Plantar Fascitis
Posted in Physiotherapy on Nov 4, 2019.
Plantar Fasciitis
What is Plantar Fascitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a common condition of the foot and heel affecting both athletes and members of the general public. The plantar fascia is a fibrous band of tissue that attaches to the base of the heel and supports the muscles and arch on the base of the foot. When the plantar fascia becomes chronically irritated, it is referred to as plantar fasciitis.
What are the symptoms of Plantar Fascitis?
Plantar fasciitis is characterised by pain at the base of the heel. The pain is usually noticed upon waking when people take their first steps of the day. The pain usually settles down after walking around, yet may reappear after sitting for a while and getting up again. The pain can usually be reproduced when the inside of the heel is pressed, and the calf muscles might be noticeably less flexible. Plantar fasciitis can usually be diagnosed with a physical assessment by a physiotherapist. Left untreated, plantar fasciitis can lead to chronic heel pain, which can have a significant impact on quality of life, interfering with day to day activities.
What are the causes of Plantar Fascitis?
The plantar fascia supports the arches in the foot during weight-bearing and acts as a shock absorber. Small tears can appear in the fascia when it is exposed to excess tension and stress over time. While the exact cause is unknown, there are several risk factors that can increase the risk of this condition developing. These include obesity, excessive foot pronation, inadequate shoe support, prolonged standing and excessive running. It has previously been thought that plantar fasciitis is linked to or caused by heel spurs. However, this has been shown to be untrue, and many people have heel spurs without any symptoms.
How can Shelbourne Physiotherapy help you with Plantar Fascitis?
The goal of physiotherapy is to reduce symptoms and support the fascia to reduce and repair any tissue damage. This is done through short term pain reduction strategies such as ice application, rest, activity modification and gentle stretches. To help reduce the tension on the fascia, lower leg strengthening and balance exercises will be implemented along with orthotics, night splinting and in some cases, corticosteroid injections. A night splint can be helpful in keeping the calf muscles lengthened as they often rest in a shortened position overnight. Other treatment options include extracorporeal shockwave therapy and endoscopic plantar release. However, these interventions will also be combined with manual physiotherapy treatment for best results. Patients who are not responding to physiotherapy and other conservative management are candidates for surgical release of the plantar fascia.
None of the medical information in this blog is a replacement for proper medical advice. Always see a Shelbourne Physiotherapy medical professional for advice on your individual injury.
Shelbourne Physiotherapy, Pilates & Massage is a locally owned health company with 3 locations in beautiful Victoria & Saanich, British Columbia. Our clinics offer Physiotherapy, IMS (Intramuscular Stimulation) & Dry Needling, Kinesiology, Exercise Rehabilitation, Massage Therapy, Sports Rehabilitation, Post-Operative Rehabilitation, Vestibular, Dizziness & Balance Rehabilitation, Women's health (peri-partum and incontinence), Acupuncture, Hydrotherapy, Scoliosis Treatment, Clinical Osteofit Classes, Osteoporosis Treatment, Aquatherapy, Pool Therapy, Real Time Ultrasound, Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Treatment, Electrical Modalities, Pelvic Floor Physio, Pelvic Pain Physiotherapy, Incontinence Treatment, Thoracic Ring Approach Physiotherapy Treatment, Sports Physiotherapy, Chronic Pain Treatment, Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), Aquatic Therapy, Yoga, Yogalates, Saanich Physiotherapy, Polestar Pilates, Stott Pilates, Clinical Pilates, Scoliosis Treatment and Custom Knee Bracing, Physiocanhelp.ca.
Our clinics are approved providers for WorksafeBC (WCB) Physiotherapy and ICBC Physiotherapy, Kinesiology & Rehabilitation. We are proud members of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA), the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Therapy(CAMPT), Sport Physiotherapy Canada, SportmedBC, British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists (BCAK), Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), Vestibular Disorders Association, ISST International Schroth 3D Scoliosis Therapy, International Society for Medical Shockwave Treatment (ISMST), Think Local Victoria, Canadian Federation of Independent Business(CFIB), the Orthopaedic Division of the CPA and the Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia (PABC) We have a clinic located in the Gordon Head Recreation Centre in Saanich
Shelbourne Physiotherapy staff provide clinical instruction at our Victoria Clinic for students in the UBC Faculty of Medicine. We are an accredited facility for UBC Dept. of Physical Therapy Student Practicums.
Our 3 Victoria Physiotherapy clinics are modern and provide a relaxed healing atmosphere with private rooms available. Many Physiotherapy clinics in Victoria work out of a single room or a basement that does not offer the equipment, resources or space to help you recover properly. Our convenient locations make our clinics easy to access from all the neighbourhoods of Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt and Oak Bay such as Dockside Physiotherapy Green, Fairfield, James Bay, Oaklands, Fernwood, Harris Green, Jubilee, Hillside Quadra, Gonzales, Rockland, Gordon Head, Cadboro Bay, Uplands, Downtown Victoria, Cordova Bay, Arbutus, Camosun College Lansdowne Campus and the Songhees. We offer appointment times ranging from 7:00AM to 7:00PM for your convenience.Our Multidisciplinary Health Clinic is located right across the street from the Hillside Shopping Centre. we share a building with the Shelbourne Medical Centre which has a walk in clinic and many great General Practitioners.
We are a friendly, local Victoria & Saanich owned and community based health company designed to meet your individual needs. Our mission is to provide Physiotherapy and related services to the communities of Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Victoria West and Esquimalt and help keep these residents active and healthy. We strive to creatively and professionally maximize client functioning and promote life-long wellness.
Our experienced and dedicated Health Care Professionals include Victoria & Saanich Physiotherapists Penny Salmas, Jennifer Kolot, Mark Gottfried, Nicole Gill, Jenna Peters, Brad Curry, Andrew Mills, Meena Sran, Phil Lawrence, Jessica Shave, Kim Lobb, Kathy Murdoch, Laura Werner, Rosie Chamberlin, Ruan Le Roux, Nina Bai, Seung Bai, Eimear Brogan, Faralay Vander Schilden, Kira Crover, Sarah Hubbs, Mary-Anne Levson, Alex Thompson , Ignacio Parodi, Victoria Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist Miriam Haistein, Hilary Beck, Ignacio Parodi and Blair Braz. Our experienced Victoria BC Kinesiologists include Kira Crover, Heidi Nottelman, Larry Muir, Radek Wiechecki, Lindsey Tabish and Emma watt. Our experienced Victoria & Saanich BC Registered Massage Therapists include Taryn Krizan, Selena Curvelo, Jennifer Koebernick, Kathy Pantalon, T'airah Bowker RMT, Molly Scott, Jessica Bundy RMT and Rebekah Neubert. Our Certified Victoria Pilates and Yoga Instructors include Danielle O'Reilly, Stephanie Cadman, Sharon McAuley, Sarah Hubbs, Laura Werner, Helen Mason, Chris Csak, Alex Thompson, Regina Flueck
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