How To Heal Plantar Fasciitis Quickly
How to heal plantar fasciitis quickly – Our patient database shows that healing is between 3 to 6 weeks once treatment starts (average)
Many patient’s will ask us if it possible to heal plantar fasciitis quickly, and if so how. However, the length of time that it will take for plantar fasciitis to heal is dependent on many factors. First of all, the length of time that the patient has been suffering with heel pain can affect the healing time. People with chronic plantar fasciitis who have been in pain for several months will tend to take a little longer to heal. Like most patient’s these people will experience heel pain in the morning when getting out of bed and after periods of being seated. They feel a sharp pain under the base of the heel and often report the feeling of a stone bruise, or a pebble in the shoe. As with most inflammatory heel conditions, plantar fasciitis is reversable but the healing time will vary. An average tine of 4 to 6 weeks is usually the case once we assess and commence correct treatment, including asking the patient to refrain from “homework”. (Most patients are inadvertently aggravating the plantar fascia with home remedies / physio exercises)
When we are asked, how to heal plantar fasciitis quickly, it is important to assess the severity of the condition via physical examination. If there is a huge jump response when we apply pressure to the heel this may indicate a severe case, and in some patients this means the use of and artificial aid and / or shock wave therapy to speed things up. More severe cases can take 8 weeks plus.
How to Heal Plantar Fasciitis Quickly with Shock Wave Therapy
Shock wave therapy is a treatment that we use commonly in order to heal plantar fasciitis quickly. The treatment is thought to increase the rate of tissue repair by stimulating the turnover of new blood capillaries in the tissue which brings more blood into the area. There is also said to be new collagen development on the tissue. Shock wave therapy was, and still may be used to treat and break down kidney stones. It has a much wider use now and is common place in sports medicine. In addition to treating heel pain and plantar fasciitis it is used for Achilles Tendonitis, tennis elbow and joint pain. It is a safe treatment with no known side effects. The treatment also has a numbing sensation and the heel pain usually subsides immediately, for a number of days, while the long term healing takes place.
How to Heal Plantar Fasciitis Quickly with Weight Loss
Plantar fasciitis is sometimes associated with weight gain and when these slightly heavier people as us how to heal their plantar fasciitis quickly, they usually suggest losing weight. While we agree that this weight loss helps, we also point out that non obese people still suffer with heel pain from plantar fasciitis and so there are other factors to consider. Also, it is difficult for people to lose weight when they can’t exercise due to the foot pain.
Do Orthotics Help to Heal Plantar Fasciitis Quickly?
Yes, definitely. If designed correctly and shaped well, a pair of custom orthotics will help the plantar fasciitis to heal quickly. Not every patient needs orthotics and so we carry out a bio mechanical assessment first and consider other things that need to be addressed such as the above mentioned factors. We use a “ Touch and hold” device which does not push against the plantar fascia or try to raise the foot arch higher than its natural resting point. Arch based supports can be a problem as they do the opposite and can press hard against the sole which prolongs the unwanted stress on the plantar fascia. Usually, once the orthotics are inserted into the shoe the heel pain from the plantar fascia subsides within a few weeks. It is important that the patient is using firm soled shoes a opposed to softer and more flexible alternatives. This is also a way to resolve the condition when the patient ask us how to heal plantar fasciitis quickly.
Following a detailed physical assessment the podiatrist will also be able to determine whether to use ice or heat packs. Plantar Fasciitis is known to be an inflammatory condition and so will sometimes respond to the use of cold treatment to reduce that inflammatory process. However, if we need an increase in blood flow then the use of heat packs may have its place. So if a patient asks us how to heal plantar fasciitis quickly, and can they use ice, we need to assess the heel pain first in order to male that decision.
There are some really good exercises that will help the plantar fasciitis to heal quickly, but not many. The home remedies coming from old science seem to do more harm than good and can prolong the condition. This is because they load the fascia and re irritate it. Following a bio mechanical assessment, the sports podiatrist will recommend specific exercises, if any at all are needed. Not all patients will need to carry out home remedies or exercises outside of the clinic. Most of the time, there is a calf muscle issue that affects the foot and the ankle and therefore affects plantar fasciitis via the heel. It is very easy for the sports podiatrist to identify this and select the required stretching.
If you have heel pain and you are wondering how to heal plantar fasciitis quickly you should seek the help of a podiatrist that specialises in heel pain. It is best to treat the condition early rather than allowing it to set in or become chronic. Plantar fasciitis can worsen over time and become excruciating if left alone. Sometimes, the fascia can split and become torn and this can extend the length of time needed for the plantar fascia to heal.
At Sydney Heel Pain Clinics the podiatrists are helping people learn how to heal plantar fasciitis quickly every day and can be reached on help@sydneyheelpain.com.au or 02 92883322.
Sydney Heel Pain Clinics operates from 4 locations across Sydney and the western suburbs. The clinic is lead by Karl Lockett, a podiatrist from the United Kingdom. Karl has a special interest in plantar fascia and other causes of heel pain. The head office is at 72 Pitt Street, Sydney, and there are other clinics in Crows Nest, Parramatta, Miranda and Narellan. The team has one female podiatrist, Fatemeh Abdi and 2 associate podiatrists Rami Ghorra and Omar Mohamad. All of the podiatrist have day to day exposure to heel pain and mainly plantar fasciitis and have a variety of treatment options that they use. The exact treatment plan will depend on the specifics of the individual and may involve one or a combination of treatments.
All podiatrists are registered with AHPRA, Medicare and all health insurance companies. Each treatment for plantar fasciitis or heel pain has a specific code which is recognised by the health fund.
You are able to read case studies of previously treated patients here on this link
Article written by Karl Lockett