Plantar fascitis
is a painful condition affecting
the bottom of the foot. The
plantar fascia (A) is a broad band
of fibrous tissue that spans from
the heel bone (B) to the ball of
the foot. Plantar fascitis
can be caused by unsupportive
shoes, prolonged standing, walking,
or running on hard surfaces, or
mechanical foot problems such as
over-pronation (flat foot) and
rigidity of the foot bones that
prevents normal flexibility and
shock absorption of the foot
joints. When the plantar
fascia is overloaded it can become
inflamed and scared, hardening the
tissue and causing pain. The
rigid plantar fascia can start
pulling at its attachment on the
heel and create heel
spurs.
Active
Release Techniques treatment is
focused on breaking up scar tissue
adhesions within the plantar fascia
and any mechanical restrictions of
the foot joints that are inhibiting
normal foot motion. Usually
the entire tract of tissue
extending from the bottom of the
foot, around the heel, up the
Achilles tendon, into the calf
muscles, and through the hamstrings
must be evaluated and considered as
possibly contributory to the
problem.
