Foot Pain and the Plantar Fascia

Foot Pain and the Plantar Fascia

Plantar fasciitis is a term often used to describe heel or arch pain – but what is it really? In today’s post, we’ll cover some anatomy of the foot, dive into how the plantar fascia can be involved in heel and/or arch pain, and finally some typical treatments if the source of pain is indeed plantar fasciitis.

To start, we can break down the term “plantar fascia” into its two parts: “plantar” referring to the bottom of our foot, and “fascia” referring to a band of fibrous tissue in the body. Therefore, the plantar fascia is a fibrous bundle of tissue that connects our heel bone to the underside of our toes. In doing so, it contributes to the overall structure and support within our arch responsible for handling and dispersing the load that we place on our feet with every step. Together with the muscles and ligaments of the foot and ankle, as well as the bony configuration of our midfoot, our arch takes on its characteristic tented appearance, able to flatten and heighten as we step, jump, and land.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Plantar_fasciitis#/media/File:Arch_tendonitis.jpg

So how is the plantar fascia so often the source of our foot pain? As mentioned, there are lots of tissues and structures in the foot that contribute to the overall shape and support system of our arch. Notably, there are many smaller intrinsic muscles in our feet that help actively maintain our arch height and contribute to absorbing load and propelling us forward. If there is insufficient strength and/or endurance to handle this load over the course of the day, we can subsequently overly rely on these other structures (like the plantar fascia!) to support these demands. Over time if the plantar fascia is required to do too much of the heavy lifting, it can become irritated and often quite painful.

If you’ve received a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis after a thorough assessment of your foot and ankle, fear not! There are multiple treatment approaches that your physiotherapist, doctor, or other health care practitioner may recommend. These will focus on relieving the irritated tissue and offloading the stress placed on it, as well as concurrently strengthening the muscles around it to help keep your foot strong, fit, and pain-free long-term. Treatments to relieve the plantar fascia irritation may range from footwear modifications or an arch tape job, to modalities such as ice or shockwave therapy. Exercises for long-term improvement will likely include both arch and calf strengthening as well as arch and calf stretching.

If you’ve been experiencing heel and/or arch pain recently, it’s important to speak with your physiotherapist or doctor to determine the source of the pain and implement a treatment plan that works for you. Our team of physiotherapists, kinesiologists, and massage therapists at Physio Collective can work closely with you on your goals to get back to the activities you love!