The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue on the bottom of your foot. It connects the heel to the front part of foot. By providing support to the arch, it helps absorb shock while walking or running.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is when a thick band of tissue in your foot (called the plantar fascia) gets irritated or swollen. It causes sharp heel pain especially when you first get up in the morning or after sitting for a while.
Causes
Plantar fasciitis usually happens slowly because of repeated stress on your foot. Wearing unsupportive shoes or standing and running a lot can cause it. Sometimes, it shows up without a clear reason.
Here are a few factors that increase the likelihood:
Age: It’s common in people over 40.
Foot shape: Flat feet, high arches or uneven walking can add pressure.
Weight: Carrying extra weight puts more stress on your feet.
Jobs: Standing or walking for long hours at work.
Activities: Running, jumping or dancing can strain your heel.
Symptoms
The main symptom is pain in the heel especially when you first get out of bed or after sitting for a while. The pain usually gets better during the day but can come back after activity. It often hurts at the bottom of the heel where the tissue attaches to the bone.
Doctors may use tests like X-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds to check and make sure the problem isn’t something else, like heel spurs (extra bone growths on the heel), which sometimes happen with plantar fasciitis.
Treatment
With simple home care, most cases improve.
Treatments include:
Rest: To prevent increased pain, skip the activities that make the pain worse.
Ice: Put ice or roll a frozen water bottle under your foot to ease the pain.
Stretching: Perform gentle stretches targeting your foot, calf and Achilles tendon.
Medicine: Take pain relievers like ibuprofen to lower pain and swelling.
Foot support: Use arch supports, wear splints at night or choose better shoes to reduce pressure.
Physical therapy: Special exercises can make your foot stronger and reduce pain.
Injections: For bad pain, doctors might give steroid shots to reduce swelling.
Shock wave therapy: This treatment uses sound waves to help your foot heal without surgery.
Surgery
Surgery is rarely required about 95% of people recover without it. If symptoms last a long time and don’t seem to improve then doctor may suggest:
Tenex procedure: A gentle method that uses sound waves to take out damaged tissue without big cuts.
Plantar fascia release: A surgery that cuts part of the fascia to reduce pressure, done either with a normal cut or small openings.
Recovery Time
Surgical recovery takes about 6 to 10 weeks. Full recovery especially for sports or demanding work might take up to three months.
