Plantar Fasciitis – What To Expect?
The plantar fascia is a tough, fibrous band of tissue that attaches from your calcaneus (heel) to the base of your toes. When working correctly, it supports the foot’s arch and absorbs shock when walking. However, repeated stress, tension and micro-tearing of the facia through repetitive strain can result in degeneration of the soft tissue and develop into plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common conditions causing heel pain. Although having a large biomechanical element, the exact cause behind the condition is poorly understood. It is thought that the constant stress and tension applied to the plantar fascia through standing and walking causes it to lose its elastic properties with routine daily activities.
Some of the contributing factors causing degeneration and pain within the plantar fascia include:
Some of the contributing factors causing degeneration and pain within the plantar fascia include:
Foot pain, specifically within the heel, is usually the first symptom of plantar fasciitis. The onset of pain usually is gradual but can be sudden in specific movement patterns such as jumping or high-impact sports. The foot pain tends to be the worst when you get up in the morning or after other periods of inactivity, hence why it’s colloquially called ‘first-step pain’. The degree of discomfort can sometimes lessen with activity during or after warming up, but it can worsen after prolonged or vigorous exercise. The pain may also appear more intense on bare feet or in shoes with minimal support.
For accurate diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, separating the heel pain/foot pain from other common conditions is needed. Some other conditions that share similar symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:
Plantar fasciitis can be distinguished from these and other conditions based on medical history and examination by your primary healthcare provider. Heel spurs are often wrongly thought to be the sole cause of heel pain. Although common, they are nothing more than the bone’s response to traction or pulling forces from the plantar fascia and other foot muscles. Heel spurs often don’t cause any pain.
For accurate diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, separating the heel pain/foot pain from other common conditions is needed. Some other conditions that share similar symptoms of plantar fasciitis include:
Plantar fasciitis can be distinguished from these and other conditions based on medical history and examination by your primary healthcare provider. Heel spurs are often wrongly thought to be the sole cause of heel pain. Although common, they are nothing more than the bone’s response to traction or pulling forces from the plantar fascia and other foot muscles. Heel spurs often don’t cause any pain.
Plantar fasciitis treatment usually depends on the time the symptoms have been present and the severity of the pain. It can take 6-12 months for your foot to return to normal. Other cases can become chronic and unremitting until effective treatment is sought. Additionally, high-demand athletes, such as cross-country or marathon runners, may require a longer course of treatment. Some of the standard treatment therapies for plantar fasciitis include:
Pain is a symptom. Symptoms are the feedback that the body generates when it faces problems with its delicate internal balance (homeostasis). Without symptoms like pain, thirst, nausea and fevers, it would be very difficult for us to maintain a healthy body in the same way that it would be hard to drive a car safely with no dashboard display.
John is one of those rare gentlemen who has continued to play competitive soccer well into his late 50s. He is in really good shape, which you need to be to play football at that age—good shape except for his left leg. His left leg is not in good condition at all. In fact, once you get to know his left leg a bit better, it becomes apparent that it’s miraculous that he’s able to run at all, Let alone the type of running required to play competitive soccer against younger men.
The Truth About Chronic Pain
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