Essentially, plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the muscles and connective tissue on the bottom of the feet due to trauma or excessive stress which causes pain & discomfort. May linked to bone spurs or a stand alone issue in the tissues.

Common Reasons Why?

  • overuse, especially those who work on their feet

  • poor biomechanics

  • tightness in the lower leg

  • improper or too tight footwear

  • weight gain, including pregnancy

  • hormonal changes

  • can be related to bone spur irritations

What is it?

Plantar = refers to the bottoms, soles of the feet

Fasci = refers to the fascial connective tissue system commonly affected

- itis = originating from Ancient Greece meaning inflammation

Treatment Options

In addition to therapeutic massage, we highly suggest Shockwave therapy which can be administered by members of our massage therapy team as well as our Chiropractor. Plantar Fasciitis can be quite stubborn to remedy, but depending on a variety of factors, it can also respond quickly to treatment.

To decrease foot pain & improve mobility your RMT or Chiropractor may use a variety of muscle release techniques, joint play, passive & assisted stretching as well as water therapy. Targeted treatment need only consist of a 20-40 minute time frame, 1-3 times a week for 2-6 weeks for a cumulative benefit & long term relief.

Many of our patients will ask us about the practice of Reflexology & its benefits for foot care. Reflexology is a practice that uses points on the feet, hands &/or ears to ‘reflexively’ treat the body as a whole. It has roots more based in Chinese Medicine versus massage therapy or chiropractic care. While it may relieve a variety of symptoms, we do not recommend it as an initial form of treatment for foot pain that is soft tissue or mechanical in nature.

Homecare Advice

If your job requires you to be on your feet for long hours, be sure to wear supportive footwear. If your required to stand in one spot for long durations than be sure to have an extra mat for comfort and perform ankle drills, lower leg stretches to offset tension as it accumulates. Often a static stance is harder on our lower body than walking around. The muscles that require us to stand still on our feet versus walking are a bit different so whenever you can, relieve pressure with walking as well as sitting down to rest. At the end of the long day, you may benefit from the simple, restorative, yoga-inspired practice of putting your legs & feet up the wall while comfortably lying on your back.

For more homecare ideas visit our bone spur page or book an appointment with our RMT or Chiropractic team.