Pummeling Plantar Fasciitis
You feel a sharp pain in the heel of your foot. The pain is most pronounced when you get up in the morning. It makes it hard to walk on it. You could be suffering from plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes in which the fascia becomes irritated and then inflamed. Symptoms include pain on the bottom of the heel, pain in the arch of the foot, and swelling on the bottom of the heel. For many, the pain is worse upon arising and increases over a period of months.
You can blame it on bad shoes, aging feet or general foot abuse. But much of the blame lies with America’s two favorite pastimes—reckless eating and exercise.
Increased weight puts added pressure on your feet, particularly your plantar fascia, that long ligament running from the ball of the foot to the heel, whose job is to support the foot structure, absorb shock and maintain the arch. The ligament is not real flexible, so when there’s excess pressure it resists.
That causes the ligament to overstretch and swell. If the foot flattens too little, the fascia starts to hurt from being pulled too tight.
The same thing can strike a person who decides to suddenly become a jock—without warming up or wearing proper shoes.
When you run, you put four times as much stress on your foot as when you walk. Heel pain is often a complaint of people who have never done any real exercise, let alone stretch.
Sometimes it is a pain that comes and goes and comes again. Sometimes people can’t walk at all, it’s so bad.
Plantar fasciitis affects 10 percent of people during their lifetime. But it is fixable. Your doctor may suggest a conservative treatment plan such as combination of remedies, including rest, exercises to stretch the calf muscles, orthotics, icing the heel, over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, supportive footwear and physical therapy.
Depending on the severity of the plantar fasciitis, other therapies may be required including
· Injection therapy: Growth factor injections and platelet rich plasma injections are used to boost the body’s healing response and help repair injured tissue.
· Shockwave therapy: This in-office treatment uses sound waves delivered over the skin to slightly damage the tissue and stimulate the body’s natural repair process. This helps the plantar fasciitis to heal and relieves pain symptoms without making an incision. Patients can be up and moving immediately after treatment, but it may take three to six months to see results.
· Ultrasonic treatment: A small incision is made into the heel of the foot and a probe directs ultrasonic energy at the fascia to break down bad tissue and help the healing process. A diagnostic ultrasound tool is used to create an image of the inside of the foot and guide the probe. Patients may need to wear a boot immediately after the procedure for up to two weeks and they can expect to see improvements anywhere from three to six months after the procedure.
· Surgery: Also called a plantar fasciotomy, this minimally invasive, minimally traumatic surgical treatment involves making a small incision through the heel into the damaged tendon to try to lengthen it and relieve tension. Patients tend to recover in six to 10 weeks, but it may take up to three months to resume exercise and more vigorous activities.
Just know that 90 percent of patients will get better if given early, appropriate treatment. Never walk barefoot (that worsens the condition). But the best bet for preventing plantar fasciitis is by wearing supportive shoes, warming up before engaging in physical activity and stretching the feet and calves before and after.
