Managing Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: When Conservative Strategies Fail

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2012

Abstract

Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that causes heel pain in many adults. It occurs when the plantar fascia, a fibrous band of connective tissue running from the calcaneus along the sole of the foot, becomes inflamed or fibrotic or when it breaks down (Figure 1).1 Plantar fasciitis occurs most commonly in adults between the ages of 40 and 60 years2 and accounts for approximately 1 million office visits per year.3 The condition may occur earlier in people who run, are obese, have high arches, demonstrate excessive pronation of the foot, or stand for long periods on hard surfaces. Many patients with plantar fasciitis experience improvement with conservative measures, such as NSAID use, stretching, and change in footwear; however, an estimated 20% of patients do not find relief.2 The pain of chronic plantar fasciitis can be debilitating, resulting in a loss of function, so it is important for providers to be aware of other treatment options available to these patients.

Publication Title

JAAPA

Volume

25

Issue

11

First Page

48

Last Page

53

PubMed ID

23620924

Comments

This article was published in JAAPA, Volume 25, Issue 11, November 2012, Pages 48-53.

The published version is available at http://journals.lww.com/jaapa/Fulltext/2012/11000/Managing_chronic_plantar_fasciitis__When.9.aspx

Copyright © 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

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