PLANTAR FASCIITIS
WHAT IS IT?
Plantar fasciitis is pain in the bottom of the foot, usually worst first thing in the morning or after long periods of sitting. It's often described as inflammation of the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue running along the arch of your foot, but the full picture is more complicated than that. Weakness in the intrinsic foot muscles is often a major contributing factor. When those muscles can't do their job, the fascia takes on more load than it should. It's also disproportionately common in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, though research is still catching up on exactly why.
common symptoms and signs
pain in the bottom of the heel or arch
sharp pain with your first steps in the morning
pain that eases after walking around but returns after rest
aching after long periods of standing or walking
pain that gets worse at the end of an active day
tenderness when pressing on the bottom of the heel
tightness in the arch of the foot
Who is a good fit?
you're someone who wants to understand what's going on in your body and actually do something about it. We work best with people who are ready to be an active part of their recovery, not just lie on a table and hope for the best.
why does this happen?
Plantar fasciitis shows up in runners, hikers, teachers, healthcare workers, and really anyone on their feet a lot. It's also common in people who have recently increased their activity level or changed their footwear.
One of the most undertalked populations is perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Estrogen plays a role in how our tissues handle load and recover, and as those levels shift, the foot becomes more vulnerable. If you've never had foot problems in your life and suddenly developed this in your 40s or 50s, that's not a coincidence.
Weak intrinsic foot muscles are another common thread. Most people have never trained their feet and don't realize how much that matters until something starts hurting.
how we treat it
We start with a movement exam to figure out where the weakness and load issues are coming from. From there we use cupping, IASTM, and dry needling to address the tissue tightness and get the foot moving better. Then we progressively load the intrinsic foot muscles so they can actually do their job and take pressure off the fascia.
Ready to get back to moving?
Book an appointment and we'll figure out what's going on and how to fix it.