Plantar Fasciitis. Whats This Pain In My Heel?
- Date: 2008-04-14 - Word Count: 341
Share This!
Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common injuries that runners get and if not treated correctly it can mean an end to active running. There are an awful lot of myths out there about Plantar Fasciitis. The condition is not caused by trauma or by the wrong shoes or by a heel spur.
It is a mechanical condition. There a numerous variations to Plantar Fasciitis but the main one is a sharp pain in the inside/front portion of the heel bone that can extend into the midfoot.
The tissue that connects the heel bone and the joint of the big toe is your Plantar Fascia and is made from similar tissue to tendons and ligaments. It is the foundation of your arch. The Plantar Fascia has a limited flexibility which is needed as part of the 'shock absorbing' part of the arch as the foot pronates. Pronation is a combination of internal rotation of the shin, rolling of the heel and other foot movements.
When a person is an over-pronator the Plantar Fascia is over stretched. Remember this happens every time you take a step, so in a runner the problem is increased due to the increased mileage and force applied to the Plantar Fascia.
Plantar Fasciitis doesn't occur out of the blue, it builds up over years. The pain that people with Plantar Fasciitis experience occurs when the stretching of the Plantar Fascia has caused an inflammation of the attachment of the Plantar Fascia to the heel bone. The reason that Plantar Fasciitis is at its most painful, usually in the morning or after long periods of sitting down, is because the Plantar Fascia has had a chance to tighten again.
This is why any effective treatment needs to address the biomechanical deficiencies of your walking and running if conservative treatment is to be successful. Stretching, massage and taping may also be needed but it all depends on the individual case. Also, although bad footwear doesn't cause Plantar Fasciitis, good correctly fitting shoes do ease Plantar Fasciitis so a running shoe assessment is advised.
It is a mechanical condition. There a numerous variations to Plantar Fasciitis but the main one is a sharp pain in the inside/front portion of the heel bone that can extend into the midfoot.
The tissue that connects the heel bone and the joint of the big toe is your Plantar Fascia and is made from similar tissue to tendons and ligaments. It is the foundation of your arch. The Plantar Fascia has a limited flexibility which is needed as part of the 'shock absorbing' part of the arch as the foot pronates. Pronation is a combination of internal rotation of the shin, rolling of the heel and other foot movements.
When a person is an over-pronator the Plantar Fascia is over stretched. Remember this happens every time you take a step, so in a runner the problem is increased due to the increased mileage and force applied to the Plantar Fascia.
Plantar Fasciitis doesn't occur out of the blue, it builds up over years. The pain that people with Plantar Fasciitis experience occurs when the stretching of the Plantar Fascia has caused an inflammation of the attachment of the Plantar Fascia to the heel bone. The reason that Plantar Fasciitis is at its most painful, usually in the morning or after long periods of sitting down, is because the Plantar Fascia has had a chance to tighten again.
This is why any effective treatment needs to address the biomechanical deficiencies of your walking and running if conservative treatment is to be successful. Stretching, massage and taping may also be needed but it all depends on the individual case. Also, although bad footwear doesn't cause Plantar Fasciitis, good correctly fitting shoes do ease Plantar Fasciitis so a running shoe assessment is advised.
Related Tags: sport, running, foot pain, heel pain, orthotics, insoles
einster Clinic Biomechanics Lab - www.lcbl.ie Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl