Plantar Fasciitis (Plantar Heel Pain)
This leaflet provides information, answers and self-help strategies regarding your plantar fasciitis.
What is Plantar Fasciitis? The Plantar fascia is a thick ligament-like structure that supports the bottom of your foot. This can become irritated for several reasons and lead to plantar fasciitis. This is a condition which causes pain under your heel and possibly the sole of the foot. It can affect one or both feet at the same or varying times. The condition is common, affecting between 4-7% of the population at some point in their lifetime. It can be slow to improve, but over 70% of people experience improvement with conservative treatment alone.
What are the symptoms? Common complaints of plantar fasciitis are pain on the underside of your heel or arch on the first few steps in the morning or when standing after a period of sitting, which gradually eases after a short period of walking. Prolonged walking may also cause your heel pain to worsen.
What are the causes? An increase in activities such as walking, running or standing. Being overweight or a recent increase in bodyweight. Prolonged standing and time spent on feet. Ankle tightness, especially upward movement (dorsiflexion).
What are the treatment options? You can treat plantar fasciitis yourself with some simple exercises and self-management techniques, to reduce the load going through the heel. You may notice that it takes a few weeks to notice any improvements in your heel pain, but this is normal. The most important thing is to be patient and remain consistent with the self-help in this leaflet.
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