Plantar fasciitis - a disorder characterized by pain and inflammation of the plantar fascia, which connects the heel bone and toes. Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. This disease can cause severe pain especially in the morning; It subsides after a while, but may return as a result of strong pressure on the legs. Plantar fasciitis is particularly common among runners.

Symptoms

The main symptom of plantar fasciitis is heel pain or the entire foot. Most often the pain appear only in one leg. Usually, pain appears in the morning, or after prolonged sitting.

Normally, the plantar fascia supports the arch of the foot and absorbs shock during walking and exercise. If, however, it accounts for too much of the load in the fascia can develop microscopic tears. Regular stress and permanent damage result in irritation and inflammation fascia.

Risk factors

Factors that increase the risk of plantar fasciitis:

• Age. Plantar fasciitis is the most common among people aged 40 to 60 years;
• Paul. Women are more likely than men prone to plantar fasciitis;
• Certain activities. Classes in which the heel and the surrounding tissue has to strong pressure, for example, dancing, long-distance running, aerobics, can contribute to the development of plantar fasciitis;
• Improper positioning of the foot when walking, such as flat feet Flatfoot - help physiotherapy Can significantly increase the load on the plantar fascia;
• Obesity;
• Professions that require a lot of time on their feet. Factory workers, teachers, and representatives of some other professions most at risk of developing plantar fasciitis;
• Improper shoes. To reduce the load on the plantar fascia, you should avoid very loose shoes with thin soles.

Complications

Since the pain in his foot at the plantar fascia occurs only from time to time, many patients ignore it.

In addition, plantar fasciitis can lead to problems with his knees, hips and back, which is why it may be necessary later in the much more complex treatment than in normal plantar fasciitis.

Diagnostics

During diagnosis plantar fasciitis physician first checks those portions of the foot, where most often there is pain. Localization of pain helps to determine whether it is caused by plantar fasciitis, or other problems.

Then the doctor can check the status of the musculoskeletal system and the presence of certain neurological disorders by testing:

• Reflex;
• Muscle strength;
• Muscle tone;
• Sensitivity;
• Coordination of movements;
• Sense of balance.

In some cases, experts use X-ray and / or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to make sure that the pain is not caused by disorders such as cracks in the bone or a pinched nerve Pinched nerve - what to do when severe pain? .

Treatment

Approximately 90% of people with a diagnosis of "plantar fasciitis" recover within a few months with the help of conservative treatment.

In such treatment, the following preparations:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen Ibuprofen: anti-inflammatory drug   and naproxen. Although not treat the cause of the disease, it is effective in relieving pain and inflammation;
• Corticosteroids are also used in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. Multiple injections of corticosteroids are not recommended because they can loosen the plantar fascia and even lead to its rupture.

Plantar fasciitis is also treated with physical therapy and special devices, which stretch the gastrocnemius muscles of the foot arch and - they are usually worn at night.

If conservative treatment methods are ineffective, may be used:

• Shock wave therapy. During this procedure in the heel sent shock waves to stimulate healing. This method is often used for chronic plantar fasciitis.
• Surgical methods. In very rare cases, for the treatment of plantar fasciitis is assigned to surgery. Its effects may be weakening arch.

The designated doctor treatment is especially effective if the patient is to care for themselves and in the home. At the time of treatment is necessary to reduce the duration of their trips and to reduce the intensity of your workouts. Apply cold compresses to the feet and make a gentle massage of the feet. Wear comfortable shoes with soles thick enough (at least 3-4 cm) and temporarily give up high heels.

Prevention

To prevent the development of plantar fasciitis, you must:

• Maintain a healthy weight - this will reduce the strain on the plantar fascia;
• Wear comfortable shoes and enjoy orthopedic insoles Orthopedic insoles - what are they for?   (they can be useful even completely healthy people);
• Dispose of old sneakers before they cease to properly support the foot. If you feel uncomfortable while running or other sports classes - buy new athletic shoes.

What if the heel pain when walking? Many people experience terrible discomfort, suffering from this problem. There are many methods to cope with the disease, but the first is to determine the cause of pain.

The pain in the heel when walking - a fairly common problem. In most cases, at first she is weak, there is only time to time, and gradually becoming stronger. For most people, the problem is only one sore heel, and approximately one third of cases, the pain occurs in both heels. Typically, the pain is particularly severe in the morning, or when a person begins to walk after a few hours spent without movement. After a while, the pain diminished, but it could intensify again, if a man for very long walks or stands.

Why hurt the heel when walking

The most common cause of heel pain is plantar walking fasciitis, a disorder that is also called heel spurs. For this disorder is characterized by thickening of the tissue damage and connecting the calcaneus with the rest of the foot - the plantar fascia. The reasons may be:

• Sudden damage to the plantar fascia, for example, while running, or dancing. Damage of this type are more common in young people, leading an active lifestyle;
• The gradual deterioration of the tissues that form the plantar fascia. This type of injury is most common among people over 40 years.

The following factors increase the risk of plantar fasciitis:

• Overweight and obesity;
• Any work, due to which a person takes a long time to spend on his feet;
• Constant wearing shoes with thin, flat sole, such as ballet.

In more rare cases, the reasons for the emergence of heel pain during or after the walk can be:

• Fracture of the calcaneus;
• Atrophy of fat. Between the calcaneus and the sole of the foot has a fatty layer, which greatly reduces the load on the heel when walking and running. Overloading in this area adipose tissue may begin to die off. Women, who for many years are very high heels, there is an increased risk of atrophy of the fat;
• Bursitis - an inflammatory disease that affects the bursa, a small, fluid-filled cavity located under the skin in the joints. If you have a sore heel when walking, perhaps this is a bursitis cause Bursitis - if you have trouble walking   foot;
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome. Nerves associated with the feet, pass through a small tunnel in the ankle joint, which is called the tarsal canal. If it forms a cyst, or a tunnel is damaged, the nerves are compressed, and this causes pain along the nerve, including - in the heel;
• Heel epiphysis or illness of the North - a common cause of heel pain in children. Violation caused by sprains and strains of muscles and tendons of the legs during growth spurts. Typically, the pain is especially strong during the long walk and some sports activities. In most patients, the pain is felt on the side of the heel, but sometimes a person feels pain just under the heel.

Prevention

Prevent violations that cause pain in the heel when walking, it is not always possible, but the following measures can help reduce the likelihood of their development.

Maintain a healthy weight. Overweight and, particularly, obesity, lead to the fact that the heel daily test load for which they are designed. This leads to the risk of various injuries stop increases, not to mention the appearance of other health problems.

Diagnosing obesity should be a doctor, but you can see if you have problems with weight, calculating your body mass index (BMI). To do this, your weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.

• BMI of 18.5 or less - is underweight.
• BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 - normal weight.
• BMI 25-29 - Overweight.
• BMI 30-40 - obesity.
• BMI of 40 or more - a severe form of obesity.

Take care of the health of the feet. Always try to wear comfortable shoes. Of course, if you once a week put on high heels or ballet flats, will not do harm, but if you go to them all the time, it can cause severe pain in the heel when walking.

Do not walk barefoot on hard surfaces, especially if you do it only during holidays. Very often pain in the heel when walking appears as a man who fifty weeks of the year goes to the shoe, going on vacation, but several hours a day walking around barefoot. While our ancestors went safely and even ran without shoes, feet of modern man not accustomed to such pressures, so it is not necessary to arrange such tests to their feet. Short walk barefoot on the beach, of course, not only does not hurt, but will be useful, but long walks without shoes should be avoided.

Diagnostics

If the pain in the heel when walking appears regularly for a few weeks, see your doctor. First of all he asks you exactly when the pain occurs and when it goes, how intense it is, and whether the pain accompanied by any other symptoms. To establish the cause of heel pain, your doctor may prescribe x-ray, blood test Blood tests: a mirror of health , Ultrasound and / or MRI.