Do you suffer from ongoing heel pain? Could this be a sign you have Plantar Fasciitis? 

*For an accurate clinical diagnosis specific to your complaint, through a thorough examination, call us on 5824 3243 or book online to consult one of our Osteopaths.

Do you have –

• Sharp heel pain
• Pain along the inside border of the bottom of your foot
• Worse first thing in the morning or after a period of inactivity^1,2
• Aches at the end of the day^1,2
• Feels better with physical activity such as walking or running^1,2

A diagnosis that may present similar to the above points is Plantar Fasciitis.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

 Plantar Fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain¹. It is most commonly reported in people who are either recreational or elite athletes, however it can be found in those that live a sedentary lifestyle as well^1,2.

Plantar Fasciitis may cause sharp pain from the bottom of your heel to the ball of the foot, restrictions in ankle mobility and can ache towards the end of the day. Most complaints of plantar fasciitis resolve with time and conseravtive treatment, however it is common that the pain may last up to 12 months².

What causes Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis is an overuse condition, which means it is caused due to a recent increase in any form of weight-bearing activities^1,2. Upon determination of the cause, recommendations made by an Osteopath on changes to your causative factor, may provide some relief.

Although it has been thought that plantar fasciitis follows an inflammatory process (as suggested by it’s name), studies have shown that in chronic plantar fasciitis cases it follows more of a degenerative process³.

Treatment

 Upon diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, as Osteopaths, we can assist with the development of a treatment plan to help manage your heel pain.

Osteopathic treatment may consist of deep and soft-tissue massage^4,5, myofascial release⁶, trigger point therapy, stretching^1,6, mobilisation^5,6and manipulation.

These techniques, in combination with one or more of; activity modification, ice therapy², dry needling⁶, heel padding/orthotics²– referral may be required, stretches and taping^1,6, may provide some pain relief.

If you suffer from heel pain – call us on 5824 3243 book online now to consult with one of our Osteopaths.

References

1. Boakye L, Chambers M, Carney D, Yan A, Hogan M, Ewalefo S. Management of Symptomatic Plantar Fasciitis. Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics. 2018;28(2):73-78.
2. Trojian T, Tucker A. Plantar Fasciitis. American Family Physician. 2019;99(12):744-750.
3. Berbrayer D, Fredericson M. Update on Evidence-Based Treatments for Plantar Fasciopathy. PM&R. 2013;6(2):159-169.
4. Piper S, Shearer H, Côté P, Wong J, Yu H, Varatharajan S et al. The effectiveness of soft-tissue therapy for the management of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the upper and lower extremities: A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury management (OPTIMa) collaboration. Manual Therapy. 2016;21:18-34.
5. Pollack Y, Shashua A, Kalichman L. Manual therapy for plantar heel pain. The Foot. 2018;34:11-16.
6. Al-Boloushi Z, López-Royo M, Arian M, Gómez-Trullén E, Herrero P. Minimally invasive non-surgical management of plantar fasciitis: A systematic review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2019;23(1):122-137.