Best Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis
Steps To A Successful Recovery
As stated in our previous blog ‘what is plantar fasciitis‘, we know that 80% of all heel pain is due to plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis treatment should follow a few simple steps in order to achieve a successful, long term recovery. The treatment advice below is based upon the best current evidence. Stretching alone will not cure plantar fasciitis! Symptoms typically go on for months, due to the plantar fascia falling into a state of ‘disrepair’. In other words, the plantar fascia attempts to heal, but due to chronic relative overload, it repeatedly breaks down. This often results in the plantar fascia getting itself into a rut it can’t get out of without treatment. That’s where we come in! In order to reverse these changes we advice following the steps below.
Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
Manage your load
Firstly, it is key to try and reduce the aggravating factors that cause compression on the plantar fascia and heel:
- Wear supportive footwear daily
- Try to reduce the amount of hours on your feet
- Reduce your long walks
- Try wearing gel pads in the heels
- Rolling the arch of the foot with a spiky ball while sitting
Shockwave Therapy
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (SWT) for plantar fasciitis is a relatively new treatment with scientifically proven, excellent results for chronic tendon and fascia conditions. These include plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, Achilles tendinopathy and frozen shoulder. Shockwave therapy owes its heritage to lithotripsy which has been around since the 1970s. Lithotripsy utilises focused shockwaves to break apart gall stones so they can be passed. A number of years later, a bit of lateral thinking and a strong evidence base now presents SWT as the ‘gold standard’ treatment for chronic tendon and fascia related conditions.
As discussed in our previous blog, a more appropriate term is ‘plantar fasciopathy’. This is because the condition is characterised by a stalled healing process and consequently ‘disrepair’, which results in scar tissue formation (rather than an acute inflammatory process as ‘faciitis’ would imply). SWT aims to agitate or shock the injury back to its acute phase of healing using acoustic energy – almost like pressing the reset button. Not only does SWT ‘reset’ the stalled healing process and expedite a return to activity, there is also a noticeable reduction in pain. It is then vital to introduce progressive load to the tissues to ensure an optimum, long term recovery.
Strengthen
As we know, the plantar fascia plays a crucial role in supporting the arch of the foot during walking and running. Taking up to 14% of the total load of the body it needs to be strong. As a result, part of plantar fasciitis treatment will focus on regaining localised strength around the foot and calf. This is in order to improve your bodies ability to absorb the forces of daily living. A recent study published in 2014 showed that strengthening the deep muscles of the calf and foot arch provided significant improvements to plantar fasciitis symptoms over a period of three months.
There is also good evidence that improving strength and stability around the hip and pelvis can improve plantar fasciitis symptoms. Clinically, we find that strengthening the foot in the context of the rest of the body, and not just targeting the foot and calf is key to aiding a long term recovery.
In summary, plantar fasciitis is often a chronic, debilitating condition that typically does not get better without intervention. If you think you may be suffering with plantar fasciitis, book an appointment with one of our experienced clinicians for a thorough assessment and personalised treatment plan.
Alternatively, if you require any further information regarding plantar fasciitis or any other conditions please call our friendly reception team on 0114 267 8181 or email [email protected]
