PLANTAR FASCIITIS (3 Myths) — When it comes to medical conditions, misinformation that is spread knowingly, or unknowingly, often comes at the expense of the individual experiencing symptoms. — Why do these myths matter? — Well, they can lead to unnecessary costs, care, and beliefs that actually negatively impact long-term outcomes. — Let’s use the first two myths as an example: inflammation and heel spurs. If you’re told that the reason for your plantar heel pain is either inflammation or an abnormal bony change, what choice do you have for recovery other than rest, medication, and/or surgery? — Thankfully, inflammation is NOT the primary driving factor and heel spurs don’t affect prognosis, so we can utilize active strategies to improve function. — How about scar tissue? — If your belief is that you have heel pain because of scar tissue or adhesions, then the only way to get better is to break them down. However, it’s not possible to manually deform the plantar fascia, nor is it needed. — Once again, it becomes an issue because time is often wasted on trying to perform an intervention that is physiological impossible rather than trying to alter important modifiable factors that actually contribute to symptoms. And, people often spend a lot of money visiting clinicians who swear that they are breaking up their tissue. —