PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Bondi Junction, Eastern suburbs Physiotherapy

Technically, plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is a thick sheet of connective tissue at the bottom of the foot. However, this diagnosis is frequently given to any number of conditions causing pain around the heel or at the foot sole. This pain is often concentrated near the heel and is often worse when getting up in the morning and at night.

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"The conventional view of plantar fasciitis is that it is caused by tightness in the foot as a result of overuse or sometimes due to tight calves."

Stretching of these muscles and some foot exercises were traditionally given as a treatment, but this is a very simplistic view. In reality, there are many causes of this condition. Tight calves or stiffness in the achilles tendon could be one of them, but many times the root cause can be a lot higher in the body. Successful treatment of plantar fasciitis must involve a comprehensive biomechanical analysis to determine which factors are contributing to the condition.

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COMMON PLANTAR FASCIITIS SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTS

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Many times, the reason for this issue is fascia tightness somewhere in the body. There are sheets of fascia (connective tissue) covering, running through, over, under, and around every muscle of the body. There are some sheets that connect various muscles together in series. These are sometimes known as myofascial lines or myofascial meridians. Through these lines, all muscles in the body are connected and a pull in one part of the body can affect other parts as well. One of these lines is intimately involved in plantar fasciitis. It is commonly known as the superficial back line. This line starts at the tips of your toes, runs under your feet, up your calves and hamstrings, up the pelvis and spine, over your neck and head and eventually stops at your eyebrows. Tension or imbalance of this line and its structures can all be transmitted to the bottom of the feet, right through the plantar fascia.

Many times, tightness of the lower back is contributing to your plantar fasciitis. Re-balancing and possibly releasing this superficial back line can often resolve plantar fasciitis.

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Various movement restrictions of the big toe or scar tissue at the bottom of the foot is also a common cause of plantar fasciitis. This is caused by excessive stresses being placed on these tissues.

Like most other musculoskeletal problems in the body, plantar fasciitis doesn’t have a single solution that works for everyone. However, using a comprehensive assessment of the body followed by specific soft-tissue release, movement assessment and re-education, some corrective exercises and sometimes orthotics, most cases can be permanently resolved in short order.

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If you experience pain at the foot sole, don’t endure the pain and definitely don’t let it build up until you have a bigger problem. Sometimes it can be helpful to get insoles by the help of a podiatrist.

DOES DRY NEEDLING HELP WITH PLANTAR FASCIITIS?

The short answer is, yes.

The long answer is, yes, but it depends what is causing your symptoms.

Many times, people are diagnosed with plantar fasciitis whenever there is some pain or tightness around the heel or at the bottom of the foot. This doesn't necessarily mean that you have plantar fasciitis.

Many times, there is tightness in one of the deeper muscles that bend the toes or is attaching in the foot. As a result, the tendon pulls on the bone and will either cause inflammation or just pain.

Releasing the stiffness in the muscles will result in less pressure in the tendon and thus reduce or eliminate your symptoms. Dry needling is an excellent method for releasing the increased tightness in those muscles.

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To learn more about dry needling, click here.

In the video bellow, Kenny from Physio K runs you through a stability exercise program for your ankle and your foot. These are particularly handy after you sprained (or rolled) your ankle or if you have ankle instability. You really should master these ones after an ankle sprain, otherwise you could have an instability for a long time. This exercise program will start off easy and will progress to more difficult exercises.

Please always check with your physio to know which exercises will be helpful for you. These videos are here as a guide and will contribute to your rehab, in addition to some specific manual treatment. Sometimes you'll need a different approach, so always contact your health practitioner to get the best recommendation for you.

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Watch a video on how to get better flexibility in your feet.

1. Standing on one foot

That's a very easy exercise. You can do that anytime: when you wait for traffic lights or when you're cooking, just stand on one foot. You can make it a little bit harder if you close your eyes. Doing that will eliminate a part of your balance system, so that will

be a little bit harder. Try to do that for a minute or longer, if possible.

2. Standing single leg with movement

Bending through your knee, up and down while standing on 1 leg is a very good progression from the first exercise. Next, moving the free leg in different directions can be used to challenge your balance system. Try to do this for a minute each time.

3. Lunges steps (forward and sideways)

Take big steps forward and then sideways: lunges. Keep your bodyweight on top of the front foot and try to keep your balance for 3 seconds before switching to the other leg. Try to do 10 repetitions each side, 3 sets.

4. Jumping lunges

Big jumps forward and sideways. This is very similar to the previous exercise, only now it requires jumps instead of steps. Start with jumping from 1 leg to the other, then switch to continuously jumping with the same leg. Try to make your foot and leg tired to improve your balance and your stability in your ankle.

These exercises are paramount to increase the stability of your foot and ankle. Really try to do them as much as you can, you should do them at least for a few weeks to a few months.

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