Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

At SSOR, our team of physical therapists sees lots of runners and lots of runners with plantar fasciitis.  Are you having pain in the morning those first few steps that feels like you’re walking on glass?  If so, this blog is for you.  Did you know that plantar fasciitis is the most common foot pain treated by healthcare providers?  According to the 2010 Runner’s World report, it was the most reported foot ailment in runners.   Our in-house running authority (and great sports PT) John Smith has some great insights for you.

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

• Sharp heel pain
• Heel pain with standing after prolonged sitting
• Heel pain is most noticeable first thing in the morning
• Heel pain is worse at beginning of workout / run then loosens up
• Pain gets worse with prolonged standing or at the end of day

Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis

• Sleep on your stomach with feet off end of bed or over large pillow
• Perform ankle circles with big toe pointed up 10x before getting out of bed
• Take first few steps in the morning with big toe up
• Sit with your foot pointed up under your chair during the work day
• Perform calf stretches with big toe pointed up
• Wear support sandals at home

Another often overlooked treatment for plantar fasciitis is hip muscle strengthening.  Your glutes are your “shocks’ and without good shocks, your plantar fascia takes a beating as your bodyweight crashes down to the ground.  Give us a call if you need some structured programming to help reduce pain from plantar fasciitis.  We’re confident our approach can help you get back on the road.  Even if you had physical therapy before with limited or no success, we believe we can help you.  We promise results quickly – you won’t be here for months doing treatments that don’t work.  We hope you’ll give our expert team an opportunity to help you.  Call for an appointment at (913) 904-1128.