The plantar fascia, a thick connective tissue that supports the sole of the foot, maintains the arch of the foot and absorbs shock, and at the same time lifts the foot while carrying weight and plays an important role in walking. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, which plays an important role. Repeated micro-injuries are accompanied by various symptoms such as swelling and pain in the sole of the foot, and it is known that pain occurs mainly in the medial sole of the sole and in the heel. It is also reported that the incidence rate in women is about twice that of men.
Plantar fasciitis is known to be caused by a variety of causes. The shape of the sole of the foot is too concavely curved or flat, the leg length difference, the contraction or weakness of the lower leg muscles, rapid weight gain in a short period of time, wearing hard shoes such as flat shoes and sandals for a long time and frequently wearing high heels, incorrect posture and gait Hooks and the like are known to affect development. In addition, it is said that it is caused by a sudden large amount of exercise by a person who does not exercise regularly, long-distance jogging or marathon, and causative diseases such as diabetes and arthritis. Due to these various characteristics, it is reported that the incidence of obesity is high in middle-aged people who are obese, work workers who stand for long periods of time, and people who are active in sports. Now, let’s take a closer look at the main symptoms that can appear when plantar fasciitis occurs, as well as various information on treatment and prevention.
Main symptoms of plantar fasciitis
The main symptoms of plantar fasciitis are pain on the inside of the heel and pain on the inside of the foot as well. When you take the first few steps in the morning, the plantar fascia that has contracted during sleep is stretched and you feel severe pain. In addition, the pain is somewhat relieved when you are still, but the pain occurs when you start an activity, and when you move for a certain period of time, the pain tends to decrease again.
When plantar fasciitis occurs, treatment is often delayed and neglected. If this treatment is not received in a timely manner, the pain will become more severe and may cause difficulties in walking normally. In addition, if the gait disturbance continues for a long time, it can affect the knee, hip joint, and spine due to incorrect posture. Therefore, it can be said that it is very important to proceed with an early examination and treatment procedure through a visit when the initial symptoms suspected of occurrence appear. In addition, since the treatment of plantar fasciitis is long and it recurs easily even after treatment, it is important to maintain a steady management habit at all times.
Treatment and prevention of plantar fasciitis
1. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment
In order to diagnose plantar fasciitis, a physical examination is performed to confirm the exact tender point of the nodule and to determine the overall pain pattern along the direction of plantar fasciitis. However, if the symptoms appearing during the physical examination are not typical of plantar fasciitis, various tests such as X-rays, CT, MRI, and electromyography may be performed. And depending on the results of the various tests, various treatment methods are carried out. If the symptoms are mild, it is known that it can be improved only by correcting the lifestyle and improving the cause. However, if symptoms do not improve with these conservative treatments alone, surgical treatment to remove part of the fascia may be considered.
2. Stretching to reduce pain
Regular stretching can help prevent plantar fasciitis as well as relieve symptoms through pain relief. Stretching the sole and Achilles tendon about 10 times a day increases the flexibility of the plantar fascia and helps reduce pain. In particular, when you wake up in the morning and start to move, severe pain occurs, so stretching like this can be effective in alleviating pain and alleviating symptoms. In addition, placing a bottle, golf ball, or can on the sole of the foot and rolling it back and forth helps to relieve symptoms by stimulating the plantar fascia properly. In addition, please note that stretching exercises, such as sitting on the floor or a chair, straightening your legs and bending and straightening your body, also help relieve symptoms.
3. Maintaining a Proper Weight
Sudden weight gain or overweight can cause plantar fasciitis by putting pressure on the soles of the feet. Therefore, it can be said that maintaining and managing an appropriate weight by improving various lifestyle habits that usually cause overweight play a big part in the prevention and treatment of plantar fasciitis.
4. Maintain moderate intensity exercise
It is said that it is very helpful to prevent the occurrence of plantar fasciitis and to improve symptoms by refraining from exercise that causes pain and continuing to exercise at a moderate intensity. In particular, it is said that exercise that applies impact to the soles of the feet for a long time should be restricted in places where the floor is hard. In addition, it is important to minimize the fatigue of the fascia through sufficient stretching and warm-up of the calves and legs before exercise and sufficient rest after exercise.
Also, just as important as these moderate-intensity workouts, it is important to wear the right shoes for you. It is important to reduce the impact on the sole as much as possible by wearing shoes with sufficient cushioning, and it is important to reduce the impact on the sole by inserting an insole for hard-soled shoes. In addition, it is important to avoid wearing shoes that can put stress on the feet, such as sandals, flat shoes, and high heels, as much as possible. In addition, ice packs for 15 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day can help reduce pain and inflammation.
