**Two things physiotherapists and patients should know**
Plantar Fasciitis Management
1. Don’t recommend surgery to patients for plantar fasciitis before trying six months of non-operative care.
With six months of consistent, non-operative, exercise based treatment, plantar fasciitis will resolve up to 97% of the time. Surgery has a much lower rate of success and has the added possibility of post-operative complications.
2. Don’t routinely recommend X-ray for diagnosis of plantar fasciitis/heel pain in patients.
As the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is in most cases evident from the patients history and physical examination, X-ray is not recommended for routine evaluations for plantar fasciitis except in cases where a serious underlying medical condition is suspected, e.g., fracture, infection, etc.
References:
1.
Davies MS, Weiss GA, Saxby TS. Plantar fasciitis: how successful is surgical intervention? Foot Ankle Int. 1999;20(12):803–7.
Wolgin M, Cook C, Graham C, Mauldin D. Conservative treatment of plantar heel pain: long-term follow -up. Foot Ankle Int. 1994;15(3):97–102.
Murphy, G. A., Pneumaticos, S. G., Kamaric, E., Noble, P. C., Trevino, S. G., & Baxter, D. E. (1998). Biomechanical consequences of sequential plantar fascia release. Foot & ankle international, 19(3), 149-152.
Hwang, J. H., & Chung, S. H. (1998). Conservative management of plantar heel pain. Journal of Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine, 22(3), 692-697.
2.
Haas N, Beecher P, Easly M, et al. Ankle and foot disorders. In: Hegmann K, ed. Occupational Medicine Practice Guidelines. 3rd ed. Elk Grove Village, Ill: American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; 2011. p. 1182.