Plantar fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is a very common condition which affects the heel of the foot. You will typically experience pain across the bottom of your foot around the heel area. When this gets worse you may feel it towards your toes or even up the inside of your ankle. 

Plantar fasciitis pain is usually caused by a combination of factors, ranging from:

1. Tight muscles
2. Ineffective or inappropriate foot/joint motion
3. Unsupported or inappropriate footwear for your foot type
4. Weight distribution
5. Trauma to the heel area
6. Inflammatory conditions such as diabetes and arthritis to name few
7. Increase in impact activity  like starting a 5k parkrun race 

• Stabbing pains in the bottom of your foot near the heel
• Pain that is usually at its worst when you take the first few steps after sleeping or sitting down. Alternatively, this pain can also be triggered by long periods of standing or rising from a seated position.
• Your heel pain is usually worse after exercise, rather than during. However if it is worse all the time this could lead to a different diagnosis which is not usually plantar fasciitis and may indicate calcanea oedema (bruising) or fat pad syndrome. 

We are committed to combining professional, proactive and friendly care with state of the art technology to overcome the pain and discomfort of plantar fasciitis to get you back to doing what you love again. 

As the causes and symptoms relating to plantar fasciitis vary considerably from person to person, we engage in an in-depth comprehensive diagnostic assessment to ensure we opt for the most appropriate treatment(s) for you.

The Biomechanical assessment involves:

• Taking a full medical history as there are always clues to the cause of your heel pain in your past
• Force pressure analysis
• Slow motion high definition Video gait analysis
• Diagnostic ultrasound
• Advanced footwear assessment
• Lifestyle review
• Dietary assessment

This is aimed at getting an accurate diagnosis of your pain thus helping us prevent your pain returning and improving your overall foot health. 

Our Plantar fasciitis treatments typically involve some or all of the following:

• Joint mobilisation and manipulation (therapeutic) 
• Stretching and strength programmes (therapeutic) 
• Strapping and taping the foot (therapeutic) 
• Custom Orthotics (therapeutic) 
• Shockwave Therapy (therapeutic) 
• Dietary review (therapeutic)
• Blood analysis (investigative)
• Footwear advice (Preventative)
• Education (Preventative)
• On-going Foot Health support and review (Preventative) 

Foot pain is most commonly due to repetitive strain. So at Footfocus Ringwood we see foot pain as a sign that something else is off and take it serviously.

 With all our heel pain patients we put emphasis on effectively diagnosing, educating you on the causes  AND treating your heel pain. This ensures the root cause is dealt with, and not just the consequences.

To find out how to take proactive steps and preventative action, book a Podiatry appointment at Footfocus today. Nobody takes your foot health as seriously as us. 

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