03/10/2023
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation in the plantar fascia in your foot. It’s the most common cause of heel pain.
The plantar fascia is a strong, fibrous attachment (similar to a ligament) that runs from your heel to the ball of your foot and your toes. It's stretchy like a thick rubber band. The plantar fascia connects the bones in your foot together and forms the arch on the bottom of your foot.
Plantar fasciitis happens when your plantar fascia is overused or stretched too far. Anything that damages your plantar fascia can make it swell. This inflammation makes it painful to walk or use your foot. Most people experience plantar fasciitis in one foot at a time, but it’s possible for it to affect both your feet at once.
::=> Symptoms and Causes
The most common symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:
Heel pain.
Pain in the arch of your foot.
Stiffness.
Swelling around your heel.
A tight Achilles tendon.
What causes plantar fasciitis?
Anything that irritates or damages your plantar fascia can cause plantar fasciitis, including:
Being on your feet all day for work.
Playing sports.
Exercising or working on a hard surface (like a warehouse floor or the sidewalk).
Exercising without stretching or warming up.
Wearing shoes that don’t support your feet well enough (like flip flops or flat, flexible sneakers).
Walking or standing barefoot while you’re at home.
Some health conditions can cause plantar fasciitis, including:
High arch feet.
Flat feet.
Obesity (or gaining more than 15 pounds in a few months).
How is plantar fasciitis treated?
You can usually manage plantar fasciitis with at-home treatments and over-the-counter (OTC) medicine.
Your healthcare provider will suggest options for relieving your symptoms and supporting your feet to reduce the chances you’ll experience plantar fasciitis again in the future.
The most common treatments for plantar fasciitis at activelife Physiotherapy and rehabilitation center include:
Over-the-counter NSAIDs: NSAIDs (like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen) reduce pain and inflammation. Don’t take NSAIDs for more than 10 days in a row without talking to a healthcare provider.
Rest: Take a break from playing sports or participating in the activity that caused the plantar fasciitis for at least a week (if possible).
Icing your foot: Ice your foot for 10 to 15 minutes, twice a day. Cover a frozen water bottle in a thin towel to protect your skin, then roll it along the bottom of your foot to massage the inflammation.
Wearing supportive shoes: Wear sturdy, well-cushioned shoes. Don’t wear sandals, flip-flops or other flat shoes without built-in arch support. Don’t walk with bare feet.
Orthotics or shoe inserts: You can add inserts into your shoes that add extra arch support. Your provider will suggest either pre-made inserts you can buy over-the-counter or custom-made orthotics that are molded to the exact shape of your foot.
Immobilization: Wearing a walking boot (sometimes called a walking cast or a pneumatic cam walker) for a few weeks will hold your foot in place and take pressure off your plantar fascia. Your provider will tell you how long you’ll need to wear a boot.
Massaging and stretching: Your provider or a physical therapist will show you stretches and massage techniques you can perform on your foot and calf muscles.
Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory medicines. Your provider might inject a corticosteroid (like prednisone) into your plantar fascia.
Platelet rich plasma (PRP): PRP is usually injected to heal and repair injuries.
Extracorporeal pulse activation technology (EPAT): EPAT is a form of shockwave therapy. Your provider will apply concentrated acoustic waves (sound waves) to increase blood flow to your plantar fascia. This encourages it to heal faster.
Percutaneous needle tenotomy: During a percutaneous tenotomy, your provider will poke a needle through your skin into your plantar fascia. Your body sends more blood than usual to the area, which will stimulate your plantar fascia’s ability to repair itself.
Plantar fasciitis surgery
The treatments listed above are usually all you’ll need to relieve your symptoms and treat plantar fasciitis. It’s very rare to need surgery. The two most common types of surgery include:
Gastrocnemius recession: Your surgeon will lengthen your calf muscles to reduce pressure on your plantar fascia.
Plantar fascial release: Your surgeon will make tiny incisions (cuts) in your plantar fascia to relieve some of the extra tension.
Your healthcare provider or surgeon will tell you which type of surgery you’ll need to treat plantar fasciitis.
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Prevention
How can I prevent plantar fasciitis ?
The best way to prevent plantar fasciitis is to avoid overusing your feet which guide the patient in Active life Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation center generally
Stretch before and after exercise.
Give your feet time to rest and recover after intense activity or exercise.
Wear supportive shoes.
Don’t walk barefoot on hard surfaces.
Replace your sneakers every six to nine months (or after you’ve walked or run between 250 and 500 miles in them).
If you have a health condition that makes you more likely to develop plantar fasciitis, you might not be able to prevent it.
