Plantar Fasciitis Night Splint

Question:

Would this splint work to stretch my achilles at night while asleep? I have been diagnosed by a podiatrist with chronic achilles tendonitis.

Answer:

Yes, this Plantar Fasciitis night Splint is designed to do exactly that - to stretch your achilles tendon while you sleep. It also has the advantage of being adjustable.

Question:

I had a stroke last year and lost most of the use of my left leg. I wear a brace but I'm starting to get what my doctor calls a posterior contracture of my ankle. Basically, the back of the ankle is contracting. Can I use this brace to try to stop the contracture?

Answer:

This would be a good brace to use at night to try and stretch any contracture of the posterior ankle or Achilles tendon. Be sure to check with your prosthetist about your brace and see if the daytime brace that you're wearing is stout enough to limit contracture.

Question:

What does this stretch? Does it stretch the fascia or the Achilles tendon? And why does that help plantar fasciitis?

Answer:

Night splints, regardless of their design, stretch the calf. Tendon and fascia are inelastic and cannot stretch. Weakening the calf by stretching has a significant effect on the structures distal to the calf (the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia). Be sure to read our knowledge base pages on Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis for more information.

Question:

I have a plantar fibroma and was wondering if this is the correct type of night splint to try and treat it. I also where a mens 9.5 shoe in some brands, and up to an 11 in others. This puts me right between the large and medium sizes for the splint so I was wondering how the size tends to run and which size would be the better bet to go with.

Answer:

Good question.  I apologize in advance for my lack of clarity on this response, but my best answer is maybe.  The single greatest mechanical influence on the plantar fascia is the calf muscle.  Stretching the calf with a plantar fasciitis night splint weakens the mechanical load applied to the fascia and can thereby provide an opportunity for healing within the plantar fascia.  Use of the splint won't necessarily make the plantar fibroma go away; that can only be accomplished with surgery.  But nightly use of the plantar fasciitis night splint may work to ease the pain that you have with the fibroma.

In terms of the sizing, go with the medium.  You're better off to have a snug fit.

Jeffrey A. Oster, DPM
Medical Director
Myfootshop.com

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