Plantar fasciitis is one of the leading causes of foot pain in adults. Plantar Fasciitis is responsible for over one million visits to the doctor per year. Hart Physio is proud to offer Shockwave Therapy for the treatment of Plantar Fasciitis.

The plantar fascia is a thick sheet of connective tissue located on the bottom of the foot that runs from the heel to the toes. The fascia attaches to the skin on the bottom of the foot. When people have plantar fasciitis, they will complain of pain when they initiate walking. Although the reason people get plantar fasciitis is unknown, Consultants and Physiotherapists believe many factors cause this condition that include: flat feet, decreased ankle mobility, obesity, and prolonged sitting or standing. However, in runners, there seems to be an increased incidence of this condition, some doctors think that repeated microtrauma can be another cause of plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis was a frustrating condition for people who had this diagnosis. The old treatment paradigm relied on conservative therapy for an extended period. This treatment strategy includes rest, shoe inserts, stretching of the calf muscles, and a glucocorticoid injections for temporary relief. If these treatment modalities did not improve symptoms after six months to a year of treatment, then surgery was someone’s only definitive therapy.

Now, with the invention of extracorporeal shockwave therapy, patients have a new option of treatments that is showing promise when compared to conservative treatment. Although the exact mechanism is unknown, many researchers believe that the shockwaves administered to the plantar fascia causes the break down of the scar tissue and allow the fascia to begin to heal. Scar tissue blocks the regeneration of vessels that can bring nutrients to the damaged tissue. In Europe, this therapy was approved for the past decade. Now it is being used in the United States, Canada and the UK.  This treatment was shown to be is safe for use in the general population⁵. When comparing shockwave therapy to surgical intervention, studies demonstrate that it had better outcomes⁶. As of today, no study proves that extra corporeal shockwave therapy is better than conservative therapy head to head, but research shows that a combination of shockwave and conservative therapy is better than conservative therapy alone⁷. As a result of this research, many orthopedic surgeons are recommending shockwave therapy as a treatment after only four weeks of conservative treatments⁸. The use of shockwave therapy expedites the healing process by months.

Shockwave therapy accelerates the healing process in the body by stimulating the metabolism and enhancing blood circulation to regenerate damaged tissue. Strong energy pulses are applied to the affected area. These pulses occur for short periods of time, creating micro-cavitation bubbles that expand and burst. The force created by these bubbles penetrates tissue and stimulates cells in the body that are responsible for bone and connective tissue healing. In many instances, shockwave therapy is most effective in cases where the human body has not been able to heal itself on its own.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a modern and highly effective treatment method: high-energy sound waves are introduced into the body. With this innovative therapy approach, pathological alterations of tendons, ligaments, capsules, muscles and bones can be healed systematically. It has a great variety of uses in orthopaedic and rehabilitation medicine, these include:

• Plantar fasciitis
• Achilles tendinopathy
• Tennis and golfers elbow

• Osgood Sclatters
• Subacromial pain syndrome
• Calcific tendonitis of the shoulder 
• Chronic low back pain

For further information call us on 01252 811773

As the days get shorter and the outdoor temperature drops, there’s no avoiding the truth: Winter is coming. Many of us dislike the combination of dark and cold and tend to huddle indoors, curling up with a book, binge-watching TV shows or eating carbs for comfort. And, once the holiday season arrives, there’s so much shopping, cooking, baking and wrapping to do that there are even more reasons to get away from our healthier warm-weather exercise routines. Add holiday parties and their rich food to the mix and you have the perfect recipe for sluggishness and inactivity.

Holiday Calories and Temptations

This year, don’t give in to all of these distractions and excuses: Resist! Your body and your mind will thank you, because you’ll be fighting back against all of those additional holiday calories you’ve consumed and you’ll be producing endorphins, the feel-good hormones, through exercise, helping you to combat the winter blues that can be triggered by lack of sunshine and Vitamin D. In addition, you’ll fight off the weight gain that can accompany a sedentary winter routine and will find it easy to rock that bathing suit come summer.

Outdoor Exercise

For cold weather activity, dressing in layers is the best approach to remaining warm and dry. You can always remove layers if you are too warm or add layers if you aren’t warm enough. The layer closest to your skin should be made of fabric that wicks away moisture; cotton isn’t ideal because once it’s damp, it remains so. The outermost layer should resist both moisture and wind.

Plan your outdoor exercise during the day, if possible, in order to take advantage of the warmer temperatures and sunshine. Exercising earlier in the day also allows you to check it off your schedule and forget about it for the remainder of the day. If your schedule only allows for exercise in the darkness, be sure to wear bright or reflective outer gear so you are visible to motorists and can stay safe.

Once you’re back indoors, unless you’re wet, keep your exercise gear on for 10 to 15 minutes as your body adjusts. Losing heat from your body too rapidly can lead to post-exercise hypothermia; your body reduces its production of heat because it’s in a warm environment, but it also loses its heat stores rapidly, so don’t shock it by stripping down quickly.

Indoor Exercise

For those who don’t find the cold endearing,  there are many indoor alternatives that will keep you fit during the chilly, dark winter. The gym is an obvious option. Gyms are readily available, and they generally offer exercise equipment for those who prefer solo workouts, as well as classes for those who like some company as they sweat. Try yoga or Zumba or Pilates or all three, for example. There’s no need to choose solo exercise over classes or vice-versa; switch up your routine to prevent boredom. Gyms allow you to do it all.

If you are a runner or a walker, treadmills are practical indoor substitute.

Indoor exercise doesn’t mean investing in a gym membership if your budget doesn’t allow it. Many leisure centres, including the new Hart Leisure offer drop-in fees to use their facilities, which may include a pool, a running track or fitness classes. You can also get yourself a workout DVD; do yoga or an aerobics routine in the comfort of your own home. Walking stairs for a designated amount of time is also a great workout, as is dancing to the radio. Who says exercise isn’t fun?

Whether you choose to keep moving outdoors or indoors during the winter, don’t forget to stay hydrated. You might not feel as thirsty as you do in summer, but you need water just as much. If you’re out in the cold, a thermos of herbal tea is a good substitute; it keeps you warm without any diuretic effects.

Remember, no matter what type of winter exercise you choose, the goal is to continue exercising regularly. Why lose that muscle tone you’ve worked so hard to build, just because it’s cold? There’s an exercise for everyone, so no excuses!

This article reaffirms the myth that if you are diagnosed with Arthritis that nothing can be done.
The report commissioned by Arthritis UK surveyed patients with regards to the support they received and methods they used to alleviate pain. It highlights that when managed thoughtfully and actively that significant improvements can be made with regards to quality of life.
If you would like to know more follow the link to Arthritis: The Impact on Daily Life

If an injury or illness has impaired your ability to walk normally, you may need gait training to improve your motion. Potential causes of problems with gait and balance include:
• Aging: With a natural decrease in strength and flexibility comes impairment to your balance.
• Musculoskeletal Problems: If your range of motion, strength, endurance and mobility are impeded for any reason, your gait may be affected, since you need a certain level of balance and strength to walk properly.
• Impaired Cognition: You are less able to adapt to a situation if your judgment or safety awareness decreases, your attention is poor or you process information more slowly than before.
• Impaired Neuromuscular Responses: Disruption in the signals between the brain and the muscles can affect gait and balance. The disruption can result from a variety of issues, such as a stroke, Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.
• Impaired Sensory Processes: If your body’s sensors are unable to collect information about the environment, it can lead to balance and gait issues. Sensory disabilities may be caused by glaucoma, cataracts or diabetic retinopathy, to name just a few possibilities.

Gait Analysis
Your physiotherapist may diagnose your gait as being abnormal after reviewing your medical history, discussing your symptoms and doing a walking gait analysis. She or he may use a gait scan device to assess the biomechanical function of your feet.

Gait and balance training is a type of physiotherapy that helps you learn to walk normally again. The benefits of gait and balance training include:
• Improving your balance and posture
• Strengthening your joints and muscles;
• Developing muscle memory;
• Increasing your endurance;
• Retraining your legs to participate in repetitive motion; and
• Increasing your mobility while decreasing the risk of falling.

Hart Physio is also a Bupa registered clinic. This means we can accept patients needing Physiotherapy who have been referred from their GP or directly from Bupa. We have been registered with Bupa for over 15 years and have recurrently met their standards for treatment. We can provide a fast and efficient service to patients who are struggling with spinal, joint, muscle or nerve problems. We are experienced in treating trauma and sports injuries. Please phone us on 01252 811773 or email info@hartphysio.co.uk for further information.

Our Bupa Registration number is 80009657– registered clinic address Fleet Medical Centre, Church Road, Fleet GU51 4PE, although we can provide treatment too at our Elvetham hotel clinic.

Hart Physio is a registered provider to Axa patients. We are able to provide a fast and efficient service to patients who are struggling with spinal, joint, muscle or nerve problems. We are experienced in treating trauma and sports injuries. Please phone us on 01252 811773 or email info@hartphysio.co.uk for further information.

Our Axa Registration number is ZZ ZZ03349 – registered clinic address Fleet Medical Centre, Church Road, Fleet GU51 4PE