Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition on the sole of the foot, at the inner edge of the heel, that appears under load. Symptoms of heel pain can start suddenly or develop gradually as a result of overload. In this condition, the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel becomes inflamed. The pain is often worst first thing in the morning, when you get out of bed and take your first steps.
Plantar fasciitis is often caused by long-term overload, which leads to chronic inflammation of the plantar fascia. The problem is especially common in people who have recently taken up running and whose leg muscles are not yet in good enough shape to cope with the load.
What helps heel pain?
Heel pain is often a long-lasting problem that can limit normal life and movement. The symptoms can be eased with osteopathic treatment of the calf, the muscles of the lower leg and the plantar fascia. Other ways to help are stretching, supportive insoles, taping and adjusting the load.
Smart rehabilitation of heel pain is active work that aims to strengthen the muscles needed for running and walking. Waiting passively at home is the slowest and worst option. So there is hope – get moving and get help.
A case from Jerry’s clinic
“At the beginning of February my left heel was sore again and I couldn’t walk. I was really desperate. My foot was treated in a completely different way from before. Exercise was not forbidden; I just had to learn to listen to myself and slowly start going for walks. Pain was allowed as long as it wasn’t too bad. At first this felt quite scary, because everyone else who had treated my foot had been in favour of rest and not using it. I was scared, but also excited to get going. We started with the right exercises and short walks.
Little by little my foot started to get better, and the small moments of joy gave me hope and faith that we were going in the right direction. I remember how I almost got a fright the first few times when my foot didn’t hurt and I had walked a few steps at home without shoes. I was so happy about them and believed that my foot could still heal.
As wonderful as the pain-free moments were, I was completely desperate when the pain and setbacks came. A cry for help and a calming call to Jerry brought back my faith and hope. There were plenty of ups and downs at the beginning. I learned not to panic when the pain appeared and to think about whether something different had happened that could have caused it. After a couple of days of taking it easy my foot coped better again and life went on.
This summer I have really enjoyed walking barefoot on the rocks by the sea and on sand. There’s a half marathon on the horizon, and I’m going to run it with a smile on my face!
Best wishes, Pia Uotinen”
You too can get your heel pain or plantar fasciitis under control with osteopathic treatment and the right exercises – book an appointment here.
Tips for heel pain
The text was written by a client of mine who had suffered from heel pain for a couple of years. It brings up a few points that apply to the rehabilitation of all long-lasting pain. Here are a few quotes from the text, each followed by my answer or explanation.
“Pain was allowed as long as it wasn’t too bad.” Pain is often frightening, and we start avoiding things that hurt when we do them. When you train, you can and may feel pain, and a good guide is how you feel the next day. The 48-hour rule: two days after doing the exercises, the pain must not be worse than before you did them.
“We started with the right exercises and short walks.” Instead of avoiding what causes pain, movement is medicine – doing things brings results. At first it is essential to find the right amount of exercise and to increase it step by step, raising the load gradually.
“Little by little my foot started to get better, and the small moments of joy gave me hope and faith that we were going in the right direction.” Instead of passive waiting, rehabilitating plantar fasciitis is an active process with no resting on your laurels.
“As wonderful as the pain-free moments were, I was completely desperate when the pain and setbacks came.” Setbacks are a normal part of rehabilitation and there is no need to be frightened by them, because they do not mean that the injury or problem is getting worse. Because of the pain, the muscles and their nerves have become sensitised to reacting to the strain caused by exercise. Setbacks give important information about the right pace for increasing the load.
“I learned not to panic when the pain appeared and to think about whether something different had happened that could have caused it.” Pressing the panic button doesn’t help. When a setback comes, it is good to check how the dosing of exercise has worked and to adjust it a little. On the other hand, it is good to be aware that long-lasting pain has many other causes too, from lack of sleep and recovery to increased stress or other unusual activity. My client, for example, had a setback after spending a weekend renovating and climbing a ladder dozens of times a day.
“This summer I have really enjoyed walking barefoot on the rocks by the sea and on sand. There’s a half marathon on the horizon, and I’m going to run it with a smile on my face!” Persistent work paid off, and the plantar fasciitis was beaten after all.
Troubled by heel pain? Book an appointment here. Osteopathy and exercises will help you towards a pain-free foot.
Thank you for reading my blog again 🙂
Jerry
osteopath, personal trainer
