Plantar Fasciitis One Of The Leading Causes Of Heel Pain

It is pretty common for adults to experience some kind of foot problem, especially on the heel area. Heel pain is one of the common foot problems of adults. This occurs because of the natural wear and tear of the foot. Sadly, daily exercise and activities that are supposed to be good for your health, can be stressful for the foot.

The calcaneus bone or commonly called the heel bone is largest the largest bone of the foot. This large bone is the first structure of the foot that hits the ground when walking or running. Under the foot, there is a very important structure called the plantar fascia. This is a very strong and tough connective tissue, it attaches to the calcaneus bone to the balls of the foot and it keeps the arch of the foot intact. Because of this the plantar fascia is under constant stress especially when carrying heavy objects. Due to the attachment of the plantar fascia below the heel bone, this area can be a source of irritation.

When these structure gets excessively stretched, this puts a lot of stress on the fascia and causes irritation making the heel area inflamed. This is called plantar fascia and this condition is probably the most common cause of heel pain. People who are into sports like runners, sprinters, football, basketball players are prone to develop plantar fasciitis. This occurs because of abrupt force delivered to the foot and irritating the plantar fascia. Certain conditions that can lead to plantar fasciitis are being overweight, having diabetes, or wearing tight or wrong footwear.

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis are heel pain on the first steps after getting out of bed in the morning or stepping out of a car. Pain gradually deceases after a few steps but pain could heighten up again during the day especially on long standing or climbing up the stairs.

A thorough physical exam and past medical history is expected for a podiatrist to properly diagnose foot pain due to plantar fasciitis. There are different causes of foot pain that can show similar symptoms of plantar fasciitis. A correct diagnosis is the key to proper treatment.

There are several approaches in treating heel pain and the goal is to relieve the forces that are causing the plantar fascia to be stretched excessively. At home, there are easy ways to relieve foot pain. Resting the foot is an effective way to stop the pain. If the foot is allowed to rest long enough, this can encourage healing of the plantar fascia. Ice packs or cold compress provide quick relief of pain and swelling. If pain still persists after these basic treatments, then a podiatrist is needed.