You may have done your research and diagnosed yourself with plantar fasciitis, plantar fasciopathy, or plantar heel pain. But is it something else altogether? If indeed you do have plantar fasciitis, here we will discuss some features of the conditions, and some things that may help you manage this often quite debilitating injury.

Fasciitis vs. Fasciopathy vs. Plantar Heel Pain vs. Tears

Coming under many different names, depending on who you speak you, or what website you use, plantar fasciitis can seemingly come out of the blue, with no perceived specific mechanism of injury. The ‘itis’ at the end of the term would suggest that this injury is inflammation, which like other inflammatory issues would be managed using natural anti-inflammatories like ice, or in some people’s cases, some medication. A more appropriate term however for this condition would likely be plantar fasciopathy. This is a more general term, which can describe an abnormality with the plantar fascia, which may include inflammation, but may also describe other issues such as tears, age-related changes, or overload injuries.

What is the plantar fascia?

The plantar fascia, like other fascial tissues in the body that you may be familiar with, such as the iliotibial band (ITB), is a thick connective tissue that plays a supportive role in the body. The plantar fascia is located on the bottom of your foot (plantar aspect), and plays a significant role in supporting the arch, beginning at the heel, and connecting to all 5 toes. The role of the plantar fascia is very important in taking some of our bodyweight when we walk, run, jump, and do other activities. The benefit of this support, is that all of our ligaments and muscles in our foot don’t have to do as much work as they would if we didn’t have a plantar fascia.

What does plantar fasciopathy feel like?

The onset of symptoms, the age and activity level of the patient, and the mechanism of injury can be very important not only in diagnosis, but how it is treated and managed. In some people, injury to the plantar fascia may be very acute, and the patient can pin point the time of injury such as during a jump or landing. For other people, the onset is much more gradual, being in the background for quite a while until one day you realise that everyday tasks such as walking or going up on your toes is too painful to ignore. Some people may experience swelling in the area, some neurological symptoms like pins and needles around the bottom of the foot, or just very localised pain. The most common symptom is pain first thing in the morning, often lasting for at least a minute or two. This can be a constant feature, where the start of movement after a period of rest is painful, or when doing an activity for a prolonged period.

What can I do to help with the pain as quickly as possible?

If you Google ‘plantar fascia’, you will get a million and one ads for special shoes, socks, braces, steps, creams, gels, and all sorts. They all promise to solve the problem for good. Although some of these adjuncts may have short term relief, reliance on them may actually make the problem worse. Some cost effective adjuncts that show good short term results in the research include icing, stretching of the big toe into extension (imagine pulling your big toe up towards your shin), and some taping techniques. It is important however, to note that these pain relief techniques should be used with active rehabilitation to mitigate the risk of this occurring in the future, and get you back to the activities that you love, rather than just being pain-free sat down.

Why would I benefit from physio?

If the onset of injury is acute, then it is important to be assessed by a healthcare professional to rule out significant injury that may require imaging, or onward referral. in the case of neurological symptoms such as pins and needles or numbness, it is important to rule out that this is a spinal or nerve issue, as ignoring these symptoms for long periods of time can make them very difficult to manage. Plantar fasciopathies can stop people doing the activities you love. Physiotherapy can expedite the recovery process, while also assessing why this injury may have happened in the first place, and you can mitigate the risk of future injury.

If you are currently experiencing plantar fasciopathy and you would like a a plan to get back to all of your activities pain-free, book an assessment with one of our physios.