Are you dreading the first steps out of bed?
You may not be alone… If you’ve noticed that you get heel pain first thing in the morning or after you’ve been off your feet for a while you may have a common condition that affects 1 in 10 others.
What could it be?
Heel pain on the bottom of the foot is one of the most common foot conditions treated in physiotherapy or podiatry clinics. The plantar fascia is a common culprit! It is a large band of connective tissue (the stuff that holds us together) running from your heel to the ball of your foot. It plays an important role in supporting the bones, joints, and arches of your feet.
If the plantar fascia is exposed to repetitive loading, micro-tears (very, very small tears) can appear throughout the tissue and that’s when you’ll start feeling pain.
You may be asking yourself… why me?
Certain groups of people are at a higher risk of suffering from this condition, they include:
Middle-aged men/women who are not physically active.
There’s nothing we can do about getting older, time will always win! It can be easy to forget to exercise, especially when you feel like there are other things in your life that take priority. When we forget to keep our bodies moving, our muscles become weaker and increase the demand on the plantar fascia to support your arch. To get a good idea of what happens to your fitness when you stop being active watch this simple video from Tech Insider
People who are on their feet for prolonged periods.
You may have a job that requires you to stand for a long time on hard surfaces or walk long distances. This is a fairly simple equation, the more steps you take and the more time you spend on your feet – the demand will increase and you could have muscles that are fatiguing or getting tight, contributing to the issue.
Pregnancy.
Expected weight gain as your baby develops and hormonal changes to your body may place increased stress along the plantar fascia. Hormonal changes in the body can cause increased loosening of the joints and ligaments of your body, which there are a lot of in your feet! The foot flattens out during this period, putting more pressure on the plantar fascia.
Excessive rolling in of the foot during walking.
Rolling in of the foot is a normal process of walking and helps the foot absorb shock! Excessive rolling in during certain time periods of walking and increase the load placed through the plantar fascia. At Back in Motion Mentone, we use GaitScan technology to find out how your foot and ankle are moving as you walk. This service is FREE and can provide your physio and you with detailed information about the function of your foot.
Am I doomed?
The good news is that nearly 90% of cases are treated successfully with conservative non-surgical management. We use a variety of treatment strategies, most of which can easily be completed at home.
…But I’ve had an image and it showed that I had a heel spur!
Don’t be alarmed by this! Heel spurs are common even in many people who don’t have any pain at all. The fact that a spur is found shouldn’t throw you off from trialing some of those simple strategies that a physiotherapist at Back in Motion Mentone may recommend. The majority of clients can improve their pain and function without doing anything to the spur itself.
What should I do now?
Schedule a physiotherapy assessment at Back in Motion Mentone to help confirm if your pain is coming from the plantar fascia or other structures of the foot. We will not only treat the problem but will aim to identify and evaluate other possible contributors through GaitScan technology and clinical reasoning to resolve the problem long term.
If you’re getting pain on the first steps in the morning or after you have taken a short break, call us NOW to book your free assessment or click here to book online.
Author: Alex Kimp, Physiotherapist, Back In Motion Mentone.