Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that involves pain underneath the foot, about 5 cm from the back of the heel. 1 in 10 people will be affected at some point in their life, with people between the ages of 40 and 60 the most likely to notice symptoms.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at what plantar fasciitis is, why you might be affected and how you can cope with the pain that it causes. Ready?
What is the Plantar Fascia?
The plantar fascia is a long ligament in the foot that is attached to the main heel bone and runs along the length of the foot.
This ligament can sometimes become torn or damaged, such as when someone takes off quickly, putting a lot of pressure on the ligament. When this happens, pain and inflammation can occur to cause plantar fasciitis.
Who is likely to get Plantar Fasciitis?
Adults over the age of 40 who have just started a physical activity that involves running are the most likely to get plantar fasciitis. However, anyone can get it, including both males and females of all ages.
People who work in a job with extended periods of standing or walking are also more likely to be affected, which is why a common name for the condition is “policeman’s heel.”
What are the Symptoms?
Pain in the heel of the foot is the characteristic sign of plantar fasciitis. The pain is usually worse in the morning just after getting out of bed or after sitting for a long period of time.
Light exercise, such as walking, can help to relieve the pain initially, although this may make the pain worse if walking if continued for a long time, such as all day at work. If you find that the pain is worse when walking, it can be helpful to rest regularly during physical activity.
Most people with plantar fasciitis notice some sensitivity in the foot when they touch press on the area, but it is not usually severely painful to touch. If you get an X-ray of your foot, there may be a small spur on the bone visible, although this does not necessarily need to be operated.
How to Manage the Plantar Fasciitis Pain
Fortunately, the pain from plantar fasciitis tends to get better by itself eventually, although it usually lasts for 6-18 months before use of the foot returns to normal. In the meantime, there are several things that you can do to cope with the pain.
Most importantly, you should try to rest your feet and avoid long periods of standing or walking that might be causing inflammation in the plantar fascia. If you’ve recently taken up a new running activity that might have caused it, you might want to consider taking it slower.
Heel pads should be worn inside shoes to provide some cushioning for the heel when standing, walking or running. These sponge or rubber pads raise the heel by about 1 cm from the sole of the shoe.
Cutting a hole in the pad where the affected area of the footrests helps to reduce contact of that part of the foot with the shoe and any associated pain. There will be standard heel pads available in your local pharmacy, or you may prefer to get an orthotic aid that is specially molded for your foot by an orthodontist.
How and cold therapy can also be useful to relieve the pain. You can do this at home by place your affected foot or feet in very hot water for 30 seconds and then cold water for 30 seconds, repeating this for about 15 minutes, twice a day. Alternatively, you may find that a foot hydro-massager helps with the pain, which is available for purchase at most pharmacies.
Stretching Exercise for Plantar Fasciitis
Stretching the plantar fascia also plays an important role in helping it to heal and reducing the duration of the pain. For the best results, you should do these exercises 3 times each day, every day.
What you need: a step with a supporting rail or nearby wall to help with balance.
What to do: Stand on the step with the balls of your feet and your knees straight. Slowly let your heels drop below the step to the count of 20 and then lift your heels again to the count of 10. Repeat this 3 times.
Option for Severe Pain
Some people with plantar fasciitis may find that the pain is unbearable and that they need some additional treatment to help manage the pain.
For severe pain that continues for 2-3 months, you may want to talk to your doctor about injections that are available to help relieve severe pain for several weeks. However, the injections can be quite uncomfortable, so are usually only used for severe cases.
Another option for ongoing pain from plantar fasciitis is a treatment called extracorporeal ultrasound. This involves shockwave ultrasounds treatments that are given periodically for about two months to encourage healing in the area.
Want to know more?
If you’d like to know more about plantar fasciitis and what you can do to cope with pain, we’ll be happy to help you at Inverell Pharmacy. Simply stop by for a chat with one of our pharmacists for more information at 132 Byron Street (next to Telstra), or give us a call on 6722 3146.
Inverell Pharmacy – your locally owned and operated pharmacy with 5 Pharmacists to Assist and Advise you.