Treat Heel Pain Without Orthotics
Are you suffering from plantar fasciitis and dealing with excruciating heel pain? We can treat your heel pain without orthotics. Do you want to escape the confines of orthotics while continuing to run, stay active, and work without discomfort? If so, make sure to watch this video, where I’ll share top tips for managing heel pain, how we address it, and how we help alleviate the discomfort.
We see over a hundred cases of plantar fasciitis and heel pain each week, and we have effectively treated this condition for over 20 years. Today, I’ll discuss one of our patients who achieved remarkable results with his plantar fasciitis treatment. This particular patient is a roofer who couldn’t wear orthotics due to the nature of his job. I’ll walk you through the approach we took for him and share the exercises that have proven very effective. Even if you can’t come into our clinic, these exercises are well-researched and can be beneficial for managing your plantar fasciitis.
This gentleman had previously tried orthotics without success; they simply didn’t fit into any of his shoes. He had been struggling with heel pain for over six months, which was particularly frustrating during his time on the golf course and at work—he even faced difficulty climbing ladders, a significant issue for a roofer.
To clarify, plantar fasciitis involves micro-tears in the fascia that runs from your heel to the ball of your foot. These tiny tears can become inflamed and painful, leading to a rapid escalation of discomfort. Interestingly, many people don’t realize they have plantar fasciitis until the pain becomes severe, as the initial symptoms can be subtle.
This gentleman recently came to us after suffering from pain for about six months, which was severely impacting his quality of life and livelihood. He could no longer engage in the activities he loved.
We initiated a treatment plan tailored to his wish to avoid orthotics. Our approach involved a gentle manual technique called foot mobilisation, which focused on correcting alignment. We also provided him with exercises to support these changes, which I’ll demonstrate shortly, so stay tuned. Additionally, we applied laser therapy to the affected area. The beauty of laser treatment is that it not only stimulates healing but also alleviates pain significantly without any negative side effects. Remarkably, many patients begin to feel better after just one session.
If you have access to a qualified health professional who utilises laser therapy, I highly recommend seeking their assistance, as we’ve seen great success with this technique in our clinic. For this particular patient, we combined laser therapy with two key exercises: the dowel exercise and a towel exercise performed on a step.
Let’s talk about the dowel exercise first. We use a dowel to alleviate tightness in the foot. You start at the top of the foot and gradually work your way down (which is demonstrated in the video). It’s important to note that fascia responds well to pressure—unlike us, it thrives on tough love. This exercise promotes an increase in fascial cells, accelerating healing and resulting in stronger, more resilient fascia over time.
When performing the dowel exercise, aim for a discomfort level of about five or six out of ten. If it’s too painful, shift more of your weight to the other side to reduce pressure on the affected area. If you find it manageable, try doing it with both feet. Ultimately, this leads to thicker, stronger fascia for life.
In addition to loosening the fascia, strengthening the foot is crucial, especially for those with plantar fasciitis. We accomplish this using a towel on a step, which is an excellent exercise for enhancing foot and ankle strength, stability, and overall function. I strongly encourage you to give it a try.
These methods have proven successful over the years, with thousands of patients experiencing relief from plantar fasciitis. We highly recommend trying these exercises at home. If you need additional support, don’t hesitate to take advantage of our 60% off initial heel pain assessment.
