 Plantar Fasciitis is a straining
and or stressing of the
Plantar Fascia (Plantar Arch)
resulting in inflammation,
swelling and pain in the arch
of the foot. It is a first
cousin to the
Heel Spur and/or Heel Pain
problems. When
the arch is strained it
normally hurts in the
morning when you first
get out of bed or after
getting up after 20
minutes or so after sitting.
The Plantar Fascia (Plantar Arch)
is like a rubber band that
runs from the heel to
the metatarsal heads in the
front part of your foot.
The function of the plantar
arch is to form a bridge
between the front and
the back part of the
foot. The bones, ligaments
and tendons in the arch
are subjected to
considerable stress
throughout the day,
and if your foot does
not work properly due
to Abnormal Pronation
and/or ill-fitting shoes,
it will quickly result in arch
pain which is a sign that
this part of the foot is
being overworked and is
suffering from fatigue.
People with chronic arch
problems should sacrifice
the higher-heeled shoe for
one with a more "sensible"
heel, one with good
support through the arch
area, and one with a thick
shock-absorbing sole.
Once again--avoid
buying shoes that need
to be "broken in" and
wherever possible,
avoid walking on very
hard surfaces like
concrete or cement.
If arch pain does not
subside within a reasonable
time, it is best to
look further in attempting
to treat this very painful
problem. A podiatrist
will determine, through a
careful examination and
x-ray evaluation, what
areas of your foot are
under the greatest amount
of stress. He may
perform an additional
lab test to determine if
Arthritis
is a factor. Should this
be the case, it can
be treated in a variety
of ways through
anti-inflammatory medications,
by padding & taping of the
arch, and/or by stretching
or by using various
combinations of
Physical Therapy methods.
In some cases, a nerve is
injured in the arch area,
and a vitamin injection is
needed to reduce the
inflamed nerves. If
the problems is due to
Abnormal Pronation
then an Orthotic device
placed inside the shoes
will help the arch
from re-injuring
itself.
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