What is planters foot?
Planters foot is also known as Plantar Fasciitis, it is an inflammation that’s caused by the stretching of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia the tissue that stretches along the sole of your foot from the big toe right the way to the heel. When this tissue is overly stretched it can cause plantar fasciitis, planters foot. This can also lead to arch pain, heel pain and heel spurs.
What are the causes of planters foot?
There are many causes of planters foot but the results are normally the same, the sole of your foot usually causes you discomfort and this pain is normally pinpointed to the inside of your foot, where the heel meets the arch.
The causes for this pain can include: excessive weight on your foot, this could be because of obesity or pregnancy. Flat feet, a sudden increase in physical activity, a sudden switch from high-heeled shoes to flat shoes, tight Achilles tendons and high arches can also be causes.
The pain is usually a lot greater in the morning, when you first step out of bed. It may subside once you get going with your day but may return if you sit down for a long period. This effect is because the more you walk around during the day, the more you stretch your plantar fascia and this helps with the pain.
What is the treatment for planters foot?
The treatments for planters foot are very varied because the proper treatment of planters foot is finding out what is causing undue stretching of the plantar fascia. Your doctor will be able to help you find out what is causing your planters foot and from there, they will most likely recommend one of these treatments:
- Stretching
- Night splints
- Ice
- Heel pads
- Pain relievers
- Steroid injections
- Ultrasound
- Shock wave therapy
- Walking cast
There is also a small chance that you may need to have surgery to alleviate your pain. This is fairly uncommon as most practitioners agree that the treatment for planters foot is a slow process. Most cases can be resolved in a year. If the more conservative approaches above do not help in this time then your doctor may recommend other treatment like surgery. In these cases, your planters foot has to be debilitating and interfering with your normal day to day life. Don’t worry, it isn’t very common to need surgery for planters foot.
Signs to look out for
If you have a pain in the bottom of your foot or in your heel, especially first thing in the morning or after sitting down for a long period of time, then you should seek medical advice about planters foot. Other signs to look out for are bruising and redness in the heel. If you do notice any of these signs then speak with your GP to find out the best course of action.
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