Plantar Fascitis: The Painful Arch and Heel
Spring has finally come and the warm weather calls you outside for a walk or a run. The sun shines on your face and the wind is at your back but why is your foot starting to hurt?
One of the most common causes of this pain is a condition called plantar fasciitis. This is a painful inflammatory condition of the ligament that supports the arch of your foot, know as the plantar fascia. It spans from the base of the heel to the toes and acts as an elastic tension mechanism to help maintain the arch of the foot, similar to the string in a hunting bow. Symptoms often are most severe in the morning when you take the first few steps. Pain is commonly first located at the bottom aspect of the heel and then moves into the arch area.
Plantar fasciitis is associated with prolonged periods of weight bearing, sudden increases in activity, working on cement floors, increase in body mass, and trauma to the arch. The ligaments of the foot also stretch over time and our arches will drop. This increases the tension on the plantar fascia and in these cases the condition gradually appears over time. A heal spur can also develop if plantar fasciitis is present for a long period of time. This is when bone will grow out into the plantar fascia from the heel in order for the body to try to make the fascia stronger.
The treatment for plantar fasciitis is firstly to ice and rest along with a supportive arch insole that is properly fitted
into your shoes. Often this alone with good shoes will relieve the symptoms. Secondly stretching the plantar fascia will help elongate this ligament. This can be achieved by placing your foot up the wall or hanging your heal off of a step. A treatment regime of massage, foot mobilization, and ultrasound by a chiropractor can also quicken your recovery time and be very effective. Your health care professional can also properly fit an insole to your shoe.
One of the most common causes of this pain is a condition called plantar fasciitis. This is a painful inflammatory condition of the ligament that supports the arch of your foot, know as the plantar fascia. It spans from the base of the heel to the toes and acts as an elastic tension mechanism to help maintain the arch of the foot, similar to the string in a hunting bow. Symptoms often are most severe in the morning when you take the first few steps. Pain is commonly first located at the bottom aspect of the heel and then moves into the arch area.
Plantar fasciitis is associated with prolonged periods of weight bearing, sudden increases in activity, working on cement floors, increase in body mass, and trauma to the arch. The ligaments of the foot also stretch over time and our arches will drop. This increases the tension on the plantar fascia and in these cases the condition gradually appears over time. A heal spur can also develop if plantar fasciitis is present for a long period of time. This is when bone will grow out into the plantar fascia from the heel in order for the body to try to make the fascia stronger.
The treatment for plantar fasciitis is firstly to ice and rest along with a supportive arch insole that is properly fitted
into your shoes. Often this alone with good shoes will relieve the symptoms. Secondly stretching the plantar fascia will help elongate this ligament. This can be achieved by placing your foot up the wall or hanging your heal off of a step. A treatment regime of massage, foot mobilization, and ultrasound by a chiropractor can also quicken your recovery time and be very effective. Your health care professional can also properly fit an insole to your shoe.