• Do you have heel pain?
  • Do you get sharp pain upon the first few steps you take in the morning after getting out of bed?
  • Do you notice your pain is worse upon walking after periods of rest or sitting at your desk?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you may be experiencing plantar fasciitis. This is the one of the most common foot complaints we are currently seeing at our clinic!

What is it?

The plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue on the sole of the foot that spans from the heel to the toes. It’s role is to support the arch of the foot, and is important in the mechanics of walking. Pain develops when the plantar fascia becomes irritated and inflamed, and may also show weakness and thickening in medical imaging.

Why did I get it?

This condition is most commonly seen in those who are runners, have poor foot mechanics (eg, ’flat’ feet), poor choice of footwear or an occupation that involves prolonged standing. All of these factors place increased stress and loading through the plantar fascia. Middle aged and pregnant women are also frequently effected due to hormonal changes which can alter our tissues.      

What can I do about it?

If you think you may have plantar fasciitis, here is a few quick tips to try at home!

  • Roll a frozen water bottle under the sole of the foot
  • Foam rolling through your calf, hamstring and gluteal muscles
  • Temporarily de-load your current running regime
  • Change footwear, and regularly replace your runners

Who can help me if it’s still sore?

We understand plantar fasciitis can be a real nuisance. I, myself have suffered this condition so I understand your pain (literally!) all too well! If what you’re currently trying at home isn’t helping, please speak to one of our osteopaths at Pakenham Osteopathy.   We can give you advice on your footwear and running regimes. We can also provide you with strengthening and loading exercises to speed up healing, taping techniques to offload the plantar fascia, and all of our practitioners are trained to use radial shockwave therapy – a therapy that involves a state of the art piece of equipment shockwave machine. 

Shockwave is used to treat Olympic athletes and AFL players.  It involves the transmission of sound waves pulsing through a hand held applicator on to the affected tissue.  To learn more about shockwave, please click here.

Should you have any questions about plantar fasciitis, please feel free to email me at rebecca@pakenhamosteopathy.com.au or call the clinic on 5941-4157