Plantar Fasciitis Treatment in London
Assessment and rehabilitation for persistent heel and plantar fascia pain.
Plantar fasciitis can make walking, standing, running and even the first few steps in the morning painful.
Whether your heel pain started gradually, has returned when you increased your activity or has continued despite trying to manage it yourself, we can assess the problem and help you understand what to do next.
When Should I Consider Physiotherapy For Heel Pain?
Plantar fasciitis often causes pain underneath the foot around the heel and arch.
People commonly come to us when:- The first few steps in the morning are painful
- Heel pain is worse after sitting or resting
- Walking or standing for longer periods aggravates the heel
- Running has become painful or difficult
- Heel pain returns when training or activity increases
- Symptoms have continued despite rest or self-management
- They have been told they have plantar fasciitis or plantar fasciopathy
- Heel pain is affecting work or everyday activity
- Previous treatment has not produced the progress they expected
- They are unsure how much walking, running or exercise they should continue
You do not need to know whether plantar fasciitis is definitely causing your heel pain before booking.
Your first appointment is designed to assess the problem, explain what we think is happening and help you understand what to do next.
Heel Pain Problems We Commonly Assess
Pain around the underside of the heel that becomes noticeable during walking, standing or exercise.
Heel pain that is particularly noticeable during the first few steps after getting out of bed or standing after a period of rest.
Symptoms that develop or worsen during running or following an increase in training.
Symptoms that have continued for longer than expected despite rest, stretching or other self-management.
Symptoms that settle before returning when walking, running or training increases again.
People who have already been given a diagnosis but want a clearer rehabilitation plan or have not made the progress they expected.
The assessment is not simply about confirming the name of the condition.
We also want to understand what is currently aggravating the heel, how it is affecting you and what you want to get back to doing.What Happens At Your First Plantar Fasciitis Appointment?
Understand Your Heel Pain
We talk through when the symptoms started, where you feel the pain, how it behaves throughout the day and whether changes in walking, running, work or training may have been involved.
We also discuss what you have already tried.
Assess What Matters
We assess the foot and ankle and look at the movement, strength and activities relevant to your symptoms.
Depending on your goals, this may include walking, calf raises, balance or other movements related to running and exercise.
Explain What We Find
We explain whether your symptoms appear consistent with plantar fasciitis and what we think may be contributing to the problem.
If we think another explanation for your heel pain needs to be considered, we explain that too.
Start Treatment Or Rehabilitation
Where appropriate, we can begin treatment or rehabilitation during the same appointment.
What we do is based on what we find during your assessment rather than using the same treatment for everybody with heel pain.
Build Your Plan
Before you leave, we explain what we recommend next, what you can do between appointments and how we will measure progress towards walking, running, work, exercise or sport.
Do I Need A Scan For Plantar Fasciitis?
Not Necessarily.
Plantar fasciitis can often be assessed from your symptoms and physical assessment without needing a scan first.
Imaging may be useful in some circumstances, particularly if your symptoms do not fit the expected pattern, the problem is not progressing as expected or another cause of heel pain needs to be considered.
If you already have an ultrasound, MRI, X-ray or medical report, bring it with you and we can consider the findings alongside your symptoms and assessment.
If you have not had a scan, you do not normally need to arrange one before booking unless you have already been advised to do so.
If we think further investigation would be useful, we will explain why.
How Do We Treat And Rehabilitate Plantar Fasciitis?
There is no single treatment that everybody with plantar fasciitis needs.
What we recommend depends on your symptoms, how much activity the heel currently tolerates, what we find during your assessment and what you want to get back to doing.
Complete rest is not automatically the answer.
We can help you understand how much walking, running or exercise your heel currently tolerates and whether anything needs to be temporarily reduced or modified.
Exercise rehabilitation can be used to progressively build strength through the foot, ankle and calf according to your starting point.
As symptoms allow, we progressively increase what the foot and lower leg are being asked to do.
For someone returning to running or sport, this can eventually progress beyond basic exercises towards the demands of their normal activity.
The final stages should reflect what you actually want to return to, whether that is comfortable everyday walking, long periods on your feet, gym training, running or sport.
Treatment Options Where Appropriate
- Hands-on treatment
- Exercise rehabilitation
- Laser therapy
- Shockwave therapy
- EMS
- Infrared cupping
- Vibration therapy
Can Shockwave Therapy Help Plantar Fasciitis?
Shockwave Therapy may be considered for some people with persistent plantar heel pain, particularly when symptoms have continued despite an appropriate period of conservative management.
It is not automatically the first treatment that everybody with heel pain needs.
Before recommending Shockwave Therapy, we want to understand your symptoms, assess the problem and consider what you have already tried.
Where appropriate, Shockwave Therapy can form part of a wider treatment and rehabilitation plan rather than replacing exercise and progressive loading.Do I Need To Stop Walking Or Running With Plantar Fasciitis?
Not Necessarily.
The aim is not automatically to stop all activity.
For some people, temporarily reducing or changing the amount of walking, running or other activity may help make symptoms more manageable while rehabilitation begins.
For others, activity can continue with relatively small changes.
We look at how your heel responds and help you find a level of activity that allows you to keep moving while progressively rebuilding what the foot can tolerate.
If running is one of your goals, the plan can then build towards returning to your normal training.
Our Approach To Plantar Fasciitis Rehabilitation
We assess your heel pain and understand how the problem is affecting your everyday activity, work or exercise.
Where appropriate, treatment and early rehabilitation can help manage symptoms and keep you active.
We progressively work on movement, strength and the amount of activity your foot and lower leg can manage.
As you improve, rehabilitation can progress towards longer periods of walking, running, gym training or sport where appropriate.
Not everybody needs every stage or the same number of appointments.
Someone who wants to walk comfortably around London has different demands from someone preparing for a marathon.
Your rehabilitation should reflect what you need your foot to do.
What If My Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms Aren't Improving?
- Reviewing how your heel pain has changed
- Retesting relevant movement, strength and functional tasks
- Reconsidering whether the original clinical explanation still fits
- Adjusting rehabilitation or activity
- Progressing your programme when appropriate
- Considering imaging if it is likely to change management
- Considering medical or specialist referral if the presentation warrants it
We do not want to simply repeat the same treatment indefinitely.
If the clinical picture changes, the plan should change too.
Why Choose Fit2Function For Plantar Fasciitis?
We have time to understand your heel pain, assess the problem and explain what we find.
Where appropriate, treatment can be combined with progressive exercise and rehabilitation rather than relying on passive treatment alone.
Our Covent Garden clinic allows rehabilitation to progress from basic foot and calf exercises towards meaningful strength, running and higher-level activity where required.
If your heel pain is not progressing as expected, we review the problem and adjust the plan rather than simply repeating the same treatment.
Meet Our Multidisciplinary Team Behind Your Recovery
Our Physiotherapy treatments are provided by our fully qualified Physiotherapists and practitioners. They are experienced professionals skilled in evidence-based rehabilitation techniques, ensuring your treatment is safe, effective, and tailored to meet your individual goals.