What is plantar fasciitis. How does it cause heel pain. What are the main symptoms of plantar fasciitis. Which treatments are most effective for plantar fasciitis. When should surgery be considered for plantar fasciitis.

Understanding Plantar Fasciitis: The Common Cause of Heel Pain

Plantar fasciitis is a widespread condition that often leads to stabbing heel pain. It involves inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue extending from the heel to the toes. This condition can cause significant discomfort and impact daily activities.

Why does plantar fasciitis occur? The condition typically develops due to faulty foot structure, such as overly flat feet or high arches. Additionally, wearing unsupportive footwear on hard surfaces, obesity, and overuse can contribute to its onset.

Key Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

• Pain on the bottom of the heel
• Discomfort in the arch of the foot
• Pain that worsens upon waking or after periods of inactivity
• Gradually increasing pain over several months
• Swelling at the bottom of the heel

Many individuals with plantar fasciitis report that their pain is most severe when they first get up in the morning or after sitting for extended periods. Interestingly, the pain often decreases after walking for a few minutes, as this action stretches the fascia.

Diagnosing Plantar Fasciitis: Beyond the Obvious

Accurate diagnosis of plantar fasciitis is crucial for effective treatment. How do medical professionals diagnose this condition? A foot and ankle surgeon typically begins by taking a comprehensive medical history and performing a thorough foot examination.

During the diagnostic process, the surgeon aims to rule out other potential causes of heel pain. These may include stress fractures, tendonitis, arthritis, nerve irritation, or rarely, a cyst. To further distinguish between different types of heel pain, diagnostic imaging studies such as X-rays or other imaging modalities may be employed.

Is a heel spur always present with plantar fasciitis? Not necessarily. While heel spurs are sometimes found in patients with plantar fasciitis, they are rarely the source of pain. When present, the condition may be diagnosed as plantar fasciitis/heel spur syndrome.

First-Line Treatments for Plantar Fasciitis

When it comes to managing plantar fasciitis, several first-line strategies can be initiated at home. These approaches aim to alleviate pain and promote healing:

1. Stretching exercises: Regularly stretching the calf muscles can help ease pain and aid recovery.
2. Avoiding barefoot walking: Walking without shoes puts undue strain on the plantar fascia.
3. Ice therapy: Applying an ice pack to the heel for 20 minutes several times a day can reduce inflammation.
4. Activity limitation: Reducing extended physical activities gives the heel a chance to rest.
5. Shoe modifications: Wearing supportive shoes with good arch support and a slightly raised heel can reduce stress on the plantar fascia.
6. Medications: Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help reduce pain and inflammation.

Advanced Treatment Options for Persistent Plantar Fasciitis

If pain persists after several weeks of home treatment, it’s advisable to consult a foot and ankle surgeon. They may recommend one or more of the following advanced treatment approaches:

• Padding, taping, and strapping: These techniques can provide additional support to the foot and reduce strain on the fascia.
• Custom orthotic devices: Tailored to fit your shoe, these devices help correct underlying structural abnormalities causing plantar fasciitis.
• Injection therapy: In some cases, corticosteroid injections may be used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
• Removable walking cast: This device keeps the foot immobile for a few weeks, allowing it to rest and heal.
• Night splint: Wearing a night splint maintains an extended stretch of the plantar fascia during sleep, potentially reducing morning pain.
• Physical therapy: Various exercises and physical therapy measures may provide relief.

The Role of Surgery in Treating Plantar Fasciitis

Is surgery ever necessary for plantar fasciitis? While most patients respond well to nonsurgical treatments, a small percentage may require surgical intervention. Surgery is typically considered only after several months of nonsurgical treatment have failed to provide adequate relief.

What does plantar fasciitis surgery involve? The procedure aims to release the plantar fascia, reducing tension and alleviating pain. However, it’s important to note that surgery carries its own risks and potential complications, which should be thoroughly discussed with a foot and ankle surgeon before proceeding.

Preventing Plantar Fasciitis: Proactive Measures

While not all cases of plantar fasciitis can be prevented, several strategies can help reduce the risk of developing this condition:

• Maintain a healthy weight to reduce stress on your feet
• Choose shoes with adequate support and cushioning
• Replace athletic shoes regularly, especially if you’re a runner
• Stretch your calves and feet before and after exercise
• Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts
• Avoid going barefoot on hard surfaces for extended periods

Living with Plantar Fasciitis: Coping Strategies and Lifestyle Adjustments

Dealing with plantar fasciitis can be challenging, but there are ways to manage the condition and maintain a good quality of life. How can you cope with plantar fasciitis in your daily life?

First, consider modifying your activities. If certain exercises or activities exacerbate your symptoms, try low-impact alternatives like swimming or cycling. Additionally, using supportive insoles in all your shoes, not just athletic ones, can provide consistent support throughout the day.

Are there any specific exercises that can help manage plantar fasciitis pain? Yes, several targeted exercises can be beneficial:

1. Toe stretches: Gently pull your toes back towards your shin and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
2. Calf stretches: Stand facing a wall with one foot behind the other. Keep your back leg straight and lean forward, bending your front knee. Hold for 30 seconds and switch legs.
3. Rolling stretch: Roll a frozen water bottle or tennis ball under your foot for a few minutes to massage the plantar fascia.

Remember, consistency is key when it comes to managing plantar fasciitis. Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine, along with other recommended treatments, can significantly improve your symptoms over time.

When to Seek Professional Help for Heel Pain

While many cases of plantar fasciitis can be managed at home, there are instances when professional medical advice should be sought. But when exactly should you consult a healthcare provider for heel pain?

Consider seeking professional help if:

• Your heel pain persists for more than a few weeks despite home treatment
• The pain is severe or suddenly worsens
• You experience heel pain accompanied by fever, redness, or warmth in the affected area
• You have diabetes and develop heel pain
• You notice unusual swelling or discoloration in your heel

A foot and ankle specialist can provide a comprehensive evaluation, accurate diagnosis, and tailored treatment plan to address your specific condition. They can also rule out other potential causes of heel pain that may require different treatment approaches.

The Impact of Plantar Fasciitis on Daily Life and Long-Term Foot Health

Plantar fasciitis can significantly impact an individual’s daily life and long-term foot health. How does this condition affect everyday activities and overall well-being?

For many people, plantar fasciitis can make simple tasks like walking or standing for extended periods painful and challenging. This can lead to reduced physical activity, which may, in turn, contribute to other health issues such as weight gain or decreased cardiovascular fitness.

Can plantar fasciitis cause long-term damage to the foot? While plantar fasciitis itself doesn’t typically cause permanent damage, chronic inflammation can lead to the thickening or deterioration of the plantar fascia over time. This can result in decreased flexibility and increased susceptibility to further injury.

Moreover, individuals with untreated plantar fasciitis may develop compensatory walking patterns to avoid heel pain. These altered biomechanics can potentially lead to other foot, knee, hip, or back problems.

To mitigate these long-term effects, it’s crucial to address plantar fasciitis promptly and effectively. This may involve a combination of the treatments discussed earlier, as well as ongoing foot care practices to maintain overall foot health.

Maintaining Foot Health Beyond Plantar Fasciitis

Even after successfully treating plantar fasciitis, it’s important to continue practicing good foot health habits. These can include:

• Regular foot stretches and exercises to maintain flexibility and strength
• Wearing supportive, well-fitting shoes appropriate for your activities
• Maintaining a healthy weight to reduce stress on your feet
• Avoiding prolonged periods of standing or walking on hard surfaces without proper support
• Gradually increasing the intensity of physical activities to avoid overuse injuries

By incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you can help prevent the recurrence of plantar fasciitis and promote overall foot health for years to come.

Plantar Fasciitis – Heel Pain | Foot Health Facts

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Heel pain, especially stabbing heel pain, is most often caused by plantar fasciitis, a condition that is sometimes also called heel spur syndrome when a spur is present. Heel pain may also be due to other causes, such as a stress fracture, tendonitis, arthritis, nerve irritation or, rarely, a cyst.

Because there are several potential causes, it is important to have heel pain properly diagnosed. A foot and ankle surgeon is able to distinguish between all the possibilities and to determine the underlying source of your heel pain.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes. In this condition, the fascia first becomes irritated and then inflamed, resulting in heel pain.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

The most common cause of plantar fasciitis relates to faulty structure of the foot. For example, people who have problems with their arches, either overly flat feet or high-arched feet, are more prone to developing plantar fasciitis.

Wearing nonsupportive footwear on hard, flat surfaces puts abnormal strain on the plantar fascia and can also lead to plantar fasciitis. This is particularly evident when one’s job requires long hours on the feet. Obesity and overuse may also contribute to plantar fasciitis.

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

The symptoms of plantar fasciitis are:

• Pain on the bottom of the heel
• Pain in the arch of the foot
• Pain that is usually worse upon arising
• Pain that increases over a period of months
• Swelling on the bottom of the heel
  
   

People with plantar fasciitis often describe the pain as worse when they get up in the morning or after they have been sitting for long periods of time. After a few minutes of walking, the pain decreases because walking stretches the fascia. For some people, the pain subsides but returns after spending long periods of time on their feet.

Diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis

To arrive at a diagnosis, the foot and ankle surgeon will obtain your medical history and examine your foot. Throughout this process, the surgeon rules out all possible causes for your heel pain other than plantar fasciitis.

In addition, diagnostic imaging studies, such as x-rays or other imaging modalities, may be used to distinguish the different types of heel pain. Sometimes heel spurs are found in patients with plantar fasciitis, but these are rarely a source of pain. When they are present, the condition may be diagnosed as plantar fasciitis/heel spur syndrome.

Nonsurgical Treatment

Treatment of plantar fasciitis begins with first-line strategies, which you can begin at home:

• Stretching exercises. Exercises that stretch out the calf muscles help ease pain and assist with recovery.
• Avoid going barefoot. When you walk without shoes, you put undue strain and stress on your plantar fascia.
• Ice. Putting an ice pack on your heel for 20 minutes several times a day helps reduce inflammation. Place a thin towel between the ice and your heel; do not apply ice directly to the skin.
• Limit activities. Cut down on extended physical activities to give your heel a rest.
• Shoe modifications. Wearing supportive shoes that have good arch support and a slightly raised heel reduces stress on the plantar fascia.
• Medications. Oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may be recommended to reduce pain and inflammation.
  
   

If you still have pain after several weeks, see your foot and ankle surgeon, who may add one or more of these treatment approaches:

• Padding, taping and strapping. Placing pads in the shoe softens the impact of walking. Taping and strapping help support the foot and reduce strain on the fascia.
• Orthotic devices. Custom orthotic devices that fit into your shoe help correct the underlying structural abnormalities causing the plantar fasciitis.
• Injection therapy. In some cases, corticosteroid injections are used to help reduce the inflammation and relieve pain.
• Removable walking cast. A removable walking cast may be used to keep your foot immobile for a few weeks to allow it to rest and heal.
• Night splint. Wearing a night splint allows you to maintain an extended stretch of the plantar fascia while sleeping. This may help reduce the morning pain experienced by some patients.
• Physical therapy. Exercises and other physical therapy measures may be used to help provide relief.
  
   

When Is Surgery Needed?

Although most patients with plantar fasciitis respond to nonsurgical treatment, a small percentage of patients may require surgery. If, after several months of nonsurgical treatment, you continue to have heel pain, surgery will be considered. Your foot and ankle surgeon will discuss the surgical options with you and determine which approach would be most beneficial for you.

Long-Term Care

No matter what kind of treatment you undergo for plantar fasciitis, the underlying causes that led to this condition may remain. Therefore, you will need to continue with preventive measures. Wearing supportive shoes, stretching and using custom orthotic devices are the mainstay of long-term treatment for plantar fasciitis.

Why choose a foot and ankle surgeon?

Foot and ankle surgeons are the leading experts in foot and ankle care today. As doctors of podiatric medicine – also known as podiatrists, DPMs or occasionally “foot and ankle doctors” – they are the board-certified surgical specialists of the podiatric profession. Foot and ankle surgeons have more education and training specific to the foot and ankle than any other healthcare provider.

Foot and ankle surgeons treat all conditions affecting the foot and ankle, from the simple to the complex, in patients of all ages including plantar fasciitis, heel pain and stabbing heel pain. Their intensive education and training qualify foot and ankle surgeons to perform a wide range of surgeries, including any surgery that may be indicated for plantar fasciitis or heel pain.

Plantar Fasciitis Los Angeles | Stabbing Pain

The plantar fascia is a long, thin ligament present along the bottom of the foot that creates the arch of the foot. It extends from the heel bone, and then splits and fans out to attach itself to the toes.

Plantar fasciitis is a condition where the plantar fascia becomes inflamed from overstretching or overuse, causing pain in the heel and bottom of the foot. It can occur in one or both feet due to excessive standing and is one of the most common orthopaedic complaints, especially in active men between 40 and 70 years of age.

Causes

Plantar fasciitis occurs when you strain or irritate the plantar fascia ligament. Repeated strain can result in tiny tears in the ligament, leading to pain and swelling, which can make walking difficult.

Strains can occur due to :

• High or low foot arch
• Obesity or sudden weight gain
• Tight Achilles tendon which connects the calf muscles to the heel
• Starting a new activity or increasing the intensity of an activity
• Wearing improper shoes with soles that are too soft, do not fit well or offer poor arch support

Symptoms

The major complaint of plantar fasciitis is pain and stiffness in the heel and foot. The pain associated with this condition becomes more intense:

• In the morning when you step out of bed
• Walking after sitting or standing for some time
• Climbing stairs
• After exercise

Diagnosis

Your doctor diagnoses plantar fasciitis after reviewing your medical history and conducting a physical examination of the foot to check for tenderness, stiffness or redness of the sole. Your doctor may watch how you stand and walk, and evaluate related conditions such as high arches.

X-rays of the foot can be taken if your doctor suspects a stress fracture, a hairline fracture in the bone, or other related conditions such as a heel spur, which is extra calcium deposit on the heel bone.

Treatment

Treatment involves conservative measures to resolve the condition. Conservative treatment measures include:

Rest: Rest is the first step that is considered for reducing pain and preventing further damage to the ligament.

Ice: Rolling your foot over ice can be very effective in reducing swelling, and is recommended for 20 minutes, 3-4 times a day

Medications: NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may be prescribed for relief of pain and inflammation

Exercise: calf stretches and plantar fascia stretches are effective in relieving pain
A steroid injection may be administered into the plantar fascia for reducing pain and inflammation
Supportive shoes and orthotics may also be recommended to reduce the pain while walking or standing
Night splints can be suggested by your doctor to help stretch the plantar fascia while sleeping
Physical therapy may be recommended for instruction on stretching exercises, massage and ice treatments
PT may use extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), which uses high-energy shockwave impulses to stimulate healing of the
damaged plantar fascia tissues

Surgery

Surgical treatment is considered only if conservative therapy does not provide effective relief after 12 months.  There are two surgeries your surgeon may perform and will depend on your particular situation.

Gastrocnemius recession- Tight calf muscles or gastrocnemius muscles can strain the plantar fascia. To release this stress, your surgeon will surgically lengthen the calf muscle, and increase the motion of the ankle. The surgery can be performed by open incision or endoscopically through a small incision by using an endoscope, which is a long instrument with a small camera attached.

Plantar fascia release- If you have normal range of ankle motion, but continue to have heel pain, a partial release procedure is recommended. Your surgeon will partially cut the plantar fascia ligament to relieve the tension. The surgery can be performed endoscopically but open incision is easier to perform and is associated with lower risk of nerve damage.

Risks and Complications

Complications are rare following surgery to treat plantar fasciitis, but as with any surgical procedure, they can occur.  Some complications include:

• Infection
• Nerve Damage
• Unresolved Pain

Heel pain when walking: causes and treatments

Heel pain when walking can come on suddenly. However, pain does not appear just like that, even if there are no other symptoms. Therefore, it is imperative to find out the cause of heel pain in order to prevent the risk of developing diseases of the osteoarticular apparatus.

The nature and causes of pain

Many people suffer from heel pain, and women more often than men, because they wear high heels. The human heel acts as a shock absorber when walking, therefore, with heavy loads on the musculoskeletal system, pain may occur in this part of the foot.

If it’s due to uncomfortable shoes, long time on your feet, or other obvious reasons, don’t worry. It is only necessary to eliminate the cause of excessive load on the foot, as there will be no discomfort when walking. But if the pains are regular and occur even during a leisurely walk, it is necessary to find out the cause of their appearance and take the necessary measures to eliminate the disease that causes discomfort.

The most common causes of heel pain are:

1. Change in body weight. With a sharp set of mass, the load on the legs increases dramatically. And with rapid weight loss, subcutaneous fat in the heel atrophies, which also causes discomfort during physical activity.
2. Injury and overload. A heel bruise that entails a crack or fracture, stretching or rupture of the tendon also often leads to severe pain.
3. Diseases. There are many diseases of the feet, but a person ignorant of medicine is unlikely to identify the cause of pain in the heel. In this case, it is better to consult a doctor and describe in detail the nature of the pain – sharp, dull, cutting, stabbing, aching, shooting or burning.

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Possible diseases

Different diseases cause different sensations when stepping on the heel. Most often, discomfort in the foot when walking is associated with such diseases as:

• plantar fasciitis;
• Achilles tendinitis;
• erythromelalgia;
• Calcaneal apophysitis, etc.

Plantar fasciitis is popularly called “heel spur”. This is the most common disease that causes discomfort in the back of the foot. The disease is characterized by inflammation of the plantar aponeurosis.

The name “calcaneal spur” is associated with the sensations that the patient experiences when walking – as if stepping on a sharp object. At rest, pain may not be felt or may be aching in nature. However, when walking, especially after sleep or a long rest, the patient feels a sharp unbearable pain with every step.

Achilles tendonitis is characterized by tissue damage or inflammation. Most often, this disease occurs in athletes or in people whose work is associated with overstrain of the osteoarticular apparatus. When probing the back of the foot, the patient feels discomfort, and with loads on the legs, he feels acute pain.

Erythromelalgia is a disease characterized by dilation of capillaries and small vessels. The disease is exacerbated by exposure to heat. Even lying down under a warm blanket, the patient will feel a burning sensation in the heel when walking.

Apophysitis of the calcaneus is a disease associated with impaired growth of the bone tissue of the foot and lower leg. There is apophysitis of the calcaneus in children and adolescents. The disease is caused by sharp and large loads on the ankle joint, foot injuries, obesity, and genetic factors.

Therapies

Medical Therapy

Because heel pain can be caused by many things, from plantar nerve damage to being overweight, there are different ways to treat it. Medicines should be prescribed only by a doctor after diagnosing the disease. Even a similar nature of pain can be treated with different means.

Most often, the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory drugs . Non-steroidal drugs relieve pain, and are also used as intramuscular injections for fasciitis.

The disadvantage of non-steroidal drugs is a large number of side effects, so long-term drug therapy with these drugs is contraindicated.

Analgesic drugs relieve pain and inflammation caused by diseases such as fasciitis and arthritis. This type of anti-inflammatory drug is available as injections, rectal suppositories, tablets, ointments, and gels.

Liquid anesthetics in the form of a therapeutic solution are used for external use. They warm the damaged area of ​​the foot, help relieve inflammation and swelling.

Folk remedies

When pain in the back of the foot is associated with injury or overload, then you can get rid of discomfort at home. Slight swelling, swelling, pain only in the left or right heel are removed by folk remedies.

At home you can prepare:

• infusions and tinctures;
• compresses;
• baths.

Infusions are taken orally to relieve pain. To prepare the solution, you will need water and medicinal herb marsh cinquefoil. 1 st. l. dry raw materials are diluted in 100 ml of boiled water and allowed to brew a little. Take for 3 weeks 3 times a day before meals. Walnuts also have anti-inflammatory properties. To prepare a tincture, 10 g of nuts are poured into 100 mg of vodka and infused for 10 days. Take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day before meals for 3 weeks.

Compresses help not only eliminate the symptoms of the disease, but also cure the disease itself. The prepared mixture for the compress is spread on gauze. Then the foot is wrapped with gauze and the compress is left overnight. Wash your feet in warm water in the morning.

Boiled potatoes are often used in the mixture. It is mixed with medical alcohol, honey and even kerosene. But you can also use hot mashed potatoes without additives. To prolong the warming effect that hot potatoes have, the compress is wrapped on top with a plastic bag.

A compress of 1 tbsp will help get rid of a heel spur. l. honey, edible salt and 50 ml of iodine. This mixture is enough for 5 days of treatment. At night, a compress is applied to the sore heel and fixed on the foot with a bandage. Grated black radish helps get rid of heel spurs. Compresses with black radish are done every night until complete recovery.

Baths help eliminate discomfort after walking. For the preparation of baths, warm water and medicinal plants such as nettle, chamomile, and burdock are used. In warm water, you can also add 1 tbsp. l. baking soda. Contrasting baths with alternating cold and hot water perfectly relieve stress.

Methods of pain relief

After a heavy load on the legs, an ice compress will quickly relieve pain in the heel. To do this, put ice cubes in a bag and apply to a sore spot. Hold the compress for 5-10 minutes.

Self-massage will also help to anesthetize the heel area. To do this, put a small hard round ball under the heel and roll it over. At work, you can tap on the heel with a pen or pencil. At home, it is useful to walk on a rug with heated coarse salt. Massage improves blood circulation, which contributes not only to the elimination of pain, but also to the removal of inflammation.

Prevention

Heel pain is often caused by an accidental injury to the foot, sometimes it is caused by a hereditary predisposition. However, most risk factors can be prevented in advance if the right preventive measures are taken.

Obesity and excessive load on the legs lead to problems with the foot and the heel as well. A balanced diet and exercise, on the other hand, contribute to a healthy foot condition.

The choice of proper shoes is of great importance for the prevention of heel diseases. It should sit comfortably on the leg and have a small heel. It is good if the shoes or boots have an orthopedic insole. But if the shoes are soft, comfortable and sized, then such an insole is not needed. Narrow or high shoes, which also do not allow air to pass through, should not be worn all the time.

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Comfortable shoes are essential for athletes. Runners need to change their running shoes frequently. So that the joints of the legs do not experience a strong load during running, after training, it is imperative to do several stretching and flexibility exercises.

Pain in the foot between the heel and toe: how to treat, causes of pain

Author of the article: Eduard Svitich – orthopedic traumatologist

The foot is the most durable part of the musculoskeletal system. The weight of the whole body presses on it, and when walking or running, the load on the feet exceeds the weight of the body at times. The complex structure of the sole allows you to withstand loads and maintain active movement.

Contents:

• What is between the heel and the toe?
• Why does the foot hurt in the middle
• Plantar fasciitis is usually treated
• How to treat fasciitis correctly

What is between the heel and toe on the foot?

There are about 26 bones in each foot, which are connected to each other by ligaments. The most durable and largest of them is the plantar fascia (aponeurosis). It looks like a wide plate connecting the heel and the base of the fingers. If you imagine that the bend of the foot is the shaft of the bow, the fascia is its bowstring, it keeps the arch from sagging and springs for cushioning.

Why does the foot hurt in the middle

Healthy plantar (or plantar) fascia is quite elastic and only slightly stretches under load. If the height of the arches falls, the attachment points of the fascia diverge, and it is stretched. A tightly stretched ligament, with even greater tension, no longer stretches, but breaks.

Ligament tension can lead to various symptoms. All of them clearly violate the health of the feet and sharply limit activity. Inflammation of the fascia is called plantar fasciitis, and it can manifest itself in several forms:

• Proximal fasciitis. Sharp, sharp or aching pain appears in the depths of the heel region. A “heel spur” on an x-ray is just a sign that the fascia has been tense for a long time. The pain in this case is not caused by a bone spike, but by damage to the ligament fibers.
• Medium shape. Occurs very often. The foot seems to split with every step. The sole aches and hurts, sometimes the discomfort simply makes it impossible to move. Rarely, an extensive rupture of the plantar ligament can occur: the pain becomes unbearable, the foot swells, the arches flatten.
• Distal form. The pain bothers in the area closer to the fingers. It is less common, can mimic the symptoms of transverse flatfoot, Morton’s disease.

How is plantar fasciitis usually treated?

The acute phase of the disease is usually treated symptomatically. The patient is advised to walk less, apply ice packs to the painful area through the tissue. With a significant intensity of discomfort, anti-inflammatory drugs are recommended. These are absolutely correct appointments for a short-term fight against exacerbation.

It is somewhat worse if the doctor begins treatment of fasciitis with rather dangerous and unreliable methods. Although they can quickly eliminate pain, there will be more complications in the long term. Methods that are still actively practiced contrary to international recommendations include:

• Blockade with steroid hormones. This is “heavy artillery”, which suppresses pain well, but often does more harm. Steroids slow down regeneration, reduce the strength of ligaments, and reduce local immunity. The most dangerous side effect is the resorption of the heel fat pad. Sometimes a single injection of the hormone is acceptable, but regular use will certainly lead to complications.
• Radiotherapy. You can also meet patients who by all means try to get on the heel radiograph, believing that it will remove the “heel spur”. In fact, only a special radiation unit, which is used to fight tumors, can eliminate a bone spike. On its way, a concentrated beam of radiation destroys all cells, and its use is justified only in oncology.

How to treat fasciitis correctly

The most effective and lasting treatment is always aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease. The main factors in the development of fasciitis are overload of the foot and a decrease in the elasticity of the fascia. Therefore, actions aimed at unloading the arches and improving the quality of the ligaments lead to the most noticeable results. Most importantly, effective treatments for fasciitis are safe.

Plantar fasciitis is a disease that requires the active participation of the patient himself. Of course, it seems easier to get an injection and forget about the pain. But until the patient himself improves the functioning of his body, the symptoms will return and increase. Below are the most effective methods for permanent relief of pain between the toe and heel:

• Quality orthopedic insoles. It is better if they are individual. The elastic protrusions of the instep supports massage the aponeurosis, improve its blood circulation and elasticity. Proper insoles support the arches well and relieve unnecessary stress from the fascia.

• Physical exercise. A competent rehabilitation specialist will write out a regimen of training and “stretching” that will work most effectively for you. With the help of regular exercises, it is possible to increase the elasticity of the fascia and muscles, which will significantly reduce discomfort.
• Night tires. Durable plates that are worn on the leg during sleep and improve the metabolism of the aponeurosis.