Why is the term “plantar fasciitis” potentially misleading?

The suffix “-itis” implies inflammation. However, in most cases of plantar fasciitis, observable signs of inflammation are not present. The cardinal signs of inflammation are: pain, redness, swelling/edema, and heat. For a condition to be considered inflamed, pain must be present along with one or more of the other signs.

In plantar fasciitis, typically the only symptom present is pain under the heel, especially with taking the first steps after a period of inactivity. Signs of swelling, redness, and heat are rarely observed. Because inflammation is not clearly evident, the “-itis” suffix can be misleading.

It may be more accurate to call this condition plantar fasciosis or plantar fasciopathy instead of plantar fasciitis. The suffixes “-osis” and “-opathy” indicate a pathology or diseased state without specifying inflammation as the cause. This may reflect the underlying nature of the tissue dysfunction in plantar fasciitis more precisely.

The implications of this distinction are that treatments focused exclusively on managing inflammation may have limited effectiveness. Since inflammation is not likely driving the condition, approaches that address other tissue and functional factors will probably be more impactful. This includes techniques to resolve adhesive scar tissue, normalize tissue texture, restore motion to joints, deactivate trigger points, and provide rehabilitative exercises. So in summary, the name “plantar fasciitis” can give the false impression that inflammation is central to this condition when that does not appear to accurately reflect its common presentation.