The topic of Matsumi Ladies Clinic Mita English blog in October is about legs and feet.

In the final part, I create a medical article about plantar fasciitis, a very common cause of inferior heel pain.

 

Plantar fasciitis is a very common cause of inferior heel pain that can be triggered and aggravated by walking, running and obesity.

The patient usually presents with gradual onset of pain over the medial side of the plantar heel that is most noticeable when taking the first few steps in the morning.

 

Treatment options include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), orthoses, physical therapy, physical agents (e.g. extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), laser) and invasive procedures including steroid injections.

 

Treatments such as plantar fascia and calf stretches are noninvasive and efficacious.

NSAIDs have limited efficacy for plantar fasciitis.

While local injections of corticosteroids can help with pain relief, the effects are short-lived.

Localised platelet-rich plasma injections are reported to show much relief of pain.

 

Ultrasonography-guided focal extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is useful for patients with chronic plantar fasciitis.

Referral for operative treatment may be required in patients who continue to have moderate to severe symptoms that do not respond to nonoperative treatments.