What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is a pain in the heel and bottom of the foot usually worse with the first steps of the day.  

It is caused by the inflammation of the connective tissue which supports the arch of the foot. (plantar fascia) 

In adults the condition must be differentiated from conditions such as Gout.

What does it feel like?

It can feel like a dull ache in the front and towards the inside of the heel.

Some people describe it feeling like you are stepping on a small stone or marble.

A few quick tips to help yourself immediately are:

• Roll a tennis or lacross ball under your foot to massage tense tissues
• Chill a water bottle and roll it under your foot to calm down any inflammation
• Strengthen the muscles in your foot by picking up a pencil or ribbon with your toes 

However, it’s important to know that here are many different things which can cause heel pain. It’s really important to make sure you know exactly what is causing your heel to hurt before you start any form of treatment plan (mostly so you don’t waste time and money on things that won’t work!).

We highly recommend booking in for a Sports, Injury and Rehabilitation appointment with us at Therapy Station where we can carry out a full assessment, give you an accurate diagnosis and come up with a treatment plan to get you pain free and back to your usual activities as quickly as possible.

When you come to visit us some of the things we might suggest for your treatment plan might include: 

• Orthotics (insoles)
• Taping to support your foot
• Changing your footwear
• Modifying your activities to reduce stress on the sore tissues
• Laser therapy
• Exercises to strengthen the affected muscles

Find some exercises below that will help.

Read more on our blog