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We want to keep you moving!

Home » We want to keep you moving!
By Chris McCormick – Senior Podiatrist
Do your heel’s ache when you step out of bed in the morning? Does it take you minutes to ‘get going’ and warm up after any prolonged rest? Is this sounding familiar at all? It’s likely that you’re experiencing plantar fasciitis/fasciopathy.
It most commonly affects women (sorry ladies!) but it does affect men also, and occurs equally in highly active and non active populations. Typically it occurs after long periods of reduced activity that are followed by burst (weeks/months) of increased activity (running, jumping, walking).
People experiencing plantar fascia pain most commonly report the following:
  • Pain in the heel/arch of foot when standing after rest (sleep, desk work)
  • Aching sensation that can be sharp at times
  • Usually feels better with athletic footwear and worse barefoot
Our biomechanics (the way we move), exercise frequency, muscle tightness/stiffness, weight and age all play a part in why we get this pathology.
As we use our feet every day, early and active treatment is the best strategy to keep you on your feet. This includes:
  • Relative rest (yes, we want to keep you moving đŸ™‚ )
  • Offloading
  • Stretching
  • Targeted strengthening
  • Orthotics (not in every case)
  • Footwear changes
  • Soft tissue release
Our feet are amazing feats of engineering, comprising 26 bones, 33 joints and 33 muscles/tendons per foot! They’re very resilient but occasionally get injured and when they do, the best defence is a good offence. Seek early intervention to prevent long term pain and suffering. Your friendly Wellness Podiary team is here to keep you putting your best foot forward.