The Plantar Fascia is a wide band of tissue running across the bottom of your foot and connecting your heel bone to your toes. By supporting the arch of your foot, it acts as a shock absorber and helps you walk. When this becomes inflamed the condition is known as Plantar Fasciitis, which is one of the most common causes of heel pain.
The arch of the foot gets a lot of use during day to day life, such as by standing, walking or running, and too much pressure can damage the Plantar Fascia. For this reason, individuals who do a lot of running can be quite susceptible to Plantar Fasciitis, although obesity and wearing shoes with inadequate support are also common causes.
Plantar Fasciitis usually manifests as a sharp stabbing pain, and often occurs when you take your first steps in the morning. The pain usually subsides once you are up and about, but can return if there has been a long period of standing or sitting.
Clinics treating this condition find that both athletes and the elderly are commonly affected, and around 10% - 20% of patients do not respond to conservative treatment for six months. In these situations Radial Shockwave Therapy (RSWT)
is recommended, with surgery considered for more stubborn cases of Plantar Fasciitis.