Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a podiatry condition that is painful and irritating condition and can effect many people. Podiatrists in foot clinics and physios can treat this issue. The plantar fascia is a thick and strong band of tissue that runs from your big toe to the base of the foot and heel. The plantar fascia when overloaded can become tight, painful and even tear in some cases.

Causes of Plantar Fascitis

Causes of plantar fasciitis can be different from person to person. Often our podiatrist finds there can be multiple causes of the issue. These can include:

• Being overweight
• Overloading with running or walking
• Poor foot posture
• Flat feet
• Hypermobility
• Lack of strength in the foot and calves
• Poor footwear
• Menopause

Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is commonly treated by podiatrists and physios. Treatment often involves trying to calm down the plantar fascia so it can heel. The problem with the plantar fascia is that we can never truly ‘rest’ it so it can be better. We are on our feet all day and because of this it can rarely get the opportunity to heel because of the pressure we put on the area. It is like getting a sore thumb then continuing to whack it against something all day… it will never get the opportunity to heal!

Podiatrists and physios are well equip to get it better by using smart ways to offload the area. This can include:

• Better footwear
• Orthotics to control the foot to put less pressure on it
• Reducing your walking steps per day
• Getting your foot and ankle stronger
• Taping to offload the area
• Manual therapy, massage and dry needling to reduce pain
• Shockwave therapy

How long will it take for plantar fasciitis to get better?

Plantar fasciitis can take anywhere between 3-6 months to get better. For mild cases this can be even quicker. It all depends on how severe it is, and how well you take care of it. For overweight people it can take longer as the pressure on the foot during walking is greater.

Author: Yunus Abou-Eid
Podiatrist Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Ascot Vale and Brunswick