Plantar fasciitis is not the same as a blood-borne disease – in the sense that we have no ‘lab test’ to confirm it. X rays and MRI don’t show up plantar fasciitis although they may in badly neglected cases eventually show signs of strain and adaptation in the tissue that run alongside particularly bad cases of plantar fasciitis.
Fortunately your chiropractor or physiotherapist can usually figure out whether you have plantar fasciitis pretty quickly though. Diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is generally guided by symptom and a basic physical exam / health history combo. This is usually enough to make sure your symptoms are not being caused by anything more sinister.
The following is a list of classic plantar fasciitis signs and symptoms and is not designed to replace a consult with a qualified professional like your chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist.
This is the most classic symptom of plantar fasciitis you could ever have the misfortune to experience. The first few steps of the day are excruciatingly painful until your feet have ‘warmed up’ – at which point thankfully most people find weight bearing becomes more comfortable.
If you are a runner or badminton player for example this increases the likelihood of your foot pain being plantar fasciitis. At the other end of the spectrum if you consider yourself to be very unfit you are at increased risk of developing plantar fasciitis also. Plantar fasciitis tends to occupy the extremes of the human activity spectrum.
** a recent increase in the type or amount of exercise you do or an increase in time spent on your feet can trigger the onset of plantar fasciitis.
For some mysterious reason not all plantar fasciitis sufferers experience pain during exercise – but most will find there is an increase in pain after exercise – possibly even finding that they are consistently worse the next day.
Pointing your toes downward takes some of the stretch out of your plantar fascia, if it feels slightly relieving it may indicate that your pain is in fact plantar fasciitis. Painful tissues under a stretch usually complain – and the plantar fascia is no different.
That covers 4 classic signs of plantar fasciitis. There is no substitute for a proper consultation and exam with your chiropractor or physiotherapist though. Especially if your pain is persistent or you really want to understand the underlying causes of your case of plantar fasciitis – figuring that stuff out does get a little more involved.
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