One of the most common foot problems is plantar fascitis. It is a serious foot problem that causes a lot of pain and actually interferes with daily life.
Plantar fasciitis is a condition that occurs when the connective tissue that lays in the bottom of the foot (called the plantar fascia) becomes inflamed. The fascia is important to our feet because it helps supports our arch and helps to actually form the structure of our foot. This muscle actually extends from our toes to the heel itself. This is why there is so much pain involved when it becomes irritated. In order to get rid of plantar fasciitis, you can try podiatry. All aspects of podiatry including foot and ankle surgery are completely safe and affordable so that you can get a permanent cure for your medical ailments.
The pain from plantar fasciitis usually will begin in the bottom part of the foot in the heel area. This pain is usually described as a sharp or burning pain. As it becomes further irritated the pain then will extend further up into the foot and on into the toes of the foot.
The pain from plantar fasciitis is also worse the first thing in the morning. Sometimes, walking on it will help. Yet, if a person is on his or her feet for a long period of time, the pain, will, of course, worsen. Sometimes a person can actually suffer from this pain in both feet at the same time.
What are some of the reasons the fascia can become irritated? Sometimes tiny tears will occur in the arch area and this is the reason for the irritation. Being overweight, rapid weight gain, high impact aerobics that puts a lot of strain on the arches like jogging and basketball, diabetes, shoes without proper arch support, shoes with thin or hard soles or other underlying feet problems like low arches are other reasons that can contribute to the reasons for the irritations of the fascia in the beginning. Another major contributing factor is people who suffer from a very tight Achilles tendon. A tight Achilles tendon can decrease the normal range of motion that a foot should have and can put undue stress on the fascia. This is one reason why pain can be worse in the morning.
What can one do if they about the pain from plantar fasciitis? First, you must learn how to stretch out your Achilles tendon and the arch part of your feet. You can also try some home remedies like icing your feet at the end of the day, using over the counter pain medication like ibuprofen and wearing shoes with good arch support. This means staying away from hard heels and soles.
If you continue having problems, then you should see a foot doctor. He/she may refer you to a physical therapist who can show you more stretches you can do to your feet. If all else fails, there are some special splints and boots that you can wear to help you stretch your tissues of your lower leg and foot.
The good news is the pain can go away with a bit of work and once you start doing those stretches the pain may never come back again.
