What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis – Get Rid of Your Heel Pain

Plantar fasciitis, or heel spur syndrome, results from overuse and repetitive motions on the connective tissue (fascia) in the foot. This causes a spectrum of symptoms, with the most common one exhibiting as heel pain. An individual would find that the first steps after waking or after long bouts of weight-bearing activities leave their feet feeling tender and dull or sharp pain. Plantar fasciitis affects not only elite athletes, but recreational athletes and individuals that work in active fields. It has become the third most frequently experienced injury in runners alone.¹ 

Common view for PT to have when trying to assess gait

Ways to combat the pain include purchasing orthotics from an experienced professional or podiatrist, rolling the arch on a frozen water bottle to help relieve pain in the fascia, and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). These treatments can help individuals manage some of their plantar fasciitis pain, it is important to receive care from a professional so that they can assess underlying causes such as gait and mobility issues, shoe-wear decisions, and even lifestyle choices.

Common Symptoms

Plantar Fasciitis can present itself in many ways including:

• Heel pain (dull ache/acute sharpness)
• Pain in the morning
• Pain after standing for long periods of time
• Pain that slightly subsides during exercise but returns afterwards
• Achilles tendon stiffness or pain

Services We Offer to Provide Pain Relief

This injury could prevent one from returning to sports, working in a physically-demanding environment, or it drastically reduce one’s quality of life and independence. Don’t let the pain control you any longer, and schedule your appointment today. Some of the treatments we offer include:

• Personalized therapeutic exercise and stretching routines
• Gait Assessment
• Massage and manipulation by a licensed therapist
• Ice treatments
• Ultrasound
• BioQPulse
• Dry-Needling
• Kinesio Taping

References

1. Petraglia F, Ramazzina I, Costantino C. Plantar fasciitis in athletes: diagnostic and treatment strategies. A systematic review (opens in a new tab). Muscle, Ligaments and Tendons Journal. 2017;7(1):107-118. 10.11138/mltj/2017.7.1.107