Foot Pain  – Plantar Fasciitis Treatment and or Heel Pain 

The Osteopathic Training includes treatments of the foot in a multi disciplinary health care team.  There are various approaches which we were taught to us osteopaths over the years.  In the Handbook of Osteopathic Technique by Laurie Hartman he discusses in his Chapter on Techniques of the Foot –  Some osteopaths neglect foot technique in patient care as they find the techniques difficult to master.

In reality any Foot Surgeon will explain with over 50 joints in the foot,much higher expectations of being able to walk run play sports and wear fashionable shoes means that conditions such as heel pain and plantar fasciitis

With Plantar Fasciitis , heel pain and Foot pain on the increase and as my NHS Podiatrist Colleague explained to me that for what ever reason plantar fasciitis is seems to be more resistant to the normal treatments  – orthotics , gait analysis stretching exercises. This is more likely because of high loading demands on hard surfaces which cause foot pain

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The start-up pain in the morning which can increase over the course of the day is typical for heel pain or planter fasciitis.

The normal loading and heel to toe movement of the foot is then very difficult. This can be due to the hyperextension of the toes in the Met ta-ta so far Lynn joints and the increased tension on the plantar fascia bridging the longitudinal arch of the foot in the case of an unsteady foot due to age (increasing from the age of 50) this passive process will increase all the foot deformities such as flat foot or hollow feet in particular

It is important to make certain you have comfy shoes and with increasing age often heel pain is more common therefore it is important often to use and purchase strong he TO take the impact and comfort the pain which can occur prominently in the heel

Comfy shoes are absolutely essential fitted well because if the foot is now becoming stiffer and more flat this results in micro tears, failed healing of the planter fasciitis with increased permanent loading and over strain on the ligaments this increases the week can tensile strength leading to continual failure to repair properly.

Shockwave therapy has a part to play in the whole process of reduction and healing of the planter fasciitis the diagnosis can be made using diagnostic ultrasound scan to determine the thickness of the fashion which should be around 4 mm

It is really important that you have good strong steady walking in good comfy safe shoes the use of orthotics is often encouraged here or the use of shoes fitted with orthotics

It may be that of orthotics and simple stretching is enough for your planter fasciitis to recover but there are now robust clinical trials which has proved that adding in radio shockwave treatment to the whole picture of treating therapy resistance planter fasciitis and where all normal conservative measures have failed but the planter fasciitis over 3 to 4 months because that is the time it takes the cells to heal will settle down

It is really important to emphasise that the use Heavy Duty Heel Cups inserted in comfy shoes can be a vital part of reducing pain and stimulating recovery of chronic non responsive plantar fasciitis

Helen How
Registered Osteopath

14 Craighall Gardens

Edinburgh EH6 4RJ

0131 551 1044

Text 07889304762