What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a condition that causes pain on the bottom of the foot in the area between the heel and arch. This pain is caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia – the ligament that connects your heel and toes and helps hold up the arch of your foot.
Putting too much stress on this ligament causes inflammation, tiny tears and pain. Without treatment, the inflammation becomes a cycle that continues and the pain gets worse. There are more than 30 million cases of plantar fasciitis in the U.S. each year alone.
What causes plantar fasciitis?
There are many causes of plantar fasciitis, including:
- Flat or fallen arch.
- Standing on hard surfaces for long periods of the day.
- Obesity or sudden weight gain which causes strain on the foot.
- Exercising incorrectly, such as running on uneven surfaces or running without wearing proper foot support.
- Not purchasing new running shoes often enough if you exercise often.
How do you know it is plantar fasciitis?
The first indication of plantar fasciitis most often comes when the first step out of bed in the morning is painful. This sharp pain first thing in the morning occurs because the foot has stopped motion for a long period and then started again.
“The medical term for this is post-static dyskinesia,” says Eric Rindlisbacher, DPM, a foot and ankle specialist with St. Joseph Health System. “‘Post-static’ refers to after resting and ‘dyskinesia’ refers to the pain. When your foot is at rest, those tiny tears are healing back together, and then when you stand up and move they tear back open.
What are treatments for plantar fasciitis?
One of the best ways to get relief from plantar fasciitis is by stretching and strengthening the area giving you pain. Stretching loosens the plantar fascia ligament to prevent it from tearing and strengthens supporting muscles to reduce stress on the ligament and reduce inflammation.
Here are some exercises to try:
- Set a golf ball on the ground and move your foot over it forward and backward for five minutes each day. This helps breaks up scar tissue which releases the plantar fascia.
- Roll your foot back and forth over a frozen water bottle for five minutes daily.
- Stand on a stair and drop your heels off the back of the stair to stretch your heel and foot. You should feel your calf muscles stretching, and anything that stretches your Achilles tendon and loosens the calf muscles will relieve pain and help heal the plantar fascia ligament.
What are the best shoes to prevent plantar fasciitis?
Most important is to look for is a stable and supportive shoe that braces your heel. Floppy or loose shoes that bend or roll in half are not good.
His strongest recommendation is to get fitted for a correct pair of shoes. “Go to a good running store and get measured and fitted to be sure you’re wearing the right size of shoes,” says Dr. Rindlisbacher. “So many of us buy our shoes online that it’s not uncommon to be wearing the wrong size because we haven’t been measured or fitted in years.”
“Get measured and fitted in a store first – and then buy online!” he says.
When should you see a doctor?
Plantar fasciitis should go away on its own, but if the pain is intense or impacting your daily life, or if you have tried stretching but pain continues after six months, it is time to see a foot and ankle specialist.
Your podiatrist will examine your arch and heel and may take x-rays to help with the diagnosis, and then will create a specific treatment plan with exercises tailored to you that will speed the pace of healing. In some cases, medication or a steroid injection may be used to stop the inflammatory cycle and relieve the pain.
“Many people try exercises for a while but get discouraged and just live through the pain,” Dr. Rindlisbacher says. “This can change how you walk, which can then create additional issues like potential tendon injury. It is much better for your long-term health to address the plantar fasciitis, with the help of a podiatrist.”
