What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common complaints of the foot we come across. But what is it, and what can you do about it?

Plantar fasciitis causes pain 💥 in the bottom of the heel. The plantar fascia is a thick, weblike ligament that connects your heel to the front of your foot. It supports the arch of your foot and helps you walk🚶🏽‍♂️.

Your plantar fascia ligaments experience a lot of wear and tear in your daily life. Normally, these ligaments act as shock absorbers, supporting the arch of the foot. Too much pressure on your feet can damage or tear the ligaments; the plantar fascia becomes inflamed, and the inflammation causes heel pain and stiffness.

The pain is usually worse in the morning when you take your first steps out of bed, or if you’ve been sitting or lying down for a while. After prolonged activity, the pain can flare up due to increased inflammation. Pain isn’t usually felt during the activity but rather just after stopping.

The best approach, if you think you have plantar fasciitis, is to rest from impact activities (running, football, netball, cycling). Ice ❄️the foot regularly 10minutes 3-5 times per day. Stretch and foam roll your calves. And make sure you wear footwear with enough support.

The next step is to look at what has caused the increase stress on your foot and how you can address it. This may be as simple as correcting your footwear👟 or it maybe more complicated and you may need to improve your biomechanics🏃🏻‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🚴🏼‍♀️🚴🏼‍♂️.