Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Sydney
Experience lasting pain relief from Plantar Fasciitis in Sydney with Pinnacle’s evidence-based approach to treating persistent arch pain. Our experienced team of podiatrists will uncover the underlying issue and unlock lasting relief through strengthening, physical therapy, stretching exercises, and (where required) custom foot orthotics.
SURRY HILLS CLINIC HOURS
| Monday – Friday | 9:00 – 6:00 |
| Saturday | 9:30 – 1:00 |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Sydney
Pinnacle Sports Podiatry Sydney provide leading treatment across all plantar fascia injuries and concerns.
The plantar fascia is a unique part of the foot that can be felt as a taut band within the arch of the foot (see pic). The plantar fascia functions as a dynamic support system of the arch of the foot during weight-bearing activities and has a role in improving walking and running economy via storage and release of elastic energy, much like the achilles tendon. The plantar fascia works synergistically with the muscles and ligaments within the arch of the foot, and together, it’s estimated that the foot can recycle around 17% of the energy required to power each stride.
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How common is plantar fasciitis?
Due to its important role in foot stability and energy storage, the plantar fascia is prone to overload and injury. It’s common enough that we offer plantar fasciitis treatment multiple times a day at Pinnacle Sports Podiatry.
How do I know if I have plantar fasciitis?
The strongest clue that someone might have plantar fasciitis is central to medial plantar heel pain (see pic) that is aggravated by weight bearing activities. Plantar fasciitis is characterised by sit to stand pain and pain and stiffness first thing in the morning. Adults most commonly have heel pain, whereas kids often have pain through the arch. It is also common to have multiple issues going on at the same time, such as muscle, nerve, or fat pad related pain in the same region around the plantar heel or arch of the foot.
WHAT DOES PLANTAR FASCIITIS TREATMENT AT PINNACLE SPORTS PODIATRY LOOK LIKE?
- It starts by having a chat! We want to find out your story; how long you have had it, how painful it is, and how it’s affecting your work, sport or lifestyle. After hearing your story, we will ask some questions to try to understand your condition better.
- Physical assessment: this is the part where we prod and poke to identify the most sensitive spots which will guide us in confirming a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis. We may also perform some other tests, like a slump test to rule out neural related plantar heel pain.
- Imaging: Occasionally we may refer you for ultrasound or MRI investigation. For example, if we suspect your heel pain is a stress fracture rather than plantar fasciitis, we might send you for an MRI. If we suspect there is a tear in your plantar fascia, we may recommend an ultrasound.
- Biomechanical assessment: we assess if there’s anything structurally or biomechanically relevant to your pain that might explain why it developed or hasn’t resolved.
- Identification of all relevant risk factors that may have factored into why you might have developed plantar fasciitis in the first place (or why heel pain is persisting). Things to look at include;
- Training load (i.e. too much too soon)
- Footwear (i.e. poor fit or function)
- Gait and running technique
- Increased or decreased mobility (i.e. are you too flexible or too stiff)
- Strength and motor control
- General health, medical conditions, or medications
- Diet and weight loss or gain.
- Hormonal changes (i.e. menopause)
- Psychological factors and beliefs
- Plantar fasciitis treatment plan: We don’t hand out a sheet with generic plantar fasciitis treatment regimes. What we provide is a tailored plan and treatment options relevant to you and your goals. The treatment plan ideally addresses pain in the short term, and addresses any of the contributing factors that may have led to it in the first place to improve long term outcomes. Some examples of Plantar Fasciitis treatment options include:
- Guidance around activity modification and when its ok to exercise through some foot pain or when to rest.
- Progressive rehab plans to reduce pain and develop better strength and resiliency
- Custom Foot orthotics designed specifically to de-load the plantar heel area and optimise individual biomechanics. We use either a full foam (EVA) custom orthotic, or a combination of semi-rigid materials (3D printed shell) and soft, accommodative top covers.
- Medical grade prefabricated orthotics are another good option for many suffering with plantar fasciitis. These can be modified in-clinic to optimise for individual foot function and shoe fit.
- We love to chat footwear at Pinnacle and will go over your current set-up and identify if what you’re currently using is optimal. Many times, supportive shoes can make a huge impact on plantar heel pain levels.
- Ice or heat? Stretch or strengthen? We will be able to guide your individual needs around which is best for you!
- Prolotherapy injections for chronic plantar fasciitis, and where standard care has failed to help.
For the most up-to-date and evidence based Plantar Fasciitis treatment options Sydney-wide, come and see us at Pinnacle Sports Podiatry.