subject: Plantar Fasciitis - What Is It And How Do You Treat It? [print this page] Do you suffer from pain in your heels? Does walking and running cause you pain and does that pain keep you from being active? It is possible that you are suffering from the leading cause of heel pain, a condition known as plantar fasciitis. Many people suffer from this condition and there are a variety of available treatments for it. In addition, there are many different potential causes for the condition.
Causes And Symptoms Of Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is the tough band of tissue that runs from your heel to the ball of your foot. Plantar fasciitis occurs when this band becomes inflamed and swollen. This is generally the result of repeated strain on the plantar fascia. There are a few different ways this can be caused. Here are some of the most popular:
*High arches. Having high arches can put added strain on your heel and your plantar fascia, which can cause irritation and over time can develop into plantar fasciitis.
*Overweight. If you are overweight, the amount of strain you put on your feet and ankles is increased. This puts more strain on your plantar fascia.
*Poorly fitting shoes. If your shoes do not fit correctly, you are not getting the support you need for your feet. Again, this will increase the amount of strain on your ankles and can lead to plantar fasciitis.
*Excessive walking, standing or running. Being on your feet for an extended period of time will put a great deal of strain on your feet. If you do this on a daily basis, you put yourself at risk for developing foot problems like plantar fasciitis.
Treatments Available
There are a variety of treatment options available, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem. Here are a few of the most common solutions:
*Stay off your feet. This is the simplest method available. For mild cases, this can be very effective in reducing symptoms. If there are specific activities that cause your feet to hurt, it will be helpful to cut out those activities from your life.
*Choose good shoes. If your shoes are not offering enough support, you need to purchase shoes that do. In some cases, it is appropriate to talk to your podiatrist about getting custom-made orthotics to put in your shoes to evenly distribute your weight.
*Surgery. If non-surgical methods do not help, your case may be severe enough to require surgery. This usually occurs after several months of attempting to alleviate your pain in other ways.
Some podiatrists are offering a non-surgical treatment that consists of injecting a sclerosing agent into the nerve on the inside of the heel. For a series of 7-10 injections once a week, the patient will get an injection about once a week. After the process is over, much of the pain should have subsided. Contact your Oklahoma City podiatrist to learn more about this procedure and plantar fasciitis in general.
