Experiencing plantar fasciitis can result in a sharp pain in your heel upon waking up or getting out of bed. While this discomfort may diminish after a short period of time, it is crucial to seek medical attention and avoid disregarding it. Remember to consult with a healthcare professional to properly address this issue.
Plantar fasciitis is a condition characterized by inflammation in the plantar fascia, a tough and flexible tissue that connects the heel to the toes. This inflammation causes pain and discomfort for individuals who experience it. People with high arches, those who are overweight, or those who spend a significant amount of time on their feet are more prone to developing plantar fasciitis.
Pain Relieves With Walking
One of the positive indicators that plantar fasciitis is on the mend is experiencing pain relief while walking. This typically occurs when you take your initial steps in the morning or after an extended period of sitting.
The plantar fascia is a thick, fibrous band of tissue that runs from the heel to your toes. When it gets strained from repeated activity, it can cause pain in the heel or arch.
Doctors once believed that bony growths called heel spurs brought on the pain, but now doctors believe the cause is inflammation within the plantar fascia itself.
If your pain continues after you’ve tried rest, icing, braces, and other home treatments, your doctor may recommend an injection of a cortisone drug directly into the damaged tissue.
The shot lasts for three to six months and, often, by then the plantar fasciitis has healed. If it doesn’t, your doctor may also consider platelet-rich plasma or extracorporeal shock wave therapy. Those techniques don’t have consistent results, but they can provide pain relief and encourage tissue healing.
Pain Relieves With Rest
Pain relief with rest is one of the signs plantar fasciitis is healing. If you’re not feeling better, see a podiatrist immediately.
If you’re overweight, have high arches, flat feet or other risk factors for plantar fasciitis, it’s important to avoid activities that aggravate your foot. You can also change your exercise routine and make sure to use arch supports in your shoes.
When you do exercise, Steege recommends doing it in short intervals and finding a low-impact activity. For example, you can use a treadmill or an elliptical machine instead of running.
You can also use ice to help reduce swelling and inflammation. You can apply a cold bag wrapped in a towel to the base of your foot, or soak your feet in an ice bath. Gently massaging the calf, ankle and foot can also relieve pain and promote healing.
Pain Relieves With Exercise
Plantar fasciitis pain can be relieved with stretching exercises. Exercises help the ligament become more flexible and can also strengthen muscles that support the arch.
A physical therapist can show you stretching exercises that you can do several times a day to improve your condition. They may also recommend ice treatments, massage, and other therapies to reduce inflammation.
If you work at a job that requires long hours on your feet or wear shoes that don’t support the heel and arch, you might develop plantar fasciitis. This is often caused by tight Achilles tendons that attach the calf muscle to your heel bone.
A common plantar fasciitis symptom is stabbing heel pain that gets worse when you first get out of bed in the morning or after a long period of standing. This pain usually eases during the day but it can be frustrating if it persists or becomes more severe.
Pain Relieves With Massage
Plantar fasciitis is a painful condition that affects the heel and bottom of the foot. Massage and stretching are simple home remedies that can help relieve pain and promote healing.
We instinctively rub our hands, feet, and legs when we feel aches and pains. It helps stimulate blood flow, break down adhesions and scarring, temporarily diminish the pain signals from nerve endings, and stretch and loosen tight muscles and tendons that contribute to plantar fasciitis.
Massaging can be performed in a variety of ways and with various tools. A tennis ball, a water bottle, or a soft spike ball can be used to apply pressure evenly.
In a plantar fasciitis massage, a practitioner will use quick movements horizontally across the outer calf muscle, Achilles area and sole of the foot below the heel to target the irritated tissues. The therapist will then gradually increase the pressure to patient tolerance, using kneading, pushing and pulling techniques.
These techniques have been shown to encourage tissue healing, improve circulation, and reduce collagen cross-linking which discourages new scar tissue formation. They also have been shown to increase mobility and decrease pain so much that patients can return to physically taxing activities with little or no plantar fasciitis symptoms.
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