What is Plantar Fascitis?
Plantar fasciitis is responsible for most heel and foot pain among young athletes and people who stand long periods of time. It involves pain and inflammation of a thick band of tissue, called the plantar fascia that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes.
Plantar fasciitis commonly causes stabbing pain that usually occurs with your very first steps in the morning. Once your foot limbers up, the pain of plantar fasciitis normally decreases, but it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position.
Plantar fasciitis is particularly common in runners. In addition, people who are overweight and those who wear shoes with inadequate support are at risk of plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis typically causes a stabbing pain in the bottom of your foot near the heel. The pain is usually worse with the first few steps after awakening, although it can also be triggered by long periods of standing or getting up from a seated position. Under normal circumstances, your plantar fascia acts like a shock-absorbing bowstring, supporting the arch in your foot. If tension on that bowstring becomes too great, it can create small tears in the fascia.
Risk Factors
- Age: There are more reported instances in people 40-60 years old.
- Certain activities: Long-distance running, ballistic jumping activities, ballet dancing, aerobics can put a lot of stress on the fascia lying on the bottom of the heel.
- Foot shape: People with flat-feet, high arches, or even abnormal walking patterns have unevenly distributed weight and thus put more stress on the plantar fascia.
- Obesity: People who are obese can put extra stress on their plantar fascia leading to more wear and tear as time goes on.
- Occupation: Teachers, nurses, and people who tend to be on their feet for a large portion of the day can put a lot of excess stress on their plantar fascia.
Complications of Plantar Fasciitis
Chronic heel pain: Ignoring plantar fasciitis can lead to long term damage that may impact ability to complete regular activities
Other chronic issues: Compensating for your heel pain can lead to increased stress on other areas of the body and may lead to chronic back pain, leg pain, and neck pain.
Plantar Fasciitis is a condition that can be mostly treated conservatively but, the longer the patient ignores the symptoms there is a higher chance that the condition would turn into a chronic inflammatory process. Most cases can be treated with the correct treatment plan; the goal of the treatment should be to avoid surgery or injections.
How can a chiropractor help with Plantar Fascitis?
The chiropractors here at Santa Clara Custom Chiropractic can help with your plantar fasciitis, heel, and foot pain. By utilizing chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapy including Graston technique and Active Release technique, and prescribing exercises that can help you strengthen the plantar fascia and surrounding muscles, our chiropractors can reduce pain and help you return to your normal life.
How to make an appointment
To schedule an appointment, please call us at 408-248-8700 or visit our website at santaclaracustomchiro.com.
After scheduling your appointment, intake forms will be conveniently emailed to you to complete prior to your initial evaluation. These forms will include questions about your health history so our chiropractors can get a clear picture on how to get you back to your pain-free life again.