Understanding Plantar Fasciitis

There are so many diseases and diagnoses out there, it can be hard to to understand even the more common ones. Today, we want to shed some light on Plantar Fasciitis, one of those common diagnoses.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis occurs when the band of tissues near your heel bone become inflamed. The condition arises through small tears in the tissue in your feet (plantar fascia) that help absorb the shocks of walking and running. Continued physical stress can impact this band’s ability to act as a shock absorber, and small tears appear, leading to inflammation and pain.

What are the signs of Plantar Fasciitis?

There are multiple but signs of Plantar Fasciitis. The main one that most people notice first is identified in the morning after waking up. At times, the first steps out of bed in the morning can produce the telltale “stabbing” pain of plantar fasciitis. If the pain decreases as you continue walking, that’s another clue that plantar fasciitis is the culprit.

Who can get Plantar Fasciitis?

Athletes are most likely to inflict the extra stress on their plantar fascia, but extra weight, long hours on your feet for work and even aging can also lead to plantar fasciitis.

How can Unified Therapies help?

The physical therapist at Unified Therapies will show you how to flex and stretch the bottoms of your feet, developing the mobility that prevents inflammation in that crucial band of tissues.  You will learn how to do these stretches at home as well.

Depending on your level of inflammation, the therapist may also work on your lower leg muscles for increased ankle and foot stability. At times it will also be recommended to tape your feet while you’re healing, or apply ice intermittently.

If you are experiencing foot pain please give us a call to schedule a screening today .