Put Your Best Foot Forward
Plantar Fasciitis causes intense pain on the heel and bottom of the foot. The diagnosis is based on your signs and symptoms and in some cases an ultrasound. Often the cause of plantar fasciitis is not clear. We will discuss why plantar fasciitis is not a foot problem followed by specific therapies that provide long-lasting results.
Causes of Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar Fasciitis. What is the cause? It is running? Standing for long periods on a hard surface? Is it poor footwear? High arches or flat feet?
Plantar fasciitis causes are made up of two primary factors:
Muscle and Connective Tissue Tightness
It starts with muscle and connective tissue tightness. The muscles aren’t working correctly, therefore, your foot can’t work correctly. You will feel pain in your foot although it’s the tightness of your lower leg that causes the issue. Again, the cause of foot pain is not always the foot.
Inflammation
Too much pressure on your feet can sometimes damage or tear the ligaments; the plantar fascia becomes inflamed, and the inflammation will cause heel pain and stiffness.
Treatment Options for Plantar Fasciitis
Your doctor may have suggested surgery. Other treatment options can be steroids, splints and orthotics. The treatments may not be able to fix your problem because they are still looking at the issue as a cause and not as a symptom.
For this reason, if you want to address the pain, you will need to address the root causes of the pain. This means treatments to help address the inflammation and muscle and connective tissue tightness.
How Osteopathy and Massage Therapy Can Help.
Massage is a low cost, non-invasive and effective treatment for plantar fasciitis. The connective tissue is a fairly rigid structure and can often be very sore to the touch. An experienced therapist will identify irritable points whilst not causing undue pain and discomfort. Deep tissue massage will help with both inflammation and muscle and the connective tissue.
Osteopathy will identify the cause of pain instead of chasing symptoms. An Osteopath will assess the entire lower limb and spine in relation to how you are moving, transferring and absorbing weight. They will also address the underlying cause of inflammation and look at physical factors like restricted ankle movement and tight calf muscles.
Book an appointment with one of our Osteopaths or Massage Therapists today https://prairietherapy.janeapp.com/
