A Battle With Plantar Fascitis

Have you noticed a pain in your heel when you put your foot on the ground first thing in the morning? Do you wince a little, let out a small cry of pain or a large ouch when you get out of bed? If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these, then you could have plantar fasciitis!

This is one of the most common causes of heel pain seen in approximately 10% people. People who are on their feet all of the time, such as runners or people who travel are the most common sufferers of this. If this is causing you pain, then you can’t do the activities that you want to do, so fixing your plantar fasciitis is really important!

Whilst working in our Xcel Health Sittingbourne and Maidstone Physiotherapy Clinics, I see on average 3 clients each and every day who are complaining about heel pain. I thought that this would be a great opportunity to share a few facts and top tips about heel pain and plantar fasciitis.

What is plantar fasciitis and what causes it?

The plantar fascia is a deep fascia of the foot which is directly attached to the heel bone, and runs from the heel to your toes. The fascia supports the muscles and arch of the foot. When it’s tighter or overly stretched it can produce inflammation and this can bring pain.

These are the commonly known causes:

• 1. Obesity
• 2. Tight calf muscles
• 3. Flat feet or high arches
• 4. Runners
• 5. Standing job or spending most of the hours standing
• 6. Inadequate stretching of calf muscles
• 7. Poor foot wear
• 8. Weak foot muscles

What can I do about it?

The good news about Plantar fasciitis is that its curable!

Some home remedies and my top tips:

• 1. Ice your heel- Invest 10-15 minutes every day to ice your foot. Just take an ice pack or bag of peas, wrap it in kitchen towel and place it on your heel!
• 2. Stretching- this is the key to reducing the pain. Using your hand, just place your fingers at the base of your heel and pull them towards your shin until you can feel the stretch. Perform this at least 2-3 times and day and hold the stretch for 15-20 counts. Follow this stretch by stretching your calf with either a towel or against the wall.

• Strengthen your muscles- its best to start performing low intensity exercises for your foot muscles. A few examples of which could be toe walking, heel walking or one leg standing.
• Wear appropriate footwear: make sure you look at comfort when it comes to buying shoes!
• Wear customised orthosis if required- if you have got flat feet make sure your take advice regarding what orthosis suits you better.
• Beyond self-care, seek medical advice from professionals- Advanced treatments are recommended from a professional standpoint, we can help you develop a holistic approach.

The treatment may include-

• 1. Physiotherapy sessions and advice
• 2. Cortisone or steroid injections to reduce inflammation
• 3. Foot care advice from our podiatrists

Contact our clinic to book an appointment today and find out more!

I know you are going to win this battle!