A recent study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery reports on the effects of Achilles versus isolated plantar fascial stretching in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. A study recently found new evidence that simple stretching can help relieve heel pain in roughly 2 million Americans. Plantar fasciitis, which is caused by microtears of the plantar fascia, can be a very frustrating condition to treat. Some patients will undergo treatment with pain relief in as little as 1 month. Unfortunately, many people can have the condition much longer and some, about 10%, may not experience full relief of symptoms. Unlike other overuse injuries, plantar fasciits can be caused by excessive strain, even following mild activity such as standing, walking or jogging. A study, led by Dr. Benedict DiGiovanni, orthopedic surgeon and associated professor of orthopedic surery at theUniversity of Rochester, compared stretching the plantar fascia versus Achilles tendon stretching or the runner’s stretch, so often prescribed by treating physicians. The ‘new’ stretch described by Dr. DiGiovanni is a stretch most podiatrists have been prescribing to their patients for years. The stretch involves curling the toes backward under stress dorsiflexion of both the digits and ankle.
In an earlier study in 2003, Dr. DiGiovanni compared the isolated fasical stretch to the Achilles tendon stretch in an 8 week clinical trial of 82 patients who suffered with plantar fasciitis for more than 10 months. Patients were educated on either stretching the Achilles or plantar fascia. After 2 months, the plantar fascia group reported significantly less pain and more improvement than the Achilles tendon group.
In this newer study reported in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, he studied the progress, 2 years after of 66 patients from the first study of 82 patients. All had been instructed to properly stretch the fascia with the isolated fascial stretch technique. He reported that all these patients reported similar results to the first plantar fascial stretch study group and 92% of both groups reported near total statisfaction with the treatment. 94% reported a decrease in their initial heel pain.
