What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fascia is thick tissue on the bottom of your foot which connects your heel bone to the toes. This helps creates the arch of your foot. When this tissue is overstretched or overworked due to poor foot posture, it can create pain in your heel that progressively gets. Severe pain on weight bearing after a period of rest, pain with prolonged walking, during or post exercise are typical presentations of plantar fasciitis.
What causes plantar fasciitis?
There are several causes for this condition. The main risk factors are:
- “Flat feet”
- Wearing under or over supported footwear
- Have tight Achilles tendon/calf muscles
How do I know if I have plantar fasciitis?
Your health care professional (including your physiotherapist) can diagnose if this is your cause of heel pain. Sometimes the diagnosis is confirmed through imaging (ie. Diagnostic Ultrasound)
What do I do if I have plantar fasciitis?
The best thing to do is to see your physiotherapist so they can diagnose the cause of your heel pain. They are equipped with different treatment techniques to help manage and settle plantar fasciitis pain as well as helping you prevent this from occurring in the future.