Arch and Heel Pain (Plantar Fascitis)

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728 Burloak Dr., Burlington, Ontario
(Just south of the QEW)

Arch and Heel Pain (Plantar Fascitis)

Do you have heel arch pain for the first 20-30 steps you take in the morning?

After a long day at work, when you sit down for 15-20 minutes, are you in excruciating pain when you stand up?

The most common cause of arch and heel pain is plantar fascitis. Plantar fascitis is an overpull of the plantar fascia (muscle on the bottom of the foot). Many people with plantar fascitis have a heel spur on the bottom of their heel, but heel spurs do not cause pain.

Causes of heel/arch pain:

The most common cause of heel/arch pain are a tight calf muscle complex. As we all know, the calf muscle attaches to the top of the heel via the Achilles tendon. Well, when the calf muscles are tight, decreased flexibility during the walking cycle results in strain on the bottom of the foot. Typically the strain on the plantar fascia leads to the development of micro tears along the plantar fascia. These tears trigger the inflammation response whenever we are non-weight bearing. For example when we spend 8 hours sleeping or when we sit down for 20 minutes after work. This inflammation accumulates in the foot, and is forced out very quickly when one stands up. This is the reason for the pain. The cycle of pain looks like this.

Stopping the cycle of pain

The first step in stopping this cycle of pain is figuring out the cause of your pain. This can vary from a tight calf muscle complex to having altered alignment at the foot level and your foot compensating during the walking cycle to accommodate your feet. A visit to the Foot & Health Clinic can determine the cause of your pain and help to alleviate your symptoms at the source. Your first visit will include a thorough biomechanical assessment, a footwear assessment and a treatment plan outlining the options available to you to help decrease your pain. Common treatment modalities include ice massage, stretches, custom made foot orthotics and footwear advice.

For more information on treating plantar fascitis, read our newsletter on Heel Pain.