Plantar fasciitis explained: causes and treatment
The Plantar Fascia is a broad, thick band of tissue that runs from under the heel to the front of the foot. Through overuse the fascia can become inflamed and painful at its attachment to the heel bone or calcaneus. The condition is traditionally thought to be inflammation, however this is now believed to be incorrect due to the absence of inflammatory cells within the fascia. The cause of pain is thought to be degeneration of the collagen fibres close to the attachment to the heel bone.
Plantar fasciitis is common in sports which involve running, dancing or jumping. Runners who overpronate where their feet roll in or flatten too much are particularly at risk the plantar fascia is over stretched as the foot flattens.
A common factor is tight calf muscles which lead to a prolonged or high velocity pronation or rolling in of the foot. This in turn produces repetitive over-stretching of the plantar fascia leading to possible inflammation and thickening of the tendon. As the fascia thickens it looses flexibility and strength. Other causes include either a low arch called pes planus or a very high arched foot known as pes cavus.
Excessive walking in footwear which does not provide adequate arch support has been attributed. Footwear for plantar fasciitis should be flat, lace-up and with good arch support and cushioning. Overweight individuals are more at risk of developing plantar fasciitis due to the excess weight impacting on the foot.
Treatment of plantar fasciitis
At Alpha Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic, we use electrical stimulation of the painful plantar fascia using our InterX device. This successfully relieves pain and restores function, normally after several treatment sessions.
The main causitive factor for plantar fasciitis is over pronation of the foot/feet, in other words partial or complete dropping of the long foot arch. So, to take away this factor we assess and fit the patient with tailor made arch supports (orthotics) using a system call Gaitscan.
What can the athlete do?
Rest until it is not painful. Although it can be very difficult to rest the foot as most people will be on their feet during the day for work.
Apply ice or cold therapy to help reduce pain and inflammation. Cold therapy can be applied for 10 minutes every hour if the injury is particularly painful for the first 24 to 48 hours. This can be reduced to 3 times a day as symptoms ease.
Later in the treatment program plantar fascia exercises can be done if pain allows, in particular stretching the fascia is an important part of treatment and prevention. This will enhance the use of our custom made arch supports. The fascia tightens up making the origin at the heel more susceptible to stress.
Call Alpha Clinic Hemel Hempstead on 01442 248885 today to book your appointment.
