Plantar Fasciitis – Causes & Fixes
Foot pain is extremely common, whether it is in the arch of the foot, the heel, or the ankles.
One of the most common sources of foot pain is the heel. This is typically due to a condition called plantar fasciitis (an inflammation and/or degeneration of the plantar fascia.)
The plantar fascia is a thick connective tissue running from the heel bone to the balls of the metatarsal bones (your toes attach to the metatarsals).
It helps maintain the arch of the foot and transmits your weight across the foot as you walk or run.
While symptoms are at their worst when you wake up in the morning, the following can cause or aggravate plantar fasciitis:
Common Triggers for Plantar Fasciitis
- Walking with an abnormal step;
- Prolonged walking or standing;
- Sports such as running or basketball;
- Obesity;
- Lack of arch support (flat feet);
- Inflexible Achilles tendons and calf muscles;
- Walking barefoot on hard surfaces.
Good News About Plantar Fasciitis
In fact, most plantar fasciitis is due to a problem with foot control. This can happen in the form of pronation, delayed pronation, or no pronation.
In simple terms, pronation refers to the way your foot naturally rolls inwards for force distribution upon landing. It is a natural movement and varies from person to person.
Since this is a mechanical problem, shoe inserts and orthotics are often, although not always, very successful in treating this problem.
The solution may be as simple as changing footwear or wearing night splints.
Getting the right Foot Pain advice
Our therapists at The Jackson Clinics can do the necessary evaluations to determine whether you have plantar fasciitis, and develop a personalized treatment approach to solve the problem.
In fact, The Jackson Clinics has the ONLY Foot and Ankle Fellowship in the country! We know feet.
If you’re experiencing foot pain, don’t wait!
We can design a complete program to relieve the pain of plantar fasciitis, while strengthening your foot to help prevent recurrence of the problem.
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