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Plantar Fasciitis / Foot Pain
If you're experiencing pain on the bottom of your foot/feet, in your heel or arch, you may be suffering from something called plantar fasciitis (PF for short). The muscles on the bottom of your feet are covered by a tough, protective layer called the plantar fascia. PF occurs when this fibrous covering becomes irritated and inflamed. PF is a type of overuse injury, so it's usually related to plenty of time spent on your feet. It's more common in runners, athletes, and people who spend significant amounts of time on their feet. But it can affect just about anyone.
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Plantar fasciitis is a condition that comes on slowly over a period of months or years. And by the time you feel foot pain, the condition has likely been developing for some time. If left untreated, that pain can become chronic and force you stop activity. By this point, rest may not even help. Active soft tissues therapies can help greatly for PF. Active Release and Graston therapy are particularly helpful for PF, and can have you feeling better quickly.
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If you're suffering from plantar fasciitis, Dr. McGahey can help. Schedule an appointment today and get back on your feet without pain.
What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?
The plantar fascia is a tough, fibrous tissue that works much like an arch support inside the bottom of your foot. And it usually does a pretty good job with it. But when your arch is placed under prolonged stress, the plantar fascia can become injured. Or feet aren't designed for being on hard, flat surfaces. So the stress and injury from PF can occur from something as simple as standing on a hard floor all day, or something as strenuous as training for a marathon.
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Regardless of the cause of plantar fasciitis, the body's response is the same. Pain, inflammation, and the laying down of scar tissue in the plantar fascia. If the injury cycle is allowed to continue without proper treatment, that pain can become chronic, and eventually make being on your feet too painful to enjoy. If you take part in activities that involve running, jumping, or quick stops/starts, you could be more susceptible for PF. If you have flat feet or high arches, that can also contribute to PF, and can be partially addressed by orthotics or a shoe change.
Symptoms Of Plantar Fasciitis
The most common symptoms of plantar fasciitis is pain. It may be isolated to your heel, but may occur anywhere along the length of your arch. Standing and walking may increase that pain, and often the first few steps after getting out of bed in the morning can be a challenge. The same goes for getting up after prolonged sitting. Once you're up and moving, your feet may start to feel better, but the pain usually comes back.
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Plantar fasciitis may start out as mild bouts of foot pain, that get better with rest. That makes it easy to ignore in the early going. But plantar fasciitis may worsen if left untreated. As it worsens, your feet may feel fatigued, and even feel like they're burning. The pain may spread to your ankles, shins or calf muscles. You may also start to experience numbness or tingling in your feet. The sooner you take action with PF, the higher your chances of a successful treatment outcome.
Effective Treatment Of Plantar Fasciitis
If you want to have success treating plantar fasciitis, you must address the underlying injury. And that’s why splints, bracing, tape, creams and rest don’t work. As soon as you start activity again, it’s just a matter of time before your injury flares up. For long-term relief you need to break up scar tissue and reduce stiffness in the plantar fascia. A combination of Active Release and Graston therapy can do just that, by breaking up scar tissue in the plantar fascia and muscles of the feet.
This can help reduce stiffness, pain and inflammation. Chiropractic care can help by reducing stiffness in the joins of your feet and ankles, a common problem with chronic foot conditions like plantar fasciitis. Most people start to feel relief after just a few visits, although relief really depends on how long the condition has been present.
Don’t let plantar fasciitis take the fun out of being on your feet. Dr. McGahey has been helping people with plantar fasciitis for years, and chances are he can help you too. No referral is necessary. Just call or click to schedule an appointment with Dr. McGahey and start the healing process.