Chiropractic Care for Plantar Fasciitis

Many people suffer from plantar fasciitis, but not everyone knows what it is and how to treat it. Learn more about chiropractic care and its benefits for plantar fasciitis.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help with Plantar Fasciitis

Your feet are the supporting structures of your entire body and help you move around. So, when you suffer from plantar fasciitis, which affects approximately 2 million patients yearly, it’s important to seek medical help. Plantar fasciitis is the primary cause of heel pain, but luckily it responds well to chiropractic care. Let's explore how chiropractic care helps people with plantar fasciitis.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of foot pain that occurs when the plantar fascia, a thick tissue band that connects the heel to the toes, becomes inflamed or irritated. The pain usually intensifies in the morning and when walking for long distances. 

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

The cause of plantar fasciitis is widely misunderstood. Increased pressure on the feet usually damages the plantar fascia, and the body responds by inflaming it. This causes stiffness and pain. Also, some medical practitioners claim plantar fasciitis results from spine-related degenerative diseases. 

The fact is that the cause is unclear in many cases of plantar fasciitis. However, runners and overweight people are usually at a higher risk of getting plantar fasciitis. 

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

The common symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:

• Stiffness and discomfort in the sole that gets worse throughout the day
• Pain in the foot when getting up in the morning
• Pain after long periods of standing

Plantar fasciitis pain occurs after stopping the activity rather than when doing it. Sometimes plantar fasciitis pain may be caused by another medical condition. It is crucial to seek an accurate diagnosis rather than self-diagnosing and treating.

Chiropractic Adjustments for Plantar Fasciitis

Chiropractic adjustments for plantar fasciitis involve precise heel and spinal alignment adjustments. In some cases, plantar fasciitis may indicate scoliosis, which requires chiropractic treatment. The adjustments are non-invasive but may leverage special equipment such as ultrasound machines and drop tables.

The adjustments aim to reduce inflammation in the plantar fascia while straightening it to relieve pain. One case study for a 10-year-old football player shows the efficacy of chiropractic treatment, which treated the boy for three months. Chiropractic adjustments are unique in each case. For plantar fasciitis, treatments employ different modalities, from high-velocity, low amplitude adjustments to rehabilitation exercises.

General rest combined with regular physical activity expedite the recovery process. Blending chiropractic care with complementary therapies is the best approach to treating plantar fasciitis without pharmacological methods.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Plantar Fasciitis

Specialized chiropractic care for plantar fasciitis eliminates pain and promotes your foot functionality. The benefits of chiropractic care, however, transcend pain relief. Other benefits include:

Adjusting Posture

The treatments relieve stress on the feet, which has obvious benefits in improving spinal alignment. A comprehensive chiropractic session aligns the spine while also treating plantar fasciitis. The range of techniques, from flexion-distraction to high-velocity, low-amplitude thrusts, realigns the spine, eliminating other spinal complications such as herniated discs. 

Balanced Weight

Being overweight increases pressure on the plantar fascia, which causes plantar fasciitis. Chiropractic treatment options improve the arc of the foot while easing tension on the affected area. The result is evenly distributed tension in your body. It’s important to maintain a healthy body weight in order to prevent other complications that obesity aggravates, such as diabetes. 

Physical Activity Level

The chiropractic intervention for plantar fasciitis incorporates stretching exercises to treat the condition. Walking is the best exercise, and the chiropractor may recommend it to lengthen the benefits of the treatment. The plantar fascia and calf stretch improve your physical activity level while protecting against further injury. 

Conclusion 

Nothing disrupts daily activities more than foot pain. Chiropractic care comes to your relief if you have plantar fasciitis. Find a reputable chiropractor to enjoy the benefits of chiropractic care for plantar fasciitis and live a pain-free life. 

Dr. Eric Neumann D.C.

Dr. Eric Neumann grew up in Alberta, Canada where he majored in Chemistry at the University of Calgary. During his time at University, he obtained licensure as a Massage Therapist. It was clear that hands-on healing would be his calling. After suffering multiple sport-related injuries he became interested in Chiropractic. Dr. Neumann graduated from Western States Chiropractic College in 2009. He has since specialized in the treatment and management of acute spinal injuries.