What Are The Causes of Plantar Fasciitis?

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 physiotherapy help?

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 coupled with 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.