HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gill, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gill, L.

Plantar Fasciitis: Diagnosis and Conservative Management

Miller Orthopaedic Clinic, Charlotte, NC.

Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain, which frustrates patients and practitioners alike because of its resistance to treatment. It has been associated with obesity, middle age, and biomechanical abnormalities in the foot, such as tight Achilles tendon, pes cavus, and pes planus. It is considered to be most often the result of a degenerative process at the origin of the plantar fascia at the calcaneus. However, neurogenic and other causes of subcalcaneal pain are frequently cited. A combination of causative factors may be present, or the true cause may remain obscure. Although normally managed with conservative treatment, plantar fasciitis is frequently resistant to the wide variety of treatments commonly used, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, rest, pads, cups, splints, orthotics, corticosteroid injections, casts, physical therapy, ice, and heat. Although there is no consensus on the efficacy of any particular conservative treatment regimen, there is agreement that nonsurgical treatment is ultimately effective in approximately 90% of patients. Since the natural history of plantar fasciitis has not been established, it is unclear how much of symptom resolution is in fact due to the wide variety of commonly used treatments.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. K. Neufeld and R. Cerrato Plantar Fasciitis: Evaluation and Treatment J. Am. Acad. Ortho. Surg., June 1, 2008; 16(6): 338 - 346. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. D. Rompe, J. Furia, L. Weil, and N. Maffulli Shock wave therapy for chronic plantar fasciopathy Br. Med. Bull., April 24, 2007; (2007) ldm005v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Ayub, S. H. Yale, and C. Bibbo Common Foot Disorders Clin. Med. Res., May 1, 2005; 3(2): 116 - 119. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. I. Weintraub Magnets for Patients With Heel Pain JAMA, January 7, 2004; 291(1): 43 - 44. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Haake, M. Buch, C. Schoellner, F. Goebel, M. Vogel, I. Mueller, J. Hausdorf, K. Zamzow, C. Schade-Brittinger, and H.-H. Mueller Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for plantar fasciitis: randomised controlled multicentre trial BMJ, July 10, 2003; 327(7406): 75. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]