Plantar Fasciitis

The thin ligament that connects your heel to your toes, the plantar fascia, can become quite painful if it is irritated. Our patients at Harrisburg Joint & Muscle often come in with telltale signs of an injury to this ligament, also known as plantar fasciitis. These signs include pain in the heel, arch of the foot and sometimes top of the foot. Plantar fasciitis commonly occurs with repetitive activity injuries such as walking/running long distances or standing all day for work. When repetitive activity injuries occur the plantar fascia becomes tight with adhesions and trigger points causing the aching and sharp pain commonly at the heel. What adhesions are is regions of scar tissue that do not allow for the foot to stretch properly and cause stiffness. A common sign of plantar fasciitis is pain in the bottom of the foot in the morning during the first few steps of the day.  While it is common in runners, warehouse workers and pregnant women, the condition can impact anyone at any time. 

Treating Plantar Fasciitis

We have several modalities to treat plantar fasciitis in office:

Graston/IASTM therapy: This is a technique that uses a metal tool to break up adhesions and trigger points in your plantar fascia. By using this tool it will break down scar tissue accumulation and allow for the structures to properly heal. 

Myofascial tissue work: By stretching the muscles in the foot, calf and toes we are able to make sure the whole system is working properly. This is especially important if it is a long standing problem as the calf and low back will compensate for imbalanced walking and can lead to low back pain and leg pain.

Therapeutic ultrasound: This is used to improve circulation and decrease inflammation in the plantar fascia. 

Ankle and foot adjustments: This increases the movement in the ankle and foot joints and helps during active activities to improve walking, running and standing. 

The plantar fascia is a ligament and as a ligament they not have as good of a blood supply as muscles do. This means that the healing time for plantar fasciitis is generally longer than a muscle injury. By using  these modalities the healing time shortens as we are bringing more blood flow to the region.

Additional Relief

Fortunately, many of our patients in Lemoyne can find relief from plantar fasciitis with chiropractic treatments and being prescribed at home  stretches and exercises.  If you are unsure which stretches might provide relief for your foot pain, our chiropractors can provide suggestions and show you how to perform these exercises without causing additional pain or injuries. The following are some of the treatments you can do at home:

Towel stretch: Roll up a towel and grab it from either end. Place the towel against the arch of your foot and pull it toward your body to stretch your foot.

Tennis ball: Place a tennis ball on the floor and roll the arch of your foot over it.

Calf stretch: Face a wall with your hands planted firmly against it. Keep one foot flat on the floor close to the wall. Step back with the other foot, then lean forward to stretch your back calf.

Toe pull: Pull each of your toes backward toward you with your fingers

You may also want to consider replacing your shoes with more supportive ones and wearing shoes all of the time if you're struggling with plantar fasciitis pain. 

Get Foot Pain Relief in Lemoyne, PA

If you are suffering from plantar fasciitis or other aches and pains, call our chiropractors at Harrisburg Joint & Muscle today at 717-999-4347 to schedule an appointment.