UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA CAWANGAN PAHANG

FACULTY OF SPORTS SCIENCE & RECREATION

SPORT INJURY AND SAFETY

(SPS523)

Topic
Rehabilitation Program: Plantar Fascilitis Injury

Prepared for:
Sir Mohd Zulkhairi Bin Mohd Azam

No. Name Matric no.

1. Jalaluddin Bin Nasiruddin 2022997015

Bachelor of Sports Science (Hons) SR 243

Part 03 B

Submission date: 12th July 2022

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

NO TITLE PAGE
1. Introduction of Plantar Fascilitis 3
2. Anatomy of Plantar Fascilitis 4-5
3. Type of Plantar Fascilitis injury 6
4. Causes of Plantar Fascilitis injury 7
5. Sign and Symptoms of Plantar Fascilitis injury 8
6. Examination of Plantar Fascilitis injury 9
7. Treatment 10 - 11
8. Rehabilitation Program 12 - 14
9. Conclusion 15
10. References 16

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1.0 Introduction of Plantar Fascilitis

The condition’s name is derived from the plantar fascia, which is the thick tendon that connects
your heel and your toes, creating the arch in your foot. Extra pounds, non-supportive shoes, long
periods standing on hard surfaces and certain athletic activities that put a lot of stress on that region
of the foot, such as ballet or distance running, can cause this tendon to tear and become irritated,
which leads to sharp pain in the heel. Plantar fasciitis is a condition characterized by a stabbing
sensation in the heel that most often accompanies the first steps of the day. Once one has moved
around a bit, limbering up the foot, the pain typically eases. Similarly, the stabbing sensation may
also flare up when one stands after sitting for an extended time. The pain may also return following
long hours on the feet or after an intense bout of physical activity.

This age-old technique has been found to be effective against muscular contraction due to tension
or incorrect posture, in treating cervical, dorsal and lumbar pain and headaches. Plantar fasciitis is
caused by collagen deterioration in the plantar fascia, the calcaneal tuberosity of the heel, and the
surrounding perifascial tissues. The plantar fascia is crucial to the correct biomechanics of the foot.
The fascia itself is vital in providing arch support and stress absorption. Despite the fact that the
diagnosis includes the word "itis," this illness is distinguished by the absence of inflammatory
cells. Because there are numerous other causes of pain in the plantar heel outside the plantar fascia,
the phrase "Plantar Heel Pain" is more appropriate when describing this and associated disease.

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2.0 Anatomy of Plantar Fascilitis

The plantar fascia is a long, thin ligament that runs down the sole of the foot, directly beneath
the skin. It links your heel to the front of your foot and supports your arch. The plantar fascia
is made up of white longitudinally organized fibrous connective tissue that begins on the
periosteum of the medial calcaneal tubercle and expands into a thicker central section. As it
travels through all five metatarsal heads, the thicker core section of the plantar fascia divides
into five bands that wrap the flexor tendons.

Plantar fascia soreness can be insertional or non-insertional, and it can encompass the main
central band as well as the medial and lateral bands of the plantar fascia. During weight-
bearing, tibia loads the foot “truss” and creates tension through the plantar fascia (windlass
mechanism see R). The tension created in the plantar fascia adds critical stability to a loaded
foot with minimal muscle activity. One of the most prevalent causes of heel pain is plantar
fasciitis (PLAN-tur fas-e-I-tis). It is characterized by inflammation of a broad band of tissue
that runs across the bottom of each foot, connecting the heel bone to the toes (plantar fascia).
Plantar fasciitis frequently creates searing discomfort with your initial steps in the morning.
The discomfort usually subsides when you get up and walk, but it may return after lengthy
periods of standing or when you rise up after sitting. An etiology of plantar fasciitis is
unknown. It is more frequent in runners and overweight persons. All foot types are prone to
plantar fasciitis, including folks with high arches and those with what we call flat feet. The

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condition is common in middle-aged and older patients. It is also common in patients who
walk or stand on hard surfaces a lot. It disproportionately affects those who are overweight.

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3.0 Type of Plantar Fascilitis injury

There are two types of plantar fasciitis injury which is acute and chronic. There have also
fasciitis and plantar fasciitis rupture and tear. The fasciitis when it becomes inflamed, swollen,
and irritated. Fasciitis also might be due to overuse or damage to the area. It can cause pain
down the back of the leg and around the heel. It also can be notice that parts of the tendon are
getting thicker and hardening because of fasciitis. This will be worse if not be treated.

There are two types of Plantar Fascilitis:

Acute Chronic
The condition can be triggered by a There is also a chronic type also known
specific injury, this is also called an acute as the classic case of plantar fasciitis
type. which becomes worse over time.

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4.0 Causes of Plantar Fascilitis injury

The plantar fascia is a band of tissue (fascia) that connects your heel bone to the base of your
toes. It supports the arch of the foot and absorbs shock when walking. Tension and stress on
the fascia can cause small tears. Repeated stretching and tearing of the facia can irritate or
inflame it, although the cause remains unclear in many cases of plantar fasciitis. It designed to
absorb the high stresses and strains we place on our feet. But, sometimes, too much pressure
damages or tears the tissues. The body's natural response to injury is inflammation, which
results in the heel pain and stiffness of plantar fasciitis.

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5.0 Sign and Symptoms of Plantar Fascilitis injury

5.1 Sign of Plantar Fascilitis injury:

 A high arch
 An area of maximum tenderness on the bottom of your foot, just in front of your heel
bone
 Pain that gets worse when you flex your foot and the doctor pushes on the plantar fascia.
The pain improves when you point your toes down
 Limited "up" motion of your ankle

5.2 Symptoms of Plantar Fascilitis injury

The most common symptoms of plantar fasciitis include pain on the bottom of the foot near
the heel. Pain with the first few steps after getting out of bed in the morning, or after a long
period of rest, such as after a long car ride. The pain subsides after a few minutes of walking.
Greater pain after (not during) exercise or activity.

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6.0 Examination of Plantar Fascilitis injury

Abnormal findings that may point to plantar fasciitis include the following:

1) You have pain when you take your first steps after getting out of bed or after sitting for a
long period of time. Your doctor usually will learn this during a review of your medical
history.

2) When your doctor presses your heel, you have a tender spot deep in the tissue on the bottom
of your heel where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone just in front of the heel pad.

3) Sometimes there is tenderness in the middle of the plantar ligament or elsewhere in the
plantar ligament. This pain is more common in athletes who spend a lot of time on the balls
of their feet, as in aerobics, sprinting, basketball, or cycling.

4) Flexing or standing on your toes causes heel pain.

5) Local swelling in the bottom of the foot may be present, which may mean there is more
significant tearing in the plantar fascia.

6) When you stand, you have a high or low arch. When you walk, you have excessive inward
rolling of the foot (pronation) when your heel strikes the ground.

7) Visible inflammation is usually not present.

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7.0 Treatment

There are two types of treatments which is nonsurgical treatment and surgical treatment. The
nonsurgical treatment option will provide pain relief, although it may take few months for
symptoms to fully recover. Even with the early treatment the pain will last longer than 3
months. If having pain for several months before doing treatment, it will take 6 months before
the treatment’s methods effects. The nonsurgical treatments are:

1. Rest The first step to reducing pain also to decrease or even stop
doing the activities that will make the pain worsen.
2. Ice packs Ice treatment that will be useful for pain control and will
help to reduce swelling in the early stages of Achilles
Tendinopathy. The ice pack should be applied for 10-30
minutes. Less than 10 minutes will be having little effect.
More than 30 minutes may damage the skin. Make sure
make the ice pack by wrapping ice cubes in the towel.

3. Stretching exercise
Gentle stretches can help relieve and even prevent plantar
fasciitis. Stretching your calves and the plantar fascia itself
helps loosen your muscles and reduce heel pain. It’s
important to take time off from certain exercises, like
running, to give the plantar fascia time to heal. Swimming
and other low-impact activities can let you exercise without
worsening your heel pain. When you start running again,
be sure to begin slowly. Stop and stretch while exercising
to keep the pain from returning. Remember to stretch
before beginning your workouts, too. Stretches for plantar
fasciitis are easy to do. You’ll only need a few common
props, like a chair and a foam roller, or even just a frozen
water bottle.

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The surgical treatment considered to relieve Plantar Fascilitis if the pain does not improve after
6 months of nonsurgical treatments. The specific type of surgery depends on the location of
the tendinitis and the amount of damage to the tendon. The surgery treatments are:

1. Gastrocnemius If you have a hard time flexing your feet even after
recession consistent stretching, your doctor may recommend
gastrocnemius recession. This surgery involves
lengthening the calf muscle to increase ankle motion and
flexibility in the foot and release stress on the plantar fascia.
This type of surgery improved foot function and reduced
pain in people who are overweight or have obesity who also
have chronic plantar fasciitis. But while this surgery does
seem to help some people with recalcitrant plantar
Fascilitis.
2. Plantar fascia In a plantar fascia release, your surgeon will cut part of
release your plantar fascia ligament to release some of the tension,
which should hopefully relieve the inflammation. This may
entail small cuts into the ligament, or it could entail
detaching the plantar fascia from the heel bone. The
process can be performed endoscopically or via open
surgery. This reduces tension, but weakens the arch of the
foot, and full function may be lost.

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 8.0 Rehabilitation Program

The rehabilitation is very needed to make sure the injury was being treated properly and there
is no complication. There are several rehabilitation programs for Plantar Fascilitis injury which
for non-surgical patients can do:

Exercises Target injury part How to do

Tennis Ball Roll  Drape your toes over

the tennis ball and
massage the backs of
your toes.
 Then work your way
down the sole of
your foot, all the way
back to your heel.
 Roll along the inner
and outer arches.
 Keep rolling for at
least two minutes.
Towel stretch  Sit on the bed or the
floor with the legs
out in front of you.
 Wrap the towel
around the ball of
your foot just below
your toes.
 Gently pull on the
towel, allowing the
foot slowly to bend
up toward you knee
while keeping the

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 knee straight. You
will feel a slight
stretching feeling in
the back of the lower
leg. You also may
feel the stretch
behind your heel or
your knee, depending
on where the muscle
or tendon is
particularly tight.
 Hold the stretched
position for 15 to 30
seconds then slowly
release the stretch.
 Rest for a few
seconds then repeat
the stretch 3-5 times
on each leg.
Toe Curls  Sit with your feet flat
on the floor.
 Place a small towel
on the floor with the
short side facing you.
 Grasp the towel with
the toes on one foot
and try to pull it
toward you.
 Hold for 5 seconds.
 Relax your foot.

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  Repeat 10 times with
each foot.
Toe Stretch  Sit with your feet flat
on the floor.
 Lift your toes, trying
to get them all to the
same height.
 Hold for 5 seconds.
 Lower your toes.
 Repeat 10 times on
each foot.

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9.0 Conclusion

The Plantar Fascilitis injury can be preventing if we are being aware by the possible causes that
and taking precautions. As an athlete or the person who like to exercise, we need to varying
exercises by alternating between high-impact exercises such as running and low impact exercises
for example like swimming which can reduce stress on the Plantar Fascilitis on some ways. But
we should limit some certain exercises like hill running because it can put excessive strain on the
Plantar Fascilitis. While doing exercise, we need to wear the correct shoes for the sports and should
replacing them when it became worn. The shoes need to support the arch and protect the heel to
create the less tension on the tendon. Many amateur athletes were having these kinds of problem.
If some of the athlete that might be selected the wrong shoes, they can buy the arch to supports the
inside the shoes. if the athletes, gradually increase the intensity of the workout, the Plantar
Fascilitis can be occurred when the tendon is putting too much strain, so the better solution is they
need to warm up to increase the level of activity gradually which can loosen up the muscles time
and it can put less pressure on the tendon.

It was very important to stretch and warm up before and after exercising. Stretching can helps to
keep the Plantar Fascilitis flexible, so there will make the chance of tendinitis developing.
Stretching every day, including rest days will improve the further flexibility.

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10.0 References

Larson, J. (2022, February 24). What to know about plantar fascilitis. Healthline. Retrieved July
13, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/plantar-fasciitis

Harson, C., 2022. Plantar Fasciitis and Bone Spurs - OrthoInfo - AAOS. [online]
Orthoinfo.aaos.org. Available at: <https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/plantar-
fasciitis-and-bone-spurs>

Cleveland Clinic. 2022. Plantar Fasciitis: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment. [online] Available at:
<https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14709-plantar-fasciitis>

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