So, you have heel pain and you have had a diagnosis of plantarfascitis. Firstly, congratulations on working out how to spell the condition. Secondly, well done on doing some more research into resolving your pain.
You will be happy to know that there are lots of treatments available which may help with resolving your pain. The current best evidence (2018) suggest the following;
- Reduce pressure on the heel by using cushioned shoes, heel lifts, off the shelf orthotics and avoiding bare foot walking.
- Stretch the calf muscle, achilles tendon and plantar fascia (see a physiotherapist, osteopath or podiatrist for more info.)
- Low level laser therapy 4-8 treatment sessions.
- Extra corporeal shockwave therapy – 4 weekly interventions.
- Consider taping and night splints
- Corticosteroid injection
Patients normally consult me in clinic following several previous failed interventions. Subsequently, I normally recommend shockwave therapy relatively early. A recent meta-analysis (review of lots of individual research studies) found shockwave therapy has favourable outcomes in patients with chronic heel pain. Ultimately heel pain and plantarfascitis are conditions causing a significant amount of discomfort for those unfortunate enough to suffer from them. Symptoms may be felt from a few weeks to several years. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan will aid in the resolution of your pain.
Freedom Care Clinics offer a free consultation with expert physiotherapists and osteopaths to help resolve heel pain in our Leeds, Manchester and London clinics.
