Management and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis
Summary
Plantar fasciitis is a prevalent cause of heel pain characterised by degeneration and microtears at the plantar fascia enthesis. Lifetime incidence approaches 10%, imposing substantial functional disability and healthcare costs worldwide. Management spans a spectrum from patient education, stretching protocols and footwear advice through to advanced modalities such as extracorporeal shockwave therapy, biologic injections and, in refractory cases, surgical release. Early intervention emphasises load modification, night splints and customised orthoses to redistribute plantar pressures and restore tissue homeostasis. As understanding of risk factors such as obesity, pronated foot posture and limited ankle dorsiflexion has deepened, multidisciplinary approaches now integrate physical therapy, imaging‐guided assessment and patient‐centred goal setting. Recent trends favour stepped-care models that reserve invasive interventions for persistent symptoms beyond three to six months, thereby balancing efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Management and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in management and treatment of plantar fasciitis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Plantar fascia: A thick fibrous band supporting the medial longitudinal arch of the foot and absorbing load during gait.
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT): A non-invasive technique delivering acoustic pulses to stimulate neovascularisation and tissue repair.
Orthoses: Custom or prefabricated insoles designed to redistribute plantar pressures and correct foot posture.
First-step pain: The characteristic sharp heel pain experienced on initial weight bearing after rest.
References
- The effectiveness of shockwave therapy on patellar tendinopathy, Achilles tendinopathy, and plantar fasciitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Immunology (2023).
- Management of plantar heel pain: a best practice guide informed by a systematic review, expert clinical reasoning and patient values. British Journal of Sports Medicine (2021).
- A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews on the Epidemiology, Evaluation, and Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis. Life (2021).
- Plantar heel pain in middle-aged and older adults: population prevalence, associations with health status and lifestyle factors, and frequency of healthcare use. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2019).
- Obesity and pronated foot type may increase the risk of chronic plantar heel pain: a matched case-control study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2007).
- Imaging of plantar fascia disorders: findings on plain radiography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Insights into Imaging (2016).
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.