By Dr. Kyla Nelson, DC & Acupuncture Provider
Today we will continue on discussing running injuries with Plantar Fasciitis. This condition is a common cause of heel pain among runners and walkers.
The plantar fascia is a thick connective tissue that extends from your heel, over the sole of the foot, all the way to the toes. The main symptoms you will experience after developing plantar fasciitis include a sharp pain in the centre of the heel or foot arch, as well as worsening pain in the morning. Individuals with plantar fasciitis have also described the pain as a “ripping” or “tearing” sensation.
Common risk factors for plantar fasciitis include
- Sudden increase in training intensity or distance
- Poor footwear cushioning
- Overworn footwear
- Increase in hill or incline training
- Poor calf or achilles flexibility
- Change in training surface
Therapists will typically diagnose plantar fasciitis and begin treating with a variety of modalities. Some of the most popular and effective modalities that can be used include Shockwave and Graston (intensive soft tissue work) therapy. After the pain has been reduced there are self-myofascial exercises that can be performed at home, such as a running a frozen water bottle over the sole of the foot, as well as stretching and strengthening the calf musculature.
After approximately 3-5 treatments if there has been no improvement your therapist may refer you for radiographic imaging of your heel/foot to rule out other diagnoses such as a heel spur or calcaneal stress fracture.
Stay tuned for HLHC’s next blog post on running injuries –> Achilles Tendinitis!
If you have more questions about plantar fasciitis and conservative management please contact Holland Landing Health Centre at info@HLHC.ca or 905-853-7900.
References
1. Pelletier-Galarneau, Matthieu, et al. “Review of running injuries of the foot and ankle: clinical presentation and SPECT-CT imaging patterns.” American journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging 5.4 (2015): 305.
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