Plantar Fasciitis Prevention and Treatment

If you have heel pain in the morning or after sitting a long time, then you probably have plantar fasciitis and/or heel spurs. Plantar fasciitis the result of bone or nerve irritation from too much tension, inflammation, or scar tissue in the fascia - the ligament on the bottom of the foot. The pain often increases with more walking and standing. The pain is usually where the fascia attaches to the heel, but it can be over the entire bottom area of the foot. A heel spur is a growth of bone from the heel that is often associated with plantar fasciitis pain.

Plantar fasciitis and heel spurs are debilitating conditions for a walker, since walking through the pain can simply lead to more pain and months of recovery. It is not necessarily an injury that walkers are prone to rather than the general population - it can be caused by bad shoes, being overweight, or putting an abnormal load on your feet.

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment

• 1. Rest: Once you have plantar fasciitis, you should back off of your walking distance and not walk or run through the pain.
• 2. Icing: Use an ice pack on the foot for 15 minutes after walking.
• 3. Self-Massage: Massage the foot before getting out of bed in the morning. Use long strokes from the ball down to the heel.
• 4. Night Splint: This device holds your foot flexed at night so that the plantar fascia doesn't tighten up and cause that horrible pain as you stretch it first thing in the morning, which can in fact re-injure it. A study found that use of the night splint gives you a significantly shorter recovery time than just using stretching.

Top Picks for Heel Spur and Plantar Fasciitis Relief

Plantar Fasciitis Stretches

Once the pain and swelling have begun to subside, perform these static stretches three times a day. Continue to use this stretch to prevent recurrence of plantar fasciitis and heel spur.
1. Plantar Fascia Stretch
2. Rolling Stretch
3. Step Stretch
4. Calf Stretch

There are several good web sites dedicated to plantar fasciitis symptoms, prevention, and treatment. As with any medical advice on the web, please check with your own health care provider if you need true expert advice on your condition.

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Reference: Lance D. Barry, DPM et al. "A Retrospective Study of Standing Gastrocnemius-Soleus Stretching versus Night Splinting in the Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis," The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Volume 41, Number 4, July/August 2002.