What
is the plantar fascia?
The plantar fascia is a connective
tissue band (large flat ligament) that attaches to the bottom of the heel and
extends forward towards the toes. It is an anchor point for the muscles of the
bottom of the feet. Stability and balance of the foot and ankle depend on the
plantar fascia to be strong, yet flexible and acts as a counterbalance to the
strong muscles of the calf that attach to the heel with the Achilles tendon.
Causes
of plantar fasciitis:
The plantar fascia becomes inflamed
and makes walking painful when the tissue becomes injured from strain or direct
trauma such as landing on the feet from height. Besides trauma, plantar fascial
problems may arise simply from the calf muscle being too tight. Because the
muscles of the calf are so strong, if they become overly tight they pull up on
the heel, which in turn tugs on the plantar fascia and causes strain.
Symptoms
of plantar fasciitis are:- Heel pain on walking, particularly when first rising from bed or after sitting for long periods
- Burning, aching on bottom of the foot
- Painful sensation like a pebble in your shoe under the ball of the second toe
Plantar
fasciitis treatment:
Treatment of plantar foot pain
involves relieving inflammation, stretching the plantar ligament, and loosening
of the calf muscle. This is a process that could take from a few visits to a
few months depending on how long the condition has existed and the severity of
the inflammation. Therapy modalities may include:
- Heat packs
- Custom made orthotics
- Electrical stimulation
- Cold laser therapy
- Ice therapy
- Stretching exercises
- Foot and ankle joint manipulation
Hear From a Patient:
"I had sharp throbbing pain on the right foot's arch. I took ibuprofen and foot massage...for about seven years on & off. When the pain was severe I wasn't able to play with my son or go to work. Dr. Ryan Mairs' chiropractic has helped. I am now able to return to my regular routine."
~ Y.D. from Waseca ... recent testimony on how plantar fasciitis pain can be resolved with chiropractic!!
