The Trainer's Room: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis

At Mountain View Pain Center, when a patient first arrives with an acute injury of plantar fasciitis, we apply a therapy called Hi-volt to reduce pain and swelling to the area, and also wrap the foot with an ice pack during the therapy. The next step we take is to apply a taping method called Kinesio-tape across the bottom of the foot. This method we have found to be a integral part of our treatment program. As local doctors we have the opportunity to work with several sports teams and high school programs. When a player goes down from this injury we immediately apply the tape to the area not only for support to shorten the stretched and torn muscle, but to also pump out the edema and in turn decrease pain and increase plantar fasciitis recovery time.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment (Image courtesy of Mountain View Pain Center - Denver)

We instruct the patient to leave the tape on for two-three days to continue the support and reduction of edema while the patient is at home. This tape can get wet, so the patient can still shower or even apply topical ointment over the tape to help with some of the pain.

At Mountain View Pain Center, we have found that within a few weeks the patient will be out of pain and can begin the rehabilitation portion of the plantar fasciitis treatment. As we have stated before, the main cause of plantar fasciitis is from a muscle imbalance in the lower leg. Stretching is still important. However, remember not to stretch what is already stretched.

Part of the imbalance is usually a tight gastrocnemius, so we stretch the calf and Achilles tendon. If you stretch the calf only then the real problem still may not be addressed and a re-occurrence of the plantar fasciitis will occur. You must also address the muscle weakness to correct the problem. You can do this by performing simple toe raises while sitting at your desk at work or while watching TV. Toe raises are not the same as calf raises. This does not mean standing on your toes. You keep your heels on the ground and raise the balls of your feet and your toes off the ground.

If there is a heel spur seen on X-ray, then we can apply some ultrasound to the area to break up some of the calcification. For our athletes who continue to train during treatment for plantar fasciitis, or who have some chronic bouts of plantar fasciitis, we apply the tape to support the area during their events.

Many athletes opt for a quick pain relief and go for a corticosteroid shot in the bottom of the foot. You must be careful here as getting the shot will decrease pain temporarily, but it does not repair the torn tissue or fix the problem. The pain you are feeling is your body’s defense mechanism to protect you from further injuring yourself. If you cannot feel the pain and go out running then you risk damaging the area further. Research has shown that repeated corticosteroid shots actually weaken tendons, damage nerves, and decrease the bone density to the area, which is recipe for disaster.

Supplements as Part of Plantar Fasciitis Recovery and Treatment

• Inflammatone is a specific supplement that contains ginger, bosweilla, and other natural herbs that helps to decrease swelling and pain.
• Vitamin C has been shown to help improve the healing process and decrease scar tissue formation.
• Magnesium is another important supplement for plantar fasciitis as the magnesium helps absorb the calcium into the body and decrease the deposits into the heel(and elsewhere).

If you are interested in any of these supplements, please visit our website. Note: we are still updating the website, so the supplements may not be available immediately. If this is case, find our email address below or leave a comment and we’ll let you know how to get them.

This article contains the opinions and examples of treatment plans for plantar fasciitis from Mountain View Pain Center in Denver, CO, and is not intended as a substitute for specific medical advice from a doctor regarding your individual injury or condition. If you have any further questions or concerns feel free to contact our office or leave a comment below.

——————–

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?