Heel pain from plantar fasciitis is something our podiatrists see regularly. The plantar fascia is the thick connective tissue which supports your arch on the bottom of your foot.
Plantar fasciitis occurs when this band becomes irritated and inflamed and tiny tears occur anywhere along the tissue. This is usually the result of prolonged force through the structure supporting your arch.
Symptoms
Plantar fasciitis pain is most common when getting out of bed in the morning or standing after sitting for a long period of time. It will then ease off after taking a few steps as the inflammation moves from the site of irritation and spreads over the rest of the foot.
It is important to note that plantar fasciitis is not limited to first stance and can occur at any time whilst weight bearing
Causes
Inflammation of the fascia or its attachments can occur if the fascia has been placed under significant stress. This could be due to increased workload or activity levels, weight gain, repetitive stress and strain, poor foot biomechanics (“rolling-in”) or unsupportive footwear.
Factors that contribute to these causes are starting or increasing a new exercise routine, occupation, footwear, time on hard surfaces and age (over 40). Fortunately all of these factors can be addressed in one way or another. Age is the only factor out of our control.
Treatment
Treatment for plantar fasciitis initially involves supporting the foot with either strapping or footwear, resting and ice. Plantar fascial compression socks, massage through the fascia with a ball or rolling over an iced water bottle can also be quite useful in relieving some symptoms.
Your podiatrist will likely strap the foot and apply padding to your current footwear. We will recommend supportive footwear if your current footwear is inappropriate for the condition.
Exercises and stretches will also be provided. These are to help relax and strengthen intrinsic foot muscles to help protect the plantar fascia during healing.
In some cases orthotics may be prescribed. These would be to reduce the force going through the plantar fascia and to facilitate healing.
Things you can do for your heel pain from Plantar Fasciitis
To help in the recovery you could address any of the contributing factors you may have.
Weight loss will decrease the force going down through the plantar fascia reducing strain. Changing footwear will help support the fascia while walking in turn reducing plantar fascial strain. Decrease activity intensity. Listen to your body. If your heel is hurting more after days with activity then ease back on those activities. Pay attention to your training surfaces, are they hard? If so, move to softer surfaces (not sand). The more of these factors you can address the quicker your recovery will be.
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