The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that stretches from the heel to the toes to support the sole of the foot.
A variety of biomechanical abnormalities in the foot including those with “high arched” or “flat feet” can cause excess stress on the plantar fascia causing it to become inflamed. This is known as plantar fasciitis. Other biomechanical abnormalities such as a loss of ankle joint range of movement or a tight calf muscle can lead to plantar fasciitis. Inappropriate footwear such as foot wear with inadequate shock absorbency for those with a high arched foot or footwear with inadequate control for those with “flat feet” can be another contributing factor.
Symptoms of plantar fasciitis include pain under the heel and/or arch of the foot on weight bearing, which is often worse first thing in the morning. At IONA Physiotherapy, we will do a full biomechanical assessment to determine the cause of your plantar fasciitis.
Treatment may include manual therapy (e.g. if you have ankle joint restriction), massage (e.g. if your calf muscle is tight), taping, orthotics, exercises and advice on footwear.
If you are making an appointment about a foot problem it is helpful if you bring in your shoes and sports footwear along with you to your first appointment.
