Plantar Faciitis

What is Plantar Faciitis?

This is an inflammatory condition of the fascia – a strong fibrous tissue that from the bone to the toes. The pain can be mild to severe, and often occurs at the medial arch of the foot.

Causes of Plantar Faciitis

The pain occurs as a result of over stretching of the plantar fascia, and is also a leading cause of heel pain. The excessive stretching of the plantar fascia that results in inflammation can be caused by biomechanical anomalies, e.g. flat feet, obesity, prolonged standing. The pain can even be debilitating at times due to the persistent nature of their foot pain.

Treatment for Plantar Faciitis

Treatment is not necessarily straight forward and there is no one quick fix solution to the problem. A multi faceted approach to treatment is thus advised for the patient. Treatment may take the form of orthotic prescription, weight management (in obese patients), exercise and hydrotherapy can also be helpful an also manual therapies such as osteopathy. In the more persistent cases, surgical procedures may be required.