The conditions involves inflammation of the thick band of tissue which runs across the bottom of your foot from the base of the tones to the heel bone (calcaneum). The pain can spread across the whole sole of the foot but is most commonly located on the inside of the heel bone and provoked with palpation, stretching or standing and walking.
The pain associated with this condition is usually described as sharp or stabbing and is most noticeable with the first few steps after prolonged sitting or sleeping.
Like many conditions, Heel pain affects both athletes and non-athletes.
The onset of symptoms is commonly associated with a change in load (such as an increase in walking or running distances) though on occasion there may be a systemic reason It is best to consider the condition as on the continuum of tendinopathy.
Acute onsets of plantar fasciopathy usually result in a thickening of the plantar fascia close to its calcaneal insertion, this can be identified and measured on ultrasound imaging.
If the condition persists it can result in increasing inflammation, pain and micro
tears associated with pathological tissue.
Most people who present with heel pain will recover fully, although it can be slow and take several months.
The sooner you present with heel pain to get the correct advise the easier it is to reverse the symptoms. The longer you have had it the
more likely the pathological changes are to have developed and the treatment program
will take longer.
MANAGEMENT :
Accurate diagnosis and prognosis
Load and activity modification
Advice on medication
Appropriate therapeutic modalities and treatment interventions
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy
Footwear/insole modification
Bespoke exercise program to stretch and strengthen appropriate tissues to restore the load bearing
capabilities of the foot and ankle complex within a comprehensive lower body conditioning program
On occasion, injections or referral to a foot and ankle specialist may be required to progress recovery
We will guide you through all the relevant pathways depending on the diagnosis
