It involves inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel to your toes. Causes stabbing pain usually occurs with your first steps in the morning as you get up and move more.
Symptoms
- Heel pain and tenderness of the bottom (sole) of the foot.
- This heel pain can lead to difficulty in weight-bearing on the involved foot, making it difficult to walk, especially the first few steps after awakening from sleep.
- The heel pain is described as a burning pain, is often sharp, and can be severe.
- Plantar Fasciitis is sometimes also associated with warmth and swelling of the bottom of the foot.
- The symptoms may come on gradually or appear acutely following an athletic activity.
- Signs of Plantar Fasciitis include swelling and tenderness at the insertion of the plantar fascia to the heel, on the bottom of the foot.
Causes
Under normal circumstances, your Plantar Fascia acts like a shock-absorbing bowstring, supporting the arch in your foot. If tension and stress on that bowstring become too great, small tears can arise in the fascia. Repetitive stretching and tearing can cause the fascia to become irritated or inflamed, though in many cases of Plantar Fasciitis, the cause isn’t clear.
Risk factors
Though Plantar Fasciitis can arise without an obvious cause, factors that can increase your risk of developing plantar fasciitis include:
- Age. Plantar Fasciitis is most common between the ages of 40 and 60.
- Certain types of exercise. Activities that place a lot of stress on your heel and attached tissue — such as long-distance running, ballistic jumping activities, ballet dancing and aerobic dance — can contribute to an earlier onset of plantar fasciitis.
- Foot Mechanics. Being flat-footed, having a high arch or even having an abnormal pattern of walking can affect the way weight is distributed when you’re standing and put added stress on the plantar fascia.
- Obesity. Excess pounds put extra stress on your plantar fascia.
- Occupations that keep you on your feet. Factory workers, teachers and others who spend most of their work hours walking or standing on hard surfaces can damage their plantar fascia.
Complications
Ignoring Plantar Fasciitis may result in chronic heel pain that hinders your regular activities. Changing the way, you walk to minimize plantar fasciitis pain might lead to foot, knee, hip or back problems.
Managements: non-invasive treatment to help plantar fasciitis
- Ultrasounds
- TENS
- Big toe stretches
- Icing
- Trigger points massage
- Heel raises exercises
