Welcome to my blog! My name is Geoff. I have always been a sporty kind of chap. I love to go long distance running and I also play football and rugby. One day after a long run, I had a terrible pain in my foot. I thought I had just been overdoing it a little bit, so I decided to rest up. A week later, it was no better. I was still in a lot of pain and had to drop out of a couple of football matches. My doctor sent me to see a podiatrist who examined my foot and explained I had damaged a ligament. The podiatrist helped me to get back to full health. I decided to start this blog to explain the importance of good foot care.
The foot ailment plantar fasciitis comprises two words referring to parts of your foot. The plantar is the bottom area of your foot, and the fascia is the tissue that connects the heel bone to your toes. As such, the medical term plantar fasciitis refers to inflammation that occurs in this general area. The inflammation that results in plantar fasciitis is actually a pretty common ailment that will affect a majority of people in their lifetime; this is because there are many ways that you can cause this inflammation. Read on to learn some of the different causes of this heel pain.
Pronation of your foot
One of the more common reasons why you may develop plantar fasciitis is due to excessive pronation of your foot. This is when your foot is put through abnormal motions, which in turn cause straining in the fibrous tissue connecting the heel and the toes. Typically, when you are walking or running, you find your foot will be striking the ground using the edge of your heel. This motion is then followed by your heel rolling in toward the direction of your toes. When your foot is in this position, the arch of your foot is supposed to flatten slightly. In the event that your arch is flattening more than normal, your feet are at risk of excessive pronation, which would inevitably cause the development of plantar fasciitis.
Drastic weight gain
Another reason why you may develop chronic plantar fasciitis is if you have gained a drastic amount of weight in a short period. When this happens, your body does not have an adequate amount of time to adjust to the increased weight that it will have to bear. As a result, the different connective tissues in your body such as ligaments, tendons and the fascia in your feet will not have the required strength or the flexibility to provide your body with the increases support that it needs. This, in turn, leads to the overstretching of these connective tissues, which inadvertently causes you to develop plantar fasciitis.
Excessive trauma to the foot
If you regularly engage in intense physical activity, then you may be susceptible to developing plantar fasciitis. This is especially true if you subject your body to intensive climbing, jumping or running. If your feet do not strike the ground with adequate cushioning, the connective tissues will be extending to their limits. Constantly doing this will damage your plantar fascia over time.
If you have questions about plantar fasciitis or other kinds of heel pain, speak to an orthotics professional.
Share