Wednesday 17 September 2014

PLANTAR FASICITIS

WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS?



Planter Fascitis


Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the bottom of the heel. The plantar fascia is a thin ligament that connects your heel to the front of your foot. It supports the arch in your foot and is important in helping you walk.


Heel Pain


Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common orthopedic complaints. 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.

WHAT CAUSES PLANTAR FASCIITIS? :


Planter Fascia


You are at a greater risk for developing plantar fasciitis if you are overweight or obese. This is due to the increased pressure on your plantar fascia ligaments, especially if you have sudden weight gain. Women who are pregnant often experience bouts of plantar fasciitis, particularly during late pregnancy.

If you are a long distance runner, you may be more likely to develop plantar fascia problems. You are also at risk if you have a very active job that involves being on your feet often, such as a factory worker or a restaurant server. Active men and women between the ages of 40 and 70 are at the highest risk for developing plantar fasciitis. It is also slightly more common in women than men.

If you have foot problems, such as very high arches or very flat feet, you may develop plantar fasciitis. Tight Achilles tendons (the tendons attaching the calf muscles to the heels) may also result in plantar fascia pain. Simply wearing shoes with soft soles and poor arch support can also result in plantar fasciitis.

Plantar fasciitis is not caused by heel spurs. A heel spur is a hook of bone that can form on the heel bone (calcaneus) of the foot. One out of every 10 people has a heel spur, but only one out of 20 people with heel spurs experience pain, according to OrthoInfo.




SYMPTOMS:

  • Pain and stiffness in the bottom of the heel.
  • Burning or ache on the bottom of the foot extending outward from the heel.
  •   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.
  • Climbing stairs can be very difficult due to the heel stiffness.
  • Pain is not usually felt during the activity, but rather just after stopping.

DIAGNOSIS

Physical exam to check for tenderness in your foot and the exact location of the pain to make sure that it’s not caused by a different foot problem

Mild redness or swelling will also be noted.

Evaluate the strength of your muscles and the health of your nerves by checking your reflexes, your muscle tone, your sense of touch and sight, your coordination, and your balance.

 X-rays or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan may be ordered to check that nothing else is causing your heel pain, such as a bone fracture.

TREATMENTS

 
Applying ice for 15 to 20 minutes three or four times a day to reduce swelling. 


Arch supports in your shoes and doing stretching exercises may also help to relieve pain.


STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING : 
Stretching and strengthening programs play an important role in the treatment of plantar fasciitis and can correct functional risk factors such as tightness of the gastrocsoleus complex and weakness of the intrinsic foot muscles. Increasing flexibility of the calf muscles is particularly important

 
Wall exercises for calf stretching

 
STAIR STRETCH


SLANT BOARD
Use of two-inch × four-inch piece of wood for stretching.

 
                                                                                                      Dynamic stretching with a 15-oz can.
 
Cross-friction massage above the plantar fascia.
  
Towel stretching.

 
Strengthening programs should focus on intrinsic muscles of the foot. Exercises used include towel curls and toe taps. Exercises such as picking up marbles and coins with the toes are also useful. To do a towel curl, the patient sits with the foot flat on the end of a towel placed on a smooth surface. Keeping the heel on the floor, the towel is pulled toward the body by curling the towel with the toes.

BRACES AND SPLINTS

Night splints are another treatment that can help stretch your calf and the arch of your foot. Night splints are a type of brace that holds your foot in a flexed position and lengthens the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon overnight. This can prevent morning pain and stiffness.


NIGHT SPLINTS


Night splints usually are designed to keep a person's ankle in a neutral position overnight.

Night splints usually are designed to keep a person's ankle in a neutral position overnight.
Night splints usually are designed to keep a person's ankle in a neutral position overnight.

COMPLICATIONS OF PLANTAR FASICIITIS


If you ignore the condition, you can develop chronic heel pain. This can change the way you walk and cause injury to your legs, knees, hips and back.

2 comments:

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  2. Stretching exercise of the Planter fascia and Use of Hot and Cold Pack are The Best Home remedies for Planter fascitis!

    ReplyDelete