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February 25 2021
Homelessness, poverty, unemployment, domestic violence; these are just a few of the reasons why women are forced to choo....
The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of tissue in the bottom of the foot which runs from the heel to the base of the toes. When placed under sudden or continual increased strain/load, the plantar fascia can become injured generally at the point where it inserts into the heel bone. This is usually a slow onset of pain with no ‘one-time’ injury required.
By adulthood many people will have developed a heel spur in both heels. It’s important to note that in majority of cases of heel pain, the heel spur IS NOT the cause of the pain. The pain is due to an injury to the soft tissue (plantar fascia), regardless of whether a heel spur is present or not.
Often there has been an increase in load placed on your lower limb that your body has not had the capacity to deal with resulting in injury. This increase in load may include:
Certain foot types may increase your likelihood of developing heel pain – or put more simply – feet that do not work too well. Whether that be collapsed arches, tight calf muscles, weak intrinsic foot muscles, high arch rigid feet with poor shock absorption etc.
Certain factors may increase the risk of developing heel pain and/or impair your body’s own ability to repair the injury – such as Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, menopause, obesity, old age, stress, inadequate sleep.
Like most over-use soft tissue injuries – our approach at Foundation Podiatry to managing Heel Pain is to "calm it down – build it up".
So what do we mean? The initial focus is to reduce the load / strain on the injured plantar fascia to allow the body to start its own healing process. This may involve strapping, suitable footwear, Custom Foot Supports (Orthotics), night socks/splints or even a moon boot (depending on the severity of your heel pain). Physical activity may need to be reduced or modified – cycling instead of running for example.
Once the heel pain starts to improve we then focus on improving the function of the foot and lower limb. Mobility, balance and strength exercises need to be introduced at the right time.
Depending on your individual case however we may need to include another step which is an assistance with tissue healing. Ask yourself - How long have you had heel pain? How much time do you spend on your feet each day? How capable is your body of healing itself (stress levels, appropriate sleep and nutrition). What is your body weight etc.
Depending on the above and whether your heel pain is presenting in an acute or chronic stage – an assistance in tissue healing such as Medical Acupuncture, Low Level Laser therapy or Shockwave Therapy may be required to settle your heel pain completely.
MORE RELATED READS:
> Low Level Laser Therapy in the management of plantar fasciitis
> Shockwave therapy for chronic plantar heel pain
> I have heel pain - I must have a heel spur!?! Not necessarily the case
> Are heel pain and menopause related?
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