Plantar Fasciitis Pain Relief in Burke, VA
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition affecting the bottom of the foot. It is a common cause of heel pain and is sometimes called a heel spur. Plantar fasciitis is the correct term to use when there is active inflammation of the plantar fascia muscle and tendon on the bottom on the foot. Plantar fasciitis is usually just on one side. In about 30 per cent of all cases, both feet are affected.
The plantar fascia (also known as the plantar aponeurosis) is a thick band of connective tissue. It runs from the front of the heel bone (calcaneus) to the ball of the foot. This dense strip of tissue helps support the arch of the foot by acting something like the string on an archer’s bow. It is the source of the painful condition plantar fasciitis.
Causes of Plantar Fasciitis:
As you can imagine, when the foot is on the ground a tremendous amount of force (the full weight of the body) is concentrated on the plantar fascia. This force stretches the plantar fascia as the arch of the foot tries to flatten from the weight of your body. This is just how the string on a bow is stretched by the force of the bow trying to straighten. This leads to stress on the plantar fascia where it attaches to the heel bone. Small tears of the fascia can result and scar tissue is formed causing increased tightness in the plantar fascia. The scar tissue along with the increased tightness leads to chronic inflammation and pain. If you have “flat feet” and over pronate this will allow put more stress on the tissue and cause repetitive injury to the plantar fascia.
Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis:
The symptoms of plantar fasciitis include pain along the arch of the foot, and can be more concentrated towards the heel of the foot. The pain is worse when weight is placed on the foot. This is usually most pronounced in the morning when the foot is first placed on the floor.
Prolonged standing can also increase the painful symptoms. It may feel better after activity but most patients report increased pain by the end of the day. Pressing on this part of the heel causes tenderness. Pulling the toes back toward the face can be very painful.
Diagnosis:
When you first visit NOVA Chiropractic & Wellness Center, Dr. Sullivan will examine your foot and speak with you about the history of your problem. Diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is generally made during the history and physical examination. There are several conditions that can cause heel pain, and plantar fasciitis must be distinguished from these conditions. We use a digital foot scanner to determine how the foot is distributing your weight and pressure and to see if you over-pronate (flat feet) or over-supinate (high arches).
Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis:
At NOVA Chiropractic & Wellness Center we use a multi-disciplinary approach to treating plantar fasciitis. We combine Active Release Techniques and Graston Technique to loosen up the muscle tightness and break up the scar tissue formed during the injury. We combine those technqiues with Kinesio-taping and custom orthotics if needed to provide the correct support for the plantar fascia allowing it to heal properly. Dr. Sullivan will also provide you with stretches and exercises to prevent the plantar fasciitis from further injury.
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