Plantar Fasciitis Brought Me To My Knees This Morning
Tammy Foster
If you are suffering from plantar fascitis, there is no way to describe the pain you feel with that first step out of bed every morning except to say it is pain that will make you realize in about 2.2 seconds that you are wide awake!
Pain with the first step out of bed in the morning is one of the tell-tale signs of plantar fascitis. The good news is that walking is a bit less painful after you've been up for awhile, but make no mistake it is there to be with you throughout your day. A warm shower can leave you with some temporary pain relief but you need something long term. You need your feet back!
The plantar fascia is the tissue along the bottom of the foot that essentially connects your heel to the toes. Under stress and strain this tissue can become inflamed or even tear. When this happens the classic symptoms are the severe pain with the first steps in the morning or after having been off your feet for a while.
Ill fitting shoe are a common culprit for placing undue stress and strain on your feet. You must wear shoes that fit, shoes that are not too tight, shoes that have a roomy toebox and shoes that are capable of supporting your feet. The wrong shoes can put too much pressure on the arches of your feet and that stress can leave you with this irritating and painful foot condition. So get off the glamor train and wear the shoes that provide the most support. K
Plantar fasciitis pain is most severe in the morning or after you've been off your feet for awhile and then lessens somewhat as your foot warms up. It doesn't take a world class detective to understand this clue when you are looking for how to treat the pain. While you are sleeping, your feet are relaxing and the plantar fascia begins to cool and contract. It is this action that leaves you with so much pain in the morning. Your feet just aren't ready to handle the load of that first step.
So, the first order of business is to stretch the area not only in the mornings but throughout the day! Simple stretching exercises that stretch the Achilles tendon area will also get at the plantar fascia and provide relief. In the mornings before you step down on your foot, use a towel or belt and put it underneath your toes and gently pull the ball of your foot toward you and hold for a few seconds to get the tissue stretched after a night of sleep. You may wish to consider purchasing a night splint. A night splint is a device that attaches to your calf and foot that helps keep your Achilles and plantar fascia in a lengthened position as you sleep. Orthotics (semi rigid inserts that go in your shoe) that are available at many sports stores can also provide relief throughout the day.
The key to remember is to stretch in the morning, stretch at the noon hour and stretch again at night. In fact, any time that you can find five minutes to stretch your feet, do so. You will be so glad that you did.
You might also find for the treatment of plantar fasciitis that cold or warm therapy is beneficial. Treating this foot condition is much like treating any other athletic or sports related stress or strain. Talk with your doctor to see what approach is best for your situation.
Using cold therapy at the end of the day is best since it is likely that you will have some swelling from your general daily activities. Try applying an ice pack for twenty minutes, then take it off for twenty minutes followed by another twenty minutes of a warm soak or a heating pad. Repeat this process with at least three cold treatments with two warm treatments sandwiched between. Always begin and end with the cold.
This is know as a contrast bath and is very effective at treating inflammation and the resulting pain. Although more time consuming it is the best treatment that you have readily available to you.
Even though there are many things that you can do at home to help with the pain of plantar fascitis, it is very important that you see your healthcare provider for a long term management plan. Remember to let your doctor know everything you've been doing to treat the pain and see if there is anything else that you should be doing. You might also ask for a referral to a podiatrist so that you can get more specialized foot care. Managing foot pain, especially the pain of plantar fascitis, takes a commitment from you that you will take the time to stretch, soak, ice and find the right shoes. Remember, these are the only two feet that you have so you'd best take good care of them.
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