plantar_fasciitis
Table of Contents
plantar fasciitis
see also:
- patient information:
Introduction
- one of the most common causes of foot pain and it is often bilateral
- it is usually caused either by:
- repeatedly overstretched
- blunt trauma such as landing on an object causing bruising to the sole of the foot
Clinical features
- pain under the heel or foot arch often present on waking and worse with initial walking but often improves with activity as it warms up
severity
- stage 1 - no pain, normal
- stage 2 - pain after exercise
- stage 3 - pain before and after exercise
- stage 4 - pain before, during and after exercise
- stage 5 - pain at all times even during rest
Risk factors
- over-use activities especially if new activity, have tight calf muscles, ankle injury limitation or poor shoes:
- hiking, running, aerobics, ballet
- excessive walking on hard surfaces eg. factory workers, police, teachers and waitresses
- obesity
- pregnancy - loss of ligament supports
- poor biomechanics and foot issues - flat feet or high arch
- age - middle age or elderly tend to lose arch in foot
- shoes with poor supports
- weak foot arch muscles
- diabetes
Mx
- consider foot XR to exclude stress fracture metatarsals if tenderness is in mid foot rather than heel area
- 90% will resolve within 2 months of Rx
- rest, ice, analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- consider plantar fascia brace, heel cups
- physiotherapy options
- joint mobilisations to loosen stiff joints
- soft tissue massage or release
- muscle flexibility or stretches
- foot taping
- active foot stabilisation exercises
- lower limb strengthening exercises
- orthotics
plantar_fasciitis.txt · Last modified: 2026/01/22 06:39 by gary1