Plantar fasciitis is a very common foot condition with heel pain. The plantar fascia is a strong band of fibrous tissue which is found at the bottom of the foot, with the purpose to provide support for the arch of the foot and to enable foot control and shock-absorption. The plantar fascia has the functional role of maintaining the foot arch foot stability and promotes functional biomechanics.
At rest the plantar fascia is shortened, when standing and the foot weighted, the plantar fascia is stretched when walking or running. As the foot strikes the ground and the arch of the foot flattens, stretching out the plantar fascia. It then rebounds, helping the foot push off the ground.
Like any tissue, repetitive strain to this important band at the bottom service of the foot can cause inflammation and pain, often pain is felt towards the heel and much worse in the mornings. Runners and athletes with plantar fasciitis may notice heel pain that gets progressively worse with activity. The good news is the majority of cases of planter fasciitis do get better in a short space of time with the correct modifications. However, if prolonged and left untreated, the pain can often become worse or more frequent, and can get in the way of daily activities.
Micro-tearing over time can lead to irritation and inflammation typically occurring near where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone. In some cases, the tissue causes traction on the bone, which can develop into a heel bone spur which can be extremely painful and difficult to treat. If left untreated, chronic inflammation can develop which makes the fascia weaker and prone to larger tearing, ultimately effecting the whole foot mechanics.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
Foot over pronation (collapsed arches).
Weak ankle stabilising muscles
Tight calf’s
Genetic predisposition
TREATMENT FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Conservative treatment for plantar fasciitis
Stretching - working on ankle mobility. Achilles tendon, calf muscles and foot under surface should be stretched to improve flexibility.
Improve the biomechanics of standing, walking, and jogging.
Rest - reduce activities that put stress on the feet like running or even standing for long periods
Footwear - practical shoes with good arch supports
Taping/dry needling - has been shown to provide support and reduce pain
Orthotics - corrective orthotics can provide support
Weight loss - will reduce pressure
Night splints - this prevents the plantar fascia from resting in a contracted position.
Manipulation - breaking down scar tissue and joint manipulations
PLANTAR FASCIITIS INJECTION TREATMENT
Due to modern living, plantar fasciitis can quickly turn into chronic pain. If this is the case, then often chronic pain and be difficult to treat conservatively. Injection therapy for plantar fasciitis is also commonly used to treat this stubborn condition and can deliver good success. Injection therapies often involve steroid injections or platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment.
Cortisone injections (steroid injection)
Plantar fasciitis suffers who have not responded well to standard treatments may be advised to have a cortisone injection to reduce inflammation and pain. The factors to consider when having a steroid injection is that often (if successful) steroid injections for pain can be short-lived and may have an overall degenerative effect on the local tissue at bottom of the foot. Although they can be good for inflammation, cortisone injections can weaken the plantar fascia, putting it at an increased risk for rupture (tear).
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment is a natural treatment growing in vast popularity commonly used in sports medicine that uses specialised cells from the patient’s blood to promote and facilitate healing in damaged tissue. Increased data from evidence-based clinical studies are increasingly showing that PRP treatment is safe and effective for the treatment of plantar fasciitis, but also have improved benefits over cortisone, particularly for long term progress.
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Don’t let pain, joint damage, sports injuries or arthritis get in the way of allowing you to do what you want. Schedule a consultation at Dynamic Osteopaths today, and let us treat your injury, provide pain relief and get you back to your full and active lifestyle. We have clinics operating out of Solihull (Henley-In-Arden), Birmingham (Harborne/edgbaston) & Bromsgrove (Barnt Green).
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