According to the Mayo Clinic, plantar fasciitis is one of the typical causes of heel pain that afflict millions of people every year. The reason for the pain is at the plantar fascia tissue in the foot becomes swollen and inflamed, which causes the pain in the heel. Those who are most at risk for developing plantar fasciitis are those who are extremely athletic and those who are either overweight or obese. While the pain can be quite severe, there are several different options that can be used to improve both the symptoms and the pain.
Instructions
1. Visiting a podiatrist is an important first step in determining whether your plantar fascia is inflamed and the cause of your heel pain, states the Mayo Clinic. If this is indeed the case, you doctor will recommend either over the counter or medical treatments to deal with the situation.
2. Initial treatment for plantar fasciitis will involve a conservative approach, to see if it achieves any results. The most widely recommended treatment for the condition is rest, says MedLine Plus. By resting your foot, the plantar fascia will begin to improve on its own. Over-the-counter pain medicine and icing the affected area are recommended as well.
3. The next progression of treatment options is to due physical exercises and stretches that try to improve the pain. Stretching the plantar fascia takes the pressure off of it and can help to minimize pain, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. At night, your doctor may give you a split to wear, in order to keep your leg at a certain angle, and thus keeping the plantar fascia is a stretched position. Since the pain is worse in the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, this is designed to make that process easier.
4. Providing that the previous treatments have not worked, your doctor may recommend cortisone shots. This entails an injection, directly into your heel, which then, the Mayo Clinic says, will provide several weeks of pain free relief, before the process may need to be repeated again. Downsides to this include the fact that the injection is quite painful and if the process is repeated several times, it will wear down the plantar fascia and may cause it to rupture.
5. Finally, surgical means may be necessary to alleviating the pain. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy uses sound waves to stimulate healing in the heel region. Bruising and swelling may occur, with the procedure not usually being that effective. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, removing all or part of the plantar fascia is a last resort, only if the condition is persistent and severe. This can cause complications, like the arch of the foot collapsing and the pain may still exist.
Tags: plantar fascia, Mayo Clinic, plantar fasciitis, Academy Family, Academy Family Physicians, American Academy
