foot. Pain is usually most severe in the morning after rest and can occur in one or both feet. It can often be difficult to raise your toes off the floor and in severe and chronic cases, a heal spur can form.
What causes it? The real cause is sometimes unknown but often a sudden increase in exercise (particularly running), standing for long periods of time on hard surfaces, or wearing incorrect footwear can be risk factors.
How to treat it? 1. Rest and raise your foot on a stool when you can, with an ice pack on the painful area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.
- Wear comfortable and padded footwear. There are some good insoles or heel pads to use to take the pressure off your feet.
- Stretch the foot, Achilles tendon and Calf muscle 2-3 times a day.
If after doing the above it is still persistent then SHOCKWAVE THERAPY can be very beneficial.
The plantar fascia is located in an area of the foot that doesn't normally get a lot of blood flow, which is why it can take a long time for that area to heal. Shockwave therapy heals plantar fasciitis for good by helping the body heal the inflammation and trauma to the plantar fascia.
Nearly every study that involved a retrospective analysis of shockwave on plantar fasciitis found success in the 80 to 88% range in substantially reducing heel pain.