Have you hopped out of bed in the morning, to have sharp stabbing pain and stiffness in your heel and the sole of your foot? You could be suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.
Anyone who has felt the debilitating heel pain characteristics of plantar fasciitis, can attest to its deep impact on daily life. The pain is more than just a physical sensation, it impedes regular movement which affects emotional well being and quality of life. This highlights the importance of effective treatments.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs through the bottom of your foot and connects your heel to your toes. Straining the connective tissue on the bottom of your foot (plantar fascia) leads to inflammation which causes pain.
Plantar fasciitis affects around one in 10 people and is most common in females and those aged 40 and 60.
Causes
You are more likely to get plantar fasciitis if you:
- Are on your feet for extended periods of time
- do a lot of walking, running or standing when you are not used to it
- wearing incorrect footwear
- are overweight (this puts stress on the plantar fascia)
- quickly increase how much you exercise or how intensely you exercise, leading to overuse
- issues with foot arches or abnormal walking patterns
Symptoms
People with plantar fasciitis often describe the pain as worse when they get up in the morning of after they have been sitting for long periods of time. After a few minutes of walking, the pain decreases because walking stretches the fascia. For some people the pain subsides but returns after spending long periods of time on their feet.
Common symptoms of planta fasciitis may include:
- Sharp or dull pain felt at the bottom of the foot directly on or near the heel.
- Pain immediately on walking, after sleeping or resting your foot.
- Heel or foot pain that tends to worsen after physical activity but is not typically experienced during exercise.
- Tenderness when touching the affected area, especially near the heel.
- Pain that worsens after prolonged weight bearing.
- Pain that is relieved with rest but aggravated by resting too long.
- Heel swelling and/or stiffness.
How Can Osteopathy Help Plantar Fasciitis?
Osteopathy is a safe and effective treatment for those who suffer from plantar fasciitis. Our osteopaths understand musculoskeletal problems and by checking how your body moves as a whole, can assess the way that you walk and move and help identify any factors that may be contributing to your plantar fasciitis.
Osteopathy can help by reducing inflammation and pain in the foot by using soft tissue manipulation, stretching and massage. It can also assist in improving the alignment of the foot and ankle, removing pressure and increasing mobility so that plantar fasciitis can heal.
In addition to these manual techniques, specific exercises and stretches may be recommended to help improve flexibility and strength in the foot and ankle. This can help to reduce the risk of further injury and also promote healing.
How To Ease Plantar fasciitis Symptoms At Home
- Rest your foot to reduce pressure on your heel but find a happy medium between doing too much or too little.
- Apply ice to your foot for up to 20 minutes every 2 – 3 hours (a bag of peas wrapped in a tea towel, or a frozen bottle of water that you can rub your foot over works wonders.)
- Wear wide, comfortable shoes with a low heel and soft sole.
- Wear orthotics or shoe insert where recommended.
- Regular gentle stretching exercises at home.
- Swimming.
- Take pain relief medication as directed by your health professional.
If you think that you may be experiencing Plantar Fasciitis our team of osteopaths will create a personalised treatment plan for you. They will help reduce stress in the ligaments, minimise secondary injuries and help you on the road to recovery more quickly.
You can make an online booking using the link below;
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