Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

Have you ever been out walking or attending to your duties, and by the end of the day, you are feeling sharp heel pains that persist? Even though there are tons of causes of heel pain to us, one of the major causes is the condition known as Plantar Fasciitis. This is an illness or infection that comes about due to inflammation of the thick band that runs across the bottom part of your foot. Known as the plantar fascia, the band connects the toes of your leg to the heel bone.

It is common for Plantar Fasciitis patients to complain of sharp stabbing wounds, especially when taking the first few steps in the morning. After this, the pains start to decrease gradually, eventually coming to a halt. However, the pain might come back again later in the day, especially if you have spent the better part of the day walking or standing for long hours.

One thing about this condition is that it is common among athletes. Especially the runners. Additionally, overweight people are as well as those people whose shoes aren’t well balanced. However, one might wonder, what are some of the most common symptoms of plantar Fasciitis?

The most common symptom is stabbing pain in the foot. The pain is mainly concentrated on the bottom part of the foot, just close to the heel. This pain will tend to increase when your leg hasn’t been in motion for some time, for example, after you have spent some hours sitting. Most people, however, tend to mistake the condition with normal heel pain. One way to differentiate it from other forms of foot pain is that when you exercise, you will feel the impact (and pain) after you are done, not during the exercise itself.

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Causes Of Plantar Fasciitis

A wide range of factors can cause plantar Fasciitis. However, before we dive into that, it would be necessary to understand the plantar fascia features.

Plantar fasciitis is an aggravation of the fibrous tissue called the plantar fascia that links your heel bone to your toes on the bottom of your foot. Plantar fasciitis is a condition that causes severe heel discomfort.

The plantar fascia is a band that imitates the shape of a bowstring in that it supports the arch of the foot so that it absorbs all the shock produced by the impact when walking or standing. This provides enough support to the leg, enabling you to move freely.

However, sometimes the tension or stress being forced on this bowstring-like band becomes overwhelming. In such a situation, the pressure becomes too much, thus causing damage to the band. The damage starts in the form of minor tears that gradually develop to become a stretched tear. After the impact has hit the band repeatedly, an irritation will form and start causing the pain.

However, plantar Fasciitis is also known to occur even when the band hasn’t been subjected to much impact. In such cases, there are a few known risk factors associated with such kinds of situations. Some of them include

Age. Plantar Fasciitis is more common in people aged between 4—60.
Foot mechanics. Some foot features might contribute towards the disease development. This includes flat feet, unusual walking patterns, and high arched feet. Such factors contribute towards the abnormal distribution of weight to the foot when in an upright position.
Shoes. Some shoes do not have enough support to maintain a stable foot position when you are wearing them.
Being overweight has also been associated with plantar Fasciitis. This is because the extra weight will be putting additional weight and stress on the plantar fascia.
The types of exercises you engage in – exercises that tend to add more stress to the plantar fascia. Exercises that can contribute to you getting the disease include long-distance running, aerobic dances, ballet dancing, etc.

Your daily job. People who spend most of their time on their feet during the day, such as teachers and shop attendants.

The Testing And Diagnostics

Most often, therapist diagnose the disease after conducting a physical examination on the patient. They will check the tenderness of your foot, the location of your pain, and the several risk factors that might have contributed to the disease developing. They might even request you to flex the heel while they put pressure on the bottom part of the leg. This will be to check the exact position of damage as well as the extent.

Another thing they mostly look for is whether there is any redness on the area around the ankle. Patients with plantar Fasciitis tend to have tenderness around the area. They will also analyze your muscle strength and nerves through reflexes, tone, sense of touch, balance, and coordination.

Our therapists will evaluate your symptoms and do a physical examination. X-rays may be used to detect arthritis, bone fractures, bone alignment, and joint deterioration.

An MRI or ultrasound may be required in rare cases. These can indicate soft tissue issues that X-rays miss. These will show exactly the root of the problem so that we can proceed with the treatment.

Treatment

You do not necessarily have to get medical treatment when suffering from plantar Fasciitis. Some home-based therapies, such as using ice, resting, or braces, have proven helpful with the pain. However, you can still opt for anti-inflammatory drugs. Even though they won’t help with the pain by much, they will help reduce the inflammation in the long run.

Some physicians opt to administer a corticosteroid directly to the affected part.

What Is Involved in Plantar FasciitisTreatment?

Plantar Fasciitis physiotherapy treatments consist of several visits to help identify the underlying causes of your problems. Our physiotherapists work with you to develop an effective treatment plan that does more than just treat your symptoms. Our hope is with the right treatment plan, we can help alleviate the causes of the condition.

During your first visit, this is our opportunity to conduct a thorough assessment of your foot pain. We want you to provide us with details of your symptoms, things that seem to trigger your condition, things that help make it better, and so on. We will review your medical history and other such information as well.

What Happens Next?

Once your initial assessment is complete, we will help you better understand your problem, the cause for the condition, and develop a formal diagnosis and treatment plan. Treatments can often begin during your initial visit or scheduled for a follow-up visit.

Treatments for plantar fasciitis conditions will involve similar approaches just like other physiotherapy treatments. Your treatment plan could include:

Exercises – There can be specific exercises you will be taught so you can perform them at home in-between visits. These exercises can help stabilize your condition, so it occurs less frequently or in some cases, goes away completely.
Education – At Physiotherapy First, we believe that educating our patients is a vital part of their treatment plan. When you can better understand your condition, the causes, and how it can be treated, we find physiotherapy treatments are more successful.
Modifications to Daily Routines – For some of our patients, we may recommend making certain changes to daily routines, such as avoid doing things that trigger your foot pain.
Manual Manipulation Techniques – These techniques are designed to help stimulate the muscles in the foot for better response and fewer issues.

Symptoms Of Heel And Foot Pain

Here are some of the prevalent signs that you have heel and foot pain. But you must know that the pain might be felt in three parts.

Behind the heel
Beneath the heel
Within the heel bone

SYMPTOMS

On the heel, there is a bony growth.
Skin discoloration (bruising or redness).
Tightness.
Inflammation.
Tenderness.
Standing from a resting/sitting position causes pain.

Treatment Of Foot And Heel Pain

Most times, these pains are fairly manageable and fade with time. Below are some of the possible treatments that our specialists can help you with:

Pain management

Steroid injections can help with pain and swelling. Steroid injections should only be used if a tendon problem is severe. However, they can help with plantar fasciitis and bursitis.

Physical therapy

Massage, physical therapy, and ultrasound therapy can all help to break up soft tissue adhesions. These therapies may help to lessen inflammation and pain. And we have the best at our Brampton facility to help you with all these.

Stretching exercise

Still part of physical therapy, Stretching exercises are helpful for tight tendons and muscles.Our Physiotherapist can show you how to execute heel stretching exercises even while you are at home.

Taping

Athletic or medical tape can be used to support the foot arch or heel. This is not a long-term treatment, but it is effective for emergencies where the player still has to keep playing.

Why Should I Consider Physiotherapy Plantar Fasciitis Treatments and Services to Other Options?
Plantar Fasciitis physiotherapy treatments and services provide a non-invasive, non-surgical, and natural method for treating your condition. For some patients, we can help them resolve their foot pain conditions naturally.

Should I Continue Plantar Fasciitis Physiotherapy Treatments and Services?
Some of our patients receive ongoing physiotherapy treatments and services after their initial complaint has been addressed. Ongoing treatments and services can help prevent the plantar fasciitis condition from reoccurring and returning, as well as reduce the frequency of occurrences.

Conclusion

Plantar Fasciitis might be the leading cause of foot pain in people globally, but it is easily treatable. However, it would be better for you to protect yourself to avoid its development by, for example, using supporting insoles.

Why Should I Choose Physiotherapy First for Plantar Fasciitis Treatments?

At Physiotherapy First, our physiotherapists have successfully completed the courses and training to be certified as physiotherapists. While most physiotherapists can treat plnatar fasciitis conditions, not all are certified with this higher level of education and training our physiotherapists have obtained.

To learn more about plantar fasciitis physiotherapy treatments and services in Brampton, or to schedule an initial consultation with one of our physiotherapists, please feel free to contact Physiotherapy First at 905-796-6662 today! We would be happy to discuss your health benefits plan coverage, answer any questions you may have, and help you feel better.