Plantar Faciitis

Plantar fasciitis is the most common musculoskeletal problem occurring in the foot, affecting millions of people every year. The plantar fascia is a long ligament that supports the arch of the foot, so plantar fasciitis is an inflammation or strain of this ligament. The primary causes of plantar fasciitis are anything that increases the strain on that ligament, such as being overweight, poor foot biomechanics, tight calf muscles and overuse. The classic symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain under the heel that is worse when arising from rest, especially getting out of bed in the morning. The primary treatment for plantar fasciitis is the use of foot orthotic to reduce the load going through the plantar fascia and calf muscle stretching. Many other treatment methods can be used for plantar fasciitis, but it is important that the load be reduced in the injured tissues. All these other methods such as shockwave therapy and dry needling help the tissues to heal in plantar fasciitis, but do not reduce the load in the tissues.