Plantar Fasciitis / Fasciosis & Heel Pain

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Refers to the inflammation of the plantar fascia (a tissue structure that is located on the bottom of your foot). It can affect one or both feet. When the plantar fascia gets aggravated or inflammed, it can cause a throbbing, stabbing or burning pain underneath the foot.

It is very common for people with long term (greater than 3 weeks) of plantar fasciitis to start developing, or have, a heel spur. It is vital to note that the heel spur itself has no nerve endings and doesn’t hurt, it is simply a sign that overuse of this area has been present for sometime.

Plantar fasciosis: is the term used to describe the heel pain caused by long term damage and thickening of the plantar fascia which often occurs as a result of repetitive stress. It is crucial that you see one of our specialist sports podiatrists at Elite Podiatry for an accurate diagnosis.

Plantar Fasciitis symptoms

Most patients describe the pain as being like a hot knife sticking into the bottom of the foot. Others describe it as sharp, hot, searing pain in their arch or heel of the foot.

Classically, plantar fasciitis presents with heel pain that is usually worse:

• During, or more commonly after, activity, exercise or standing for long periods of time
• At the end of the day or after standing on your feet for long periods of time
• And can make you hobble during those first few steps out of bed in the morning, but tends to get a bit better once your feet have “warmed up after a few steps”. However it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you might be suffering from plantar fasciitis and appropriate treatment is required by one of our podiatrists at Elite Podiatry.

Plantar Fasciitis causes

There are a mulitude of factors that can trigger plantar fasciitis. It is very common for people to develop it “all of the sudden” without a clear cause.It is extremely common to develop it after;

• Starting excercising, a new sport or activity.
• Starting a new job or changing your role in your job where you are now standing or walking more
• Increased weight gain
• Flat or pronated feet
• High-arched or supinated feet
• Changes in footwear or ‘new or different’ shoes
• Trauma
• Pregnancy

Plantar Fasciitis treatment

At Elite Podiatry, we use a variety of treatments including:

• Gait and Biomechanical assessment
• Orthotics and Insoles
• Kinetic Taping
• Trigger Point Therapy & Dry Needling
• Joint Mobilisations
• Muscle Energy Techniques
• Footwear Assessment

At Elite Podiatry we have mastered advanced techniques that help us identify, diagnose and treat plantar fasciitis and its associated complications effectively with a high success rate. We have a range of treatments available to help relieve and prevent such conditions and improve your quality of life. At Elite Podiatry, we often use adjunct therapies to offer the most effective form of treatment. Depending on your requirements, we will customise a treatment suitable to your needs. Please call us at Elite Podiatry to organise an appointment for an assessment, diagnosis and treatment.