Plantarfasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is irritation and overload of the plantar fascia — the thick band of tissue running along the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. It is one of the most common causes of heel pain, and the good news is it usually responds well to the right conservative care.

If those first steps out of bed in the morning send a sharp ache through your heel, you're not alone — and there's plenty we can do to help.

What is plantar fasciitis?

The plantar fascia supports your arch and absorbs load every time you stand, walk or run. When this tissue is overloaded or irritated, it can become painful, particularly where it attaches at the heel. While it's often called an "inflammatory" condition, it's increasingly understood as a degenerative overload issue of the fascia [1].

What are the common symptoms?

• Sharp or stabbing heel pain, especially with the first steps in the morning or after rest
• Pain along the arch of the foot
• Discomfort that eases with movement but worsens after long periods of standing or activity
• Tenderness when pressing on the inside of the heel

What causes plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is usually caused by more load going through the fascia than it can comfortably handle. Common contributing factors include:

• A sudden increase in walking, running or standing
• Biomechanical factors, such as how your foot moves through your gait
• Unsupportive or worn-out footwear
• Tight calf muscles, which increase tension through the fascia

How does Blueprint Podiatry assess and treat plantar fasciitis?

Our podiatry team takes the time to understand why your fascia is overloaded, rather than just treating the sore spot. Every one of our podiatrists holds a Bachelor of Podiatry, is trained in Foot Mobilisation Therapy and is a certified Level 1 Running Coach — so gait and loading are central to how we work.

Assessment may include objective muscle strength and range-of-motion testing using our VALD dynamometer, and force-platform gait analysis on our Zebris instrumented treadmill, which measures plantar pressure and load while you walk and run. This helps us pinpoint the factors driving your heel pain rather than guessing.

From there, your management plan is tailored to you and may include:

• A targeted loading and strengthening program for the fascia and calf
• Footwear guidance and activity modification
• Custom orthotics — 3D scanned while weightbearing and 3D printed in-house, with patient-matched left and right devices
• Foot mobilisation therapy
• Adjunct treatments available at the clinic, such as shockwave therapy and dry needling, where clinically appropriate

Conservative care like this is the recommended first-line approach for most people with plantar fasciitis [1].

When should you seek help?

If your heel pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks, is interfering with walking, work or sport, or keeps returning, it's worth getting it assessed early. The longer the fascia stays overloaded, the longer recovery can take.

Related services

• Customised Orthotics
• Running Biomechanical Assessment