Plantar Fasciitis Treatment – Physiotherapy for Heel Pain
Plantar Fasciitis affects approximately 10% of the population. It’s widely spoken about the condition, that if left untreated for too long can be extremely frustrating and debilitating.
The plantar fascia is the ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot from your toes to your heel, and over time it can become irritated through repetitive use. Plantar Fasciitis affects approximately 10% of the population. It’s a widely spoken about condition, that if left untreated for too long can be extremely frustrating and debilitating.
We’ve helped hundreds of local Adelaide individuals understand their condition, get pain relief, and implement long-term solutions to get back to the life they love whilst preventing recurrence in the future.
How do you know if you’re suffering from Plantar Fasciitis?
- Pain under the heel (more so on the inside portion of the heel)
- Usually worse in the morning and when first standing up after prolonged sitting
- It warms up as you get moving but may get worse after extended periods on your feet
Who’s at risk?
- BMI over 25-30kg/m2
- Individuals in high weight-bearing occupations (think tradies, security staff, hospitality occupations etc.)
- Biomechanical factors including weakness of the leg, foot mechanics, and stiffness of the big toe
How can Physiotherapy help me?
- Reducing your pain in the short term with hands-on treatment and taping.
- Advice and education to allow your symptoms to settle and keep you comfortable whilst our treatment is having the desired effect. We’ll also give you the advice you need to gradually build back up to the activity level you want in a safe and non-detrimental way.
- Reducing your pain and improving function in the long term with targeted exercise: The foot has 20 muscles in itself! If we can develop a good level of strength in these muscles then it goes a long way to reducing pain and improving function over the longer term.
Not only is it important to work these muscles hard, but getting specific with our strength work and including exercises like toes elevated heel raises which have been shown to be more effective than plantar fasciitis stretches, orthotics and other forms of management including cortisone injection for plantar fascia pain.
Check out the video at the bottom of this page to check out how we do this in the clinic:
The best research in treating plantar fasciitis suggests that strengthening exercises are better for plantar heel pain and function than stretching, rolling or resting. Because of this, if you want a long term fix, targeted exercise is your best bet.
4. Identifying factors that may have contributed to the onset of your symptoms, and through which addressing appropriately will prevent your plantar fasciitis from returning in the future. This can include weakness of the muscles that support your ankle and heel bone, poor footwear, the need for orthotics, body weight, or too much or too little exercise, and walking, among other things. When strengthening this area, it’s also very important to strengthen all areas associated with the plantar fascia.
The video below features our top tips for managing plantar fasciitis.
The take-away: plantar fasciitis is a very common issue but is very treatable given the right guidance and interventions at the right time.
Book a time to see an expert plantar fasciitis Physio here or call 8490 0777. We can help you get to the bottom of what might have contributed to your pain in the first place, what you can do for relief, and what you can do to fix it forever.