Plantar Fasciitis

It happens to some people and is the doom of them. What exactly is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common injuries from running. You can feel a tightness and typically sharp pain in the heel and/or arch area of your foot.

The typical cause of this is a combination of tightness of the tendons that run around your heal and attach in your foot, overuse and improper shoes or a need for orthotics. The problem is that once you have it, it is tough to get rid of - but the earlier you catch it, the better and faster you can deal with the injury.

Steps to Recovery:

1. Stretch - but carefully and not necessarily where you think. The basic cause of the pain is that there is inflammation around the tendons and muscles. Aggressive stretching can actually aggravate the inflammation and cause further inflammation - so keep the stretching EASY! The other thing to try to focus on stretching your calf and hamstring. I have seen most runners with Plantar problems being tight along the whole back of their leg. This makes sense - because if there is a lack of flexibility as your leg is fully extended in your stride, the plantar is taking the stress.

2. Ice and massage. The ice will help reduce inflammation, and the massage will help the plantar heal faster. The favorite combination is freezing a bottle of water and then rolling your fott on the bottle - an example is on the video to the right showing stretching exercises you can do as well.

3. Rest. You should not run if it hurts. The running will only inflame the plantar more and delay your eventual recovery.

4. Get a good pair of shoes. As mentioned elsewhere on this website, the best thing you can do to prevent running injuries is go to a real running store and get fit for a proper pair of shoes. They will help cushion your foot, but also be the right type to help support your unique foot shape and mechanics.

5. See a Podiatrist. They have at least two other ways to help you. First, they can fit you for an orthotic. When I had plantar many years ago, this was the only thing that really fixed it for me on a permanent basis. Secondly, some doctors will give you a shot of Cortisone to reduce the inflammation. This may be the thing you need to break out of a bad cycle and allow your foot to heal.

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