subject: Eliminate Painful Plantar Fasciitis (heel Pain) And Enjoy Summer [print this page] When your feet hurt, your entire body hurts, which can prevent you from completing your daily tasks. Plantar fasciitis, or heel pain, has many causes and is generally the result of faulty walking abnormalities that place too much stress on the heel bone and soft tissues that attach to it. This stress may also be the result of injury, or a bruise that might have occurred while walking, running or from wearing poorly constructed footwear.
Patients with plantar fasciitis complain of pain under the heel with lengthy walks and prolonged standing. Most patients with plantar fasciitis are effectively treated with some simple measures such as anti-inflammatory medications, ice applications, shoe inserts, and stretching exercises. In some situations, patients may not find relief from their symptoms and require more aggressive treatment.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Located on the bottom of the foot, the plantar fascia is a dense band of tissue that covers the bones. This band of tissue acts like a bowstring on a bow. When you are off of your feet, your foot is not tight and when you step down it becomes tight. Over time a person can develop a strain or inflammation of the fascia into the heel bone. This can become a chronic and repetitive condition because no one really rests his or her feet enough to heal and get better.
Plantar fasciitis is typically described as a shooting pain in the heel, which feels the worst first thing in the morning. It also worsens when you stand up after sitting down for a prolonged period of time. Swelling in the heel can also be present in plantar fasciitis and, although it is extremely painful after rest, plantar fasciitis usually eases during the day. Plantar fasciitis may reappear after exercise or long periods on your feet.
A number of factors that can lead to plantar fasciitis include:
*Obesity or sudden weight gain
*Too much pressure on the heels
*Foot abnormalities
*Diabetes and arthritis
*Wearing the wrong shoes
Treating Your Pain
Approximately 90 percent of the people who have plantar fasciitis recover with conservative treatments in just a few months. Stretching and strengthening exercises, or use of specialized devices, may provide symptom relief. These exercises include:
*Physical Therapy A physical therapist can instruct you in a series of exercises to stretch the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon to strengthen lower leg muscles, which stabilize your ankle and heel.
*Night Splints Your podiatrist may recommend wearing a splint that stretches your calf and the arch of your foot while you sleep.
*Orthotics Your chiropodist/podiatrist may prescribe custom-orthotics to help distribute pressure t your feet more evenly.
Contact your podiatrist in Chicago and Lincolnwood, IL today if you suffer from heel pain. Your podiatrist will be able to properly diagnose and treat your heel pain, as well as provide prevention methods for you to follow to further prevent the development of heel pain.
