Both men and women commonly experience plantar fasciitis, a condition that results in discomfort in the heel and the underside of the foot. The condition is characterized by pain in these areas.
Plantar fasciitis is a condition characterized by the inflammation of the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue that connects the toes to the heel. This inflammation typically arises when the plantar fascia undergoes excessive stretching or sustains an injury.
Women
It is found that plantar fasciitis is more commonly seen in women compared to men. This higher occurrence in women can be attributed to various societal and hormonal factors that they encounter during their lives. Factors such as pregnancy and having a demanding occupation that involves long periods of standing or walking contribute to this condition.
The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain under or on the heel that gets worse when you stand up after sitting for a long time. It usually feels better after you walk or exercise.
Treatment options for plantar fasciitis include simple changes in your lifestyle and some over-the-counter medications. Your doctor may also recommend a cortisone shot to reduce the inflammation and pain.
The best way to treat plantar fasciitis is to avoid the activities that aggravate it and make a few simple lifestyle changes. These include wearing supportive shoes, exercising regularly, reducing your weight and stretching your calf, Achilles tendon and plantar fascia. Using ice is also helpful for reducing pain and swelling.
Overweight
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and joint pain. These health problems reduce your life expectancy, and can interfere with basic physical activities, such as breathing and walking.
In a recent study, researchers found that overweight patients had a higher inflammatory response in their bodies, which was linked to increased foot pain.
Having too much weight put more pressure on your feet and causes your arches to flatten, which can lead to inflammation in the plantar fascia.
While it may be a surprising fact, being overweight can make you more prone to plantar fasciitis, and it is especially common in people who are physically active or run. Having a job that keeps you on your feet all day, such as retail workers, nurses and doctors, also puts you at greater risk for heel pain and inflammation.
High Arches
High arches put more pressure on the plantar fascia, which connects your heel to your toes. This can cause a lot of pain in your heels, which is why many people with high arches develop plantar fasciitis.
Women with high arches are more likely to experience this condition than men. This is because females are more genetically predisposed to inheriting high arches than males.
It can also be caused by a condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which causes smaller muscles in your feet. These muscles can work overtime and pull your feet up, causing the arch to rise.
In severe cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to flatten your feet. This can be done through minimally invasive surgery, which allows the surgeon to make adjustments in your foot bones.
Sedentary Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of plantar fasciitis because it can contribute to weaker muscles and ligaments. These can lead to a lack of support for your feet and ankles, causing stiffness, weakness, acute pain, and swelling in the legs and feet.
Often people with plantar fasciitis will report having a stabbing pain in the bottom of their heel that only gets worse when they walk or move around. This pain is due to calf muscle shortening, which in turn tightens the plantar fascia tissue that runs between the heel and forefoot.
In addition to this, people who are prone to obesity have an increased risk of developing plantar fasciitis. The extra weight on the feet puts additional pressure on the plantar fascia, which must absorb that extra load and keep your foot in the correct posture during walking.
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