Plantar Fasciitis Treatment, Brighton

 

If you’ve got plantar fasciitis, you’ll know exactly what the first step out of bed feels like. That sharp, stabbing pain in the heel or arch the moment your foot hits the floor. It often eases after a few minutes of walking, only to return after sitting for a while or at the end of a long day. Some people feel it as a burning through the arch. Others have a dull throb that makes every step is painful.

It’s one of the most common foot complaints there is — and one of the most frustrating, because the standard advice often doesn’t shift it. Rest, ice, stretching, insoles. You do all the right things and it keeps coming back. That’s usually a sign that something in the way you’re loading your foot hasn’t been addressed.

What’s Actually Going On...

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, connecting your heel to your toes. When it becomes irritated and inflamed — usually from repeated overloading because a muscle called your Flexor Digitorum Brevis  (FDB) needs some help— you get plantar fasciitis.

But here’s what most people aren’t told, the plantar fascia doesn’t become overloaded for no reason. The way your foot loads as it hits the ground, moves through its stride, and pushes off determines how much strain that tissue takes with every step. If the foot isn’t moving well, if something in the movement pattern needs to be stronger, or is missing or restricted — the plantar fascia ends up absorbing forces it was never designed to manage alone.

Flat feet and high arches are often mentioned as causes, but foot type matters less than how the foot actually functions. A foot that moves well is far less likely to develop plantar fasciitis than one that has lost control of how it loads. And that loss of control rarely starts in the foot — it’s usually connected to what’s happening further up the chain, in the ankle, the hip, and the way the whole body moves.

How I Approach It:

I work with Gary Ward’s AiM method — Anatomy in Motion — which is built around finding what’s missing in the movement system and putting it back. For plantar fasciitis, that means looking at the whole picture, not just the foot...

First, we look at how you’re loading your foot through your gait cycle (how you are walking) where the weight is going, whether the foot is getting the movement it needs at each stage of the stride, or whether it’s restricted. Perhaps the other leg is not as strong as we would like and forcing the plantar fascia to compensate on the affected side...

Second, we look at the hip, when rotation is reduced or restricted at the hip, it directly affects how the foot loads. It can also be a timing issue — whether the foot is landing in the right sequence, and whether it has enough time within each stride to move the way it needs to in order to meet the ground properly. Think of it like a chain of events that needs to happen in the right order - when one part of that chain is out of sync, the plantar fascia ends up taking more load than it should. Addressing hip rotation is often a key part of getting plantar fasciitis to resolve permenantly rather than just settle temporarily.

Third, we build foot intrinsic strength. The small muscles inside the foot play a crucial role in how it absorbs and distributes load. When they’re weak, the plantar fascia picks up the slack. Strengthening them — in the right way, in the right order — takes the pressure off the tissue and gives the foot the support it needs from within.

What a Session Looks Like..

Sessions are hands-on and practical. We’ll look at how you move, how your foot loads, and where the restrictions are in the chain. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of what’s been driving your symptoms — and a specific exercise programme, fully videoed, that takes around 20 minutes a day at home. No gym required. The goal isn’t just to settle the pain. It’s to restore the movement patterns that stop it coming back.

Who Is This For?

This approach is for everyone, no matter your goal. Whether it's playing with the grandchildren in the park, walking the dog,  marathon runners and active people whose plantar fasciitis keeps flaring and finds the pain becoming a daily feature of life. This is for you if you have tried the standard route — rest, stretching, insoles — and found that things improve but never fully resolve. If you’ve been told your plantar fasciitis is structural and you’ve been managing it rather than treating it, it’s worth exploring whether the way your foot and body move is driving the problem. In most cases, it is.

Based in Brighton

I work with clients in Brighton and across the surrounding area. If you’re tired of managing plantar fasciitis and want to understand what’s actually causing it, a Missing Piece Assessment is the place to start.

Book your Missing Piece Assessment today and take the first step toward a foot that works the way it’s supposed to.

Frequently Asked Questions:

I’ve been told to rest and stretch — why isn’t it working?

Rest and stretching are often the first things recommended for plantar fasciitis, and they can offer some short-term relief. But if the underlying reason the tissue is being overloaded hasn’t been addressed, the symptoms will keep coming back the moment you return to your normal routine. Stretching alone doesn’t restore the movement patterns that are driving the problem, and rest simply removes the load temporarily without changing anything. What the foot actually needs is better movement and the right strength — and that’s a different starting point entirely.

Could my hip really be contributing to my plantar fasciitis?

Yes — and this is one of the things most people haven’t been told. When rotation is missing at the hip, it directly affects how the foot loads with every step. It’s also a timing issue — whether the foot is landing in the right sequence and whether it has enough time within each stride to move the way it needs to in order to meet the ground properly. Think of it like a chain of events that needs to happen in the right order. When one part of that chain is off, the plantar fascia ends up taking more load than it should. Addressing what’s happening at the hip is often a key part of getting plantar fasciitis to resolve properly rather than just settle temporarily.

I’ve had plantar fasciitis for years — is it too late to do something about it?

It’s never too late. In fact, many of the clients I work with have been dealing with plantar fasciitis for months or years before they come to see me. The longer it’s been there, the more entrenched the loading pattern tends to be — but the body responds well when you give it the right input. I trained with Gait Happens and work with Gary Ward’s AIM method, both of which are built around finding what’s missing in the movement system and restoring it. The body has a remarkable capacity to adapt and improve when it gets what it needs.

Do I need to stop running or exercising while I’m being treated?

Not necessarily. That depends on the severity of your symptoms and what’s driving them. For some people, modifying rather than stopping activity is absolutely possible — and staying active is often beneficial. We’ll look at how you’re loading through each stride and what’s aggravating the tissue, and work out what adjustments make sense for you. The goal is always to keep you moving as much as possible while the underlying patterns are being restored.

What should I look for in footwear if I have plantar fasciitis?

Two things matter most. First, a wide toe box — the foot needs room for the toes to splay and the forefoot to function naturally. Second, a stable sole that supports the foot properly as it contacts the ground. Over-cushioned shoes can feel appealing when you’re in pain, but if the foam doesn’t support the foot as it moves over the ground, it can allow the tissue to overload in ways a more supportive shoe wouldn’t. As part of your programme, I’ll give you specific guidance on what to look for so you’re not guessing.