Have you ever experienced heel pain or a pain in your foot when you take your first steps out of bed? This is a common symptom of a condition called Plantar Fasciitis.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
There’s a ligament at the bottom of your foot called the Plantar Fascia. It attaches at the heel and the front of the foot. If the ligament is irritated, it can cause heel pain or foot pain.
The plantar fascia usually becomes irritated due to some sort of repetitive strain. The strain might be caused by tight musculature in the hips or legs or by faulty body mechanics from the hip or even as high as the trunk.
Plantar Fasciitis symptoms include:
- –heel pain in the morning upon waking up.
- –constant pain in the foot, anywhere from the heel to the fore front of the foot
- –foot or heel pain after walking for extended periods of time
- –foot pain or heel pain after standing for extended periods of time
- –foot pain or heel pain after running for long distances.
Treating Plantar Fasciitis
Sometimes, plantar fasciitis symptoms are treatable with traditional home remedies, including:
- –wearing good foot orthotics
- –stretching your calves
- –rolling a ball underneath your foot
- –icing and resting your foot
However, since plantar fasciitis is usually caused by repetitive strain from misalignments, unless you get to the root of the problem, the symptoms will likely return. Plantar fasciitis can become a chronic issue if left untreated.
Physical Therapy and Plantar Fasciitis
When treating plantar fasciitis, it’s important to address the whole body alignment.
At Rebalance, we examine the musculature of the legs, hip, pelvis and trunk to determine how the muscles are functioning. This includes working on the soft tissue to relieve trigger points and fascia restrictions. From there, we work to stretch and strengthen the imbalanced muscles and get the whole body moving in a healthy way.
Are you experiencing plantar fasciitis symptoms? Click here to schedule a complimentary phone consultation to discuss your symptoms with one of our therapists.
