Your feet do some serious heavy lifting every day. They carry the weight of your entire body and anything else you choose to carry on top of it. And that’s just a part of what they do. The soles of your feet support a lot of your daily activities. This is why, it is not uncommon to experience pain and discomfort along the arch of your feet and around your heels.
While there are a lot of reasons for foot pain, Plantar fasciopathy, previously known as plantar fasciitis, is one of the most common causes of that discomfort or pain you feel along your foot soles.
Plantar fasciopathy can be uncomfortable to live with. But fortunately, managing the discomfort and pain that come with it is easy.
One quick Google search will show you how many different methods there are to manage Plantar fasciopathy. Do they all work well, though? Knowing this is important to make sure you don’t end up wasting time on ineffective treatment methods.
What Is Plantar fasciopathy?
Plantar fascia is a band of tissue that connects the heels of your foot to the base of the toes. Plantar fasciopathy occurs when overuse or excessive stress causes degenerative irritation in this tissue and leads it to lose its elasticity. This irritation and loss of elasticity in turn leads to discomfort and foot pain.
Image source: https://pivotalmotion.physio/the-real-cause-of-plantar-fasciopathy/
The majority of the people who experience Plantar fasciopathy are active adults aged between 25 to 65 years [1]. However, the issue is common among more sedentary people as well.
Plantar fasciopathy can also occur after someone has gained significant weight. Many pregnant women often experience discomfort due to this exact reason.
The good thing is that Plantar fasciopathy can be treated. But before you can get to that, you need to identify whether you have it or not.
Symptoms of Plantar Fasciopathy
Plantar fasciopathy symptoms start at a low intensity and develop over time. Recognizing these symptoms early can ensure that you get the right treatment sooner and get better treatment results
Pain in the heels and throughout the sole of your feet is one of the most obvious signs of Plantar fasciopathy. The pain may be more severe when you take the first few steps in the morning. It may gradually subside after a while.
Climbing stairs may become particularly painful if you have Plantar fasciopathy. Besides that, the affected area may feel more tender when you touch it.
If any of these sound familiar, you may want to consult with a medical practitioner to get started with a treatment protocol.
How to Manage Plantar Fasciopathy ?
Effective management of plantar fasciopathy involves load management and certain treatment methods that either help strengthen the underlying tissue and/or reduce the tension within it.
Load Management
One of the most efficient treatment methods for Plantar fasciopathy are based on load management principle. Plantar heel pain or plantar fasciopathy is thought to occur when the load that you put on the plantar fascia exceeds its bearing capacity.
Therefore, monitor your heel pain. If it worsens after certain physical activities, you may want to scale back on them. Once your symptoms improve, gradually increase your activity levels to progressively load the plantar fascia and improve its load-bearing capacity. Once you enhance its capacity , you will feel relief from pain and discomfort.
Strength Training
Strength training can be highly effective for managing plantar fasciopathy. You can find exercises that can offer short-term relief from pain and discomfort. What’s better is that there are certain strength training exercises that can offer long-term relief from plantar fasciopathy and increase your tolerance to activities like standing, walking, and running.
Progressive loading exercises like heel raises are often recommended for managing plantar fasciopathy. These exercises can offer long-term relief and improve foot function.
Stretching
Stretching is another traditional recommendation for managing Plantar fasciopathy symptoms.
Many people have reduced ankle dorsiflexion (shown below).
Image source: 919spine.com
This often contributes to an increased risk of developing Plantar fasciopathy.
Plantar fascia stretching can be one of the treatments to relieve plantar fasciopathy symptoms.
To perform a plantar fascia stretch, place the affected foot on the opposite leg. Pull the toes of the affected foot back towards the shin. Hold this position for 10 seconds and release. Repeat up to 10 times.
I also want to take a moment to quickly address a common misconception. Foot rolling and massaging are often touted as remedies for plantar fasciopathy. However, they don’t alter plantar fascia. This means that, while doing these remedies may offer quick relief, they cannot help you manage plantar fasciopathy effectively.
Therefore, these methods should not replace strength training and stretches for managing plantar fasciopathy.
Changing Footwear
Footwear and orthotics can have a huge positive impact on plantar fasciopathy. Switching your footwear with more comfortable shoes and using orthotics can offer relief from plantar fascia pain and discomfort.
Maximalist shoes and orthotics work by reducing the load on the plantar fascia. However, make sure to always use shoes that you feel are comfortable. And remember, shoes and orthotics work to relieve plantar fascia pain, but they should not be used as remedies to replace exercise.
Corticosteroid Injections – A Method NOT Recommended
Plantar fasciopathy symptoms usually get better with the traditional, non-medicated methods. But Corticosteroid injections or CSIs are prescribed for patients who continue to experience pain and discomfort, even after all the other methods.
CSIs come with their own risk. The risk of plantar fasciopathy rupture is one of the major concerns with these injections.
Therefore, CSIs are not recommended as first-line treatment for plantar fasciopathy. Please consider sticking to strength training and stretching as primary methods for managing plantar fasciopathy.
Takeaway
Plantar fasciopathy can be uncomfortable. But fortunately, it can be treated with non-invasive treatments. 70% to 80% [2] of patients with plantar fasciopathy report an improvement within 9 to 12 months of treatment.
You can experience an improvement in plantar fasciopathy symptoms by performing tailored strength training and stretching exercises regularly. Changing footwear and using orthotics may also offer relief from pain and discomfort.
However, foot rolling, massaging, and icing may not have any significant impact on improving plantar fasciopathy symptoms. So, avoid relying on them as primary treatment methods. Try staying consistent with exercising instead to see an improvement in symptoms.
References
[1] Plantar fasciopathy: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment. Harvard Health.
[2] Plantar Fascia. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).