Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition in the feet caused by inflammation of the foot’s support structures. It can be caused by standing for long periods, running, wearing poorly fitting shoes, being overweight, and tightness in the feet or legs. Treatment includes stretching exercises, better quality shoes, orthotics, night splints, and surgery in rare cases. It can affect anyone and should not be ignored to avoid permanent damage.
Plantar fasciitis, pronounced plant-ter fash-ee-eye-tis is a condition that creates pain in the feet, most frequently in the heels. The pain or burning is caused by inflammation of the foot’s support structures. There are several causes for this inflammation and they often work in conjunction with each other.
Standing for several hours at a time on a hard surface, running too much or too hard, wearing shoes that don’t fit or don’t have enough arch support, being overweight, and unusual tightness in the feet or legs are all related to fasciitis. plantar.
This condition can usually be diagnosed without extensive testing, as the most common sign of plantar fasciitis is heel pain upon waking in the morning or after a long period of rest. Usually, the pain will ease to some extent after a person has had time to relax and fully engage in an activity.
Applying ice or soaking your feet can help temporarily relieve discomfort, as can over-the-counter pain medications and putting your feet in position to rest them. However, plantar fasciitis should be treated to avoid further damage. One of the simplest and most productive treatments are stretching exercises. Stretch your foot by picking up small objects off the floor with your toes and placing them in a box. This is an exercise that anyone can do at home with little to no cost and no special equipment.
Other simple options include switching to better quality, snug fitting shoes for shock absorption or using commercially available orthotics. Orthotics come in over-the-counter styles, such as arch supports, heel cushions, and full foot inserts, but can also be custom made by creating a cast of the patient’s foot. Custom orthotics can be expensive and take a while to make, but if your pain is severe, it may be worth the time and money. Night splints may be recommended by your doctor and have been shown to be quite effective in treating plantar fasciitis. Surgery is needed in rare cases to loosen the ligaments.
Plantar fasciitis most commonly affects women, but it can be a problem for anyone with short or damaged Achilles tendons, high arches, low arches, or flat feet. If you think you have plantar fasciitis, don’t ignore it and hope it goes away. This condition can create permanent damage and can change the way you walk, creating other painful problems throughout your body.
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