Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis develops when the plantar fascia ligament that connects the front of your foot to your heel is chronically inflamed for any reason. So what can cause the chronic inflammation and injury of this important ligament? Though there is no one exact cause, there are many contributing risk factors that can trigger plantar fasciitis, such as: 

 • Engaging in physical activities that place a lot of stress on your heel and foot ligaments (long-distance running, aerobic dancing, ballet, jumping, etc)

 • Unusual foot shape or movement (having flat feet or abnormally high foot arches, walking in a way that puts excess stress on the plantar fascia ligament, etc)

 • Age (those between 40 to 60 tend to be the most vulnerable)

 • Obesity (the extra weight can put additional stress on the plantar fascia)

 • Occupations or careers that require lots of walking and standing every day (teachers, factory workers, store sales associates, etc)

 • Habitual wearing of high-heeled shoes or shoes with thin/unsupportive soles

Because plantar fasciitis has no clear or exact cause, you can’t really do any one thing that would be guaranteed to prevent it. However, you can do plenty to dramatically lower your risk of developing this painful foot condition. You can wear shoes with proper arch support and limit the wearing of high heels on special occasions. Maintaining a healthy weight can minimize daily stress on your feet. Switching to activities that have a low impact on your feet (more swimming and cycling, less running) can also make a big difference. Common sense habits like stretching your feet before exercise, changing your athletic shoes regularly, and resting your feet after intense activity all contribute to the health and long-term function of your feet. 

Yes, many cases of plantar fasciitis can be effectively treated at home. Here are some good home remedies you can try for pain relief: 

 • Mix one or two drops of lavender oil with olive or coconut oil and use it to massage the affected bottom of the foot

 • Wear shoes with good arch support and/or orthotic shoe inserts

 • Wear a night splint to stretch your arches and calves overnight

 • Do gentle stretching exercises for your foot arches, Achilles tendons, and calves

 • Massage your arches and heels (with or without oil)

 • Apply ice to the affected area

 • Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen

 • Administer Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENs) therapy to your feet (if you buy or own a TENs machine)

You should see your doctor or podiatrist as soon as possible if the pain has not improved or has only gotten worse after about one week of dedicated home treatment. You should also seek medical attention right away if the pain you are experiencing is severe enough to interfere with your daily activities. 

It’s possible for a very mild case of plantar fasciitis to go away on its own without any treatment at home or from a doctor. However, chronic pain is usually a sign that something is wrong and that at least some lifestyle changes need to be made to prevent your symptoms from getting worse. Ignoring a problem generally won’t make it go away. A common-sense approach is to try home treatment first, then seek medical attention if your condition doesn’t improve. 

Plantar fasciitis can lead to serious health problems if left untreated and allowed to grow in severity over time. This can result in chronic or permanent pain in the heel and arch of the foot, and scar tissue growth. The pain may cause a change in your gait, which can then bring about injury and dysfunction in the ankles, knees, hips, and back. While this foot condition is not considered an immediate danger or emergency, it can result in drastically compromised mobility and unnecessary trauma to your legs and back.  

Available medical therapies for plantar fasciitis include the following:

 • Cortisone injections to relieve inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament 

 • Physical therapy that includes stretching and strengthening the muscles and ligaments in your foot

 • Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) that stimulates the healing of the affected tissues in your foot with sound waves

 • Prescription orthotics

 • Gastrocnemius recession surgery to lengthen the calf muscles, thereby relieving stress on the plantar fascia

 • Plantar fascia release surgery to reduce strain on the plantar fascia ligament by partially cutting it

Most patients (about 90%) should respond well to conservative therapies, but if you experience no improvement after 12 months of treatment, then surgery may be recommended.  

Downtime from surgery is usually about 6 to 8 weeks, though it may be a bit faster with newer, less invasive surgical techniques. It may take up to 3 months before you can resume intense physical activity. Though surgery has a very high rate of safety and efficacy, the possibility of complications is always there. 

While plantar fasciitis has the potential to be a very painful and debilitating condition, it is very treatable with appropriate lifestyle modifications and conservative remedies, especially during its earlier stages.