Health & Wellness Magazine HealthQuest Fall 2020 | Page 15

PLANTAR FASCIITIS
PLANTAR FASCIITIS:
SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTS
BY: JENNIFER FILLIER, C. PED TECH (C), C. PED CPL
Jennifer is a Certified Pedorthist and Canadian Certified Pedorthic Technician
who serves both our St. John’s and Grand Falls-Windsor locations.
DO YOU suffer from heel pain? Are your
first few steps in the morning painful? If
you sit for a meal, do you have pain upon
standing?
It could be plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis
is an inflammation of the ligament that
runs along the bottom of the foot. The
plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone
and fans out towards the base of the
toes. When inflamed, it can cause pain
anywhere along the bottom of the foot but
is most predominantly found at the heel
or along the arch. Many things can cause
this condition including occupations that
cause you to stand for long periods of time,
leg length discrepancies, obesity, having
flat feet or very high arches, poorly fitting
footwear, abnormal foot mechanics, and
overuse, just to name a few.
So what can be done to help alleviate this
discomfort and get you back on your feet?
There are several treatment options. First,
you want to make sure you are not walking
on bare feet. It is important to always
have the right support for your feet. Some
people find wearing orthopedic sandals,
such as Birkenstocks, helps greatly when
they are home or during the summer as
they provide great arch and anatomical
support for your feet. For plantar fasciitis
that is in the acute stage and not yet
chronic, over-the-counter arch supports
can help.
However, if the condition has become
chronic, or the over-the-counter arch
supports are not working, a pair of
custom-made orthotics can be made and
will give better results. When you visit one
of our pedorthists for custom orthotics,
they will do a three-dimensional mould
of your feet as well as a biomechanical
and gait exam. Custom orthotics come
in a variety of styles, from very thin to
very thick. The pedorthist will discuss
the options with you and will determine
which best suits your needs.
Proper-fitting footwear is also very
important. As part of your visit to
HealthQuest, we will measure and
examine your feet, and based on your
symptoms and our findings, we can
recommend footwear that is the best
treatment option. There are also exercises
that can be performed to treat the
condition that can be found online. And
many people find rolling a frozen water
bottle along the arch of the foot helps
bring down inflammation.
If you feel you may be suffering
from plantar fasciitis, have a visit
with your doctor to confirm,
and then come see us
at HealthQuest. Visit
healthquestnl.ca or
call 754-5944
to book an
appointment.
We can
help!
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