If your 1st few steps out of bed in the morning cause sharp pain in the heel of your foot, you may have plantar fasciitis. Very often it is the overuse injury affecting the sole or flexor surface (plantar) of the foot.
A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis means you have inflamed the tough, fibrous band of tissue (plantar fascia) a thin layer of tough tissue supporting the arch of the foot.
Repeated microscopic tears of the plantar fascia cause pain. Sometimes plantar fasciitis is called "heel spurs", but this is not always accurate, since bony growths on the heel may or may not be a factor.
You're more likely to get plantar fasciitis if you're a woman, if you're overweight, or if you have a job that requires a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces. You're also at risk for plantar fasciitis, if you walk or run for exercise, especially if you have tight calf muscles that limit how far you can flex your ankles. Most people with very flat feet or very high arches are also more prone to plantar fasciitis.
There are a number of possible causes for plantar fasciitis and they often work in combination.
If you don't treat plantar fasciitis, it may become a chronic condition. You may not be able to keep up your level of activity and you may also develop symptoms of foot, knee, hip and back problems because of the way plantar fasciitis changes the way you walk.
Rest is the first treatment for plantar fasciitis. Doctors will tell you to try to keep weight off your foot until the inflammation goes away. Also, apply ice to the sore area for 20 minutes three or four times a day to relieve your symptoms.
Often a doctor will prescribe (non-steroidal) anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen. A program of home exercises to stretch your Achilles tendon and plantar fascia are the mainstay of treating the condition and lessening the chance of recurrence.
If your condition continues after a few months of plantar fasciitis treatment, your doctor may suggest injecting your heel with steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (corticosteroid). If you still have symptoms after the injection, you may need to wear a walking cast for 2-3 weeks or night splint when you sleep. In a few cases, you might need surgery to release your ligament to stop your heel pain.
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