Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that affects the plantar fascia which is a strong fibrous band located at the bottom of the foot supporting the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia that occurs due to excessive walking or running which causes the plantar fascia to tear due to extensive stretching. Some other common causes of plantar fasciitis include: prolonged standing, obesity, mechanical imbalances, tight calf muscles or bad worn shoes.
Plantar fasciitis can be recognized by a hot, sharp pain in the heel. This pain is usually noticed in the morning when the person makes his first few steps. As he continues to walk and move around, the pain will lessen or might even disappear. The pain normally returns when a person resumes his activities after resting for a long period of time. People with severe cases of plantar fasciitis might experience the pain in a more severe form at the end of the day.
Finding a plantar fasciitis treatment is not a difficult task. There are many simple treatments for plantar fasciitis. These include: massaging the plantar fascia, physical therapy, placing ice on the plantar fascia, using custom-made orthotics in shoes, wearing shoes with arch support, stretching the calf muscles and using shockwave or radio therapy.
Another simple treatment is to wear a night splint as you sleep to keep the plantar fascia lengthened. This makes the first steps in the morning less painful because the plantar fascia is stretched the entire night. Activities such as prolonged standing, walking and running help in the healing process. Weight loss is also another way to treat plantar fasciitis in that it helps to reduce the stress that is placed on the plantar fascia due to being overweight.
When all other treatments fall, surgery might be needed to make an incision in the plantar fascia to decrease the tension. However, there are some risks involved in this surgical procedure. It can lead to irritation of the nerves that are around the heel, an infection and additional heel or foot pain. It can even result in the flattening of the arch. Not all surgical procedures are successful thus resulting in continued plantar fasciitis.
