Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that can cause both pain and discomfort. It will often eventually go away on its own but a chiropractor can help to speed up healing and ease your pain in the meantime, without the use of painkilling medication or other invasive treatments.
What is plantar fasciitis?
There is a bundle of tendons that connect your toes to your heel. They help to support the arch and enable your foot to move properly as you walk. When these tendons get inflamed or irritated, this can lead to pain at the bottom of your foot mainly around your heel and arch.
The pain from plantar fasciitis is usually worse after you have been resting for a while, so you may notice that your first few steps in the morning are painful. It tends to get better when you move around or exercise and then the pain will come back afterward. You may also have difficulty lifting your toes up off the floor.
Plantar fasciitis is more common in people who exercise on hard surfaces, have tight calves, are very overweight, or who wear shoes with very little arch support.
How a chiropractor can help with plantar fasciitis
A chiropractor can help to treat plantar fasciitis in a variety of ways, using techniques that can help support your body to heal itself. If you are dealing with the symptoms of plantar fasciitis, chiropractic care can help to alleviate your symptoms and get you back to normal functioning.
Stretches
A chiropractor can help with plantar fasciitis by giving you stretches and exercises that you can perform both at the chiropractor's office and at home. These will be specifically designed to target the muscles and tendons in your foot to reduce inflammation and tension and improve mobility.
Orthotics
A chiropractor can also help by providing custom orthotics to support the arch of your foot. These will be specifically tailored to your foot shape and size and when worn in your shoes, will allow you to move around normally while giving your arch the support it needs. This also gives your foot more of a chance to heal because it will be put under less stress and strain.
Chiropractic adjustments
Often, an injury in one part of your body can influence other parts of your body. You may find that your plantar fasciitis could be made worse by misalignments elsewhere in your body and, on the other side, that your plantar fasciitis is causing pain, mobility issues, and misalignments in other parts of your body. A chiropractic adjustment can help to correct these misalignments and help to support your body and your feet as you heal.
A chiropractor can treat plantar fasciitis using a number of different techniques that will reduce your pain and improve your mobility. These can include adjustments, stretches and exercises, and custom orthotics. Although your chiropractor may also suggest other treatments that could help your specific situation. These treatments will help to speed up your healing and improve your quality of life in the meantime.