All You Need to Know About Plantar Fasciitis
Find that excruciating pain in your heel when you first step off your bed in the morning or even getting up from your chair after sitting for long periods of time? Or even find it painful to even stand after standing for prolonged periods of time? You may have something called Plantar Fasciitis.
Many people often associate this condition with heel spurs and to some extend it is not wrong to associate this condition with it. But what exactly is Plantar Fasciitis (PF)? What are the symptoms and what kind of treatment you would require if you have Plantar Fasciitis?
What is Plantar Fasciitis (PF)?
Basically, plantar fascia is a fibrous and strong attachment that runs from the heel to the ball of your foot and toes. And when it gets inflamed, then you will get the term, Plantar Fasciitis. PF can happen from something that arose recently or something that has been there for a substantial amount of time and occurs in the older generation, we would possibly classify it as a chronic fibrotic degeneration.
This condition is common in young runners and middle aged-women, and the majority of the patients are usually over the age of 40. This usually affects individuals who have fallen arches and have poor biomechanics. This can be accessed through gait analysis. Other than that, individuals who are required to be on their feet the whole day are also at risk, for example, teachers, construction workers, nurses and distance runners.
Understanding your condition is crucial and what are the activities that requires a lot of heel strikes would be one of the triggers to Plantar Fasciitis. PF can be very frustrating and if left untreated, it would last several months.
Treatments
There are many options available to treat Plantar Fasciitis and here at TAGS, we offer Chiropractic services, rehabilitation services along with Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) and Dry needling. According to research, it has been shown that ESWT outperforms other treatments like Platelet rich plasma, corticosteroid injections and even dry needling. However, it has been shown that when incorporated with multiple techniques and mobilization and exercise, we are able to see the best treatment outcomes.
ESWT (Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy) aims to break up calcific deposits and stimulate fibroblast activity to encourage healing. Hence, we would recommend this as the gold standard for this condition. However, it is important to note that everyone’s condition is different and would take different time frame to heal as well.
Other than that, it is important to note on your own biomechanics. If you happen to have any fallen arches or high arch, it is important to get suitable shoes for your condition and not just any other shoes. Shoes are crucial as anything that happens to your foot would eventually cause a disruption to your lower back, upper back and thereafter your neck as well. Other than that, your therapists may recommend you to buy a pair of insoles to fit it into your shoes, as your foot strikes the ground multiple times a day and getting a proper pair of shoes with insoles would help you with your symptoms.
Hence, go on in and see your chiropractor or physical therapist or even a movement specialist to get your gait analyzed so that they are able to prescribe you the right footwear. Especially for runners.
A general rule of thumb for runners are to lay off running for a few weeks till the inflammation goes down and after that start off slow again. If you are at home and would like to find a temporary fix, is to get a bottle of water and freeze it. After that, roll that under your foot.
If all else fails with conservative treatments, your orthopedic specialists or your doctor may recommend you for a steroid injection to help you with your pain. What the injection does is to bring the inflammation down and to help you with the pain. However, rehabilitation is still very much recommended as the problem is still present. It is just that the pain is being masked by the steroid itself.
Treatment Cost
Cost of treatment for PF at TAGS starts from RM120/session (ala-carte). Of course, the treatment cost would have to be considered in the treatment plan – what treatment is being done, and how many sessions are needed. This depends on the severity of your condition.
How to get treatment for Plantar Fasciitis
To help with your plantar fasciitis, you may start by reaching out to us at:
Phone : +60 12-217 3788
Email : info@tonikasia.com
We understand that this condition can be debilitating and potentially cause you to not able to do what you love. Pain is so common but never normal. Come in and get checked! Our doors are open 7 days a week!
References
- https://www.jospt.org/doi/abs/10.2519/jospt.2004.34.11.725
- https://japmaonline.org/view/journals/apms/91/2/87507315-91-2-55.xml
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000399931400207X
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161475416000051
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcp.26907
