By: Dr. Amir Mahmud
Welcome back everyone. Today we are going to talk about “Plantar Fasciitis”. I am sure that some of you have heard of the term and possibly have even suffered from this condition. We will take a closer look at what this condition is, what some of the common causes are, what some of the symptoms of plantar fasciitis are, and how to treat it.
The term Plantar Fasciitis refers to pain and inflammation of a thick band of tissue, called the plantar fascia, which runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. The pain associated with this condition can either be localized to one area along the plantar fascia or can run along the entire length of the fascia.
The exact causes of plantar fasciitis are somewhat unknown. This condition tends to be more common in runners, people with flat feet or high arches, individuals with tight hamstrings and calves, people who have altered biomechanics (especially of the first toe), over weight individuals, pregnant women, and people with a history of foot and ankle injuries.
The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is a sharp and stabbing pain when going from a non-weight bearing to a weight bearing position. This is especially true when getting out of the bed in the mornings. The pain tends to decrease as you start to walk and the fascia loosens up.
Now that we have a quick back ground of what this condition is we can talk about my favorite part which is how to treat it. First we will talk about the in-office care and then I will give you a few tips on how to treat this at home.
In office care for this conditions starts with a history and full evaluation of your feet, ankles, knees, pelvis and lumbar motion. This is very important because everything in your body is interconnected by the way of your fascia. Your foot and ankle are the most important joints in your body because they are the base and foundation of your entire body. Once you start to alter your foot and ankle biomechanics the rest of the body WILL BE AFFECTED. After finding the restrictions, the next steps include Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) to reduce the fascial restrictions; Low Level Laser (Erchonia PL-5000) to reduce the swelling, inflammation and reset the myotomes (neurological input to the muscles-increases muscle stability); adjusting the affected joints to restore the proper biomechanics, and kinesiology taping of the foot and ankle to reduce the tension and load on the plantar fascia(1).
In home care for plantar fasciitis involves mainly using orthotics for arch support and to take the pressure off of the fascia, applying ice (frozen golf ball or frozen water bottle) along the entire length of the fascia to reduce the swelling(2), stretching the calf and hamstring to reduce the pull on the heel, and foot/ankle stability exercises to normalize the biomechanics. There are two specific exercises that really help with the foot and ankle stability. If you are interested in learning these exercises I will gladly go over them with you in the office (The reason that I am not posting the exercise on here is that because it is a very precise exercise that involves one joint in your big toe and has to be done properly in order for it to work).
I hope this article has been informative for you all. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment on here or call the office and I will gladly answer them for you.
Dr. Amir Mahmud is a Sports Chiropractor in Westlake Village. Dr. Amir has vast experience working with athletes both professional and Amateur. He is the current Team Doctor for the Newbury Park HS Lacrosse team and Ventura Country Rugby "Outlaws". He can be reached at (805)870-5371.
