Plantar Fasciitis: The Most Common Cause of Heel Pain Revealed!
You wake up and crawl out of bed–only to feel a sharp, stabbing pain shoot up from your heel. No, you didn’t step on a tack. It’s likely plantar fasciitis, one of the most common causes of heel pain worldwide.
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that affects your plantar fascia, a band of tissue running along the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. When the plantar fascia becomes irritated or inflamed, usually due to overuse, it leads to foot discomfort (which then makes it harder for you to get around).
While plantar fasciitis is painful, it’s also easily treated with physical therapy. The team at Foundation Therapy will work closely with you to rehabilitate your injury, providing immediate pain relief and helping you uncover what caused your plantar fasciitis in the first place.
Today, we want to give you an overview of plantar fasciitis so you know what you’re dealing with. Already struggling with foot or heel pain? Call us to schedule an appointment so we can start helping you find relief!
How Do I Know It’s Plantar Fasciitis?
Many injuries can cause foot pain, from ankle sprains to tiny stress fractures. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the location and sensation of your foot pain, as well as any mobility issues. To help you understand the signs and symptoms of plantar fasciitis, let’s look at an example case.
Sarah had recently taken up running after several years away. She loved going out every morning and jogging around her neighborhood. But after a few weeks, she started to experience discomfort on the bottom of her foot whenever she went for a run.
The pain usually started as a sharp, stabbing pain on the bottom of her heel, but she also noticed that the arch of her foot felt tender and restricted.
After experiencing the pain for the first time, she started to notice it more frequently, and not just after her runs, either:
- First thing in the morning, when she got out of bed
- While standing in a long line at the grocery store
- While spending a day walking around an amusement park
- After watching a long movie in the theater
When Sarah eventually visited a physical therapist to seek treatment for her foot pain, she made sure to carefully lay out all the times she experienced pain (and all the times she didn’t; Sarah noticed the pain tended to fade around mid-morning, then flare up in the evening). That, along with her detailed explanation of the pain’s location, helped her PT correctly identify her pain as plantar fasciitis.
Physical Therapy: Frontline Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis
The Foundation Therapy team’s knowledge of your body’s musculoskeletal systems means we can help you treat plantar fasciitis without invasive treatment methods (like surgery). While rehabilitation might take some time (usually a few weeks to a few months), you can resolve your pain through targeted foot exercises.
Here’s what you can expect when you visit us:
A thorough evaluation:
Besides reviewing your symptoms, we’ll conduct a comprehensive gait assessment and other movement screens to help us identify any biomechanical factors that might contribute to your plantar fasciitis.
Pain management:
We’ll help manage your acute pain through hands-on manual therapy techniques, foot taping, and other drug-free approaches.
Therapeutic exercise:
Stretching and strengthening exercises will help resolve your current bout of plantar fasciitis. We’ll provide you with a tailored exercise program, including simple exercises you can do at home to help maximize your recovery.
Prevention tips:
Plantar fasciitis is usually an overuse injury, meaning it develops gradually over time. A frequent cause of plantar fasciitis is starting an intense new workout program (as Sarah did). Faulty gait mechanics and other lifestyle factors can contribute to it as well. We’ll provide you with customized advice and strategies for avoiding future incidents of plantar fasciitis.
Got Foot Pain? Call Us Today!
If you’re experiencing foot discomfort or immobility, your best bet is to call the team at Foundation Therapy and schedule an initial consultation. Be prepared to discuss your symptoms in detail–and to receive a customized treatment program that will have you feeling footloose and fancy-free in no time!
Return to PT at Foundation Therapy!
Miss feeling your best? Come back to Foundation Therapy and let us help you get there—schedule your appointment today!
✨ Staff Spotlight ✨
Celebrating the people who make Foundation Therapy special
Our owner and physical therapist, Chris Hicks, attended Angelo State University where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in 2004 before earning his Master of Physical Therapy degree in 2006.
Chris has spent years helping patients return to the activities they love through compassionate, individualized care and a commitment to exceptional rehabilitation.
Celebrating Our
Team & Families
We also want to take a moment to celebrate a few exciting milestones happening within our Foundation Therapy family:
Happy Birthday to Madison, our wonderful Front Desk Patient Care Specialist! Thank you for always greeting patients with kindness, positivity, and a smile.
Congratulations to Ali’s daughter, Elora, on her recent soccer championship win!
And a very special congratulations to Kelli’s daughter, Bailey, on her high school graduation and incredible academic accomplishments! Bailey graduated in the Top 10% of her class, earned A-Honor Roll recognition, was named the Top Anatomy & Physiology student, and qualified nationally through TAFE. She also earned multiple graduation cords and successfully completed OnRamps classes throughout high school. We are so proud of Bailey and all of her hard work and achievements!
Thank you for continuing to support Foundation Therapy. We’re honored to be part of such a caring and connected community here in Bridgeport.
Have a special milestone, achievement, family celebration, or community event you’d like us to share in a future newsletter or on social media? We’d love to celebrate alongside you! Feel free to send photos and updates to our team during your next visit or contact the clinic anytime.
June Word Scramble
brerireastws
aaointcv
unesecnsr
emrmus
dnelomea
iaordungta
Answer Key
strawberries
vacation
sunscreen
summer
lemonade
graduation
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Enjoy This Featured Recipe!
Brie, Asparagus, & Prosciutto Bundles
Enjoy the perfect blend of creamy brie, crisp asparagus, and savory prosciutto wrapped in a flaky, golden pastry for an elegant appetizer or light meal. These brie, asparagus & prosciutto bundles are simple to make and sure to impress at any gathering or family dinner.
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 bunch pencil asparagus, ends trimmed
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- All-purpose flour, for surface
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
- 12 slices prosciutto
- 1 (8-oz.) wheel Brie, cut into 12 pieces
- 1 large egg
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. In a small bowl, combine butter, honey, and salt. In a medium bowl, toss asparagus in oil. On a lightly floured surface, working one at a time, roll out puff pastry to a 15” x 10” rectangle. Cut each into 6 squares for a total of 12. Rotate square to a diamond shape and brush with butter mixture. Top with a slice of prosciutto, folding as needed to fit inside square. Top with a few pieces of asparagus and a slice of Brie. In a small bowl, mix egg and a splash of water until blended. Fold left side of pastry over filling and brush with egg wash. Fold right side of pastry over and brush top and sides with more egg wash; season with pepper. Arrange on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining puff pastry; reserve any remaining butter mixture. Bake bundles until golden and Brie is melted, about 15 minutes. Brush with more reserved butter mixture before serving.
Foundation Therapy is proud to host a School Supply Drive to help local students and families in our community get ready for the upcoming school year!
We invite our patients, friends, and community members to drop off school supply donations right here at the clinic throughout the summer. Every backpack, notebook, marker, and pencil can make a difference for a local child heading back to school.
If you’d like to participate, simply bring your donations with you to your next appointment or stop by the clinic anytime during business hours. Thank you for helping us give back to the Bridgeport community we love so much!
Refer a Friend
Our purpose at Foundation Therapy is to leave a greater impact on the community around us. In order to achieve our goal we want to change as many lives as possible as we become a beacon of positivity in our community.
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Meet Our Team
Chris Hicks
Owner / PT
Kelli Smith
Supervising Clinician/PT
Ali Martinez
Office Manager
Sandra McDonald
Insurance Verification and Authorization Specialist
