Plantar fasciitis
Description
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia is a flat band made of connective tissue – a tendon that connects the heel bone to the toes, supporting the arch of the foot.
With prolonged straining, it easily weakens, swells and becomes inflamed. Subsequently, the affected person begins to feel pain in the heel or feet when walking or standing.
The disease is common in middle-aged people. Younger people who put excessive stress on their feet, most commonly athletes and soldiers, may also be affected. The plantar fascia of one or both feet may also be affected.
What are the symptoms?
Most sufferers feel pain with their first steps after getting out of bed in the morning or after prolonged sitting. They may feel relief after taking a few steps.
But the pain in the foot may increase during the day. Most often this happens when climbing stairs or after standing for a long time.
If you have leg pain at night, you could have another condition such as arthritis or a problem with one of the nerves, such as tarsal tunnel syndrome.
What are the causes?
The disease is caused by prolonged straining of the tendon supporting the arch of the foot. Repetitive strain can cause tiny tears in the connective tissue, which is actually the cause of the pain and swelling. It is more likely to develop such a degenerative process if:
• When walking, you tilt your feet too far inwards. The condition is called overpronation.
• The arches of your feet are too high or you suffer from flat feet;
• You walk, stand or run long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces.
• You are overweight;
• You are wearing shoes that do not fit your feet well or are uncomfortable;
• You have tight Achilles tendons or calves;
Treatment of plantar fasciitis
There is no specific therapy that works for everyone, but there are a number of things you can do that will stop the degeneration of the plantar fascia. For example:
• Give your feet a break. Stop doing any activities that cause pain in your foot, if possible. Try not to walk or work on hard surfaces.
• To reduce pain, put ice on your heels or take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin.
• Do toe exercises – sit in a chair and extend the affected leg so that your heel is on the floor and lift the rest of the foot into the air.
Grab the big toe with your hand and pull it up and back toward the ankle. Hold this position for at least 15 and no more than 30 seconds.
Do 2 to 4 reps per set and multiple sets per day when you have free time. Another exercise that is useful for this disease is to move the muscles in the back and lower back of the leg /calf/.
To be effective, it should be done 3 or 4 times a day, 5 days a week – stand facing the wall, stretching your arms forward as much as possible, resting your palms on it.
Put your foot about a step behind the other foot and then, without lifting the heel, raise the rest of the foot in the air to a height where you will feel a load in the lower back of the leg, at the same time slightly bend the knee of the other leg. Hold the foot in this position for about 15-30 seconds. Do 2-4 reps.
