Plantar Fasciitis Specialist

What is plantar fasciitis?

A thick band of fibrous tissue on the bottom of your foot – the plantar fascia – connects your heel bone to your toes and supports the arch of your foot. The plantar fascia acts like a shock absorber that cushions the stress and strain placed on your feet. However, too much pressure can damage or tear the tissue, which causes inflammation and heel pain, indicating that you have plantar fasciitis.

What causes plantar fasciitis?

The specific cause of plantar fasciitis is never identified in many people, although certain factors increase the risk of developing the painful problem:

• Engaging in repetitive, high-impact activities (jumping, ballet)
• Running downhill or on uneven surfaces
• Being overweight or obese
• Having flat feet or high arches
• Having tight calf muscles that affect foot flexion
• Having a tight Achilles tendon
• Starting a new physical activity
• Wearing shoes with poor arch support

What symptoms will you experience with plantar fasciitis?

Heel pain is the primary symptom of plantar fasciitis, but the bottom of your foot may ache, too. The pain ranges from dull to sharp, and it’s often worse with the first steps you take after waking in the morning or after a long rest like a car ride or a nap.

Contrary to what you might expect, pain often improves after a few minutes of walking. The pain is usually greater after you finish exercise rather than during the activity. But you’ll likely to have greater pain when climbing stairs, and when you engage in repetitive activities that put extra stress on the foot, such as jumping.

How can chiropractic treatment help plantar fasciitis?

One of the benefits of seeking chiropractic care for plantar fasciitis is that Dr. McMillin will assess the entire chain of movement from your back down through your feet. Any issues with the bones and muscles along the chain will cause an imbalance that affects the mechanics of your foot, so Dr. McMillin will use chiropractic manipulation to correct problems that are discovered.

To help relieve pain and improve movement, Dr. McMillin may use trigger point therapy for knotted muscles and soft tissue manipulation of the plantar fascia and leg muscles that connect to the heel. He may also perform manual stretch and massage techniques for your foot. Exercises you can do at home help, too, so he’ll teach you how to do stretching and balance techniques that relieve excess stress on the plantar fascia.