With local gyms forced to close, more and more people are getting their exercise/fitness by walking outdoors. This has resulted in an increase in complaints of both the heel and feet or more specifically, Plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis can be described as an increase in pulling/pressure of the tissue on the bottom of your feet where it attaches to the heel.
This leads to some tearing of the tissue and results in an inflammatory response.
Upon rising in the morning, the patient often reports sharp, intense pain after weight-bearing or after prolonged sitting and has great difficulty walking.
This condition is exacerbated by weight gain, prolonged standing, age, but in most cases, is the result of a change in the patient’s arch support due to non-supportive footwear (flip flops anyone?)
Treatment:
Biomechanical assessment of the feet to evaluate any muscle imbalances.
Electrotherapy, ultrasound and massage (Hello Cezar, Melody and Grace! 😊) are options to help with pain and muscle tension.
Directions on home stretching and the use of ice are given (put a bottle of water in the freezer. Once frozen, you can roll your foot on it at night while sitting outside enjoying the beautiful weather. If the heel pain does not resolve with the above protocol, than orthotics would tend to be the next option.