Plantar Fasciitis (commonly referred to as plantar heel pain or plantar fasciopathy) is the most common overuse issue affecting the foot. It presents as pain on the heel and throughout the sole of the foot. It is typically more painful with initial steps in the morning and weight bearing after a period of rest. It is more common in sedentary individuals but can account for 8% of all running related injuries.

A variety of interventions are used in the management of Plantar Fasciitis (PF). Everything from foam rolling the plantar fascia, to buying orthoses, to losing weight are all advertised as solutions to the problem. A recent systematic review caused some controversy on social media, given that progressive strengthening was not recommended as part of the core management for PF due to the absence of high quality trials. Instead, stretching, foot taping and educational interventions were recommended as the core approach as well as load management, footwear and addressing related conditions such as BMI.

The purpose of this blog is to clear up some confusion, and outline 5 methods to manage PF.

1) Strength training

Strengthening the plantar fascia and calves is the answer for PF. The common narrative is that the load is exceeding the plantar fascia’s capacity to cope, and results in pain.Therefore, increasing their capacity to tolerate more load will reduce the pain over time. Strength training may have become popular in the treatment of PF due to the benefits of heavy slow resistance strength training in tendinopathies and the similarity in symptom presentation.

2) Stretching

Stretching has traditionally been recommended as a treatment strategy for PF. This may be due to the reduced ankle dorsiflexion that is common in this population.

3) Orthoses/Insoles

Foot orthoses in the management of PF generates much debate. A podiatrist might tell you they are essential, while a physiotherapist might not even consider them.

4) Footwear

Changing footwear is an easy method to modify symptoms for individuals with PF. However, there is currently no evidence to suggest what the optimal shoe design is to help reduce PF symptoms.

5) Injection

Corticosteroid injection (CSI) has been used to treat PF despite there being an increased risk of plantar fascia rupture

Written by Luke Murray

Courtsey: https://www.physio-network.com/blog/methods-manage-plantar-fasciopathy/