Plantar Fascitis is one of the most common forms of heel pain. Usually the first sign of it is when you step out of bed in the morning or after prolonged sitting only to experience a sharp heel pain. If you are suffering from plantar fascitis you understand how much this condition can get in the way of all the things you love to do. Walking, standing and running can all become extremely painful until you finally start to avoid these activities because you can no longer take the pain.
I have seen this injury make some of the best runners no longer able to go for their favourite run or walk along the Toronto waterfront because the pain gets so severe. Without the right treatment many people give up on their activities and end up gaining weight which further adds to the problem.
As you will read in this article PlantarFascitis can be caused by many different factors. These factors can easily be missed by a busy health care professional running from patient to patient. For this reason this tendonitis has a high chance of becoming chronic if not addressed properly.
I have seen patients in clinical practice in Toronto that have suffered from plantar fasciitis heel pain for year…not able to enjoy a walk along the Toronto Waterfront. This is because in the past they were not given a full treatment plan to address all the causes of their heel pain. Sometimes patients are simply prescribed an orthotic and nothing else. This is always frustrating to me because this is not going to address all of the causes of plantar fasciitis.
Unfortunately, a persistent chronic case of plantar fasciitis rarely goes away on its own and it will usually get worse if you don’t get the right treatment or try to push right through the pain when walking, running or working out. So if you are having heel pain the goal of this article is to give you the knowledge to make the right decision about treatment and get you back to the active lifestyle in Toronto that you deserve.
This article will aim to:
- Give you the understanding of why plantar fasciitis aka plantar fasciopathy can be so difficult to resolve’
- Give you info so that you can receive the right treatment and you don’t have to suffer from plantar fascitis for years.
- Provide you with some self treatment techniques so that you can start easing your heel pain
Why Plantar Fascitis Treatment Often Fails To Eliminate Your Heel Pain
I believe that many Plantar Fasciopathy (plantar fascitis) cases do not heal because not all factors causing the condition are identified and addressed. This is because many health care professionals are forced to run from patient to patient and do not have the time to fully identify all the factors causing the heel pain.
Depending on who provides your treatment many approaches are aimed at the symptoms rather than addressing the underlying causes. For example many physicians will tell you to take antiinflammatories. Even worse, some physicians will offer a cortisone injection which has been shown to increase the likelihood of rupture to the plantar fascia. Many people who do receive a cortisone injection will often find themselves with temporary relief and will find that in a few months the pain returns. This is because the underlying problems were not addressed.
Another reason that treatment approaches are often unsuccessful is because many clinicians try to throw a cookie cutter approach to treatment. Without looking at all the possible underlying causes.
Every case is different and plantar fasciitis tends to effect a wide variety of people. From marathoners, to sedentary desk workers a variety of population end up in my care for plantar fasciitis heel pain.
When you do suffer from plantar fascitis heel pain you probably know that it can completely impact your lifestyle. You may dread the first step out of bed in the morning. Please know that it can be treated with the right approach I assure you…
“Came to Shawn with an injured foot that had been bothering me for years, he gave me the tools to get better and I’m happy to say I’m now on the road to recovery!”
-Charlotte D.
Click here to read more success stories and patient experiences from our Toronto manual therapy based service Shawn Williams Physiotherapy
What Causes Plantar Fascitis?
As discussed above the only way to completely resolve plantar fascitis is to address all of the factors which could be leading to your condition. I have listed some examples of factors which can contribute to plantar fasciitis.
Stiff ankle
Tight calves
Weak foot muscles
Stiff joints in the foot
Tight hamstrings
Poor training routine
Weak glutes
Weak muscles in the lower leg
Poor foot control
Tight muscles in the hip
These are only a few of possible contributing factors of plantar fasciitis.
Just because you have a common cause of plantar fasciitis doesn’t mean that you will develop the condition. Just as you could have more than one of these factors above and it may not be a major contributing factor to developing plantar fasciitis.
Often many factors of plantar fasciitis are interlinked. Sometimes an old injury such as an ankle sprain or knee sprain could be an underlying cause of plantar fascia irritation. For example an old ankle sprain could lead to tight calves which now restrict the ankle joint when you walk or run causing increased force through the plantar fascia. Or you may have never regained proper foot strength from a previous ankle sprain which will also put more force through plantar fascia pre-disposing you to plantar fasciitis.
Want to find out which of these things listed above might be causing your plantar fascitis? If you are in the Toronto area contact us for a FREE 20 minute in-person consultation with a heel pain expert physiotherapist.
What If I Have Tried Orthotics And Noticed No Benefit?
Orthotics are only one possible treatment option for plantar fascitis and often do not get to the route of the problem. They are not the best permanent fix for your plantar fascitis because they do not correct the factors that are leading to the heel pain.
For example if you just simply try using an orthotic you are not correcting things like tight calves, stiff ankle, weak foot or many of the other factors which could be contributing to your plantar fascia pain.
We have seen many people with heel pain spend hundreds of dollars on orthotics only to find out that they still have heel pain months later.
We have seen pain completely resolve with hands on manual therapy and an individualized exercise program even in people who have been trying orthotics for over a year.
These patients can then remove their orthotics and then continue with the active life they desire.
So What Is The Best Treatment For Plantar Fascitis In Toronto, Ontario?
I have written everything above to illustrate that every case of plantar fascitis can be different and therefore takes an expert clinician to identify all of the potential causes. Missing one part of the puzzle could lead to failure of treatment attempts from fully resolving your heel pain and the limitations it places on your life.
At Shawn Williams Physiotherapy in Toronto we will aim to identify all the factors causing your heel pain and get you started on an individualized treatment plan. If you are in Toronto you can request a FREE in person consultation with an expert hands on physiotherapist from Shawn Williams Physiotherapy.
A physiotherapist who is an expert in hands on manual therapy will have several potential treatment techniques and strategies. However, not all physiotherapy treatment approaches are created equal. So there are a few things you need to look for in a practitioner when seeking physiotherapy for heel pain:
1)They are trained in and use hands on manual therapy treatment techniques as part of their treatment plans. In Canada the physiotherapists which are CAMPT certified physiotherapists are Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapy (FCAMPT) have completed internationally recognized qualifications in hand on therapy.
2)They see very few patients per hour so that they have the time to correctly identify all of the factors contributing to your heel pain.
3) They are attentive to your exercise program and progress your exercises as the heel pain condition improves.
If your health care provider is not using some form of manual therapy you are most likely not getting everything you need to get rid of your condition. And if they are rushing from one patient to the next seeing multiple patients per hour it is impossible to give the highest level of care. With how stubborn plantar fasciitis can be you need high quality care and full one on one attention.
Shawn Williams Physiotherapy offers full one hour sessions of physiotherapy so that you receive the highest level of care. Shawn is an FCAMPT physiotherapist and is equipped with the highest level manual therapy skills. This will allow for all factors to be identified that are causing your heel pain, so that every aspect of your plantar fasciitis is treated and we get you back to the activities you love to do as quickly as possible.
What Are The Best Exercises And Stretches For Plantar Fascitis?
Below are two common stretches for Plantar Fascitis that we will often give in our clinical practice. Again, these stretches are not going to fix all, end all plantar fasciitis cases.
Lunging Calf Stretch: Step forward with your unaffected leg in a mini-lunge; bending your front leg forward, and keeping your back leg straight and your heel on the ground. You can lean forward and place your hands on a wall in front of you for balance if necessary. You can progress this exercise by increasing the distance between your feet to increase the stretch.
Passive Foot and Toe Stretch: Sitting upright with your leg crossed so that your affected foot is resting on your opposite knee, relax your foot. Use your hand to pull your foot and toes up towards your shin. You can massage the bottom of your foot and heel while holding the stretch
Don’t Let Plantar Fascitis Keep You From Living An Active Lifestyle In Toronto.
As our home page states: “We are a physiotherapy service in Toronto that helps busy working professionals who are suffering from pain or injury to quickly return to running, exercise, sports and an active lifestyle.”
If plantar fasciitis or any type of heel pain or foot pain is getting in the way of you being your active self, let us help you rid of your plantar fasciitis or heel pain and get back to the active life you desire. Call or text us at 416-660-4187 or request a FREE 20 minute in person physiotherapy consultation here.
