Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has partially torn the plantar fascia in his left foot. This adds to the quarterback’s reported injuries to his right shoulder as well as a rib cage injury reported after Friday’s practice. But, what does this mean for the rest of the Quarterback’s season?
While a less than common injury, a partial or complete tear of the plantar fascia is caused by a sudden traumatic over stretching of the ligament. This will usually cause intense pain and swelling to the bottom of the foot. Depending on the severity of the injury, most patients require a surgical boot to decrease pressure on the area for 3 to 6 weeks. However, if he’s anything like his brother Eli Manning, we should expect him to play through the injury. Eli suffered a full tear of his plantar fascia back in the fourth week of the 2009 season, but didn’t miss any games that season.
Certain injuries to the plantar fascia (such as plantar fasciitis) are among the most common foot injuries to both athletes and those just watching on the sidelines. The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue (ligament) at the bottom of the foot that connects your heel bone to your toes. With over 3 million cases reported in the US each year, plantar fasciitis is the most common injury to the plantar fascia. Commonly caused by improper shoes as well as simple overuse (think weekend warriors), plantar fasciitis is easily treatable but only when diagnosed early.
Recent advances in medical technology has provided hope for those who have suffered extended bouts of Plantar Fasciitis. Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment option that catalyses the body’s natural healing mechanisms to heal the plantar fascia at an accelerated rate. It utilizes high concentration sound waves to penetrate the plantar fascia stimulating blood flow to the area to speed healing, with little or no discomfort to the patient.
With all the options available for treatment of his partially torn plantar fascia, we wish Peyton a speedy recovery.