Plantar Fasciitis
Common heel problem caused by strained tendon can be very painful
Plantar Fasciitis is heel pain caused by stress on the Plantar Fascia, the tendon that connects the heel to the toes. Here are some ways to ease the pain.
Plantar Fasciitis (Fash-ee-eye-tis) is a heel condition caused by overexertion. It happens to people with flat feet or very high arches, or those who run a lot and put stress on the heel. The lack of an arch or the presence of a very high arch can cause the Plantar Fascia tissue to stretch and pull away from the heel. The heel compensates by growing out and forming a bone spur. Walking on the inflamed heel is extremely painful, especially after the weight has been off the foot for any amount of time. If you experience intense heel pain when you stand up after your lunch break or when you wake up in the morning and take your first steps, you might have Plantar Fasciitis.
There are a few things you can do to treat the condition. The first, of course, is rest. For most people, however, staying off the foot is not possible. So, here are some treatments and remedies that can help the condition.
1. Stretches: doing calf stretches can help relax the tendon. A great exercise is to stand on a step with your heels hanging off and press down through the heels. Make sure you hold on to the rails on the staircase while you do the exercise.
2. Wearing slippers around the house can help the condition. Believe it or not, carpet is not a sufficiently soft surface to absorb shock from the heel. Stepping directly into a soft slipper when waking in the morning can help ease the intense morning pain.
3. Arch supports and heel cups: supermarket arch supports and heel cups are often not firm or high enough to help the condition, but a Podiatrist can special order custom-fitted orthotics that will support and cushion the arch or heel.
4. Heat: soaking the foot in hot water can help relax the muscle.
5. Applying ice can help reduce the swelling in the heel and numb the pain. Jonathan Cluett, M.D. recommends freezing a bottle of water and rolling it under the foot for 15 minutes.
6. Wearing shoes with a lot of support, like athletic shoes, will help support and cushion the foot. New Balance tennis shoes are thought to have the best arch support for those people suffering from Plantar Fasciitis.
7. There are websites that sell straps to support the heal and braces that are worn overnight that stretch the calf and heel.
8. Anti-infammatory drugs might help, such as Ibuprofen and Acetominophen. A doctor should be consulted before trying any medications.
9. Heel braces: these have been known to help quite a bit, and they are much cheaper than orthotics.
Unfortunately, in some cases, at-home treatments will not help the condition. In such cases, a visit to the Podiatrist will end up in the following possible professional treatments:
1. Deep heat therapy: A paddle is applied to the foot and a deep heating treatment is applied. The heat penetrates beneath the skin, so it is completely painless. In order for the treatments to work, they must be done twice a week for at least 4 weeks.
2. Electro-shock treatments: This method can be very expensive. It does work if applied twice a week for at least a month. The effects are not immediate. Relief might not happen for weeks.
3. Cortisone shots: EXTREMELY painful, but usually effective if you are desperate.
4. Surgery. The surgeon goes in and damages the tendon in another place. Supposedly, when it heals, the previously damaged portion heals as well.
All of these treatments are only suggestions on how to help this extremely painful infliction. They are not meant to be used in place of medical advice.
