Plantar Fasciitis

You have painful plantar fasciitis, then you are probably looking a for quick and easy resolution to your pain. Right NOW! You think your alone with this one. More than 2,700,000 searches per month of people just like you looking for answers! You are probably not worried about the how's, why and what for's but are looking for plain and simple answer and techniques to get rid of your pain. This is the most common cause of foot problems in western society. This condition is a condition due to an inflammation of the flat band of tissue called the plantar fascia. Its function is to support the arch of your foot when walking. Most people describe the pain like a sharp, stabbing or burning sensation that starts at the heel and tends to spread forward into the arch of the foot. hence lots of people are looking for answers, treatment and quick results. This condition is agonizingly painful, frustrating and life draining and will get worse without treatment.

Causes
The first step in order to receive the correct plantar fasciitis pain treatment is to figure out the cause of the condition. Many different factors cause plantar fasciitis, such as, tight calf muscles, injury from running and jumping, arthritis both degenerative and systemic, poorly fitting shoes,systemic disease, poor body posture when running and walking, poor foot posture and foot biomechanics, history of lower back injury and history of lower limb surgery.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
Your Podiatrist can help you diagnose your condition and then outline a plan of action to treat it. After your diagnosis has occurred and prognosis determined, your Podiatrist will advise you on the best pain therapy. Most of the time, plantar fasciitis therapy can be done in your own home with exercise, rest and relaxation. There are some plantar fasciitis secrets that only a few practitioners know about and sometimes you may have to search far and wide to find a great Podiatrist who can help you with this. Staying off your feet for a given amount of time and rest from weight bearing activities is recommended. Other times, your Podiatrist may tell you to apply tape to the bottom of your feet to help support your arches and reduce tension off your plantar fascia. Typically this is located at the heel and just anterior to the insertion of the plantar fascia into the heel bone. This reduces swelling and inflammation o allow the healing process to respond more quickly.

Strengthening and foot flexibility exercises are integral and another treatment used to firstly help with reduction of inflammation and pain reduction and then looking at preventing the condition from returning. The use and application ice to the area of inflammation for 10 minutes on and 20 minutes off, usually in the middle of the day and at the end of the day. This procedure helps to reduce pain and oedema which also speeds up the healing process.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help alleviate some pain. A Podiatrist will suggest specific stretching exercises of the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and hamstring and quadriceps muscles as a way of treating your plantar fasciitis. Even though plantar fasciitis is frustrating and slow to heal, a visit to a foot specialist called a Podiatrist can greatly reduce healing times and get you back into life quickly and easily.

Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Pain Causes

Plantarfasciitis and heel pain causes are related to several possible reasons. Plantar fasciitis is the tearing and subsequent inflammation of the plantar fascia ligaments on the bottom of the foot, which in turn causes foot pain. Or when repeated stress and strain occur on the heel bone and surrounding soft tissue, the body tries to protect itself by forming a bone spur.

Plantar fasciitis pain is often felt at the front part of the heel on the bottom of the foot. The pain spreads along the bottom of the foot towards the toes. If the ligaments of the foot bottom have tightened up overnight due to inflammation, putting your weight on your foot to walk as you get out of bed in the morning becomes painful. The foot area that is tight is stretched as you put your weight on your foot, which causes a 'hot' pain that runs along the heel toward the toes. Or you may find that plantar fasciitis heel pain is only a problem after being stationary for a while, or late in the day or while doing certain kinds of activity.

Here are common plantar fasciitis and heel pain causes and related conditions:

1. Physical Injury to the Foot, Arch or Heel - running, jogging or walking can result in injury to the foot which in turn becomes inflammed.

2. Excessive Walking, Standing or Exercise - once a plantar fasciitis problem begins, being on your feet more leads to additional tearing in the fascia. And tearing in the fascia area leads to inflammation and pain.

3. Obesity - you may have even gained weight since your heel pain began because of less activity. Excess weight transmits more stress to the plantar fascia area, causing plantar fasciitis pain.

4. Poorly Fitting, Hard-Soled Uncomfortable Shoes - leather shoes may look great but can be uncomfortable for your feet. Well-made, good-fitting rubber-heeled shoes will better cushion the impact of the heel striking the surface and can help reduce heel pain.

5. Calcium Deposits - abnormal calcium deposits can form on the bottom of the foot resulting in foot pain.

Persons suffering from muscle inflammation, gout, lupus, alkalosis, arthritis or tendonitis seem to have a tendency for plantar fasciitis problems and heel pain.

Plantar fasciitis pain can be somewhat annoying or it can become serious enough to be disabling. If you have experienced this type of heel pain, you know how debilitating it can be. However, understanding heel pain causes can help you know how to find relief. Foot surgery should always be considered the very last resort. There are proven ways you can treat plantar fasciitis and reduce heel pain.

Read more about plantar fasciitis natural treatment and reducing heel pain.