Table of Contents
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
An Overview
Plantar fasciitis can be very painful and may worsen if you don't rest for a while when the pain strikes.
Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the fascia (connective tissue) on the bottom of the foot, most often near the heel. Pain from plantar fasciitis can range from a dull ache to sharp pain with each step.
Plantar fasciitis is a type of discomfort in your foot that affects the plantar fascia. It might be extremely unpleasant when you first get up. After a while, the pain typically goes away, but it may return if you stand or sit for a long time while standing or sitting on your feet.
People who run or jog frequently and/or play sports that involve running are more likely to get plantar fasciitis than people who don’t.
Plantar fasciitis can be very painful and may worsen if you don’t rest for a while when the pain strikes. In addition, the longer you wait to get treatment for this condition, the longer it will take to heal.
Read on to know the causes of plantar fasciitis and some tips on preventing this condition from happening.
What is the Plantar Fascia?
Plantar fasciitis develops because of overuse, injury, or sometimes excess weight, which can stress the plantar fascia, causing inflammation
Plantar Fascia is the deep band of tissue (fascia), the thick band of tissues that connects the heel bone (calcaneus) with the toes.
The role of the Plantar Fascia
The vital role that Plantar fascia has is to act as a “shock absorber” for our feet. The arch of the foot is supported by the plantar fascia. This provides support and tension across the foot’s arch, much like a suspension bridge, providing both support and protection.
Plantar fasciitis develops because of overuse, injury, or sometimes excess weight, which can stress the plantar fascia, causing inflammation. It:
- Offers support to the longitudinal (medial) arch of the foot
- Holding parts of the foot together
- Protection to the sole of the foot
What are the signs of plantar fasciitis?
The condition is noticeable as pain in the bottom of the arch area of your foot typically appears with your first steps in the morning and/or after sitting for long periods, such as working or watching television.
Sometimes you might feel little popping or snapping sensations in the arch area of your feet as well. The pain is usually worse after getting out of bed in the morning, after long periods of standing, or after doing activities that place a lot of stress on your feet.
Plantar fasciitis symptoms may include:
- Foot pain in the bottom of your foot or on the arch
- A dull ache in your heel bone, particularly when standing up after a long period of sitting
- Soreness when you get up from sitting with your feet flexed for awhile
Who can this affect?
Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain, especially in runners who repeatedly stress the plantar fascia tissue during running. For example, in long-distance running, the pushing off phase, maximum pressure is exerted along the fascia.
However, this is not the only reason why Plantar Fasciitis may become an issue. The shape and support the arches offer can play a role in the degree to which we may become susceptible.
Arthritis, trauma (such as falling on the foot), and low bone density are possible causes of plantar fasciitis.
A drop in estrogen that results from pregnancy or menopause can also sometimes play a role. In addition, plantar fasciitis sometimes runs in families due to an inherited lack of supportive tissues within the foot (arch).
A variety of activities can cause this condition.
- Spending long hours standing or walking, especially on hard surfaces
- Participating in sports involving a lot of running, such as basketball or tennis, especially without proper training and stretching
- Wearing worn-out footwear that does not support the foot well enough. Examples include wearing shoes that are too loose-fitting or flat with no arch support or cushioning.
- A sudden increase in physical activity, especially without proper stretching or strengthening exercises, can sometimes cause plantar fasciitis.
People with plantar fasciitis are more likely to be:
- People with flat feet (fallen arches)
- People with overly high arches
- Women who are pregnant or have gone through menopause. This is because the body’s estrogen levels fluctuate during these times, affecting the strength and elasticity of connective tissue.
- People who participate in high-impact sports, such as long-distance running or basketball
- Athletes who do not warm up their muscles before exercising
- People who abruptly increase the amount or intensity of exercise (especially without proper stretching and strengthening exercises)
- People who wear shoes that provide inadequate arch support or shock absorption
How can Plantar Fasciitis affect your posture?
Plantar fasciitis can also contribute to changes to your posture due to modified movement routines triggered by ongoing foot discomfort generated from below.
In addition, it can alter your posture due to altered walking technique triggered by persistent foot discomfort.
Overall movement changes up the leg and into the pelvis can also be caused by a fallen arch (flat foot) or an excessively high arch.
A flat foot is when the arch drops and flattens out. This might alter your overall gait and lead to unforeseen issues with your posture.
The foot's arch may influence postural imbalance.
Plantar Fasciitis can trigger a shift in the alignment of your pelvis and spine. However, this shift is not always permanent.
HIGH ARCH
If you have a high arch, Plantar Fasciitis may cause your gait to change over time. People with Plantar Fasciitis and a high arch will gradually shift their balance point from their feet to their hips and upper body. Possibly thus causing the pelvis to move forward. This may cause a long-term change in gait.
Plantar fasciitis sufferers with an extremely high arch might lean more onto their toes when they walk rather than land on the midfoot. In turn, this can cause Plantar Fasciitis sufferers to frequently stand and walk on the front part of their feet, which is known as overpronation.
FLAT FOOT – “Fallen Arch”
A Plantar Fasciitis sufferer with a fallen arch (flat foot) will typically experience Plantar Fasciitis pain during the end of their first step after standing up from a seated position, such as when getting out of bed. They might also notice that Plantar Fasciitis pain tends to lessen after several minutes of walking, and it may completely disappear by the end of their walk.
Sufferers with flat feet may also experience pain that intensifies when they stand on the balls of their feet – when trying to stretch out Plantar Fasciitis pain in their calf muscles too.
Your Foot’s Pronation and Plantar Fasciitis?
The natural way a person’s foot moves from side to side when walking or running is known as pronation. It occurs as your weight is transferred from the heel to the ball of the foot during a person’s stride (when walking).
When standing, pronation refers to how far the foot rolls in toward the arch. Some pronation is relatively usual.
When Plantar fasciitis flares up, though, it can make you over-pronate more than usual as you attempt to compensate for any pain or discomfort. In addition, excessive foot pronation can often lead to Plantar Fasciitis pain in the heel and arch of the feet when running or walking.
Excessive foot pronation can often lead to Plantar Fasciitis pain in the heel and arch of the feet when running or walking.
How can Plantar Fasciitis impact our lives?
A common issue with those suffering from Plantar Fasciitis is to avoid walking on the affected part of the foot. This is achieved by adjusting the weight of the foot to fall more towards the toes. This can impact your gait (how you walk) and, as an extension, change overall general movement patterns.
How is plantar fasciitis diagnosed?
The diagnosis is usually suspected based on your symptoms and physical examination by your doctor or recognized health care provider. For example, your doctor will look for tenderness in the arch area of your foot, as well as any decreased range of motion in the ankle or midfoot.
To confirm the diagnosis, they may order an X-ray to determine if any bone spurs are present. If the X-ray is normal, an MRI or ultrasound may be used to locate any thickening in the plantar fascia.
What are treatment options for plantar fasciitis?
Treatment for plantar fasciitis aims to reduce pain and inflammation, prevent further injury to the plantar fascia, and regain strength and motion.
Treatment options include:
- Applying ice packs or taking over-the-counter pain medications to reduce the pain
- Losing weight if you are overweight
- Changing your shoes to accommodate for your feet
- Orthotics or night splints, which stretch your foot while you sleep.
- Your accredited health care provider can teach you exercises to stretch and strengthen your plantar fascia.
- In extreme cases that do not improve with the above treatments, a doctor may consider more invasive measures. These may include injecting a steroid into your heel or performing surgery to release the band of tissue connecting your heel to your toes (plantar fascia).
Treatment for plantar fasciitis aims to reduce pain and inflammation, prevent further injury to the plantar fascia, and regain strength and motion.
You may also consider:
- In the short term, cease the activity that may have caused it
- Address any issues you have with how your walk technique
- Look into footwear that may offer more support
- Deal with any underlining ankle pain.
- Stretching and massage of the achilles tendon and calf muscles
- Massage and stretching of the sole of the foot
- Address any poor movement and posture patterns acquired
- Slowly reintroduce activity as your situation improves
- Here are some exercises that may assist the arches of your feet.
PLEASE NOTE
PostureGeek.com does not provide medical advice. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical attention. The information provided should not replace the advice and expertise of an accredited health care provider. Any inquiry into your care and any potential impact on your health and wellbeing should be directed to your health care provider. All information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical care or treatment.