3460 Ellicott Center Drive,
Suite 103
Ellicott City, MD 21043
John J. Murphy, DPM

Plantar fasciitis (pronounced PUN-tar fashee-EYE-tiss) is inflammation of the
plantar fascia. "Plantar" means the bottom of the foot; "fascia" is a type of
connective tissue, and "itis" means "inflammation". Heel spurs are soft,
bendable deposits of calcium that are the result of tension and inflammation
in the plantar fascia attachment to the heel. Heel spurs do not cause pain.
They are only evidence (not proof) that a patient may have plantar fasciitis.
The plantar fascia encapsulates muscles in the sole of the foot. It supports
the arch of the foot by acting as a bowstring to connect the ball of the foot to the heel. When walking and at the moment the heel of the trailing leg begins to lift off the ground, the plantar fascia endures tension that is approximately two times body weight. This moment of maximum tension is increased and "sharpened" (it increases suddenly) if there is lack of flexibility in the calf muscles.

A percentage increase in body weight causes the same percentage increase in tension in the fascia. Due to the repetitive nature of walking, plantar fasciitis may be a repetitive stress disorder (RSD) similar to tennis elbow. Both conditions benefit greatly from functional support, ice, and stretching.

TREATMENT PROTOCOL:

1. The foot must be supported all day, from when you get out of bed until you return in the evening. We do not recommend walking around barefooted or with just sock, slippers or sandals.

2. Place a 16 oz bottle of water in the freezer and 2-3x/day, place it on the floor and roll your heel over it. This facilitates the movement of the inflammation out of the heel region.

3. Wear supportive shoes all day; remember this is a mechanical issue. Weight does play a role here. I typically recommend New Balance sneakers 600 (608, 609, 620) series or higher (700/800). The sneakers are usually available at Dick's Athletic Store, Sears or JCPenneys. Please call first.

4. Orthotics can play a tremendous role in maintaining support which can be
moved from one shoe to the other. We stock over the counter, for your
convenience, as most insurance companies will not cover them.