The Agony of Foot Pain

Is it painful to take your first steps in the morning when you get up from bed?

Is it painful to stand and walk quickly after watching a movie?

You may have a condition called plantar fasciitis.

It has been estimated that about 2 million Americans are affected by plantar fasciitis each year, and it is the most treated foot problem in the country today.

What exactly is the plantar fascia?

The plantar fascia is a thick tissue located at the sole of your foot.  It is attached at one end to the heel bone and then spreads out and attaches to all the toe bones. The plantar fascia is strong and holds up the arches in your foot. It is your body’s natural sole.

The plantar fascia is designed to cushion and give you a “spring effect” when you walk. When it’s malfunctioning it becomes painful to walk around!

What is plantar fasciitis?

Despite its strength, the plantar fascia is prone to inflammation through wear and tear. “Itis” means inflammation, hence the name, plantar fasciitis to indicate the fascia is inflamed.

Due to inflammation, the plantar fascia becomes swollen and tender to touch. Taking steps can be very painful, especially after sleeping or not standing for a couple of hours.

Most people seek treatment for it when it begins to impede their walking.

How do you get it?

The plantar fascia can get irritated by a variety of causes.

Common is a small bone growth on the underside of the heel bone (the calcaneus) called a calcaneal spur. The spur can cause pulling and tugging on to the plantar fascia.

In other cases, inflammation can come about secondary to an immune response from conditions like arthritis, sclerosis, etc.

Other causes are from the asymmetry of your body, including arches of the feet and misalignment of the hips, knees, or low back.

Poor muscle and motor control in the hips, knees, or ankles plus a history of chronic ankle and foot sprains, can all increase your risk for plantar fasciitis.

How do I know if I have it?

Some of the common symptoms associated with the condition are:

• pain in the heel,
• pain on the inside arch of the foot.
• pain with prolonged walking or standing.
• pain in the foot when waking up in the morning and trying to take the first step out of bed

We successfully treat this condition – how?

One of the most common mistakes made when treating plantar fasciitis, in my opinion, is failing to treat the cause of the inflammation and only focusing on the symptom.

I see plantar fasciitis often and my main thrust is to conduct a comprehensive Physical Therapy evaluation in order to figure out the true root cause of the condition.

Research has shown that manual therapy techniques with deep friction tools and certain manual mobilizations around the foot and ankle are very effective.

Electrical modalities like ultrasound, iontophoresis, and electrical stimulation are important adjuncts to pain management.

If the assessment reveals that other joints are involved such as the hip, knee, or low back, appropriate exercises and core stabilization techniques are utilized.

Custom made orthotics and good footwear at home and work also are critical.

Are you ready to get rid of your foot pain?

With the right approach and treatment, the agony of foot pain can be a thing of the past.

We have excellent success here at Root Cause Medical and would be delighted to evaluate you to determine the actual cause of your condition.