bone, joint, and muscle disorders
Plantar Fasciitis
Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis
Stretching, orthoses, and night splints To relieve the stress and pain on the fascia, the person can take shorter steps and avoid walking barefoot. Activities that involve foot impact, such as jogging, should be avoided. The person may need to lose weight. Stretching the Achilles tendon and foot often accelerates healing. Therefore, the most effective treatments for plantar fasciitis include using in-shoe heel cushioning and arch supports, doing Achilles tendon-stretching exercises, and wearing splints that stretch the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia while sleeping. Orthoses (devices placed in the shoe) can help to cushion, support, and elevate the heel. Other measures that may be needed include use of adhesive strapping or arch-supporting wraps, cold and ice massage, use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), and occasional corticosteroid injections into the heel. Corticosteroid injections are usually not given more than a few times because they can make the disorder worse by thinning the heel fat pad. If these measures are not helpful, a cast may be applied, and doctors may recommend physical therapy. If symptoms still continue, surgery may be needed to partially release pressure on the fascia and remove heel spurs if they seem to be contributing to the pain. In some cases, doctors may use extracorporeal pulse activation therapy (EPAT) to apply pressure waves of sound to the heel. The pressure waves stimulate blood circulation, which may help healing. 