Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis

You can start your plantar fasciitis treatment with resting for a while to control the inflammation. Besides this, patients can also try the advices listed below. If they don’t help I suggest you take a look at this page. The plantar fasciitis treatment which is suggested there has helped me to get rid of this problem.

  • Rest: Don’t indulge in any stressful activity like sports or standing or walking excessively. Rest the foot to get rid of most of the chronic pain, and the inflammation will also subside.
  • Exercises: Do exercises and stretches that will help relax the tissues of the heel bone. They should be done twice a day in the morning and evening for quick relief.
  • Apply ice packs: This measure usually helps control heel pain.
  • Anti-inflammatory medications: Medications such as Ibuprofen and Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) can be used as a plantar fasciitis treatment. They not only reduce the pain, but also the inflammation.
  • Shoe Inserts: By wearing shoe inserts, patients can go about their daily routine painlessly.
  • Night splints: By wearing night splints, the heel is stretched out during sleep, and the arch is no longer contracted at night. This will reduce the pain in the morning.
  • Self-massage: Before getting out of bed every morning, patients should massage their feet by using long strokes from the ball of the foot to the heel.
  • Wear modified shoes or running shoes: Patients should wear stable shoes that are slightly flared for better heel stability. The heel should have soft cushioning and must be elevated 12-15 mm above the sole. Women should avoid wearing conventional leather dress shoes that increase the torque on the Achilles tendon
  • Casting: In severe cases, wearing a short leg cast for about a month helps.
  • Surgery: If patients are in great pain, they should choose a surgery as a plantar fasciitis treatment. Surgery is an option if:
    • The person has had these symptoms for a minimum of nine months
    • The person has been undergoing plantar fasciitis treatments such as stretches, exercises, etc.
    • The person understands and accept the risks of this surgery

These measures and treatments usually cure most patients suffering from plantar fasciitis, though not in a hurry. Relief from plantar fasciitis takes about three months to a year. However, if the pain does not go away even after this, a cortisone injection will work, though doctors don’t always advocate it.

Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms

If you have symptoms mentioned in this article I suggest you try this plantar fasciitis treatment. It helped me and I hope it will help you too to get rid of the pain.

Plantar fasciitis symptoms include pain of the feet and this illness is often confused with heel spurs. It is an inflamed tissue band extending from the arch of the foot to the heel. About 70% of all plantar fasciitis patients have a heel spur on their X-rays.

Plantar fasciitis symptoms are found in middle-aged men and women as they are most susceptible to this condition, but it is not uncommon for people of other age groups to suffer from this illness too. In this medical condition, the sufferer complains of pain in the heel of the foot. The pain can be very severe in the morning, but it dies down quickly. However, the pain can come back if the person stands or walks for long periods of time.

Such an inflammatory process could also be a result of abnormal weight gain, but is also seen in sportsmen, particularly among runners. Among runners, it is said to set in due to the forceful nature of the sport, which damages the fibrous tissue that makes up the arch of the foot.

When an individual suffers from plantar fasciitis, the connective tissue that makes up the arch of the foot is inflamed and degenerative. These two conditions lead to this medical condition and make everyday activities very difficult and painful.

Plantar Fasciitis Causes

It’s still not known exactly what leads to the development of the condition known as plantar fasciitis, but it could be due to small tears in the foot’s plantar fascia or arch. As we walk, our plantar fascia stretches when the foot makes contact with the ground. However, if it is strained, it could become swollen, inflamed, or weak and can even hurt when you stand or walk. If you noticed the mentioned causes then you should definitely consider this plantar fasciitis treatment.

The following are plantar fasciitis causes:

Too much physical activity: When one indulges in too much physical activity, an inflammation or a tear in the plantar fascia ligament takes place since the ligament is elastic and stretches and contracts with any movement. Strenuous exercise, jumping, or running can cause excessive stress on this ligament, cause inflammation, or even lead to a tear.

How you walk: The way an individual walks also contributes to the problem in the long run. If one has high arches or flat feet, or if one walks abnormally, he/she will end up with this medical condition.

Diabetes and Arthritis: These diseases can make one more susceptible to plantar fasciitis as diabetes gives rise to foot problems and arthritis causes inflammation in the plantar fascia ligament.

Shoes with insufficient support and cushioning: If you wear footwear without enough cushioning and support, you’re sure to end up with an inflammation in the ligament that can lead to plantar fasciitis.
Walking with uncomfortable shoes or exercising in them can also lead to such illness because of the extra stress one places on the ligament.

Length of the tissues: If there is a change in the length of the soft tissues from the foot leading up to the hamstring muscles, it can lead to this illness.

Treading on hard surfaces: If you stand for prolonged periods on a hard surface while wearing inappropriate footwear, you may be more prone to plantar fasciitis.

Plantar Fasciitis Exercises

If these exercises don’t help you try this plantar fasciitis treatment. It has helped me.

The plantar fascia is a thick and broad tissue band that extends from the heel to the front of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is a condition that affects this region and can be very painful. Physiotherapists and podiatrists suggest plantar fasciitis exercises for relief, some of which are described below.

Heel pain exercises
These plantar fasciitis exercises are best done before getting out of bed, as patients usually complain of intense pain in the planar fascia region first thing in the morning. This pain is due to the natural tightening of the region during sleep. For relief, it’s best to do stretches or massage the plantar fascia and then stand up in order to reduce pain in the heel:

  • Before sitting up, stretch your foot by flexing the muscle for about 10 reps.
  • While still seated, roll a rolling pin or tennis ball under your foot in the arch area. As you get better, you can do this exercise while you stand.

Stretching Exercises
Rotational Hamstring Stretch: Put all your weight on your left foot as you stand. Now, place your right heel on a table at waist height. Look straight ahead and make sure both your legs are straight. With your left foot on the floor and your right heel on the table, put your left foot out at a 45° angle and rotate it while keeping your entire weight on the left foot. Now, start with the stretch.

Lean forward using your shoulders and navel until you feel a pull in the right leg’s hamstring muscles. As you do this, keep rotating your right knee in a clockwise direction, followed by an anti-clockwise direction, for 20 reps each. Be relaxed, and after the reps are done, take your leg off the table and rest for a few minutes. Wear your shoes, but don’t walk on hard surfaces, or the pain will come back.

Plantar fasciitis exercise for heel pain relief
During the day, do a calf stretch by facing the wall with your hands on it at eye level. Put one foot forward and the other just behind it. With your heel of the back leg on the floor, bend the knee in front till you feel a stretch in the back leg. Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat 4-5 times.

Do these plantar fasciitis exercises regularly and there is a chance that your pain will lessen or disappear completely.

Plantar Fasciitis Surgery

Before going for a surgery which is risky and expensive you should really consider trying this plantar fasciitis treatment. There is a good chance you won’t need any surgery after that.

The plantar fascia is a band of thick tissues that link the toes to the bone of the heel. These tissues are important for supporting the arch of the foot. However, inflammation in this area leading to injury can take place and cause plantar fasciitis, particularly among sprinters, pregnant women, and aged people or women who wear high heels without essential support.

When a doctor recommends plantar fasciitis surgery, it means the patient is experiencing severe pain and inflammation. This problem can usually be solved by using conventional plantar fasciitis treatment like ice packs, NSAIDS, resting, exercising, night splints, shoe inserts, etc.

Surgery is considered only as a last resort when all other measures fail. In this case, if the patient has persistent pain for over a year which is obstructing his or her daily life.

For athletes whose performance is badly affected by this problem, plantar fasciitis surgery is the best option. The doctor usually makes the patient aware of the risks of this surgery before going ahead with it. Only when the patient agrees to the same is the surgery performed.

The plantar fasciitis surgery involves making a slit through the heel pad to cut a part of the ligament to ease the pain. It also consists of the doctor removing all damaged tissues or heel spurs. This surgery, done endoscopically, involves finding the damaged part of the ligament by using endoscopic instruments and inserting them into the body.

Risks
As with any surgery, this one too has risks. These are:

  • Infections due to the surgery
  • The arch of the foot can also reduce if the doctor cuts more ligament than required
  • The surgery may not eliminate all the symptoms of plantar fasciitis

Recovery
The patient must rest adequately after the operation in order to heal the tissue. His/her foot may be put in a cast or brace to support the plantar fascia tissue for three months to heal completely and be able to bear weight. Normally, patients take a year to fully recover and do strenuous activities.

This plantar fasciitis surgery also comes with some complications, so it’s best to think hard about it before agreeing to have the same done.