Plantar fasciopathy, also commonly known as plantar fasciitis, is the one of the common causes of heel and foot pain. But what exactly is it?

Plantar fascia is a fibrous connective tissue that is found the bottom of your foot, starting from your heel and fanning out into your toes. One of its main function is to maintain and support the arches of your foot. Plantar fasciopathy is irritation of the plantar fascia, which causes pain in the bottom of your foot close to your heel.

One the most common cause of pain is overloading the plantar fascia, such as too much walking or running. So next time when you find yourself having sore foot after spending 3 hours walking on the sandy beaches, that may be the reason why.

Other factors that can contribute to plantar fasciopathy include:

• Flat feet
• Tight and/or weak calf muscles
• Stiff ankles 
• Weak intrinsic foot muscles

So, how can we help?

Our physiotherapists can help improve your plantar fasciopathy with strapping, soft tissue massage, and exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles that are contributing to your plantar fasciopathy.

Author

Mandy Lai

Physiotherapist

Mandy graduated from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy and is passionate about working together with her clients ensure the most suitable treatment and management is provided.

Mandy has previously worked as a sports trainer with multiple football clubs, where she developed experience in sports strapping and the management of different sporting injuries (including shoulder, knee, and ankle injuries). She also has special interest in treating neck and back pain.

Outside of work, Mandy enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and is also a big puzzle fan from building jigsaws to solving the Rubik’s cube and playing chess. When not puzzling, you can find her unwinding with a book and a nice cup of tea, or in the kitchen trying to learn how to cook.