plantar fasciitis

RE: plantar fasciitis

I treated a young old chap (73) with this not long after doing my sports massage course. He came to me with pain when his heel struck the ground. Whilst not being a sporty sort he would think nothing of a 3-5 mile walk several times a week and this was cramping his style!
I massaged both feet prone and supine - found the tendon tight and a heel spur on the bad foot and also found the tendon tight in his good foot. (Over aggressive frictioning of the heel spur can lead to further calcification, so I was especially cautious of that :eek:) - I kneaded, warmed, stretched the tendon itself in both feet - initially I could do this with his feet in a relaxed plantarflexion as it was obvious to feel in this position and working on the tendon stretched was too uncomfortable. Eventually I would dorsiflex his foot to stretch the tendon whilst I worked on it. I did some kneading, gentle softening work and a little friction around the heel spur. He had weekly appointments for several months and gradually, bit by bit he and I could feel the improvement, until eventually it felt good enough to go without treatment - the heel spur reduced until it couldn't be palpated and the tendons stretched until it became more and more difficult without dorsiflexion to find them! He did embark on a stretching program himself once I'd explianed what was going on - he would do several stretches for his feet when they were warm. He also changed his main comfy footwear to running shoes rather than the ones he'd had with NO shock absorbtion at all - the trainers weren't quite his style and didn't go with the smart trousers he prefered to wear but his feet improved so he got used to them! It is a slow process - maybe more aggresive therapy would get results faster but I was cautious not to cause more harm than good and as we did find they improved - I stuck with it.
Hope that might help,

RE: plantar fasciitis

Hi
I have suffered from plantar fasciitis, and have been successfully treated,I am also currently treating my husband for the same condition. I suffered for several years and tried many different treatments, including orthotics, aromatherapy, ice, stretching the sole of the foot, and eventually having cortisone injections into the sole of my foot [:@]

After all this, I was treated by another sports therapist. We discovered that the the calf muscles were very tight and lumpy, so there was lots of neuromuscular work (and swearing!). As you are not a sports therapist, that means lots of heavy kneading and pushing into trigger points and each knot. What I would suggest is begin with lots of effleurage to warm everything up, then go on to kneading, frictions, more kneading, drainage, and more effleurage. The problem does seem, in my experience, to be caused by shortness in gastrocnemius and soleus, so these need to be treated first. Work to the sole of the foot should also be included.

Hope this helps

Kazzie72

RE: plantar fasciitis

thanks for the advice Kazzie and Vetiveria - much appreciated!!

Jo

RE: plantar fasciitis

Hi,
I would go a bit further than Kassie and say its the soleus, try bending the knee whilst prone and treating the calf from that position, I bet you walk quickly and on your heels!
Gaz

RE: plantar fasciitis

Dear Jo,

You could try a therapy from the field from Energy Medicine, like Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). There was a recent case study published on the website of the founder of the therapy by another health professional. The approach provided excellent results and they were still on-going 3 months after treatment. You can read the case study if you [link= http://www.emofree.com/a/?2436/Articles/plantar-fascitis.htm ]*click here*[/link].

If you're unfamiliar with EFT you can learn the basics from a free manual downloadable from the same website the case study sits on, or refer your client/friend on to a skilled practitioner in your area or someone who works by phone. If you'd like to find out more about EFT you could ask questions on the Mind Therapies forum on HP.

I hope your client/friend recovers.

Cub

Edit to correct broken link.

Hello, i am currently on 'the sick ' with this condition and i can confirm how extremely painful this condition is!!!!!
As i am a lecturer i spent 6 hours constantly on my feet.:(
i have had an injection but it only lasted 3 weeks i also have had the insoles but have found that these do not work either 🙁
i did have my foot strapped the other day and found this to help a little.....but still awaiting for the pain to ease

seek myofascial release and also get glut min worked deeply, been treating people for ages with this and recently got it myself, unfortunately couldnt treat myself and had to get a colleague to do it for me.
also taking care of your feet a bit more helps
regards
BGFL

Thanks ! can a reflexologist help or is it best to go to a sports therapist

this is how my world is working today,
since replying to the post I have had two clients today both with plantar fasciitis, one referred from my reflexology colleague......is there some kind of message there.....
As a sports therapist and lecturer myself I would say a sports therapsit with additional myofascial release training would be best, if you let me know where you are based I might be able to help as I help train over 75 therapists a year from all over the country,
the glute min link is a really important one, try sitting on a dining room chair but put your knees up against a wall so you are facing the wall..... then get someone who you have recently upset to stick their thumb into your upper glute close to the illiac crest and push quite hard unitl you feel a sensation travel down your leg, your knees aginst the wall will stop you moving forwards on the chair,,, it may be uncomforatable but hold it for several minutes to release the back leg fascial line.... you may need to try a few palces in the glute until you get the sensation in the heel, then use direct pressure under the heel moving towards the toes, slowly and with firmness no creams/oils, just like doing the ironing .
let me know how you get on
regards
BGFL

Hi waterfall

I would agree with biggaz that you would find it better to use a sports/remedial massage therapist for planter faciitis than a reflexologist. I see this as a practitioner of both types of therapies. I also agree that work the other end of the leg can help such problems; and the other way round, glut problems helped by lower limb and foot work. The body is a weird and wonderful thing, thank goodness myofascial knowledge makes it more understandable, it's a shame more reflexologists & massage therapists don't know about it.

best wishes

RP

I'm from Blackwood in South Wales gaz

will check the database, I know of 2 Welsh therapsits but not sure N or S
BGFL

yes please that would be great !

vontab

A podiatrist is your best bet for advice.

problem is unless people understand foot biomechanics you canot even offer a full treatment plan to sort the problem out, it could be a bone spur on the calc, it may require surgery, it could be due to the shank in the shoe. Without even looking at the foot it is dangerous to give advice on something that you canot see and you dont understand. it could be due to a tibial varum, genu valgum, coxa vara ect: might require an othotic but what compensation would you post intrinsic, extrinsic? what foot type rearfoot varus fore foot valgus and so on? Also what is medical history and enviromental factors?

stretches for the achilles and gastrocnemius can be beneficial.

not sure how this helps with the planter fasciitis, unless you are saying there is an equiness foot type and this is causing the problem.