The link between the kidneys and the plantar fascia: a real case

Physiotherapy and the practice of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) often reveal unexpected connections between different parts of the body. In this article we describe a real case in which a patient came to us with heel pain when putting weight on her foot, and how we identified a surprising link between this pain and kidney function.

The patient and her heel pain

The patient came to our clinic because of a sharp pain in her heel when walking. After an initial assessment, we found she had a tight, stiff plantar fascia, which could be linked to her pain. But what made this case intriguing was the lack of oxygen in the plantar fascia and its connection with the kidneys.

The link between the plantar fascia and the kidneys

In some cases, a lack of oxygen in the plantar fascia can be linked to kidney problems. The kidneys play a vital role in regulating the body's fluids.

The kidney and certain tissues such as the psoas, the calf muscles, the soleus and the plantar fascia share the same nerve supply. When the kidneys are overloaded, vasoconstriction can reduce the oxygen reaching these muscles or tissues, creating hypoxia that causes pain and stiffness. Another well-known example: with a heart problem, one of the symptoms can be severe pain in the left arm. This is called referred pain, and every organ in the body can cause it in the tissues it shares a nerve supply with (known as facilitated segments).

Chronic dehydration and its impact

In this case, we found that chronic dehydration was putting strain on her kidneys. This long-term dehydration affected kidney function and, in turn, blood flow to the plantar fascia, causing the heel pain.

The treatment approach

Treatment focused on two fronts: improving the patient's kidney health and tackling the heel pain directly. This included proper hydration and dietary changes to ease the load on the kidneys, as well as specific physical therapy for the plantar fascia.

This case shows how important it is to consider the body as a whole. Symptoms in one part of the body can sometimes be linked to dysfunction in other, seemingly unrelated areas. Physiotherapy and PNI worked together to address both the symptoms and the underlying cause of the pain.

If you suffer from chronic pain, it's essential to find professionals who take a whole-person approach to finding effective solutions.