What is plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is a condition that causes inflammation in the sole of your foot at your plantar fascia – a thick, tough band of tissue that connects your heel to your toes. Pain can start out as mild discomfort at the heel – it may even feel like a bruise. If the condition progresses, you may experience severe heel pain or a sensation of tearing or ripping at the sole of your foot.

Typically, plantar fasciitis is felt when you stand up out of bed and take your first few steps. It can also be felt when standing after sitting for a long time or after exercising. Without treatment, plantar fasciitis can become a chronic problem and may cause other issues with your feet, ankles, knees, and hips.

What causes plantar fasciitis?
Inflammation and overuse injuries of the plantar fascia cause plantar fasciitis. You’re at risk for inflammation and overuse injuries of your plantar fascia if you:

Are overweight
Walk a lot for your job
Stand on hard surfaces for long periods of time
Walk or run for exercise
Have tight calf muscles
Have very flat feet or very high arches

In addition to these common risk factors, diabetes can also predispose you to plantar fasciitis. Since diabetes can cause wounds and neuropathy in your feet, these problems may cause inflammation and irritation of your plantar fascia, too.

How is plantar fasciitis treated?
If you have mild plantar fasciitis pain, your doctor at [code_snippet id=5] can help prevent your pain from getting worse and turning into a chronic issue. Your doctor provides education about stretches and exercises you can perform to relax sore, tight muscles, and modifications you can make to alleviate pain at work.

If your plantar fasciitis pain is severe, your doctor can develop a personalized stretching regimen or provide you with devices to help you relax tight muscles and prevent further injury. Your doctor may also prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications – like ibuprofen or naproxen – to reduce inflammation. If the pain is severe your doctor may offer a steroid injection to help eliminate the problem.

Arch supports – like Powerstep® or custom orthotics – can also help. If conservative measures are insufficient, surgery is an option to relieve pressure and tension on the plantar fascia.

Preventing Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis may be a chronic problem due to your foot structure or muscle tightness. Along with treating plantar fasciitis there are ways to prevent it from recurring. These include the stretching exercises and arch supports used to help treat the condition.
Get relief from plantar fasciitis pain with an appointment at [code_snippet id=5]. Call us at (609) 512-1126 or book an appointment online now.