Supporting all the weight of our body, our heels are mistreated daily, especially when we walk a lot or run. Besides the drying of their skin, the appearance of cracks and corns, the heels can become fragile and become painful. These pains can be due to a plantar fasciitis !
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis refers to an injury to the foot due to rupture or stretching of the plantar fascia. It is a fibrous membrane that connects the front of the foot to the heel and keeps the arch of the foot.
Normally, this problem manifests itself in a heel pain and mainly affects the athletes because they demand much this part of their body.
Normally, this problem manifests itself in a heel pain and mainly affects the athletes because they demand much this part of their body.
The causes of plantar fasciitis:
The causes of plantar fasciitis are numerous and depend on each case. But in general, the factors pointed at are:
Obesity and overweight: Excess weight impacts overall health and increases the risk of different diseases, but can raise tensions on the muscles of the back of the legs which has a direct effect on the feet.
Unprepared physical activity: practicing sports without preparing your muscles and tendons for the following activity can harm your health and increase the risk of injury. The most risky sports are: jogging, volleyball, dancing ...
Flat or hollow feet
Obesity and overweight: Excess weight impacts overall health and increases the risk of different diseases, but can raise tensions on the muscles of the back of the legs which has a direct effect on the feet.
Unprepared physical activity: practicing sports without preparing your muscles and tendons for the following activity can harm your health and increase the risk of injury. The most risky sports are: jogging, volleyball, dancing ...
Flat or hollow feet
Wearing unsuitable shoes: wearing shoes that do not support the foot properly (such as shoes with soles or hard heels) can cause biomechanical imbalance.
Standing for a long time also puts your fascia to the test
Age: people over 45 years of age are at greater risk of developing plantar fasciitis, because the fascia may lose its flexibility over time
Symptoms of plantar fasciitis and consequences:
The most common symptom of plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel. It manifests itself mostly in the morning and disappears during the day, but may return in case of physical activity. Depending on the case of each person, the pain may be mild or strong.
Since the foot is heavily stressed, the pain will be persistent if the condition is not taken care of. But not that, it may be that this wound develops and causes the formation of a spine of Lenoir, an osseous outgrowth that appears at the meeting point of the bone of the heel and fascia. This outgrowth is actually a mechanism of adaptation of the bone that tries to resist the pulling of the tendon.
Treatments :
Treatments of plantar fasciitis are numerous and effective, but sometimes require months for optimal healing. First of all, it is necessary to begin by finding the cause of the condition, for a better targeted treatment.
Doctors recommend the application of ice in case of pain, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs in general. Rehabilitation exercises are also prescribed to treat this problem, while surgery remains the last resort.
But besides these solutions, there is another way to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
The technique of Dr. De Fabio:
To relieve the pain associated with plantar fasciitis and reduce inflammation, Dr. Donald De Fabio, chiropractor, advises a massage of the soles of the feet. The goal is to lengthen the muscles of the calves to reduce tensions in the soles of the feet.
Using a wide-tip stainless steel instrument, move rapidly back and forth at the arch of the foot, to eliminate scar tissue, create more elasticity in the plantar fascia and improve circulation Blood in this part, which promotes the healing process.
It is important to massage the calves and descend to the arch of the foot because the more the muscles of the calves are tensed, the more pressure is important on the plantar fascia.
The doctor also recommends using the kinesio taping technique to relieve pain. By using specially designed bands, this technique allows more freedom of movement and stimulates lymphatic circulation for faster healing.