Plantar Fasciitis in Clarks Summit

Find Relief from Foot Pain with Plantar Fasciitis Services in Clarks Summit

If you’re dealing with sharp, stabbing pain in your heel or arch whenever you take a step, you may have plantar fasciitis. This common foot condition affects over 2 million people each year in the US alone. The pain and inflammation can make it agony to walk, stand, or engage in your normal daily activities.

At Body Dynamic in Clarks Summit, our expert physical therapists specialize in effective, personalized treatment plans for plantar fasciitis and other foot pain conditions. Through targeted exercises, hands-on manual therapy, and modalities like ultrasound, we can help relieve your pain, improve mobility, restore function, and prevent future flare-ups.

Is Physical Therapy Right for My Plantar Fasciitis in Clarks Summit?
You may be wondering if physical therapy is the best treatment option for your painful feet. Many people try over-the-counter arch supports, pain medication, rest, ice, stretching, or cortisone injections to find relief first. But while these methods may provide some temporary alleviation of symptoms, they fail to address the underlying factors driving your plantar fasciitis.

Physical therapy takes a whole-body, personalized approach to identify and correct muscle imbalances, gait abnormalities, improper footwear, and overuse issues that contribute to inflammation of the plantar fascia. By tailoring a combination of hands-on techniques, targeted exercises, and expert footwear and activity recommendations to your unique needs, we can help speed healing, restore proper foot biomechanics, improve mobility, and prevent future re-injury.

The Benefits of Physical Therapy for Plantar Fasciitis

Specialized physical therapy is often the key to finding lasting relief from plantar fasciitis pain. At Body Dynamic, our expert therapists offer comprehensive treatment focused on alleviating your discomfort now and keeping it away long-term. Our proven approach provides significant benefits including:

Quick, Effective Pain Relief
The hallmark symptom of plantar fasciitis is sharp pain with your first steps in the morning or after long periods of sitting. Our hands-on manual therapy techniques like instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization directly target the inflamed, irritated plantar fascia tissue to stimulate healing. Therapeutic modalities like ultrasound also help reduce inflammation and discomfort. Patients typically experience notable pain relief within just a few sessions.

Improved Mobility and Flexibility
Limited ankle and foot flexibility coupled with tight calf muscles are key culprits behind plantar fasciitis. Your customized treatment plan will include focused stretching, joint mobilization, and myofascial release to improve mobility and range of motion. Specific strengthening exercises also help relieve strain on the overworked plantar fascia. With restored flexibility and strength, you’ll move with less pain and greater ease.

Reduced Risk of Re-Injury
Plantar fasciitis often recurs because underlying biomechanical faults persist untreated. By correcting factors like overpronation through custom orthotics and instability from weak foot intrinsics with targeted exercises, we fix the root problems. This reduced risk of flare-ups or re-injury down the road. We’ll also provide guidance on proper footwear and activity modification for long-term success.

Non-Invasive Treatment
Corticosteroid injections and surgery should be last resorts for stubborn plantar fasciitis due to potential complications. Physical therapy takes a conservative, non-invasive approach focused on hands-on techniques to stimulate your body’s natural healing capacity along with exercises to rebuild strength and flexibility. By avoiding aggressive interventions, we help clients achieve lasting relief without unwanted side effects.

Frequently Asked Questions About Plantar Fasciitis Physical Therapy in Clarks Summit

If you’re wondering if our plantar fasciitis treatment can help you feel better or have concerns about the process, check out answers to some of our most common questions:

Is It Okay to Keep Walking with Plantar Fasciitis?
Continuing normal activities isn’t recommended if it causes significant pain that persists for hours afterwards. Complete rest also isn’t advised long-term since reducing activity further weakens the muscles supporting your feet. Your physical therapist will discuss appropriate activity modification to allow gentle movement without overstressing injured tissue.

Will My Plantar Fasciitis Ever Go Away Completely?
For approximately 90% of plantar fasciitis sufferers, conservative treatment measures like physical therapy result in complete resolution of symptoms. It may take several months for inflamed tissues to heal depending on severity. But with expert interventions tailored to your specific deficiencies, there’s an excellent chance you make a full recovery without invasive measures.

What Should I Avoid Doing with Plantar Fasciitis?
Activities that significantly worsen pain like extended standing/walking, high heels, or heavily impact exercises will delay healing and should be minimized. Taping and orthotics from your PT can provide support while gently reintroducing movement. Transitioning back to aggravating activities requires restoring flexibility, strength, and proper mechanics to prevent re-injury.

What Provides the Fastest Healing for Plantar Fasciitis?
While an exact timeline varies, consistent physical therapy including manual therapy, modalities like ultrasound, targeted stretches/exercises, and activity modification delivers some of the quickest, most lasting relief available without relying solely on pain medication or injections. Early treatment leads to the fastest recovery – don’t wait if you have symptoms! Your customized PT plan will get you back on your feet quickly and safely.

Meet Your Plantar Fasciitis Recovery Team

At Body Dynamic, our compassionate, highly-skilled physical therapists leverage the latest evidence-based techniques to deliver a holistic plantar fasciitis treatment plan tailored just for you. We combine hands-on manual therapy with rehabilitative exercises, modalities, footwear recommendations, and patient education for optimal healing.

Meet the specialists dedicated to helping you find relief:

Donna Sokolowski, PT, specializing in Vestibular Disorders, Concussion Management, and Graston Technique
With over 30 years of outpatient experience, Donna Sokolowski utilizes a combination of hands-on soft tissue mobilization, targeted therapeutic exercises, activity modification guidelines, and custom orthotics to provide effective, lasting relief from plantar fasciitis flare-ups. His calm, attentive care helps clients understand their diagnosis to prevent future foot pain.

Start Healing Your Feet with Plantar Fasciitis Physical Therapy Care

If you’re suffering from painful plantar fasciitis flare-ups slowing you down, the expert physical therapists at Body Dynamic are here to help. Our thorough evaluations identify your unique pain triggers like biomechanical issues, inflexibility, or poor footwear choices. Then we’ll customize targeted manual therapy techniques and stretches combined with rehabilitative exercises and activity recommendations to deliver tailored relief.

Regain your active lifestyle with proven physical therapy for plantar fasciitis instead of waiting and hoping the pain goes away on its own. Call us today or request an appointment online to have your foot pain properly assessed and treated. We look forward to helping you get back to doing what you love pain-free!