Try Walking Off Your Plantar Fasciitis
by Sally Key (personal experience with plantar fasciitis)
It might sound counter intuitive, but walking can actually be the best possible treatment. If you are like me in the past, you might be wondering what is plantar fasciitis. To be honest, I think many of us know what it is but do not know what it is called. Throughout my life I’ve been an active walker and a keen hiker – much preferring to walk across town than drive a car or heaven forbid, take the bus.
However, at a certain point in my long walks, I’d feel the muscle under my right foot, between the heel and toe tense. It would get worse and worse until there was a burning feeling, a kind of smap, and then it would be fine again. Now I’m older, I often wake up with pain in this area – the muscle feels tense and stiff.
This is apparently called plantar fasciitis and it is an inflammation of the tissue connecting those two areas. It presents itself as a stabbing pain whenever you get up out of bed or after a long time sitting down. If you are prone to arthritis, you may well develop heel pain but it can show itself in people who will not get arthritis too.
Treating Plantar Fasciitis
Most doctors suggest the condition is treated with a good rest. However, from personal experience, walking can actually help. The pain dies down with exercise and the tissue becomes more flexible. I’ve found that there is a good medium between rest and walking too far which can actually improve the condition rather than inflame it further. You can further protect the ligament when walking by wrapping it – this will relieve the pain and the inflammation at the same time. All you need is an ace bandage or athletic tape.
When Is The Best Time To Visit The Doctor?
You can see a doctor for plantar fasciitis whenever you want, for example you can even see a doctor if you have recently developed plantar fasciitis.
However, if you notice some symptoms like these then looking for a doctor is a must:
- Redness
- Extreme pain
- Numbness
- Constant pain
- Change in gait
- Difficulty in walking
- Hip pain
- A lot of time has passed
Prevention For Plantar Fasciitis
Preventing plantar fasciitis isn’t too hard, all you need to do is follow the tips given below:
Stretch Before Exercise
Not stretching enough before any kind of workout or exercise is really dangerous as it can cause you plantar fasciitis!
So make sure to stretch and allow your muscles to get ready for exercises.
2. Run across soft ground
Make it a habit to run whenever you can on smooth, soft surfaces to prevent Plantar Fasciitis. When possible, run on turf on a track rather than the street and choose mowed paths in parks over sidewalks. Avoiding uneven surfaces reduces the chance of landing incorrectly and twisting or spraining a ligament or tendon. Running on soft surfaces reduces the impact your feet absorb as they hit the ground, reducing inflammation and stress to your heel and fascia.
3. Don’t go overboard
Listening to your body and being aware of your boundaries is one of the most healthy habits you can form to ward against not only Plantar Fasciitis but a long list of other diseases.
How To Prevent Plantar Fasciitis From Happening Ever Again After It’s Healed?
If you want to prevent plantar fasciitis from recurring after it’s healed, you should consider following these strategies:
1. Wear Good Footwear: Pick supportive shoes that have good arch support and cushioning, these are great when you are standing or walking and make sure to avoid high heels or flat shoes as much as possible.
2. Stretch Regularly: Most of the time plantar fasciitis happens because the fascia isn’t used to stretching and which makes it easy to get damaged when sudden stretches happen. Make sure to stretch properly, especially your claves, Achilles tendon to increase flexibility and reduce tension, this is even more important especially if you have recently started being more active towards activities.
3. Strengthen Your Foot Muscles: There are strengthening exercises fir foot such as towel curls and picking up small objects with your toes, these improve foot stability and can easily help you strengthen your foot muscles, which makes you more resistant plantar fasciitis.
4. Maintain a Healthy Weight: Always remember excess weight is the one if the leading causes of plantar fasciitis, which is why it’s a good idea to maintain a healthy weight!
5. Avoid Walking Barefoot or Tough Surfaces: Hard surfaces and walking barefoot puts your plantar fascia at a huge risk of damage.
6. Rest and Ice: One of the most traditional and effective method for many injuries is rest and ice, if you feel discomfort in your foot then apply ice to it and rest. Do not continue strenuous activities or you will end up having plantar fasciitis again.
7. Do Not Wear Worn-Out Shoes: Worn-out shoes can’t provide enough support to your foot, which makes it much more likely fir you to develop plantar fasciitis.
8. Limit high-impact Activities: If you recently had a plantar fasciitis treatment then make sure you avoid strenuous activities to allow healing.