Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It involves the swelling of a thick band of tissue (plantar fascia) that is located across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes.
Plantar Fasciitis often happens with people who have flat feet, high arches, are overweight, or who are on their feet a lot. While it may feel like inflammation, it is associated with a degenerative problem involving the tissue that connects your toes to your heel bone.
Plantar fasciitis typically causes stabbing pain in the bottom of your foot near the heel. It tends to occur with your first steps in the morning, but normally decreases once you get up and move around. The pain might return after long periods of standing or when you stand up after sitting.
Plantar fasciitis can develop without an obvious cause; however, there are factors that can increase your risk of developing this painful condition. These factors include:
• Plantar fasciitis is most common between those 40 to 60 years of age
• Certain types of exercise that place a lot of stress on your heel and attached tissue, like long-distance running, ballet dancing and aerobics can contribute to the onset of plantar fasciitis
• Those with flat feet, a high arch or even an abnormal walking pattern can affect the way weight is distributed and can put added stress on the plantar fascia
• Excess weight can also put extra stress on your plantar fascia
• Occupations like factory workers, teachers and others who spend most of their time standing, or walking can also damage the plantar fascia
Ignoring plantar fasciitis may result in chronic heel pain that can affect your life and regular activities. Changing the way you walk to relieve plantar fasciitis pain might lead to foot, knee, hip or back problems.
The incidence of plantar fasciitis typically peaks mid to late summer and is usually as a result of a prolonged use of shoes with limited or no amount of arch support like flip flops or sandals for example. Prior to the summer “flip flop season” the fascia muscle is used to some degree of arch support found in normal shoes or sneakers. Over the course of the day, because of the lack of arch support, the fascia is stretched continuously and when the body rests at night the fascia contracts considerably as there is no weight bearing. In the morning, once weight is placed on the foot the fascia stretches quickly and violently and induces the heel pain.
Most people who try conservative treatments, such as resting, icing the painful area for 15 minutes 3-4 times a day and incorporating simple exercises that can stretch your plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and calf muscles, start to experience good results in just a few months.
You can also use special devices like orthotics to help distribute the pressure to your feet more evenly. Shoe inserts, also called insoles, arch supports, or orthotics, can give you extra cushion and added support. They also help alleviate the discomfort associated with plantar fasciitis, heel pain, metatarsalgia, ball of foot pain, alignment and stability.
You can get them over-the-counter (OTC) or have them custom made. When you choose one, keep in mind that firmer is better, and make sure they have good arch support.
Even more helpful is choosing good orthopedic shoes with a low to moderate heel, thick soles, good arch support and extra cushioning. Don't ever walk barefoot.
It's important to keep weight off your foot until the inflammation goes down.
This is an easy way to treat inflammation, and there are a few ways you can use it.
To make an ice pack, wrap a towel around a plastic bag filled with crushed ice or around a package of frozen corn or peas. Put it on your heel 3 to 4 times a day for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
Or you can fill a shallow pan with water and ice and soak your heel in it for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day. Be sure to keep your toes out of the water.
Another option is to fill a small paper or foam cup with water and freeze it. Then rub it over your heel for 5 to 10 minutes. Never put ice directly on your heel.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can make your foot feel better and help with inflammation.
Stretching And Exercise
Stretch your calves, Achilles tendon, and the bottom of your foot. Do exercises that make your lower leg and foot muscles stronger. This can help stabilize your ankle, ease pain, and keep plantar fasciitis from coming back.
Tape can support your foot and keep you from moving it in a way that makes plantar fasciitis worse.
Also called insoles, arch supports, or orthotics, they can give you extra cushion and added support. You can get them over-the-counter (OTC) or have them custom made. Typically, your results will be just as good, and cheaper, with OTC inserts. When you choose one, firmer is better - and make sure it has good arch support.
When you go to bed at night, your plantar fascia is not being constantly stretched as it is during the day and so it contracts. So with your first steps in the morning, as it rapidly stretches, you feel a stabbing pain that will subside as you move around and it warms up.
The key is to provide great arch support during the day and there are different ways to do this. One way is to wear shoes with good arch support built in or another is to wear quality orthotic products like the ones available at Pedors.com
The Genext Active Orthotics are designed for a deeper shoe such as a walking shoe, comfort shoe or sneaker. The Genext Low Profile Orthotic is designed for work shoes and flats.
Well that about wraps it up for this page on Plantar Fasciitis Orthotics and Genext Orthotic Inserts.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email us at support@pedors.com or call 1-800-750-6729 if in the USA or +1 770 218 8282 if outside the USA.