As the weather warms up, people are heading out to enjoy the great outdoors. If you love hiking, biking, running and seeking out adventures, don’t let plantar fasciitis get in the way. Plantar fasciitis is when the tissue connecting your heel to your toes (the plantar fascia) becomes inflamed. It feels like a stabbing pain in the heel.
Prevention
Many people deal with this bothersome condition, but if you take the right steps, it doesn’t have to slow you down. Since preventing the problem is the best route, try some of these preventative measures.
- Avoid continually causing stress on your heels by doing cross-training
- Stretch and warm up before exercising
- Replace your shoes often to avoid worn out soles
- Always wear shoes that fit well, have good support, and are appropriate for whatever activity you do
- Take a break and avoid spending too much time on your feet
- Try to avoid hard surfaces during training
Treatment
If you do get plantar fasciitis, there are several things a doctor will recommend to help deal with the pain and fix the problem.
- Take Medication: Pain relievers can help you get on with your life while also reducing inflammation. This is usually done along with rest and icing the area.
- Injections: For patients with severe pain or in cases where anti-inflammatory medication doesn’t work, steroid injections can help.
- Physical Therapy: Learning strengthening exercises and stretches will help encourage flexibility and healing. The areas targeted go beyond the plantar fascia to the lower leg muscles and Achilles tendon.
- Massage: Different forms of massage help stimulate blood flow, which promotes healing, including foot rubs, foot manipulation, shock waves, and foot rollers and balls.
Whether you are looking to find ways to prevent plantar fasciitis from returning or for ways to heal the problems, we would love to talk to you. Give us a call for a consultation or treatment.
