What is plantar fasciitis and how does it occur?
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia that is caused by increased tension on it. This increase in voltage can occur for various reasons. One of the main ones is a way of stepping that is not correct, for example when the foot flattens too much (pronated feet) or, conversely, when we have a foot that is more hollow than normal (with an increased plantar vault). It can also be generated by a retraction of the posterior leg muscles, which causes increased tension in the fascia, since both structures are connected by a kind of pulley system that is the Aquileo-calcaneus-plantar system.
What are your symptoms?
The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is a severe heel pain when we get up in the morning, since the fascia at rest at night becomes shorter and pulls when walking, increasing its tension. After taking a few steps the intensity of the pain decreases.
At other times, it appears pain in the plantar arch and patients feel that the sole of the foot pulls them. When fasciitis progresses, it can hurt at any time of the day and be limiting for sports practice.
At Podoactiva you have 16 years of experience and have treated more than 1 million patients. Is this pathology very common?
That’s how it is. In our experience, we can confirm that it is one of the most common in consultation, in addition to the fact that many studies state that approximately 10% of the population can get plantar fasciitis at some point in their lives. In the non-athletic population it is more common in women, since the use of heels causes an increase in the retraction of the posterior leg muscles and this can cause it. In the case of the sports population, this percentage is equal. It is possibly the foot pathology in which we have the most experience, performing more than 10,000 treatments per year, with a resolution level of more than 95% of cases.
This is the foot pathology in which we have the most experience, performing more than 10,000 treatments per year, with a resolution level of more than 95% of cases.
Dr. Victor Alfaro Santafé
General Director of Podoactiva and podiatrist of the Real Madrid first team
With all your experience, how do you treat plantar fasciitis?
The key is decrease tension in the plantar fascia and not just focus on the symptoms. With our patients we carry out a tread study to analyze his way of walking And if there is some kind of muscle shortening related to plantar fasciitis. In these cases, by using a worldwide patented 3D scanning system, we design the personalized templates Podoactiva to be able to give support the plantar arch, decrease tension in the plantar fascia, relax the posterior leg muscles and cushion the heel. In addition, in the phase of more pain we recommend local anti-inflammatories and treatments of physiotherapy to reduce inflammation of the fascia. In specific cases we have to perform other therapies such as infiltrations, percutaneous electrolysis, etc.
What differentiates the Podoactiva insoles from others on the market?
The key is in customization. Carry out a complete study and subsequently process this data at the Podoactiva headquarters using finite element calculation engineering systems and artificial intelligence, which allows us to design the template based on success criteria among the thousands of similar patients that we have previously treated . Today the Podoactiva team is made up of more than 300 people, of which about 200 are podiatrists, but the rest are engineers, physicists, technicians, etc. I believe that the multidisciplinary approach is what guarantees success.
We carry out a “double personalization” in each treatment. The insole is customized in geometry based on the 3D scan of the patient’s feet and also in the different thicknesses to achieve the degree of flexibility indicated in each patient based on more than 100 parameters that we obtain from the study. Once designed, they are manufactured using state-of-the-art additive manufacturing systems using our own developed material (Dinamic Podoactiva) that allows us to carry out very effective treatments with very small thicknesses so that they can be used in most footwear.
Find your nearest clinic at:
www.podoactiva.com
Tel: 974231280