What Is It?

Photo courtesy of footcaredirect.com
The plantar fascia is a thick, long ligament that is found on the bottom of the foot. It is anchored on the heel bone (the medial tubercle of the calcaneous) and runs along the inside arch of the foot (medial longitudinal arch) (Young, Rutherford & Niedfeldt, 2001). The purpose of the plantar fascia is to give more arch support when standing still (static support) and also to provide shock absorption when moving (dynamic support)( Young, Rutherford & Niedfeldt, 2001). When this anatomical structure is irritiated or torn it causes pain know as Plantar Fasciitis. Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain addressed in outpatient treatment (Hellman & Imboden, 2007).