The Ultimate Guide to Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most stubborn causes of heel pain, and without the right treatment, it can make standing, walking, or running extremely painful. If you're already dealing with it, you understand how debilitating it can be. Unfortunately, plantar fasciitis is often misdiagnosed or poorly treated by busy clinicians who focus only on symptoms rather than the underlying causes. As a result, it can become a chronic issue, robbing you of activities you enjoy.

 

Why Most Plantar Fasciitis Treatments Often Fail

Many plantar fasciitis treatments fail because they don’t address all the causes of the pain. Doctors often rush and prescribe rest, anti-inflammatories, or steroid injections, which only address symptoms temporarily. But your heel pain isn’t caused by a lack of steroids, and treating inflammation alone doesn’t resolve the root cause. In fact, studies have shown that manual therapy and exercise can be just as effective as corticosteroid injections in the management of musculoskeletal pain (without as many potential side effects). What makes plantar fasciitis even trickier is that it can be caused by a variety of factors, from tight calves to stiff joints or weak foot muscles. No "cookie-cutter" approach will work for everyone. We've seen patients from all walks of life, from marathon runners to desk workers, suffer from plantar fasciitis, which can completely disrupt your life.

 

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

There are many potential causes, including:

Example of how the hip or knee can affect the foot

(Example of how the feet can be affected by the knees and hips)

Sometimes, even old injuries like ankle sprains can contribute to the problem. For example, decreased ankle mobility from an old injury can lead to tight calves, which then cause strain on the plantar fascia. Stretching alone may not fix the problem; the ankle mobility must also be addressed.

 

Can Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Help with Heel Spurs?

In some cases, plantar fasciitis pain can be caused by a "heel spur," which is a bony growth on the heel bone (calcaneus). This type of diagnosis requires an x-ray, and while manual therapy can't physically remove a heel spur, it’s important to note that other factors often contribute to the pain. Addressing these underlying issues (as we mentioned earlier) is still necessary for fully resolving heel pain, even if a heel spur is present. Even if surgery successfully removes the heel spur, the other root causes to your heel pain still need to be addressed (such as flat feet or weak hip rotational muscles for example). There are cases where hands-on manual therapy and changes in footwear may alleviate pain, despite the heel spur remaining. Interestingly, many people have heel spurs without experiencing any pain. However, if the spur is a key factor in your discomfort, surgery may be necessary if pain persists even after proper treatment.

 

The Best Plantar Fasciitis Exercises and Stretches

The video below offers stretches and exercises that can help ease your plantar fasciitis pain and improve your first steps in the morning. Please note, however, that a diagnosis and hands-on treatment from a certified healthcare provider are necessary to fully resolve most cases.

 

What Is the Best Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis in Atlanta, GA?

Every case of plantar fasciitis is different, which is why a thorough assessment is essential. At Final Form Chiropractic & Performance, we take the time to identify and address all the factors contributing to your heel pain during our complimentary initial consultations. We use manual therapy and corrective exercises in 1-on-1 sessions, focusing on personalized care rather than rushing from patient to patient. Our treatment approach includes hands-on manual therapy and teaching you exercises you can do on your own time, so you aren’t spending time and money in the clinic unnecessarily. We’re confident we can resolve at least 90% of plantar fasciitis cases without injections or surgery.

 

Don't Let Plantar Fasciitis Keep You from an Active Lifestyle

Our goal is to help active people in Atlanta quickly recover from injuries like plantar fasciitis so they can continue doing the things they love. If heel pain is limiting your activities, let us help you get back to the active lifestyle you deserve. Click here for a free consultation and see how we can help you acheive a pain-free lifestyle.

 

References:

  1. Babu. K, V., Michael Pereira, L., Kumar. N, S., & V.R, A. (2014). Effectiveness of Instrumental Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Technique With Static Stretching in Subjects With Plantar Fasciitis. International Journal of Physiotherapy, 1(3), 101–111. https://doi.org/10.15621/ijphy/2014/v1i3/53462
  2. Fraser, J. J., Corbett, R., Donner, C., & Hertel, J. (2017). Does manual therapy improve pain and function in patients with plantar fasciitis? A systematic review. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 26(2), 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2017.1322736
  3. Jones, E. R., Finley, M. A., & Fruth, S. J, et. al. (2019). Instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization for the management of chronic plantar heel pain: A pilot study. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 109(3), 193-198. https://doi.org/10.7547/16-105
  4. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. (2023). Heel Pain – Plantar Fasciitis: Revision 2023. https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2023.0303
  5. Karanasios, S., Baglatzis, G., Lignos, I., & Billis, E. (2023). Manual Therapy and Exercise Have Similar Outcomes to Corticosteroid Injections in the Management of Patients With Subacromial Pain Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cureus, 15. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.48907.
  6. Kowal, A., & Spozowski, K. (2022). Effectiveness of stretching exercises in conservative therapy of plantar fasciitis (PF). Journal of Education, Health and Sport, 12(9), 621–631. https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2022.12.09.075
Dr. Parker Andrews

Dr. Parker Andrews

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