Make sure you pick up this week’s copy of the City News to see our latest ad and information about winter soft tissue injuries.
We have also attached the full article for you to have a read.
A real pain in the heel (plantar fasciitis)
The winter season is upon us once again! We are undertaking different levels of activities and maybe not warming up as well as we should due to the cold Canberra temperatures.
These factors are likely to increase the risk of soft tissue injuries. Soft tissue injuries can make it difficult and painful to participate or do well at the activities you want to do. There is nothing more frustrating than being injured and not able to have fun with your team mates or even go for a an afternoon walk due to pain and discomfort. Pain can make the simplest activity, such as doing the shopping or walking the dog much more difficult and frustrating!
Our team at The Walking Clinic deal with all types of lower limb injuries and a very common problem we see is plantar fasciitis or commonly known as heel spur or bruised heel. Plantar fasciitis affects more than 10% of the population at some point in their life. This common injury can occur at any time, however commonly occurs with increases in activity, such as walking or running, and is very common in high impact sports such as AFL or basketball, however this is not exclusive to sports people or runners. Our team commonly see plantar fasciitis due to walking on high impact surfaces like shopping malls or concrete work areas and can affect either gender or age group.
Plantar fasciitis occurs due to repetitive strain of a thick formation of connective tissue called the plantar fascia. It is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue originating from the heel and extending to the base of the toes, it is like an elastic band that supports the arch of the foot, As we walk or run our arch may compress, this can place significant pressure on the plantar fascia causing inflammation and pain. In more severe cases partial or complete tears can occur.
People most commonly experience pain of plantar fasciitis when pressure is applied to the heel of the foot (As this is where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone) however it can hurt through the arch of the foot as well. The most common complaint is pain when getting out of bed or pain when walking after rest.
For the early stage management of plantar fasciitis are similar to any soft tissue injury. Following the simple RICE and no HARM technique will help the injury prevent getting worse. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. No HARM indicates, No Heat, No Alcohol, No Running and No massage for the first 48 hours after first feeling the injury.
If the problem has not started to heal, The Walking Clinic team dedicate themselves to providing the best possible outcomes and will help you get back to 100% as quick as possible. Our 3 step program will get you back on the right track and best of all pain free as soon as possible!
For an appointment with our podiatrists call 6249-1758 for appointments in Lyneham or 6251-5149 for appointments in Belconnen.