Happy Physical Therapy month! As you all know during PT month, we spread the word about Physical therapy benefits. Therefore, in this post we will be talking about plantar fasciitis and learn how physical therapy can help to cure plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is a condition causing foot pain.  The thick band of connective tissue that supports the arch of your foot is called as plantar fascia. It connects the heel to the ball of the foot. This band can get inflamed due to repeated ankle motions or injury, or can get tore, causing pain. Pain can be felt in the heel, along the arch, or at the ball of the foot. Plantar fasciitis can affect people of all age group. Physical therapist helps to reduce plantar fasciitis pain and restore walking ability. Physical therapist are moment experts. They improve patient’s quality of life through patient education, hands-on treatment, and prescribed movement. Below you will find information how your physical therapist would deal with plantar fasciitis.

Behavioral awareness:

  1. Gait training:
    How you walk? Your Physical therapist would check the way you walk and would prescribe some ideas or cues to improve your walking style. This will help you to walk bio-mechanically correct. This will help to stop repeated unknown trauma to plantar fascia which will ultimately help to reduce the foot pain.
  2. Physical therapist can also prescribe shoe inserts or orthotics if needed, to make your gait pattern normal. They can also prescribe night splints to maintain correct ankle and toe positions while sleeping as needed.

Tissue Health:

  1. Foam roller exercises: Lower extremity foam rolling exercises will help to improve tissue mobility of the tight muscles & will ultimately help to improve blood flow to plantar fascia.
  2. Stretching exercises: Strap stretches. Toe stretching exercises.
  3. Yoga ball Foot massage.
  4. Application of Ice to decrease pain and inflammation.
  5. Ultrasound treatment over Plantar fascia as needed to reduce inflammation and pain.
  6. Tapping and Mobilization techniques to improve tissue flexibility and range of movement of the ankle joint.

Stability through strength

Strengthening lower extremity muscles:

  1. Heel raises.
  2. Toe curls.
  3. Ankle muscles strengthening exercises.
  4. Wobble board exercises.

Strengthening hip muscles:

  1. Around the world Hip strengthening exs.

Functional Mobility

Functional yoga program:
Half kneeling functional yoga program with Lunge.
Rebounding exs.
Recruitment of Transverse abdominis during functional activities e.g sit to stand, stand to sit activities.