Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Overview

By Tim Wall MS, ATC

Plantar Fasciitis Overview

Plantar fasciitis is an irritation of the plantar fascia. This thick band of connective tissue travels across the bottom of the foot between the toes and the heel. It supports the foot’s natural arch. In addition, it stretches and becomes taut whenever the foot bears weight. This video will explain the anatomy of the Plantar Fascia.  This condition is very painful and popular in athletes and we people who walk and stand per long periods of time throughout the day.  Our goal of this article is to help you learn more about the condition and provide you some treatment options.

Anatomy of the foot

Anatomy of the foot

How is Plantar Fasciitis Diagnosed?

This condition is diagnosed with a detailed medical history and a description of the patient’s symptoms.  Your physician may x-ray your foot to make you do not have a boney abnormality such as a spur or hook on your calcaneus.  Your physician will palpate the bottom of your foot to locate your pain.  Sometimes they will order further diagnostic tests like an MRI.  They want to make sure that you don’t have a tear of the plantar fascia.  Our physicians at JOI want to make sure that you have a correct diagnosis so that we can get you back to the things you love.

 

Plantar Fasciitis Overview

Plantar fasciitis Treatments

At the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute, we have compiled an amazing list of articles and videos dedicated to the education and treatment of plantar fasciitis.  We also have several Foot and Ankle Board Certified and Fellowship Trained Orthopedic Surgeons to evaluate and set a treatment protocol for this condition.  Here are the articles that we have written to help you better understand the best course for treatment.

Prevention

How can you prevent PF and how do you make sure you don’t get it back if you already have it?  Both of these are excellent questions.  There are many ways to prevent this condition and these treatment programs can make sure you don’t get it again.  You must continue to stretch on a daily basis and take good care of your feet.  Make sure you wear the correct shoes that support the type of foot that you have.  Make sure that your shoes don’t get worn down.  When you buy shoes, purchase a couple of pairs of the same shoe and rotate them.

Orthotics or custom inserts can certainly help prevent PF and other foot conditions.  The cost of the orthotic is certainly worth the investment in your feet.

One of the most important prevention techniques is to listen to your body or your feet.  If the bottom of your foot is sore or you start to have pain, you need to rest and ice.  Resting can go a long way in making sure that you don’t develop PF.  Using the frozen plastic bottle for an ice massage is an excellent choice.

Ice Bottle Remedy for Heel Pain

Image of Home Ice remedy for Plantar Fasciitis

Preventing plantar fasciitis

Causes and Risk Factors

In order to start the treatment or healing process for this injury, you need to examine the cause or risk factors.  Here are a list of excellent articles which can help:

What could be causing your heel pain?

Foot pain in the morning.

Heel spurs or Bone spurs on the heel.

What are the causes and risk factors.

PF Pain and Ball of the Foot Pain.

Wall Stretch for Heel Pain

Image of Wall Stretch

Symptoms and Heel Pain

JOI has several detailed articles about the symptoms related to PF and heel pain.  The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is foot pain first thing in the morning.  That heel pain when you first wake up is due to the foot position when you sleep.  It causes the foot and the tendon tighten while you sleep.  That is why a night splint may be needed for you.  We have many treatment techniques which can stop the pain and inflammation and get you back on the road to recover.

Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms

What is a stone bruise of the foot?

Heel pain causes and treatment.

Restoring your happy feet.

If you want to schedule an appointment with an Orthopedic Foot Specialist, please call 904-JOI-2000 or schedule online by clicking the flier at the bottom of the page.

Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain

JOI and JOI Rehab have developed a comprehensive treatment program for Plantar Fasciitis.  The program includes an evaluation by a Foot and Ankle Orthopedic Specialist.  It is important to obtain a thorough evaluation which usually involves an x-ray of the foot.  Bone spurs can be a common cause of this PF.  Your physician will develop a treatment plan which may include:

Stretching, Night Splints, Injections, Modalities, Dry Needling, Formal Physical Therapy, Graston Technique, Dry Needling, Orthotics, Laser, Strengthening and a Return to Sport Program.

JOI Night Splint

Foot in a leg splint or Night Splint

Treatment Plans.

Best Treatment for a PF tear.

Home remedies for heel pain.

What are the best inserts for plantar fasciitis

Image of JOI Custom Orthotic Inserts

Best arch support for plantar fasciitis.

Orthotic Inserts by JOI Rehab.

PF Treatments

Plantar Fasciitis Home Remedies.

5 Tips from JOI Rehab

How to fix flat feet.

Picture of LightForce Medical Laser unit

Medical Laser can decrease pain and inflammation

 

Videos: Plantar Fasciitis by Dr. Turner Vosseller, Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Specialist.

Finally, to schedule an appointment for physical or custom orthotics, call 904-858-7045 or visit 13 area JOI Rehab Centers

In conclusion, at JOI and JOI Rehab, we can help you get back on the road to recovery for foot and heel pain.  Our team of physicians and therapists work together to eliminate your pain and get you back to the things that love.  We have so many conservative treatment options available to you if you have a pain in your foot.  There is no need to live with the pain associated with plantar fasciitis.  Give us a call or schedule online.

JOI Can Help With All of Your Foot Pain!

JOI Physicians and JOI Rehab can help you with all of your foot and ankle problems. To make an appointment, please call (904) JOI-2000 or schedule online.  You can now schedule follow up appointments and cancel appointments with our physicians on the JOI Portal.  JOI is Where the Pros Go!

Book An Appointment with a JOI Physician

JOI Foot and Ankle Specialist

By: Tim Wall, MS, ATC