Fixing the Pain of Plantar Fasciitis

If you’re having chronic intense pain in the bottom of the heel or foot, what you’re experiencing is likely Plantar Fasciitis.

It’s the inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament that connects the bottom of your heel to the toes, and many causes can irritate it. People who perform sports-related activities requiring lots of footwork can develop this. It’s also prevalent in those with flat feet.

Sometimes it takes years for plantar fasciitis to become noticeable, and identifying the culprit often gets challenging. Keep reading to learn about its symptoms and causes, along with some viable treatment options.

What are the symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis leaves you with an undesirable (and painful) stabbing pain under the foot near your heel. The pain is usually worse in the mornings because the feet receive less blood supply due to staying dormant at night. Other plantar fasciitis symptoms include:

• Finding it hard to walk after awakening for a while.

• The pain increases when you stand or walk too much.

• An abrupt increase in soreness after exercising, not during.

Plantar fasciitis can take anywhere between 6 to 18 months to heal completely without treatment. However, it can worsen if you don't take an adequate amount of rest and follow a healthy routine.

What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?

Various reasons contribute to the onset of plantar fasciitis. You may not even notice it initially. Maybe the pain was always there, but it wasn't enough to interrupt your daily activities.

It’s a sign your feet need rest, and not taking care of them will result in swelling. Some of the major plantar fasciitis causes are:

• Activities that put too much strain on your feet like long-distance running and ballet or aerobic dancing.

• An occupation like teaching and working in factories that requires standing or walking for prolonged hours on hard surfaces can inflame the plantar fascia.

• Being overweight can be dangerous for your feet, as they place extra stress on the ligaments.

• Not walking correctly due to an injury or any other abnormal walking behavior can change the weight distribution on the feet, making your plantar fascia prone to inflammation.

Your Plantar Fasciitis treatment options

Sometimes a few simple stretches can do the trick, but they aren't always effective if you aren’t educated on how to do them correctly. When you experience stabbing pain for the first time, staying off your feet can help reduce it, and you can follow one of these methods for decreasing inflammation.

• Supportive shoes or inserts: If you spend much of your day on your feet, the insoles can help the foot's arches support the body weight to limit stress.

• Massage therapy: A licensed massage therapist from Moench Method Bodywork can assess your condition and help you understand what’s going on with your body. From there, they can help put a treatment plan together on what muscles need to be worked on in order to quickly relieve you from your pain. Not only will they work through your soft tissue, but they will provide you with the tools and knowledge you need in order to help prevent this from happening to you again.

• Icing the area: It will help reduce inflammation, and there are many ways to use it. Apply an ice pack, soak your heels in cold water, or use ice cubes to rub the swollen area.

• Rest night splints: known as braces, can hold the foot at a right angle while you sleep, applying firm pressure on the Achilles tendons and plantar fascia. This constant stretch will eliminate the pain in a few days, and you can stop wearing them.

Want to talk to one of our massage therapists about how we can help?

Book an appointment at our Round Rock or Westlake location or give us a call at (512) 244-6241 to talk to one of our licensed massage therapists today. You an also shoot us an email with any of your questions.

Treating thousands of people suffering from injuries and chronic pain with our massage therapy treatments in North Austin in Williamson County in cities like Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Liberty Hill, and more!