Heel pain
Plantar Fasciopathy (aka Plantar Fasciitis)
What does is it feel like?
- Pain where the heel meets the arch of the foot (where the plantar fascia blends with the heel bone).
- Typically very sharp pain for the first few steps in the morning or after rest.
- Can be painful at the start of an activity, ease off, then get sore again after finishing.
How can it start?
- With a change in physical activity or footwear that causes excessive strain on the plantar fascia.
- Typically occurs in highly active populations such as runners or those who stand for prolonged periods of time.
What aggravates the symptoms?
Typically weight bearing activities such as standing, hiking and running.
What are other associated factors?
- Reduced ankle mobility (calf tightness)
- Reduced foot/ankle strength (e.g. toe flexors)
- High BMI in non-athletic groups
- Diabetes mellitus
- Low estrogen levels in females
Here’s how Osteopathic Therapy can help:
We Investigate:
The primary goal when treating Plantar Fasciopathy is managing the amount of load you place on the plantar fascia, this is referred to as load management. We consider both the static (e.g. standing still) and dynamic (e.g. walking), weight bearing demands that you place on your plantar fascia and things that affect this such as footwear. This enables us to alter your activity levels to help manage the condition.
We Diagnose:
Rule out other causes of heel pain such as fat pad bruising, tendinopathy, stress fractures, Baxter’s neuropathy, tarsal tunnel syndrome and plantar fascia ruptures.
We Treat:
Soft tissue therapy & taping
And finally, we will provide Exercise & Lifestyle Advice:
- Advise on stretching, strengthening, footwear, taping and strategies to reduce the loading of the plantar fascia.
- Provide a gradual progressive loading program to strengthen the plantar fascia.
