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Musculoskeletal Pain & Injury

PLANTAR FASCIITIS INJECTION BIRMINGHAM 

PLANTAR FASCIITIS INJECTION BIRMINGHAM

PLANTAR FASCIITIS TREATMENT UK

WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
 

Plantar fasciitis is a very common foot condition whereby pain is felt in the heel. The plantar fascia is a strong band of fibrous tissue which is found at the bottom of the foot, between the heel and the middle. Its purpose is to provide support for the arch of the foot and to enable partial shock absorption. The plantar fascia has the functional role of maintaining foot arch integrity and plays an important role in foot stability and biomechanics such as:

 

  • when un-weighted and the foot is at rest, the ankle joint is in neutral and the plantar fascia is shortened

  • when standing and the foot is weighted, the plantar fascia is stretched 

  • when walking or running, the foot strikes the ground and the arch of the foot flattens, stretching out the plantar fascia. It then rebounds, helping the foot push off the ground

 

Repetitive strain to this important band of tissue can cause inflammation and pain, which is usually located near where the tissue connects to the heel. Runners and athletes with plantar fasciitis may notice heel pain that gets progressively worse with activity. The majority of painful cases do get better in a short space of time. However, if prolonged and left untreated, the pain can often become worse or more frequent, interrupting daily activities.

 

Micro-tearing over time can lead to irritation and inflammation typically occurring near where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone. In some cases, the tissue causes traction on the bone, which can develop into a heel bone spur which can be extremely painful and difficult to treat. If this is not treated soon, chronic inflammation can develop which makes the fascia weaker and prone to larger tearing, ultimately affecting the whole foot mechanics.

 

CAUSES OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS

  • Excessive foot pronation. Normally, when the foot lands on the ground the arch somewhat drops (pronation). However, if one suffers from over-pronation this puts extra pressure on the inner foot, which can strain the plantar fascia.

  • Weak ankle stabilising muscles

  • Tight calf’s

  • Genetic predisposition

Treatment for heel pain Birmingham

PLANTAR FASCIITIS TREATMENT

 

Conservative treatment for plantar fasciitis

 

  • Stretching - plantar fasciitis is often associated with poor ankle mobility. Achilles tendon, calf muscles and foot under surface should be stretched to improve flexibility. This can improve the biomechanics of standing, walking, and jogging. For runners, using a shorter stride may reduce the stress on the plantar fascia even though there will be more steps per minute.

  • Rest - patients are advised to reduce activities that put stress on the feet like running or even standing for long periods

  • Appropriate footwear - more practical shoes with soft soles and arch supports will place less strain on the plantar fascia. 

  • Taping/acupuncture/dry needling -  has been shown to reduce pain, and many different taping techniques to support

  • Orthotics - corrective orthotics can provide support and put less strain on the plantar fascia

  • Weight loss - will reduce pressure on the plantar fascia tissue. 

  • Night splints - this prevents the plantar fascia from resting in a contracted position. 

  • Manipulation -  breaking down scar tissue and joint manipulations

Due to modern living, sometimes plantar fasciitis can turn into chronic pain. If this is the case then other modes of treatment are also available. Injection therapy for plantar fasciitis is also commonly used to treat stubborn conditions and can deliver good success. Injection therapies often involve steroid injections and/or platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections.

 

 

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PLANTAR FASCIITIS INJECTION TREATMENT

 

PLANTAR FASCIITIS INJECTION TREATMENT BIRMINGHAM

Cortisone injections (steroid injection)

Plantar fasciitis sufferers who have not responded well to conservative treatments may be advised to have a cortisone injection to reduce inflammation and pain. The factors to consider if one is thinking about having a steroid injection is that often (if successful) steroid injections for pain can be short-lived and may have an overall degenerative effect on the local tissue and protective fatty pads at bottom of the foot. Although they can be good for inflammation, cortisone injections can weaken the plantar fascia, putting it at an increased risk for rupture (tear).

 

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections

Growing in vast popularity, platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment is a natural treatment commonly used in sports medicine that uses platelets from the patient’s blood to promote and facilitate healing in damaged tissue. Increased data from evidence-based clinical studies are increasingly showing that platelet rich plasma injections are not only safe and effective for the treatment of plantar fasciitis, but also have improved benefits over cortisone, particularly for long term progress.

TREATMENT FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS BIRMINGHAM UK

For further information please contact us on 01564 330773 or alternatively email us at  clinic@dynamicregenmedicine.co.uk

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