How fond are you of taking care of your feet? Different factors play a part in promoting your feet’ health, including footwear, foot hygiene, and physical activity. Heel pain is the most common foot problem you are likely to encounter. Sometimes they do not seem a problem until they interfere with your movement. At this point, you need to consult an experienced podiatrist for evaluation. The Mill Creek tendonitis specialist Nathen Hansen provides effective treatments to improve your feet’ health and restore mobility. This article provides you with more information about plantar fasciitis.

What is plantar fasciitis?

It involves the inflammation of your foot sole, resulting in pain. The plantar fascia is the tissue at the bottom of your foot, running from the heel to the front. It enhances walking and supports your foot arch.

When plantar fascia overstretches or overtightens, inflammation may occur, causing pain. The tissue may also tear away, leading to pain. Usually, you experience pain in the arch, heel, and midfoot.

You may have plantar fasciitis if you feel heel pain after walking, standing, or sitting for some time. Usually, the pain is severe in the morning when getting up and then improves afterward. But the pain may worsen if you keep walking, which may even make your walking difficult.

What causes plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis may result from various things, including excessive weight, poor footwear, flat feet, walking on hard surfaces, high arches, and standing for long periods. Your risk for plantar fasciitis becomes even stronger when you have more than these factors combined.

When you visit Hansen Foot & Ankle for plantar fasciitis, they perform x-rays to confirm the condition and determine the exact cause. Diagnosis is essential as it may also indicate other problems such as heel spurs. It allows you to get the most appropriate treatment.

What to do when you have plantar fasciitis?

You can take measures when you have plantar fasciitis to minimize the pain and improve your recovery. Some steps include applying ice packs, wearing comfortable footwear, stretching exercises, reducing your physical activities, and taking painkillers.

Wearing shoes with a raised heel may also do you some good and release the pressure from the plantar fascia. However, wearing high heels with narrow toes may lead to other issues such as bunions.

Treatment for plantar fasciitis?

If your symptoms for plantar fascia do not improve with the above measures, you may benefit from Dr. Hansen’s treatments. Some available treatments include night splints, padding and strapping, custom orthotics, removable walking casts, and physical therapy.

Dr. Hansen also offers steroid and platelet-rich plasma injections to relieve heel pain. When you do not find relief using nonsurgical treatments, your provider may suggest surgery. The surgery involves cutting the plantar fascia to relieve pressure and ease your pain.

You may find heel pain normal, but it becomes a problem when it makes walking almost impossible. You may try applying ice or changing into supportive footwear to ease your pain. But when pain persists, Dr. Hansen is here to help.

Contact Hansen Foot & Ankle to schedule your consultation today.