Plantar Fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain
It seems so many people have heard of plantar fasciitis and if you’ve not had it yourself, chances are you know at least one person to suffer with it. A quick internet search can bring up so much information but how much of it is true, and how much of it is sales patter? Let’s separate fact from fiction.
Anatomy
The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that connects to your heel bone and the base of your toes.
It supports the arch of your foot and absorbs shock when walking.
Tension and stress on the fascia, particularly where it attaches to the heel bone, can cause small tears. Repeated stretching and tearing of the fascia can irritate or inflame it causing the pain.
Mechanism of the Plantar Fascia
Imagine the plantar fascia is an elastic band which stretches and relaxes with every step. Under normal circumstances this is fine. However when plantar fasciitis sets in, this stretching causes pain. When we rest and sleep we tend to have our feet in a plantarflexed position (pointing downwards). This relaxes the ‘elastic band’. As soon as we put our foot to the floor it stretches and pulls on its attachment to the heel bone causing intense pain. This is why it is so painful in the mornings and after periods of sitting.
Causes?
A really common question – why have I got this? The truth is in most cases we cannot pinpoint the cause.
However there are risk factors:
- Poor foot mechanics
- Change in activity levels
- Change in footwear
- Being overweight
- Certain occupations – on feet for long periods and/or on hard floor surfaces
Symptoms
- Pain in heel or arch, or both
- Pain when first getting out of bed in the morning which eases after a short while (during your morning routine)
- Pain on rising after sitting for a period of time (after you’ve sat down to have lunch)
- Pain after being on feet for a long time (towards the end of your working day)
Diagnosis is based on medical history as well as a physical examination, and in most cases no additional testing is required.
Common myths
‘Magical’ or ‘miracle’ cures do not exist – scientific facts overrule here
Cheap shoes cause plantar fasciitis – plantar fasciitis does not know how much you spent on your footwear
Rest will cure plantar fasciitis – you would have to rest and be immobile for a very long time with no weight bearing at all, which will bring more issues than results
It only affects runners – it isn’t picky and can affect anyone
It only affects older people – again, see above
Surgery is a good option – surgery is only suitable for a very very tiny percentage of sufferers and only as an absolute last resort
Plantar fasciitis only affects those with flat feet – again it isn’t picky
Rolling a ball under your foot will ‘cure you’ – a helpful pain reliever but not a cure
It is caused by a heel spur – you may or may not have a heel spur with plantar fasciitis – it is completely irrelevant and the spur itself will not factor in the treatment
Once you have it, you are stuck with it for life – it is perfectly treatable, with the correct treatment
And the final FACT, which is a biggie:
THE LONGER YOU’VE HAD IT, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT IS TO TREAT – SO GET IT TREATED!
