Plantar Fasciitis

The diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is made by checking the patient’s medical history, risk factors present, and the results of their physical examinations, whereby the doctor will identify where the pain is located on the foot, as well as how severe it is.

Plantar fasciitis treatments in Singapore can range from non-surgical to surgical. Most cases of plantar fasciitis do not require surgery to treat; so, surgery is only considered as a last resort if conservative methods do not yield good results.

Conservative Treatments

The most common examples of non-surgical treatments for plantar fasciitis are medication and physiotherapy.

• Medication: Medications such as pain relievers and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be prescribed in order to alleviate pain and inflammation.
• Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy can benefit patients as they are taught exercises to stretch the plantar fascia and ankle, as well as strengthen the lower leg muscles.

Patients may also be advised to wear orthotics and supportive footwear to limit abnormal foot motion, support the arch, and minimise the stress on the plantar fascia. Applying ice to lessen the pain and inflammation and using crutches to prevent placing the full weight on the patients' feet are also possible forms of heel pain treatments in Singapore.

Medical Procedures

If non-surgical treatments fail to yield good results, doctors may recommend plantar fasciitis surgery in Singapore or other kinds of procedures, such as:

• Gastrocnemius recession: This surgery lengthens one of the two muscles in the calf. By doing so, it helps to increase the ankle’s range of motion. This will help to reduce tension on the plantar fascia and potentially alleviating symptoms of plantar fasciitis.
• Plantar fascia release: Surgeons will cut the plantar fascia in order to release tension and soothe the inflamed ligament. This can be done via traditional open surgery or minimally invasive surgery.
• Injections: Steroid medication may be injected into the inflamed area to provide temporary relief from pain. Another form of injectable is platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is obtained from the patient’s own blood and injected into the affected area to promote tissue healing.
• Extracorporeal shock wave therapy: This procedure uses high-energy sound waves that are directed at the inflamed area. These sound waves promote blood flow and stimulate faster healing of the plantar fascia.
• Ultrasonic tissue repair: As a minimally invasive procedure, this treatment utilises ultrasound imaging that guides a needle-like probe to repair the plantar fascia tissue. After penetrating the skin, this probe will vibrate rapidly, generating energy and breaking up the damaged tissue. These damaged tissues will then be suctioned out.

Patients should take note of their symptoms and when they started. They should be aware of their medical history, activities that they engaged in that may have contributed to developing plantar fasciitis. Medications and other supplements that they are taking should be disclosed as well.

Various heel pain clinics in Singapore advise patients to commit to maintaining a healthy weight, changing old and worn-out athletic shoes for better support, adopting proper sports techniques and getting ample rest in between exercises.