The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue, which links the heel bone to the ball of the foot, and helps maintain the stability of your arch. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of pain in the feet. It is a commonly held belief that the cause of the pain is due to inflammation, however, research has shown this not to be the case.

The symptoms are now believed to be the result of increased strain placed on the arch due to alterations in joint range, muscle strength and training loads. This is why you may have heard it called plantar fasciopathy or just heel pain.

The characteristic sign of plantar fasciopathy is a pain in the heel when you get out of bed in the morning.The pain is usually localised to the heel but may extend into your arch.

Your symptoms generally reduce once you start moving, but return towards the end of the day or after periods of rest.

Your treatment will involve reducing your symptoms through the use of soft tissue techniques, taping and load modification.

These techniques are used in conjunction with exercises to improve your joint range of motion and muscle strength.

• Posterior tibial tendinopathy
• Baxter’s neuritis
• Arch strain
• Calcaneal fracture
• Fat pad contusion

The Achilles tendon is a thick, fibrous cord that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone and functions like a spring to store and release energy during walking, running and jumping activities. The tendon has the capacity to handle a significant amount of load due to its spring-like properties. During running the tendon accepts seven times your body weight with each step.

However, even though it is the strongest tendon in the body, it has the potential to become injured if it is repeatedly exposed to loads greater than your usual capacity – this could be the result of starting a new gym program, taking up a new activity or due to reducing muscle strength or joint motion which places more load on the tendon.

Achilles tendinopathy typically produces pain in the back of the leg, approximately 2-6cm above the heel bone. It usually occurs when you exercise and eases when you rest.

As the condition worsens, you may begin to experience pain during activity and at rest, or during activities of general life that were once pain-free.

Your treatment will be focused on managing the factors that caused you to develop Achilles tendinopathy. Initially, manual therapy techniques and load management will be utilised to relieve your initial symptoms. As your symptoms begin to settle we can then work with you to improve any deficits in muscle strength or joint motion.

A key factor in treating your painful Achilles tendon is that it will not respond well to rest. However, as tendons are good at absorbing load, they respond well to progressive strengthening exercises. The main goal here is to build strength in the tendon and muscles so that they can better tolerate the load of your daily activity.

It is really important to address any Achilles tendon symptoms early on, as this reduces treatment time and gets you back to doing what you love, sooner.

• Haglund’s deformity
• Retrocalcaneal bursitis
• Partial or total rupture of the Achilles