How is plantar fasciitis treated?

Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
Updated on September 04, 2024
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For the treatment of plantar fasciitis, there are currently two approaches clinically. The first is conservative treatment, which includes the following options: The first is rest, meaning to minimize weight-bearing walking and rest as much as possible. The second is to use heat application, such as applying a hot towel to the sole of the foot for 10-20 minutes each day, twice a day, which can help increase local blood circulation and alleviate pain. The third is the use of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medications, as well as medications that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis to relieve local pain. The fourth is extracorporeal shock wave therapy for relief. The fifth, and most commonly used, is injection therapy, but it is important to note that there are clear limits on the number of times injection therapy can be used. If conservative treatment does not work for over six months, or if the symptoms of plantar fasciitis progressively worsen, surgical treatment may be necessary.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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How should plantar fasciitis be treated?

For the treatment of plantar fasciitis, there are currently two approaches used in clinical practice: The first is conservative treatment, which mainly includes rest, local injections, electrotherapy, magnet therapy, and the use of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic plasters, as well as plasters that activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis to alleviate pain in the sole of the foot. Additionally, foot muscle stretching exercises can be performed at home to help relieve the symptoms of plantar fascia pain. However, if conservative treatment is ineffective for over six months, or if the pain worsens progressively and severely affects your daily weight-bearing activities, then surgical treatment may be necessary. The goals of surgical treatment are to release the plantar fascia, reduce chronic inflammation in the area, and possibly remove heel spurs, thereby alleviating the pain in the sole of the foot.

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Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
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Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

Regarding the causes of plantar fasciitis, the most common cause observed clinically is prolonged and excessive weight-bearing walking. Local excessive stimulation, exposure to cold, or trauma can also trigger plantar fasciitis. The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain in the sole of the foot. The methods to manage it include reducing local stimuli. For a period of time in the near future, try to avoid weight-bearing walking as much as possible, persist in using topical Chinese herbal medicines that invigorate the blood and dispel stasis which are boiled and then used for fumigation washing daily. Oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications, and blood-activating stasis-dispelling medications should be taken for treatment. Topical plasters that invigorate the blood and dispel stasis can also be used locally. Gradually, recovery will be achieved.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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How is plantar fasciitis treated?

The treatment of plantar fasciitis currently is divided into two methods in clinical practice. The first method is conservative treatment, which includes rest, avoiding strenuous exertion and excessive weight-bearing walking. It can be managed with physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, physiotherapy, and local block injections. If conservative treatments do not improve the condition or even if the pain progressively worsens over more than half a year, severely affecting daily life, surgical treatment may be necessary. The objectives of surgical treatment are firstly to release the plantar fascia and secondly to remove bone, as a significant portion of patients with plantar fasciitis also have heel spurs; therefore, the surgical procedure involves the removal of these bone spurs to alleviate the pain.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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How to completely cure plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis clinically has no method that can achieve a radical cure. Only through surgical treatment can the recurrence rate be reduced, but it cannot be completely cured. Of course, the effects of surgical treatment are definitely more significant than conservative treatment. The first step in surgical treatment is to release the plantar fascia, and the second step is to remove bone spurs, as a significant portion of patients with plantar fasciitis have concurrent bone spurs. Of course, during the surgical process, it is necessary to remove bone spurs. The third step involves drilling into the heel bone to decompress it, as some patients also suffer from high pressure in the heel bone. Therefore, the surgery aims to decompress the heel bone by drilling, thus further alleviating pain in the heel and foot. However, if rest is maintained post-surgery, and strenuous activities are avoided, it can significantly reduce the chances of recurrence of fasciitis, but surgical treatment is not a cure-all method.

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Written by Cheng Bin
Orthopedics
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Is plantar fasciitis prone to recurrence?

First of all, it is necessary to explain that patients with plantar fasciitis, even after recovery, can easily relapse if they overuse their feet for a long time, or are exposed to prolonged cold and damp conditions. Therefore, plantar fasciitis is prone to recurrence. It is important to avoid long periods of weight-bearing walking, minimize local irritation, and never let the feet become cold. It is essential to persistently perform hot washes daily. During the hot wash, peppercorns and salt can be added to the hot water for washing, or external use of traditional Chinese herbs that activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis can be boiled and used for fumigation washes. Additionally, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs orally along with drugs that activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis can effectively treat plantar fasciitis. (Please follow the doctor's prescription for medication use.)