Is that pain in your heel or bottom of your foot due to PLANTAR FASCIITIS? FREE HEEL AND FOOT PAIN CONSULT EVENT OCTOBER 22ND AND 23RD
Does your heel or bottom of your foot hurt: • With the first few steps out of bed in the morning? Worse as the day progresses? • When walking after prolonged sitting? • When climbing stairs or standing on your toes? • After standing for long periods?
Dear Fellow NW Indiana Resident, Heel and foot pain is no joke. It can be debilitating. You begin to dread getting out of bed in the morning, not a great way to start your day. You get embarrassed with the way you walk after sitting for a while… you get curious glances from people. You get frustrated, disappointed, sometimes even angry at yourself for not being able to do the things you love to do, like shopping, leisure walking, or just simply keeping up with your kids or grandkids. What is plantar fasciitis? Plantar fasciitis (say “PLAN-ter fash-ee-EYE-tus”) is the most common cause of heel pain. The plantar fascia is the flat band of tissue (ligament) that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot. If you strain your plantar fascia, it gets weak, swollen, and irritated (inflamed). Then your heel or the bottom of your foot hurts when you stand or walk. Repeated strain can cause tiny tears in the ligament. These can lead to pain and swelling. This is more likely to happen if: • Your feet roll inward too much when you walk. • You have high arches or flat feet. • You walk, stand, or run for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces. • You are overweight. • You wear shoes that don’t fit well or are worn out.
Here’s the test… Sit down on a comfortable chair. Cross the leg of the involved foot over the opposite knee. With either thumb, press firmly on the bottom of the involved heel, towards the arch of the foot. If you find that this spot is tender and painful to you pressing on it, then most likely you have plantar fasciitis. Now, using the hand on your affected side, take hold of your affected foot and pull your toes back towards the shin. This creates tension/stretch in the arch of the foot/plantar fascia. Repeat on the other side for comparison. If this step feels so much tighter on the affected side, then you most likely have plantar fasciitis. Now you may be asking, can plantar fasciitis heal and pain subside without medications, injections, or surgery? In most cases, yes… but it depends on but not limited to the following factors: • Length of time you’ve been suffering. • Things you’re doing that is making the condition worse without you knowing it. • Degree of swelling and tightness of the plantar fascia.
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