Plantar fasciitis
February 8, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury of the foot that causes pain on the ball of the foot. It is the inflammation of the fascia, the tough, fibrous band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the base of the toes.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms can come on gradually or they can appear very suddenly.
The symptoms can be:
- Sharp pain in the inside part of the bottom of your heel
- Heel pain that is worse
- with the first few steps after awakening
- when climbing stairs or when standing on tiptoe
- after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position
– after, but not usually during, exercise
- Mild swelling in your heel
Why does it cause pain?
Small tears or irritation of the fascia causes the pain that gets worse with use.
What can be done?
Different treatments may be tried to see which one works:
- Splints: wearing a splint at night may help keep the fascia from getting tight while you are sleeping
- Shoe inserts: Sometimes, wearing an insert helps keep the pressure off the stressed area.
- Physical therapy
- Medications, steroids to reduce inflammation
- Shock wave therapy
- Surgery
For more in-depth information, here are some sites that have reliable and up-to-date information:
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
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Check out what others are saying about this post...[...] Plantar Fasciitis is caused by the inflammation of the tissue along the bottom of the foot connecting the heel to the toes. It causes stabbing or burning pain that’s most pronounced early in the morning because the tissue tightens overnight. The thin and flimsy soles often found in winter’s sheepskin boots lack arch support and are primarily to blame for plantar fasciitis – they fail to offer adequate shock absorption to protect the tissue. The good news is that in most cases, says Dr. Zong, plantar fasciitis can be overcome without invasive surgeries. [...]