Plantar Fasciitis: Strengthen to Step Forward

The much maligned Plantar Fascia is a structure that runners will know very well. Every person knows someone who has had this condition. It affects around 10% of the population and predominantly hits between the ages of 40-60 years old.

If you scour the internet you will find exercises that include - stretching it, massage, ice cold water bottles and insoles. All of these are adjuncts. That being they have minimal research to suggest that you will find long term improvement, but they can help with pain short term.

So what should I do then?.....

Well, the only research paper we have to show a statistical improvement in pain and function is that of the Rathleff high load strength programme (2014).

Contrary to the online Fascia gurus, Fascia cannot be stretched or lengthed passively from massage, stretching or mobilisation. It is an adaptive tissue that responds to loads and stress in the same way as muscle. The more you use it the stronger it gets.

There is a but.....

There are some that strengthen, use all the adjuncts under the sun, and unfortunately still have pain. There is the re-assurance that this condition has a healing timeframe of between 3 - 18 months, so even if the other things don't work, time can be favourable to you.

It is important to have this condition assessed by a specialist because there are many other conditions that can masquerade as Plantar Fascitis: Tip post tendinopathy, Achilles tendinopathy, stress fractures, avulsion fractures and inflammatory arthropathies.

If you have a stubborn plantar fascia book in to see us below so we can guide you on if the diagnosis is correct and make sure you have a plan to get you back on track.

Bath Spine and MSK Physiotherapy