In our prior posts on heel pain and plantar fasciitis we described the growing evidence supporting the utilization of treatments by Physical Therapists including manual therapy and exercise. This treatment approach is supported by established clinical practice guidelines and is more effective than modalities including ultrasound and other passive interventions. Interestingly, despite the evidence only...
Manual therapy or the passive movements of joints and tissues has been shown to be effective at reducing short term pain for a number of conditions including heel pain. Interventions including joint mobilization and manipulation are commonly provided to patients suffering from heel pain or plantar fasciitis (fasciosis) in order to restore normal mobility to...
Plantar fasciitis (fasciosis) is a painful diagnosis limiting a patient’s ability to stand, walk, or run. The -itis of the name is a misnomer because very few cases of plantar heel pain involve an inflammatory process. Instead, a breakdown of soft tissue fibers and cells is noted in the plantar fascia reflecting the sequential stages...
1. You have experienced an illustrious and diverse career in research, education and clinical work. What is the secret to your success in all of these disciplines? I have been very blessed to have such a great career in physical therapy – I firmly believe that the reason for any of the success that I...
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of plantar heel pain estimated to affect 10% of the general population through their lifetime. Proper nomenclature of the pathology is dependent on the tissue involved and how long the symptoms have been in existence. “Fasciitis” suggests an acute inflammatory response, where “fasciosis” illustrates a chronic degenerative response...
Most running related injuries are overuse in nature and reflect the athlete’s decision to do too much too soon or too little for too long. Despite the significant risk reduction of a running related injury with strength training many runners continue to forgo this important component of a balance weekly training program. This form of...
The knee is subjected to the biomechanics of the adjacent hip and ankle due to its’ location between two long bones lower extremity. These long levers can contribute significantly to a patient’s knee symptoms. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy offices we commonly evaluate and treat the adjacent joints in the lower...
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections have increased dramatically in recent years for the treatment of orthopedic conditions. PRP injections aim to improve the cellular and biochemical environment of the injected tissue. Current injection utilization has far out paced the research supporting their clinical use in patients. Current randomized, controlled data on the benefits of PRP...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS The Ironic Reality of Injury As a physical therapist, I help people move better, recover from injuries, and return to doing what they love. But despite my knowledge and training, I’ve dealt with a long history of injuries myself. It’s a humbling reminder: no one is immune to the...
By: John Crawley, PT, DPT, OCS Attention, fellow runners! Have you ever wondered how your training volume and running form might impact your risk of developing plantar fasciitis? A recent 1-year prospective cohort study titled “Running Distance and Biomechanical Risk Factors for Plantar Fasciitis: A 1-yr Prospective 4HAIE Cohort Study” provides some valuable insights. This...
