Your feet carry you wherever you go. From the time you get up from your bed in the morning until the time you are ready to lie on your bed at night, your feet bear the weight of your body and carry you forward. Plantar fasciitis is the most common foot disorder that affects millions of people.
Plantar fasciitis is painful, a stinging heel pain, typically on rising or at rest. It results from irritation or inflammation of the band across the bottom of your foot (plantar fascia). Walking or standing is painful because the pain is so severe.
The good news? Your feet may not even need to start aching before you take action. With knowledge about preventing plantar fasciitis, you can have happy, healthy, and strong feet. In this book, you’ll learn about the causes, risk factors, and simple preventatives for this painful affliction.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis happens when your plantar fascia becomes inflamed. It is a tissue layer between the heel bone and the toes. The tissue is a shock absorber for the foot. Which makes it easy to walk, run, and jump.
When the tissue gets overused, micro-tears occur. Eventually, the tissue fills with fluid and creates pain in the heel. The pain gets worse:
- When standing up for the first time in the morning.
- Following sitting or rest after a prolonged period.
- Following intense exercise or prolonged standing.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
It’s easier to avoid it if we understand why and how it happens. Some of the most frequent causes are:
- No supportive shoes.
- Prolonged walking and standing on hard surfaces.
- Running and jumping, high-impact exercises.
- Too flat-footed or too high-arched.
- Sudden increase in activity level.
- Tight Achilles tendon or calf.
- Overweight, thereby putting added stress on the feet.
Who is at risk?
Plantar fasciitis can happen to anyone, but some are more prone to:
- Runners and sports participants who persist with repetitive stress sports.
- Students, nurses, and shop workers who are on their feet for long periods.
- Middle-aged adults (40-60 years).
- Overweight patients who put the heel under additional stress.
- Flat footed or high-arched people who are inadequately padded.
If you fall into any of the above, you need to take care that you do not develop plantar fasciitis.
Prevention of Plantar Fasciitis
Having some idea about how it happens and why there is more risk, let us proceed and discuss basic steps of taking care of your foot.
Wear Supportive Shoes
Your shoes can work magic in heel pain prevention. Always wear shoes which:
- Have normal arch support.
- Have cushioned heels.
- Are not loose, are not tight (fit well).
- Are designed for your specific sport (running shoes for running. walking shoes for walking).
Tip: Don’t wear flat, old, worn-out sneakers. Like flip-flops for a prolonged period of time. Sport shoes need to be replaced after 300–500 miles.
Wear Orthotics or Inserts
If your feet are extremely flat or extremely arched, shoe inserts (orthotics) can be beneficial. They compress and support your feet more uniformly. Over-the-counter inserts or doctor-made custom orthotics can be purchased.
Stretch Your Feet and Calves
Plantar fascia tightness is caused by tight calf or foot muscles pulling on the plantar fascia. Gradual stretching relaxes this tightness. Some simple stretches are:
- Wall calf stretch: Stand in front of the wall and place hands on the wall and step one leg behind so that the heel strikes the floor. Hold for 20–30 seconds.
- Plantar fascia stretch: Sit and place one leg over the other and draw toes toward shin to stretch the foot bottom.
- Rolling stretch: Roll your foot around the back of an ice water bottle or a tennis ball for several minutes.
Foot muscle strengthening
Strong muscle will do your foot good. There are some easy exercises:
- Toe curls: Lay a towel on the floor and curl the towel up with your toes.
- Marble pickup: Pick up marbles with your toes.
- Heel raises: Stand on a step. Raise your heels slowly up and down.
Exercising them a few times a week will make your feet strong.
Healthy Weight
Being overweight causes added stress on your feet. It especially happens in your heels. A healthy weight causes less stress on the plantar fascia and is also easier on your joints.
Even moderate weight loss has a dramatic effect in preventing heel pain.
Warm Up Before Exercise
Poor technique is making many of us rush into running or sports without a warm-up and thus inviting trouble. A warm-up by walking, slow running, or stretching before going for a run or any hard work habituates the muscles and minimizes strain on your feet.
Avoid Overtraining
Overdoing too often is also a plantar fasciitis culprit all too common. Build up gradually to your level of effort. For example:
- If you are running, increase not more than 10% each week in intensity or distance.
- Alternate high-impact with low-impact such as bike riding or swimming.
- Give your feet some resting time by providing them with rest.
Steer Clear of Barefoot Walking on Hard Floors
Wood floors or barefoot walking is extra stress for the plantar fascia. Wear supportive slippers or shoes at home if you work from home. Also have wood, tile, or concrete floors.
Breaks In Between Long Standing Sessions
You will stand all day at work, but do take breaks between standing sessions. Change your weight position around, sit for a brief period, or stretch to provide some relief to your heels.
Massage and Ice Feet
As soon as you feel a soreness starting, don’t let it develop. Take these self-treatment steps:
- Self-massaging or ball massaging of your foot.
- Icing or 15–20 minutes after exercise.
These small steps will prevent you from allowing little pain to become big damage.
Warning Signs Prevention Will Fail
Despite all these preventive steps being taken, sometimes plantar fasciitis can’t be prevented. Be aware of warning signs:
- Morning heel pain when waking up.
- Pain from sitting for a long while.
- Increased pain when you do exercise or stand up.
- Heel bottom pain.
If you receive any of these, rest, ice, and see your physician or podiatrist.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Healthy Feet
Prevention is not exercise and shoes. It’s a lifestyle, too. These are healthy daily habits. It keeps your feet in peak condition:
- Get moving but don’t overdo it: Alternate low-impact and high-impact activity.
- Walk on soft surfaces: Grass or sidewalks are easier on your feet than concrete.
- Wear proper shoes for the activity: Never jog in tennis shoes.
- Hydrate with water: Proper hydration is how muscles and tissue remain flexible.
- Pay attention to your body: Never try jogging with ongoing heel pain.
Cost of Neglect of Prevention
If plantar fasciitis does occur and is not addressed, it will have the following impact:
- Heel pain that can last months or years.
- Partial disability to walk or exercise.
- Lost work time or quality of life that is impaired.
- Costly treatment as surgery, injections, or physical therapy.
Prevention is less expensive and easier than cure.
Plantar fasciitis burns and irritates, but luckily can most often be prevented by simply doing a few very simple things. Having a wonderful supportive shoe, stretching daily, healthy feet, healthy weight, and not overdoing it are the secrets of prevention.
Your feet are worth it. You can cut your risk of developing plantar fasciitis in half and just keep truckin’ pain-free every single day. Prevention is the best medicine—start today, and thank yourself later.
