How to diagnose and treat Plantar Fasciitis!
Plantar Fasciitis may not be something you have heard much of, yet it’s a very common condition that impacts around 1-2 people per 10. So around 10-20% of us !
This is a condition that causes the bottom of your heel to hurt, sometimes incredibly painfully. Today, we will be going over our methods on how to diagnose, treat, and understand the science behind this.
Fun fact! The name ‘Plantar Fasciitis’ is derived from the word ‘plantar fascia’, which is a broad ligament that basically supports your feet and helps you walk.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
The most obvious symptom is pain at the bottom of the heel.
This pain can impact everyone in different ways, though it is common for the condition to get worse in the morning and incredibly painful after rest.
A very notable thing to emphasize is that people usually only feel the pain after exercise, and not during it; this is a rather difficult symptom to determine, and also makes it easier to ‘overwork or damage’ your feet unknowingly.
If you ever think you may be developing Plantar Fasciitis, don’t hesitate to see a Podiatrist for a physical check-up. Diagnostic ultrasound and MRI scans can be undertaken by a specialist Podiatrist.
WHAT CAN CAUSE THIS CONDITION TO OCCUR?
Heel pain is usually multifactoral and arguably the most common one is that you’ve constantly overused the plantar fascia, or torn, your ligament causing it to become irritated and damaged.
Additionally, obesity or overweight people are more likely to start developing this condition as the plantar fascia takes more load and stress.
Strangely enough, you can also start suffering from this when you are too active ‒ mainly if you’re a runner due to overuse.
HOW CAN YOU TREAT THIS?
We’d strongly advise going to see a qualified podiatrist. Early treatment is always important to resolve symptoms quickly.
One major tip would just be to take it easy; doing regular stretching exercises while avoiding putting too much strain on your feet can already help a ton. Additionally, it might be worthwhile to invest in some arch supports or casts. Here is a little more information about orthoses below:
Clinic locations:
Appointments are available at all clinical sites *On-site diagnostic ultrasound is available at Earlsfield and Maidenhead clinical locations.
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Insurance and Fee’s:
We accept most major private medical insurance companies including BUPA, Vitality, WPA, Cigna, AVIVA and Simply Health. A full list of our consultation fee’s including self-pay can be found here: Insurance and Fee’s. Our Podiatry team are health care professional council registered, meaning they are required to maintain professional standards and continued professional development. As an organisation we have invested in the latest diagnostic technology in order to help our podiatry team, help you. We have onsite diagnostic ultrasound available at Maidenhead and Earlsfield clinics. Infra-red pressure analysis available at Maidenhead and Earlsfield clinics with treadmill examinations.